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Old 06-20-2011, 08:32 AM   #1
Fnugus
 
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Default In the beginning

Someone created the Gods, and the Gods created the World. And life. That's how it goes in fantasy, right?

But why did they stop there? "God created the world in seven days", well, six, actually, he rested on the seventh. But after that? Well he's been resting for quite some time now.

The purpose of this thread? Well, a few.

1) A good list of plausible (or at least kind of sensible) reasons why the gods only created one world.
2) A good life of plausible (or at least kind of sensible) reasons why the gods created these races, and no more.

Did they lose the abilities afterwards? Did it require so much energy that they are still trying to recover?

Oh, and

3) Using GURPS RAW, how would you build the ability to create life? I mean, an entire species. Create (from Powers) is no good here, I think.

4) In connection to the above, replace "life" and "species" with "divine entities" or "gods". Like, in the beginning Chaos created a god, the god created some other gods. Etc.

5) And a little extra: Induce someone with any ability. They don't get Modular Abilities. They get an ability I choose, but this ability can be anything I can imagine. I think, though, that if you are capable of 3) or 4), you could just do this at time of creation, but it still matters.

Oh, and why, you ask? I'm creating gods for a setting.
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Old 06-20-2011, 09:30 AM   #2
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Default Re: In the beginning

Well, the Bible says God looked at his creation and saw that it was good. Maybe the gods simply didn't feel the need to add anything to a good product. They are gods, after all, what they make is without flaw and needs neither adding, nor taking away. That's why they stopped when they did, and made no further worlds, nor things in this world.
Makes for a good reason for religious injunctions against creating new life.
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Old 06-20-2011, 09:50 AM   #3
David Johnston2
 
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Default Re: In the beginning

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fnugus View Post
Someone created the Gods, and the Gods created the World. And life. That's how it goes in fantasy, right?

But why did they stop there?
Did they?


Quote:
The purpose of this thread? Well, a few.

1) A good list of plausible (or at least kind of sensible) reasons why the gods only created one world.
Assuming they did...

1. They aren't done creating this one.
2. They have full time jobs maintaining what they have already created.
3. Creating another one would require a degree of unity they no longer possess.
4. They didn't create the world so much as shape it after its creation by their creator.
5. This world's entertainment value is far from exhausted.
6. The power they have invested in this world would have be taken back before they could make another.
7. Proposals for the next world are stuck in committee.



Quote:
2) A good life of plausible (or at least kind of sensible) reasons why the gods created these races, and no more.
Actually that the gods continue to create species isn't a bad reason for why "monsters" are never entirely wiped out. A constant flow of prototypes and entire invader species keeps pest control busy.

1. Each god is allocated one race as their own specially sponsored competitor. Thus the number of races equals the number of gods. Or perhaps the number of gods of a certain rank.
2. The gods are aware that creating new intelligent races would only increase conflict and confusion.
3. The world is full.


Quote:
3) Using GURPS RAW, how would you build the ability to create life? I mean, an entire species. Create (from Powers) is no good here, I think.
No, it's fine. Just use Create to make a breeding pair and Control to add genetic diversity. The problem is setting a value for a living creature. Alternatively, use Gadgeteering.


Quote:
4) In connection to the above, replace "life" and "species" with "divine entities" or "gods". Like, in the beginning Chaos created a god, the god created some other gods. Etc.
Perk: Fertile

Quote:
5) And a little extra: Induce someone with any ability. They don't get Modular Abilities. They get an ability I choose, but this ability can be anything I can imagine. I think, though, that if you are capable of 3) or 4), you could just do this at time of creation, but it still matters.
Buy them as an Ally and have an Unusual Background: God. OK, technically, you could also just get a big enough modular pool that you can permanently Afflict anyone with anything.
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Old 06-20-2011, 09:52 AM   #4
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Default Re: In the beginning

The "universe" is small and young. Creation is still going on (those fantastic creatures aren't the work of a mad wizard). Somewhere in the range of the biblical universe (flat, a few hundred miles square, and covered by a dome) to the medieval (geocentric, star fixed to a sphere just beyond the orbit of Saturn). A couple of hundred to at most a couple of thousand years old. The "gods" are hard at work pushing the limits of they're powers just keeping this awkward construct functioning.
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Old 06-20-2011, 09:58 AM   #5
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Default Re: In the beginning

Since "There was nothing" before God/s created Earth/species ,maybe God/s had to use/spend their own essence in their creation of Realm over which they will preside.

So more powerful Gods created bigger chunks of "things in existence" with more powerful making "bigger chunks"....
..Gaia made Earth (hence Earth IS Gaia) , Storm God created Storms .... than weaker Gods/Pantheons "took over" or claimed certain aspects in geographicaly limited regions :::> Norse pantheon...Greek pant. ..Egyptian...and somewhere they(Gods) fought for supremacy...

..Jahve Created Heaven and Hell and helped Gaia create Earth (after all -jahve IS "Father in heaven" while Gaia is "Mother Earth") ...

and now with "creation essence" spent lesser Gods fight among themselves for supremacy in their chosen spheres of interest.
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Old 06-20-2011, 11:59 AM   #6
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Default Re: In the beginning

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fnugus View Post
Someone created the Gods, and the Gods created the World. And life. That's how it goes in fantasy, right?

But why did they stop there?
How would anybody other than the gods know they had?

Quote:
1) A good list of plausible (or at least kind of sensible) reasons why the gods only created one world.
2) A good life of plausible (or at least kind of sensible) reasons why the gods created these races, and no more.
More or less by definition, gods powerful enough to create you from nothing are sufficiently beyond you as to be incomprehensible, so such lists are going to be fundamentally flawed. But if the gods do behave like people for some reason, well, most people don't do the same project over and over and over, either. They tend to do it once and tinker with it if it isn't quite what they wanted.

Quote:
3) Using GURPS RAW, how would you build the ability to create life? I mean, an entire species. Create (from Powers) is no good here, I think.
Nah, it's fine. You'll need both Create and Control (as per the discussion of creating machines), with a really large Cosmic enhancement to not require points for permanence. Don't forget to give any god a few million levels of Altered Time Rate so there is always plenty of time for him to finish a complex project like this before anybody else can act.

Quote:
5) And a little extra: Induce someone with any ability. They don't get Modular Abilities. They get an ability I choose, but this ability can be anything I can imagine. I think, though, that if you are capable of 3) or 4), you could just do this at time of creation, but it still matters.
Give the god modular abilities to configure his Affliction (Advantage) ability. Those levels of Altered Time Rate are good here too, to keep at it until the target fails to resist.
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Old 06-20-2011, 12:09 PM   #7
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Default Re: In the beginning

Quote:
Originally Posted by malloyd View Post
Nah, it's fine. You'll need both Create and Control (as per the discussion of creating machines), with a really large Cosmic enhancement to not require points for permanence.
Or just a bunch of points for permanence.
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Old 06-20-2011, 02:27 PM   #8
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Default Re: In the beginning

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fnugus View Post
1) A good list of plausible (or at least kind of sensible) reasons why the gods only created one world.
2) A good life of plausible (or at least kind of sensible) reasons why the gods created these races, and no more.
Simple, these are the best they can do. They don't create more because it'll be more of the same. To create something different, that is, better, they need to study what they made so far and see what happens. Perhaps in a few billion years they may try again.
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Old 06-20-2011, 03:34 PM   #9
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Default Re: In the beginning

The gods make new worlds all the time. And every time they finish one, they put it in a glass globe and stick it up on a shelf with all the others.

Just because we can't see these other worlds from where we are doesn't mean they aren't there someplace.
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Old 06-20-2011, 03:55 PM   #10
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Default Re: In the beginning

If God/s is omnipotent s/he must be built on nearly infinite points. Would the 50% disad. Limit apply in this case? That's a lot if disads! (How many points is Satan worth as an enemy?). Obviously pacifism is out (at least in the old testament), I wonder what disads would be appropriate?
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