It was one of those evenings. The town saved yet again, evil once more banished. The group of adventurers had earned free drink rights in the local tavern ages ago by taking care of the rat monarch in the cellar, and now the townsfolk was more than happy to pay for their meals. All was right with the world. or at least this little part of it. Except for the emptiness the adventurers felt inside. Nothing to do. Nothing to prove. Unbeknownst to everyone around them, this was exactly the right time for one of the more foolish of ideas to take root. Because why not? Let’s kill a God.
Wait, what?
If you think about it, killing a god is not that unusual as a high level activity in roleplaying games. Maybe the particular god in question is evil and plans an invasion. Or they are good, and the adventurers in question are not. Maybe, and that happens more often than you would think, the heroes need to keep busy. A high level lifestyle does not pay for itself, and even a well-to-do veteran might feel the need to test their skills just one more time.
This series of articles each deals with one of those outlandish ideas that high-level characters might come upon in an evening of drunken reminiscing. One of those ideas that give stressed-out game masters an option to keep their campaign going just a little longer.
If you want to dive in already, check out the first installment – the Goddess of Agriculture!
To Kill a God, in general
I want to explore some methods to kill any of the gods in an involved and meaningful manner. Not just by slaying their avatars, or demolishing a single location. This will most likely involve heist-like plots that require a mix of physical and intellectual possessions as well as some right-time-right-place scenarios.
My hope is that these ideas will work as a modular tool box for all your god-killing needs. The desire to kill a god might not be a common issue to face. But if you do, you can rest easy knowing that at least in the planning phase someone already did the leg-work.
Archetypes
Since I wanted these ideas to work with any system, the gods will not be mentioned by name but rather by archetype. There will be deities for certain season as well as certain behaviours. You can pick and chose the one that best fits your needs. You can mix and match, and come up with a unique plot to vanquish a member of your own pantheon.
That also means that this resource is not actually limited to the gods. You can apply the same ideas and techniques to powerful demons or devils in your world. It might offer a cool way to get rid of a cunning archmage who has completed their quest for immortality ages ago. Or, in a surprising twist of events, this might come in handy for the crafty adventurer seeking godhood themselves.
What’s coming our way?
There are so many archetypes that I decided to pick an arbitrary seven for what I would call the first run. This list is subject to change if I run into a divine wall on any of them, but for now, here is what I intend to tackle:
Agriculture – War – Sun – Death – Secrets – Civilisation – Knowledge
Let’s see how it goes
I will write more articles over time, so I recommend you join my mailing list. I won’t send updates often, twice a month at most. But that way, you won’t miss a thing. Thanks for stopping by, and remember to Be Inspired!
