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Old 02-08-2008, 07:03 PM   #1
vitruvian
 
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Default Dungeon Fantasy Pantheons

I was playing around with creating a pantheon of gods for use by clerics in Dungeon Fantasy, and came to an interesting conclusion.

First off, it was essentially a modified Greek pantheon with some changes, with names derived from actual Classical and Homeric epithets. The 'Olympian' twelve were Megistos (Zeus Olympios), Potnia (combo of Hera and Demeter), Nestis (Persephone), Kreno (Kronus/Saturn reconceived as a second generational harvest god), Arcas (Zeus Lykaios), Aethon (Apollo/Helios), Ortheia (Artemis/Selene/Hecate), Enyalios (Ares/Hephaestus composite), Tritogeneia (Athena/Poseidon composite), Cytherea (Aphrodite with aspects of Athena and the Fates), Bromios (composite of Dionysus, Pan, and Herakles), and Dolios (Hermes).

Of these, four (Potnia, Nestis, Kreno, and Bromios) would logically grant spells related to plants, especially Bless Plants. Five would have spells associated with beasts (Potnia, Arcas, Ortheia, Tritogeneia, and Bromios). A few should have abilities to grant control over weather or elements (Potnia, Arcas, Tritogeneia).

Basically, of the pantheon of twelve, seven would do as well to have druids serve as their priests as clerics, or to have their priests 'multiclass' as both (since after all priests of Bromios will want to have Water to Wine and everybody wants healing spells).

Does anyone see any problem with saying that certain deities would be served by both clerics and druids as their priests? Or is this just way overthinking the 'background' for Dungeon Fantasy?

Actually, 'multiclassing' or combining templates in interesting ways could be a whole interesting topic of its own. What kinds of synergies might we find between, say, monks, excuse me, martial artists and knights with Weapon Master?
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Old 02-08-2008, 07:06 PM   #2
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Default Re: Dungeon Fantasy Pantheons

Quote:
Originally Posted by vitruvian

Actually, 'multiclassing' or combining templates in interesting ways could be a whole interesting topic of its own. What kinds of synergies might we find between, say, monks, excuse me, martial artists and knights with Weapon Master?
You'll have the official answer later this month.
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Old 02-08-2008, 07:28 PM   #3
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Default Re: Dungeon Fantasy Pantheons

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You'll have the official answer later this month.
Thought we might, since I saw Weapon Master just hanging there as one of the Knight's options without any cinematic skills, such as, for example, Power Blow. It just makes too much sense as a power-up. So, Knight/Martial Artist looks good, as does Druid/Scout and, strangely Druid/Martial Artist.
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Old 02-08-2008, 08:24 PM   #4
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Default Re: Dungeon Fantasy Pantheons

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Originally Posted by vitruvian
Thought we might, since I saw Weapon Master just hanging there as one of the Knight's options without any cinematic skills, such as, for example, Power Blow. It just makes too much sense as a power-up. So, Knight/Martial Artist looks good, as does Druid/Scout and, strangely Druid/Martial Artist.
It's funny, I saw WM and just thought "makes sense, and that damage bonus is really nice". I guess that subconciously I don't see anything past the extra damage and smaller penalties for Rapid Strike and multiple parries as very significant.
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Old 02-08-2008, 08:28 PM   #5
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Default Re: Dungeon Fantasy Pantheons

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Originally Posted by Rupert

It's funny, I saw WM and just thought "makes sense, and that damage bonus is really nice". I guess that subconciously I don't see anything past the extra damage and smaller penalties for Rapid Strike and multiple parries as very significant.
Truth be told, that's mostly what it's good for. For a single weapon, you can either invest 12-16 points in skill, add +3 or +4 (and thus +1 or +2 to Parry), and use that to cancel half the -6 for Rapid Strike and -4 for repeated parries . . . and then invest at least 10-20 points in ST for more damage. Or you can just drop 20 points in WM (One skill). It's a pretty sweet deal, really, and it grows in value with ST. A barbarian-martial artist swinging around a weapon for 3d at DX+2 level pulls down +6 damage, which would cost him 60 points to get as ST, and he's probably hitting with it twice as often.

Anyway, my "official" take on all this is in the works. It suffices to say for now that thanks to the number of IQ-based chi skills, those skills aren't the best deal for anyone who doesn't plan to focus on them (like a pure martial artist) or raise IQ.
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Old 02-08-2008, 08:59 PM   #6
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Default Re: Dungeon Fantasy Pantheons

Whatever pantheon you make, be sure to stat up the gods, so that they can be killed. This being Dungeon Fantasy, it should be possible to prune the cosmos God of War style given sufficiently competent adventurers.
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Old 02-08-2008, 10:21 PM   #7
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Default Re: Dungeon Fantasy Pantheons

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Originally Posted by Kromm
Truth be told, that's mostly what it's good for. For a single weapon, you can either invest 12-16 points in skill, add +3 or +4 (and thus +1 or +2 to Parry), and use that to cancel half the -6 for Rapid Strike and -4 for repeated parries . . . and then invest at least 10-20 points in ST for more damage. Or you can just drop 20 points in WM (One skill). It's a pretty sweet deal, really, and it grows in value with ST. A barbarian-martial artist swinging around a weapon for 3d at DX+2 level pulls down +6 damage, which would cost him 60 points to get as ST, and he's probably hitting with it twice as often.
I predict that, seeing as one of my players lurks here, this will be next on his wish list, seeing as his SM+1 norseman just got ST17, though he might hold off until he's got ST19 and then buy it for his longspear.
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Old 02-09-2008, 06:15 AM   #8
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Default Re: Dungeon Fantasy Pantheons

Why not simply say that druids ARE the priests of your nature aspected deities. Or drop them entirely, strip out a few bits of Cleric to replace with deity specific lenses, and put druid stuff in the lenses for those deities.
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Old 02-09-2008, 07:27 AM   #9
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Default Re: Dungeon Fantasy Pantheons

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Anyway, my "official" take on all this is in the works. It suffices to say for now that thanks to the number of IQ-based chi skills, those skills aren't the best deal for anyone who doesn't plan to focus on them (like a pure martial artist) or raise IQ.
Ah, but a few are Will-based, Will doesn't cost nearly as much to raise, and many Knight concepts can make sense with quite high Wills. E.g., if you've WM: Two-Handed Sword, it could be well worth it to boost your Will and buy Power Blow, ending up being able to swing through some of the tougher monsters in a single blow (by doubling your ST into the 30-40 range, then adding the WM damage bonus to your swing damage).

Quote:
Why not simply say that druids ARE the priests of your nature aspected deities.
That's pretty much what I concluded; except that they still need some clerics for Water to Wine in one case and for healing spells in others.

Quote:
Or drop them entirely, strip out a few bits of Cleric to replace with deity specific lenses, and put druid stuff in the lenses for those deities.
More complicated, and takes away from the 'class' feeling of the templates. On the other hand, thinking about taking both forms of Power Investiture leads to the whole discussion of multiclassing.
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Old 02-09-2008, 08:32 AM   #10
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Default Re: Dungeon Fantasy Pantheons

In my DF game there are there are three pantheons: The powers of good, the powers of evil, and the old gods.
If a players wants to name a specific patron within a pantheon he can but will gain no special benefits for doing so. The only one to do so at this point is the swashbuckler - he took Errol Flynn as his patron saint. He's having so much fun with the idea that I suspect that over time the others will select their own patrons as well.
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