Dear /tg/ I come to you as a humble GM searching for advice. One of my players, a Paladin in our DnD game, has made it his goal to marry his goddess. Being the Goddess of the Sun and Justice, he's decided his character holds not only a personl religious devotion, but romantic love for her and will become a great hero to prove his love. While the idea seemed like some Quixotic goal beyond achievement, I'm curious what the other dms of /tg/ think. Can a man of noble intentions and pure heart win the love of a god? If so, how should he go about it, and how would a god react?
>>43836871
Gods have flings with humans all the time in various mythologies. Sometimes it's just wham blam thank you ma'am, sometimes it last until the human dies, sometimes they're made a god/demigod/immortal, sometimes they die nromally but they're with the god in the afterlife, etc. It all depends on the setting as well as the diety and mortal in question.
I'd say try to flesh out the goddess and try to get into her head the best you can. Why might be charming about this paladin? Has she had champions before? Has she had romances before? If so how did it go? Same with any entanglements with mortals. Is that even a concept to her? Gods probably think differently than humans.
But yeah, basically, flesh out the goddess into an actual character, make them interact, and see what happens. Don't be too afraid to ask the player what they want.
>>43836937
>Don't be too afraid to ask the player what they want.
That's how magical realms are born
In all seriousness, go ahead, the idea sounds really interesting, him being a champion of her, to become godlike and finally be worthy enough to be his lover, sound really awesome!Putting aside the magical realm, of course
>>43836871
>>43836937
If some paladin is doing shit for me just because he wants some holy loving, that's not exactly the best first impression.
If said goddess is an asshole, I'd probally wonder what fucking nerve that little insect has to think he deserves me and how he thinks he can compete for my affections with other gods. I mean, I'm sure he's handsome and all, but Zeus' "radiant shaft of light" is gonna be something hard for a mere mortal compete with.
Or shit, maybe I don't like dudes at all. Lesbian or asexual goddesses could be a thing. Asexual probably seems more likely to me than heterosexual anyway.
And mortals are probably like some completely different kind of life form, and likely a lesser one. Perhaps a diety might consider fucking humans to be comparable to bestiality. I dunno.
>>43836993
Ugh, I mean and they likely consider mortals to be lesser lifeforms.
>>43836937
This is good advice.
>>43836871
>. Can a man of noble intentions and pure heart win the love of a god?
Yes.
>>43836992
Well, it's only capital M MAGICAL when it puts others into a spot they're not comfortable with.
>>43836993
Asexual deities are - almost - exclusive to monotheistic faiths, IRL. Just saiyan.
>>43836871
For me, I'd make what happens depending on how powerful and hardcover you want your Gods to feel.
If you're more mythical in style then it could work straight.
If you're more subdued like Mr then I'd make it pretty clear the Goddess cannot or will not reciprocate the feelings, but not in an edgy way. Maybe he dreams of speaking go her and holding her hand, or a kiss on the cheek, but it's sad and meloncholy.
>>43836871
Sounds like it could be cute. Especially if this is the first time the Goddess has even had a mortal express romantic interest.
>>43836871
How much do gods get involved in the setting?
I could see an avatar of this God being sent down as a smile to an honest and truthful love.
>>43836871
So basically your player is a creepy stalker who won't take no for an answer, regardless of how disinterested the woman is?
>>43836871
> godess of justice
> send paladin on holy quest
> he has to find a bandit-king and bring him to justice
> after long and gruelsome battles the paladin finds a snitch
> said snitch has a family, and if the bandits find out he told the paladin where the bandit-king fled the family will surely be killed
> the paladin has to decide wether or not he want's the bandit-king to escape or risk the lives of innocent
> if he let's the bandit-king escape he will have to split up from the pary and follow him to a far away land, the player can choose to create a new character and rejoin the party as the new character and leave the paladins story forever unfinished, or to continue playing the paladin and return to the godess empty handed
> if he chooses to get the info, he has to either let the bandit-king run away while he defends the family, or follow the bandit-king and leave the family to their fate.
>>43837371
Hey, it might work.
Some women like the attention.
Others may file restraining orders.
The trick is to lust after the ones who have a nagging sense of insecurity of which your unwholesome facination endears you to them rather than repulses them.
It can be part of a barely healthy codependent relationship.
>>43837395
terrible
>>43837407
I laughed. Thanks for that.
>>43837395
The bandit king is going to waste time sending his men after the family of one of his goons who told you where to find him rather than using those men to help defend himself?
And he magically knows which of the many goons you waded through to get to him decided to snitch?
And it just so happened to be the one goon with a family, since presumably all the others didn't since you would have just killed their only source of income and left them to a fate of slow starvation?
And you can't turn him and his family in to the town guard for protection while you deal with the bandit king?
Let it happen, only he's not the only paladin she's married, she has like 30 paladin/cleric husbandos.
He has to deal with his waifu being a slut.
Also at least one of them is a big black orc.
>>43837425
Why are you laughing? I'm just describing my relationship with my girlfriend.
>>43836871
If it were me, I'd let him try.
The adventures they live wouldn't be changed because of it, although he as a paladin should also not only save people because of his love for her, but also because he loves the people.
If the goddess sees him only trying to impress her with the powers that she gave him, instead of using them for good, what will she think of him?
Give her a clear personality and if he manages to win her heart, let him. It would make for a good story.
>>43837477
>The orc just wanted to be the paladin of great justice.
>His pally friends nominated him as tribute.
>Now he must find a way to escape the bonds of marriage and return to the mortal world.FOR GREAT JUSTICE!
>>43837395
> if the bandits find out he told the paladin where the bandit-king fled the family will surely be killed
>if the bandits find out he told the paladin
>if the bandits
>if
Doesn't mean they will find out if the paladin doesn't fuck up, right?
>go and slaughter the bandits.
>>43837477
Kuckold get outta here
>>43837395
Here we see a common example of a stupid-ass GM who makes half-baked, so called "plans" to get the paladin to fall, because of his twisted sense of humor.
>>43837586
Stole my thoughts exactly. Any GM that makes specific plans to have the Paladin fall is just being an asshole who gets off on trying to wreck one player's character concept over the rest of the party.
>>43837586
It's not just that but you can do the same emotional trauma thing without the falling, and make it all the poignant.
>goddess doesn't properly love mortals, but puts a fragment of herself - the tiniest spark into a blank vessel, and this mortal avatar can - and eventually does - love the paladin
>hijinks ensue about keeping her safe from evil in various side quests as even the tiniest divime spark is in demand
>and then the main goddess is killed or goes missing
>and suddenly all the other avatars are being assassinated
>Paladin protects his wife at a dear cost in friends but the god-killer is stopped
>and then it's discovered she can use her spark to bring back the goddess in full
>but her mortality - and love for him - will be forever consumed and lost. There will only be the goddess, impassionate, wise, embodying justice. Impersonal.
>and she is so afraid, and doesn't want to leave him
>does the paladin convince his wife to give up her life to bring back justice and mercy? Or let the world suffer and keep his wife safe?
There, literally 1 minutes worth of thought and you have a REAL heartwrenching tale.
>>43836871
Does that paladin PC by any chance wield a shotel?
>>43836871
As others have said the answer has everything to do with the god herself. I can think off just as many reasons off the top of my head why a goddess of justice might become romantically involved with a mortal as i can for why she may. Think about how you want to characterize her and have her react to his devotion accordingly.
>>43838046
Dual shotels, please. And a ring of silent back-shanking.
>>43838019
Half of that is the ending of Guerren Lagan and half of that is cheap, easy, forced tearjerk bait.
You could make her a reverse harem protagonist.
>Justice is blind... to romantic advances
>her avatar appears while he's changing clothes or bathing
>he runs into others with the same idea
>a foreign paladin from a strange land
>the filthy rich head of the clergy funds armies and constructs megachurches(megacourthouses?) in her name
>a minor god that's been her friend since they first formed/ascended/whatever
>a blackguard that just wants to sire an evil demigod, he didn't save all those orphans because he's starting to believe in her or anything
>angels start having husbando wars as the drama unfolds
>>43838269
I never watched it. Still, would you prefer >>43838019
Or
>>43837395
From your GM?
And why can't the pally choose to keep his wife, and make their own justice, even without the goddess?
>>43838019
Everything is better than "Fuck your paladin, he falls."
Personally, I don't like sad stories in the campaigns I play in, but at least you put a minute into thinking a better plot than the other guy.
Kudos to you.
If you allow it, the ordeals the paladin must conquer should reflect the goddess' own history.
I personally recommend reading "A Certain Magical Index: New Testament" Volume 9. Even if you're not familiar with the series, you can still see it as a person being put through the wringer just to empathize with a divine being.
>>43836871
Don't take the game there man, come on.
What you do is have the goddess be equal parts flattered and annoyed and use it to infuse some fun into the game.
>I conquered this city for you! Oh that's nice I guess...
>Have you been praying to other godesses?! I mean. Not that I care or anything...
>Dude we've had rain for 2 weeks, in the fucking dessert, just pray to your skycrush and apologize for whatever you did, the locals are freaking out!
>>43838451
>Have you been praying to other godesses?! I mean. Not that I care or anything...
>>43837477
Fuck of Mr. Goldstein, I already payed rent this month.
Have you ever read the Black Company books? Kinda a good example of how a schlemiel of a regular human can end up with a bad-ass demi-god wife without it seeming too Mary Sue-y and wish fulfilly. Or maybe I'm just being generous.
>>43836871
Make him meet Lautrec from Dark Souls. He will easily give up on the idea.
>>43838573
Pretty much my first reaction to reading the OP.
Paladin: I want to stick my dick in the sun incarnate.
>>43836871
Whether she's interested or not depends on what the goddess is like as a character (as others have said), but there are a multitude of interesting ways to handle the situation if it should turn out that she does have an interest in your player's paladin.
Perhaps she does not wish to set a precedence for rewarding duty, and good behavior on her behalf with romantic advances. She might also wonder if the paladin is in love with her, or rather, the idea of her... thus necessitating some kind of meeting between the pair (Through an avatar, or an angelic host, or some other form).
She might also have demi-goddess daughters running around in the mortal realm who periodically stop in to share a preferred beverage with the Paladin, and council him on the best way to court their mother, who is totally clueless on picking up signals.
>>43838811
>demi-goddesses have strange ways of amusing themselves, and the paladin cannot be sure whether the goddess is actually a big fan of whole cactuses
>>43838860
>You're as cute as a button in that outfit. She'll love it!
>>43836871
Please friend zone him. Please.
>>43838019
That's still pretty shit and painfully cliché
>>43837371
>>43837407
Literally the only non-waifu posters in this entire thread.
>>43839223
>not wanting a waifu
how does it feel to be dead inside?
>>43838289
...HA!
>>43836871
I think he'd be more likely to win her effective if his intentions were more pure. Maybe give him the chance to gain her attention by some means at the slight compromise of his ideals. Of course the correct action is to stay true. Little tests like that here and there.
>>43836871
DONT make a greate romantic story out of it, romantism was shit and should stay dead. Instead, find a way to turn this into shenanagins and potential archs for his cherecter. Dose the goddes know she is beaing hit on, or is the palladin doing all this things in a "notice me senpai" way? Dose a godly beaing understeand romantic love? She may love and cherish him, but for a beaing such as herself romantic interest might not even egsists. Also, dont make the goddes say anything directly as to what she wants. Maybe one day she will mention that she wishes for something to iluminate her world. The palladin will run around looking for the most beutfull ring of light, while all she wanted was to get people to pray to her more often. Maybe she mentions something about "sad beaings that should be brought the light of justice to", your pally will probobly run off searching for some damned things to eksterminate, while the goddes wanted him to go to the local orphange and spend some time with the kids teaching them about her and spreading some love.
>>43836871
Allow him to do so, but when it happens, reveal the Goddess to be a effeminate man in guise.
>>43839654
But Anon, what if that is his fetish?
>>43839688
No Anon. Paladins must be pure and cannot indulge in such forbidden actions!
At the very least, have him marry her before they produce their abominable demigod offspring
>>43838019
If I had this happen to me as a player I would just try to figure out how to ascend to Godhood so I can keep my wife and fill the hole in the pantheon.
>>43839726Being forbidden is their magical realm though.
>>43836871
Yes, depends on god
>>43839654
