Has anyone determined a basic system in how powerful(is how much MDC/SDC) a god level being has(that requires worshipers to gain power)?
I had one figured into my head, but put down on paper a while ago.
in basic terms, i figured a basic thing on determining on how powerful a god level sentient creature is(assuming they can gain power/strength from followers). It is based on devoted worshipers & everyday worshipers.
For high magick MDC settings i have 2 systems for determining how much MDC a god level being has. devoted worshipers & your everyday(or half assed) worshipers. First 1 devoted worshiper is equal to 1 SDC(2 half assed worshipers is equal to 1 devoted worshiper). 100 SDC = 1 MDC. 100 devoted worshipers = 1 MDC . 1000 devoted worshipers = 10 mdc 10,000 devoted worshipers = 100 MDC 100,000 devoted worshipers = 1000MDC(or 500MDC for half assed worshipers) 1 million devoted worshipers = 10,000MDC( or 5000MDC for half assed worshipers) 10 mil devoted worshipers = 100k MDC( 50k MDC for half assed worshipers) 100 mil devoted worshipers = 1 mil MDC(500k MDC for half assed worshipers) 1 billion devoted worshipers = 10 mil MDC( or 5 mil MDC for half assed worshipers)
for high magick(like rifts earth but an SDC setting) SDC settings:
1 devoted worshiper is equal to. 5 SDC or takes 2 to = 1 SDC. 1 half assed worshiper is equal to .25 SDC or takes 4 of them to equal 1 SDC.
100 devoted worshipers = 50 SDC ( 25 SDC for half assed worshipers) 1000 devoted worshipers = 500SDC ( 250 SDC for half assed worshipers) 10,000 devoted worshipers = 5000SDC ( 2500 SDC for half assed worshipers) 100,000 devoted worshipers = 50,000SDC ( 25,000 SDC for half assed worshipers) 1 million devoted worshipers = 500,000SDC ( 250,000 SDC for half assed worshipers) 10 mil devoted worshipers = 5 mil SDC ( 2,500,000 SDC for half assed worshipers) 100 mil devoted worshipers = 50 mil SDC ( 5 mil SDC for half assed worshipers) 1 billion devoted worshipers = 500 mil SDC ( 10 mil SDC for half assed worshipers)
for moderate magick settings devide the above end results(ie the MDC & SDC) by a factor of 10.
for low magick settings devide the above end results(ie the MDC & SDC) by a factor of 100.
for near non existant magick settings devide the above end results(ie the MDC & SDC) by a factor of 1000.
Well, I tend to more or less assign those things somewhat arbitrarily. This is kind of a neat system, but most of all, I found the repeated use of 'half assed', like it was a quantifiable or scientific term of measurement, to be a good chuckle.
But there are probably other things involved in a power level of a God. Consider, for example, home dimension... perhaps away from their dimension of origin, or where their worshippers are, etc. then they lose a percentage of power. Age, also, may or may not be a factor in the strength and power of Gods. Older Gods, like ancient dragons, may be exponentially more powerful than younger ones. Or perhaps they're weaker? And lastly, maybe there are other factors... like, depending on the nature of the God, they could recieve greater M.D.C./generalized 'power' from having an environment that suits them. For example, if it's a god of chaos, they're be stronger on a planet like Chaos Earth or Rifts Earth than a place of relative order like Phase World; if it's a nature god, they would likely be at their best on uninhabited planets.
well i consider a near fundie, fundie, & a religious zealot as devoted worshipers. Then there is the everyday worshiper. those that believe in the god level Being, to put it in real world terms, they goto church once a week & pay lip service to what the preacher is saying. they believe in the god level Being but are not hard core fundies. plus those that belive in the god level being but only go to a religious building/activity & only on festivals or special ocations i would put into the catagopry of everyday worshipers.
I see the 'power'(or faith/belief) flowing from followers to preachers/priests/witches(they act as channelers for the power that is going to said god, giving them a range of several thousand miles to act as channlers. thus allowing only 1 world needing one official priest per world. kill that priest & the flow of power is cut off, hence several dozen are used per world for safety sake) & then from them into the 'gods' home, then finally into the god level being itself.
I see god level beings as being near ageless(they age but it would take tens of thousands of years for them to 'die' of old age). If there is a sufficient number of followers, then they stop aging. the more followers they have the more powerful they are.
As for your second part, i find that how palladium/KS has handled the god level Beings that require lots of followers to maintain their power somewhat lacking. as long as the flow of power is not cut off i dont see any god level being reduced in power at all. only another being of equal or greater power has a chance of cutting off the flow of power(by actually severing the flow of power & not outright killing every priest/preacher/witch which would outomatically cut off the flow of power from said world).
Nice system... personally, I adapt from Pantheons of the Megaverse, and assign "raw" and "relative" strength without counting worshipers... I mean, Thor and Odin certainly don't have worshipers in numbers sufficient to justify their MDC... and even the Aztec and Hindu Gods might have trouble having a really big worshipper base (I suspect Mexicans' relations with/domination by vampires keeps them good christians or atheists rather than sending them back to the old gods) ...
If you really want a system working from worshipper base and whatnot, try getting your paws on the old Primal Order supplement from WotC... I know it's not well regarded by Kev&Co, but it's real good, and the PFRPG conversion notes in the 1992 original edition are worth it, even if the later one is better looking and a bit sturdier.
Svartalf - Flamboyantly Fresh Franco of Freedom Freakin' Fries : Shadyslug Embrace the Darkness, it needs a hug - Cherico PC stands for "patronizing cretin" G'mo I name you honorary American Subjugator & Ratbastard
svartalf wrote:Nice system... personally, I adapt from Pantheons of the Megaverse, and assign "raw" and "relative" strength without counting worshipers... I mean, Thor and Odin certainly don't have worshipers in numbers sufficient to justify their MDC... and even the Aztec and Hindu Gods might have trouble having a really big worshipper base (I suspect Mexicans' relations with/domination by vampires keeps them good christians or atheists rather than sending them back to the old gods) ...
If you really want a system working from worshipper base and whatnot, try getting your paws on the old Primal Order supplement from WotC... I know it's not well regarded by Kev&Co, but it's real good, and the PFRPG conversion notes in the 1992 original edition are worth it, even if the later one is better looking and a bit sturdier.
i have been wanting primal order for a long time now & no one around here caries it.
I managed to get a copy through amazon, via their used book selling partners. I'd also advise checking ebay on a twice weekly basis
Svartalf - Flamboyantly Fresh Franco of Freedom Freakin' Fries : Shadyslug Embrace the Darkness, it needs a hug - Cherico PC stands for "patronizing cretin" G'mo I name you honorary American Subjugator & Ratbastard
