User:Quincy/Attaining Godhood (5e Variant Rule)

Beyond the 20th level

According to the official rules at level 20, for every 30,000 Xp above the 20th level end threshold, a character will gain an Epic Boon. There are 26 boons, leaving a possibility of 46 "levels". Each boon can only be taken once. Optional rules allows for ability increases or feat choice in place of boon, allowing for nearly infinite increases.

--Note instead of Xp, using Milestones makes much more sense for epic level characters.

--Characters that are 20th level or higher should also not be permitted to earn Xp or any other reword from encounters, monsters, or adventures that would have a challenge rating that is 5 or less than their current apparent level. So a level 21 character could not benefit from an encounter that level 16 or less.

Optional rule: In game time terms gaining a boon should take a character about five to twenty (5d4) years on the mortal plane, even if these years is compressed from the point of view of the player or perhaps even their character. (Why? The xp earned by the adventuring day has a character go from level 19 to level 20 in a day and a half.) (Understood, but to play an epic powered god, time scale for you should be different than mortals. So yes, this should be an optional rule and perhaps for 30th level+ instead of just 20. In some cases the "gods" may affect the world instantly within hours, days or months. However, to provide an epic scope to how powerful you are and how far removed from mortals you are, from the player character's perspective getting a milestone (not just Xp) may feel like it takes a day or two, but from the point of view mortals perhaps half a generation has passed. This can also account for godly downtime actions or "training").

Player characters need to establish the following if they want to be a deity-like being.

--Player characters at these levels should establish they are will be taking the Boon of Immortality or some other way to be immortal if they truly want to be deity-like, rather than just high leveled mortals.

-Domain: What will your character represent. This can be something as general as the domains for clerics or something more specific, like "rye and beer." This should be based on the characters past adventures, class or features. However, it should be suggested by the GM and fellow players, which kind of simulates the will of the worshippers (see below). As a roleplaying tool the player character will now strive to represent this domain. Paladins and Clerics must take a Domain that is represented by their current beliefs.

-Alignment, code of conduct and disgrace: Your alignment becomes very important, dictating how you represent your domain and your worshippers alignment and actions.

--A player should write down three core ways their character must act based on their alignment and domain.

--If a player should clearly break one of these codes of conduct, a disgrace strike should be recorded on their character sheet.

--Once three disgrace strikes are recorded, the character looses influence and must give up one of their Epic boons and remove it from the character. This will reset the strikes on their character to zero. If you have taken feats or ability score ungrades using your Boons, this effect can remove these instead if you currently have no boons.

--Gaining a milestone/level will remove all disgrace strikes from your character.

---Sample codes: Lawful good: Never strike the first blow, mercy is the law, My word is my bond. Lawful evil: Drawing ones weapon must end in someone's death, death is the law, Your word is your bond.

--Being killed as a deity (and being brought back like) counts as a disgrace strike.

-Home Plane: The prime material plane, despite some the machinations that occur there, is neutral ground for deities. You may not establish your home there, and any worldly goods you have there that you cannot take with you are left behind. You should choose a new home plane that best represents your alignment and domain. IF it is particularly crowded by other deity-like beings, you will have to fall into their hierarchy. The only exception to this is demi-being ranking, where you may still have an prime material plane stronghold.

Deity Ranking

Work in progress, without trying to copy rules from past source books from the 2nd edition era.

A player character should still keep track of their levels above 20, however further advancement will be much slower and based on the number of Epic Boons you have as well. Since you may suffer disgrace and lose Boons, your deity ranking may fluctuate over time.

Ranked from highest to lowest.

1) Supreme Confluence (30+ boons): You are highest of highest, occupying the upper hierarchy of the deities. However, there is always limited number of spots in the hierarchy, and someone will have to fall from their seat for you to occupy it. Such change can lead to wars and other issues in the mortal realms, and places your life in danger, as others try to take your place. --As part of the Supreme confluence, no creature without an epic boon may harm or effect you any way; though they may not directly help you either; thus if by some chance you are interacting with a creature without an epic boon and they wish to heal you, that action fails automatically.

-- If you should ever need to make a d20 roll, you roll two dice and take the highest. If you have advantage you roll three dice and take the highest one; if you have disadvantage you simply roll two dice and take lowest as per normal.

--You may not directly affect the prime material plane, unless called upon by mortals (through prayer or spells). You may not travel to the prime material plane unless called upon by mortal creatures there. It will be up to the GM to determine if your actions are directly effect the mortal realm, and where your actions might indirectly effect it. For example, you would not be able to participate directly in a war between kingdoms, though you might be able to battle against their patron deity which may influence the outcome of the war.

2) Greater Being (20-29 Boons): You rank right up there with some of the oldest deities and creatures and have enough follower to occupy a small country. Once per year, if you should be killed by any means, you may return to life after a full week has past. --You may not directly affect the prime material plane unless called upon by a mortal creature, but may travel there to observe it.

3) Lesser Being (10-19 boons): You belong to a group of lower deities and have very little power compared to those of higher ranks. You will have to capitulate to the will of the higher deities of your pantheon. However, you might be able to influence the mortal realm more directly under certain circumstances without worshippers directly calling for your influence.

4) Demi-Being (under 10 boons): You are barely a deity, occupying the lowest ranks of the pantheon. You however may still freely travel to and influence the mortal plane directly, though others in your pantheon may take exception to your meddling.

--Note the number of Boons is guestimate at best, feel free to adjust and edit or add other requirements or powers.

Beyond the Thirtieth Level

Strong players will find themselves rapidly sinking into boredom, finding little to challenge their supremacy. Yet this provides a source of new enjoyment: a Trial dungeon in which the players are reduced back to level 1, slowly regaining strength throughout the dungeon, at the end of which they regain all previous stats, and rise back to thirty. Leveling past thirty for gods, uses the same level chart, increasing all requirements in advancing multiples of 3. (Level 60=3 million level 90=9 million)

God adversaries are additionally scaled by 150% for lesser foes, leaving the more powerful to the DM's discretion; players are no longer on the mortal plane, meaning that while many creatures remain similar, they to possess the power and strength of gods, see the section below.

Powers

Gods can create their own powers to certain extents: each level will gain the same type of power as normal (daily, encounter, ect) yet they must design one instead, or simply hold on to the blank power slot for later use. The limit of these powers is left to the DM.

Additional Epic Boons

Note a number Boons (perhaps 1/3 ??) should somehow represent your domain or type of deity you wish to grow into.

If for some reason you have permanent vulnerability to a damage type, the GM may disallow gaining a boon that grants immunity to it, or have the character now take normal damage from it instead.

-Boon of Arcane Force. You gain immunity to Force damage. You may cast the spells Magic Missile and Shield at will at their base spell level.

-Boon of the Cold Storm: You gain immunity to Cold damage. You may cast the spell Sleet Storm without needing to expend a spell slot or need of spell components; you must take a short or long rest before casting this spell in this way again.

--Boon of Degradation: You gain immunity to Acid damage. You gain the Acid Splash (save DC 15) cantrip which you may use normally at will, with its damage being 5d6 at level 23 to 27, and 6d6 at levels 28 or higher.

--Boon of the Eldritch Mind: You gain immunity to Psychic damage. As a reaction (to being charmed or frightened), you may gain immunity to being charmed or frightened for 1 minute. Instead of targeting yourself, you may target an ally within 30 feet with this feature as a reaction to them being charmed or frightened as well. You must take a short or long rest before using this feature again.

-Boon of Entropy: You gain immunity to Necrotic damage. You may cast the spell Inflict Wound at will without using a spell slot. You may expend hit points to cast this spell at higher spell levels, for every 5 (1d10) hit points you do to yourself, you may cast this spell at one spell slot higher than the base.

-Boon of the High Follower: You gain a NPC character as your close right hand servant. The NPC should have a challenge rating no greater than half your current level. Should your High Follower be killed, you may replace them by retaking this boon. The NPC may level up if it is a player character class/race, and can act as the character's proxy (being played by the player) on the mortal realm. The GM and players should discuss how such NPCs fit into the campaign or if this boon makes sense instead of just building side characters.

-Boon of the Legendary Item: You gain a legendary item or may design one with the aid of the GM or other players. In the case of consumable item, you may create two items instead of one and may take this boon any number of times, creating new consumable items.

-Boon of the Miracle: You gain the Wish spell which you may cast once per day (renews after a long rest) without components. However, the GM may further limit this spell by allowing it only to be cast on others, cast only on creatures without epic boons, requiring a long ritual, or only at the request of a significate number of worshippers.

-Boon of Radiance: You gain immunity to Radiant damage. You project the equivalent of the Light spell at all times, which only being under full cover, or being heavily obscured by magical darkness will block. You also gain the cantrip Dancing Lights, which you may use without spell components or needing to concentrate on it. If you encounter a creature without an epic boon, without epic levels, or more than half your current level, that creature must make a DC 15 Charisma save or fall prone and become blinded for 1 minute. Once the save is made or the duration ends, that creature is immune to this effect for 1 full day.