Does being a true god preclude them from dying? Could one god kill another? Or is the most you can do is to change their state of being?
>>46846625
In Dominions when they die they are gone unless they have enough followers to "call" them back. Not sure where from, but that's not really explained. Probably something like that though; if the god has enough followers then he could be brought back, though weakened.
I always prefer to run a setting's religions on the basis of "follower strength".
You may disrupt the energy of a corporeal mass to the point that it leaves/fades, whatever. But a single devout follower will keep the deity in existence.
Got some time, OP?
I like to divide my gods into two catergories - Gods and 'gods'.
In a setting with the former, a God is a slivver of infinity - usually with a domain and in that he has unlimited influence and mastery. That kind of God can't be killed by anything short of 'exploits'. Also applies to monotheistic settings but replace slivver the whole pie.
And then there are 'gods', who are basically former mortals brought to their utmost. Warriors and mages who have broken fundamental laws and ascended to become something more. All it takes to kill them is something equally strong.
Yes. But then you yourself are wiped from existence and the God is brought back to its place with no harm to it. Since, you know, it's fucking GOD and has infinite power outside of the mortal perception to call upon.
>>46846625
In my setting killing a god just results in it becoming a variant of itself.
ie; A war god whose all-consuming fire embodies armies becomes a protector god whose calm steady flame keeps the homestead strong.
>>46846625
In my settings, "gods" are great, old, and/or powerful beings that are given great respect and reverence. You may kill them, certainly, though, as a wise woman once said;
"He's a god, you fool. It'll take more than one shot."
>True Gods
Indestructive, unkillable, do not and cannot interact with the transient and mutable. May only interact with their kin, the Lesser Gods. As much a part of the universe as gravity, truth, or direction.
>Lesser Gods
Like True Gods, but less powerful, killab,e and with the power to interact with the mortal world. Usually stuck in an eternal stalemate with their Lesser God kin, but entirely capable of trying to break this. Their power is transferrable, but there is a finite amount. You could for example slay the ancient God of Nature and split up his power between the new Gods of Plants, Animals, the Seasons, and Weather.
The only true god is Death.
>When the first living thing existed, I was there, waiting. When the last living thing dies, my job will be finished. I'll put the chairs on tables, turn out the lights and lock the universe behind me when I leave.
Gods can die, their bodies floating listlessly in the Astral Plane.
>>46846625
In my setting, the entities people call "Gods" are just particularly vast nature spirits. Particularly ones lucky enough to latch onto abstract concepts like "Artifice" or "Entropy"
Killing one of them would be like trying to kill the ocean, or the sun. Or even trying to kill love or the idea of creating.
>>46849718
>not acknowleding the circle of life
>God of Death is not the same being as God of Life
Always bugs me desu
>>46846625
The way I prefer to have it work is to have gods be very difficult to kill, understandably, and then, on top of that, when they are killed, they merely discorporate for a time instead of dying. Each god has a specific way by which they can be killed permanently, but these methods are usually well-hidden secrets, and unimaginably difficult to pull off. If you're already powerful enough to kill a god, however, it might not be too unreasonable to figure out...
>>46850028
His quote was from DC's "Sandman". In that case, she is both. A good read, if you're interested.
>>46850028
Death of the Endless is life as well. Each of the Endless also defines their opposite. Destruction and Creation, Death and Life, and so on.
>>46846625
By definition, yes.
Not all acts that seemingly kill a god do so, however.
>>46849718
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQnVnJQqXf8
>>46849718
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK4T73n9GbU
Supernatural has such good moments.
GODS DIE WHEN THE FATES DECREE
>>46849718
Similar, though Death is not a god, but a force left by the Creator to carry out the world's purpose, second only to Fate.The PCs work for him, and are trying to kill a god who tried to steal Death's job
>>46846625
They die in the same way that mortals do--but mortals have immortal souls, meaning they don't really die, they just change. Gods are the same way, when one is killed, it becomes real, a part of the material world that can be interacted with my mere mortals, though they rarely recognize it for what it is.
So, if a sky-god were to die, this might manifest as some new constellation or astronomical event.
>>46846625
Reminder that "depends on the setting" isn't a meme.
>>46850028
Her name is known only to a select few, but Her titles are (as Life Goddess) The Dark Mother and (as Death Goddess) The Dark Lady.
Statues to Her generally emphasize one aspect or the other, save in select temples where She is pictured as either an imperfect mirrored pair, or a bisected form of imagery.
>>46852780
I have no idea who this guy is
>>46846625
You know, when someone says, that "it depends on the setting", they mean it actually. For example: in Greek mythology gods and titans are capable of shaping the world and so on, but are killable, although you need to really put an effort into killing one. And in LotR, Eru- is the supreme being and can't be killed, lesser gods (such as Morgoth) cannot be killed too. It really depends on the setting. Also TLG as another example.
>>46855123
>>46855123
He's a mage whose only magical talents involve swords. He's also seen by many as being particularly dense, because of quotes like >>46859517
>>46849350
>implying that a true God can't be immanent in accord with its nature
>implying that a true god cannot manifest itself if it so desires or send its own agents
>implying
>>46846737
I'm not reading all of that. Summarize it.
>>46850015
>illing one of them would be like trying to kill the ocean, or the sun. Or even trying to kill love or the idea of creating.
Yet oceans can dry, suns dies or explodes. Love can die too and creation is destroied.
Nothing is eternal.
In mmmMMMY setting, gods are unknowably weird entities. Sometimes they die, sometimes they don't. There's one well known dead god, and there have been several avatars of gods killed. They have never killed each other.
There is only one true God, and the LORD does not change.
As for the gods of my campaign setting, yes and no. The individual "gods" can die, and indeed none of the originals are still alive. However, my setting's divinities are bearers of divine mantles, and as soon as one dies another inherits his mantle. So while it is possible to slay an individual god of Evil, as soon as you do so another person immediately becomes the god of Evil. Who gets the title depends on the circumstance. Existing quasi-deities (persons who have some divine characteristics but control any divine mantle) get priority over mortals, and persons whose character matches the mantle get priority over persons without.
