Mythic Gods & Monsters
Mythic Gods & Monsters
A Design Guide For Game Masters
About the Book
The main reason we created this book was all the stories we've read over the years where gods leave indelible marks on the story, the heroes, and the world. Dark cults serving nameless horrors must be stopped by brave heroes. Epic quests spawned by divine machinations put heroes into strange lands battling bizarre monsters. Godly ambition drives characters into places not meant for mortals.
But the problem is gods are given short shrift at the game table. Clerics and other player characters draw powers from these beings and wield it in their names, yet what thanks do the gods get for this? Those players who bother to write the name of a deity on their character sheet soon forget about it along with the 10 foot pole in their backpack. Neglected and ignored, gods underperform for your campaign, making your job as GM tougher.
The gods should be active plot agents for you! They should inspire factions and villains to threaten the PCs. They should provide you (un)holy places and dungeons for the party explore. And gods should give you a wonderful platform to drive stories from, and inspire and enhance your plots with.
However, we feel this is should not be done with simplistic confrontations with gods where they beat the PCs over the head with quests and plot hooks. Nothing breaks immersion more than NPCs with obvious golden exclamation marks over their heads. Instead, aim for subtle. Render the gods' influence through mortal religions, followers seeking divine favour, and monsters transformed by immortal threads.
This book will show you how to do this. We give you a system that starts at the top - god creation - and guides you through the layers of pantheon creation, religion creation, and divine-touched monster design so you have everything you need to meddle in the character's lives with the subtlety of Shakespeare. No longer will your gods be taken for granted and be just spell sieves for spoiled PCs. It's time for your gods to take part in your milieu and be active agents within it, to make your job of plotting and creating cool foes and encounters much easier. It's time to wield the Mythic God Generator!
About the Author
About the Contributors
Table of Contents
- Introduction From John & Johnn
-
Part One: The Mythic Pantheon Generator
- Step 1. What type of pantheon?
- Step 2. How was the pantheon created?
- Step 3. What came before the pantheon?
- Step 4. What is the nature of divinity?
- Step 5. How close are the gods to the world?
- Step 6. Who are the gods?
- Wrapping Up
-
Part Two: Pantheon Examples
- Example Pantheon: The Dragon Pantheon
- Example Pantheon: The Gods of Our Fathers
- Example Pantheon: The Lord Sol
- Example Pantheon: Shattered Gods
- Example Pantheon: The Animal Court
-
Part Three: Mythic God Creator
- Step 1. Name
- Step 2. Portfolio
- Step 3. Myth
- Step 4. Manifestation
- Step 5. Rituals
- Step 6. Divine Rewards & Punishments
-
Part Four: Mythic God Examples
- Criador the Allfather
- Sorte, Lady of the Grey Veils
- Coração Heartguard
-
Part Five: Mythic Religion Creator
- Introduction
- Step 1. Name
- Step 2. How does the religion relate to other religions of different gods?
- Step 3. How does the religion relate to other sects of the same god?
- Step 4. What sort of places and buildings does the religion worship in?
- Step 5. In addition to the god what does the religion hold sacred?
- Step 6. What are the main rituals and how do worshippers identify themselves?
- Step 7. What can the religion offer worshippers and what is forbidden?
-
Part Six: Example Religions
- Sons of Criador
- Blessed of Sorte
- Daughters of Coração
- Offshoot Sect: Chosen of Fortuna
-
Part Seven: Mythic Monster Creator
- Introduction
- Step 1. How was the monster created?
- Step 2. If a divinity or higher power was involved in the creation, what was the nature of the power involved?
- Step 3. Why was the mortal cursed?
- Step 4. What purpose was the monster created for?
- Step 5. Where is the precious item located?
- Step 6. Which deity is the creature related to or affiliated with?
-
Part Eight: Mythical Monster Examples
- Kalkedos the Swamp Troll
- Badala hoka the Storm Bird
- Zil, the Watchful Eye
- Akili, the Thought Eater
- Jaran, Lord of the Plains
-
Part Nine: 48 More Examples of Mythic Gods
- Aza-Arbi
- Aspida the Protector
- Hiztoron Wafaa
- Toria / Allea
- Hellium
- Mauriel
- Azael the Remover, the One Set Apart for Destruction
- Lucean the Sailor, Twin to Tahanee
- Tahanee the Woodsman, Twin to Lucean
- Grimina the Sage
- Gordanna the Diviner
- Oma, Lady Luck
- Herron the King
- Aureleans the Queen
- Kishan the Lady
- Krillates
- Verner the Swordsman
- Perdicion
- Kamongir the Swift
- Godar the Allmother
- Katl the merciful
- Owahan
- Mysmera
- Epdione
- Apnia
- Okesis
- Deidra
- The White God
- The Black God
- The Yellow God
- The Red God
- The Blue God
- Priroda, Giver of Life
- Kapriz the Broken
- Meshok the Benevolent
- The Green God
- Calaban
- Skavious, the Rat Lord
- Skarr the Half-Rotten
- Skav the Copper-Shade
- Avedar
- Skorr the Swarm-Lord
- Sarlock Sheen
- Horkos
- Ultath, Lord of Metals
- Dostath, Lord of Gems
- Narai, Mother of Herbs
- Gabos, Prince of Cruelty
- Final Word From Johnn
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