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Post by Kainguru on Aug 2, 2013 18:47:55 GMT -8
Not sure what system to use yet but here's the barebones of an idea to develop: The Old Gods aren't dead, just in hiding as mortals due to lack of direct worship. To maintain their feeble existences each God tries to claim dominion over modern concerns. Eg: Hermes runs an inner city express delivery service, though he himself is old and out of condition and lives on fast food because his existence is barely maintained by the indirect 'worship' he receives All these old Gods are living out their final days in a single city, probably in Northern or Eastern Europe. There are at least two pantheons so existing and of course there are rivalries as Gods of similar domains fight to retain influence and relevance in a changing world. I was thinking Norse and Greek - with the likes of Hades doing particularly well as he draws his sustenance from Goth and Death Metal Culture (master minding the likes of Lordi winning the 2006 Eurovision) The PC's are called into investigate a 'murder' . . . What has actually happened is one if the Old Gods has expired due to a lack of sustenance/worship. As they investigate they uncover this underworld of Norse vs Greek Gods jostling to survive the end of days . . . Any additions/suggestions Aaron
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jpk
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Post by jpk on Aug 2, 2013 19:35:33 GMT -8
So, have you read American Gods?
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Post by Kainguru on Aug 2, 2013 19:53:41 GMT -8
No I haven't. Specifically I want the Norse and Greek Gods - in Europe: at each other throats. Like two opposing cartels . . . it has to be Europe because of the whole Russian Mafia etc thing that is an under current everywhere. Except the Gods are fighting over trivial shit, the crime is just a by product if it. If anything I'm thinking more along the lines of the Muses as portrayed in Dogma. I want the Norse because they'll be concerned with bringing about Ragnarok to conclude their cycle, while the Greek Gods would be trying to oppose this as they don't want it to end (especially Hades as he's making the best of a bad situation). Apollo would probably be involved in gyms/sun bed shops. Aaron
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maxinstuff
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Post by maxinstuff on Aug 2, 2013 20:21:02 GMT -8
What about HERO system?
This sounds a lot like a certain flavour of supers game where characters powers start out quite unreliable (a classic supers trope - especially for origin stories).
I am sure all the gods you speak of have been built somewhere too - all you would have to do is a apply a bunch of limitations to their powers which can be gradually bought off as characters progress (if you want progression that is).
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Post by Kainguru on Aug 2, 2013 20:31:12 GMT -8
I didn't think the PC's would be powers at all. Just that they'd uncover that certain people are. So more of a Cthulhu edge without the horror or sanity loss. The Gods would be pretty shit too as they're fading. They're not mortal but they're not really Gods anymore. In a graphic novel called Red Seas they come across the remains of dormant Gods - the lifeless forms only persist because their myths are still retold as legends. If they didn't have that they'd not exist at all. So sort of Gods on their way to that stage hiding out while they hope for a lucky break. The reason for the Greek pantheon is because most of the Gods are rather limited due to the Primordials taking care of the important stuff. I could imagine, because of Norse competition, that Dionysus would be relegated to overseeing/being involved with the likes of the active transvestite scene in many European cities. Aaron
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Post by Skizzle on Aug 3, 2013 4:32:39 GMT -8
LOVE the concept, but to be the nit picking Anthropolgist, the Norse pantheon and the Hellenic pantheon are the same gods, just given names and tacked on concepts due to language sub-family. What about something like the Norse vs the Egyptian? or the XX. vs. the Etruscan or Basque (Dravidian Europe vs. IE Europe maybe)?
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Post by Kainguru on Aug 3, 2013 9:09:38 GMT -8
I'd like to keep with Greek Gods because their cultural impact is more universally pervasive across western Europe and it's colonies . . . anthropologically how do the Celtic Gods compare?. I would have thought they were different because of the relative isolation of the Celts in their cultural development and their more maternal (Danu/Earth Goddess) pantheon structure vs the paternal ('Father' Zeus/Odin) pantheons of Central Western Europe? Aaron
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Post by Skizzle on Aug 3, 2013 15:38:15 GMT -8
The celts are 100% Indo-European, in culture, language, and religion. They also are not as isolated as many imagine; their tribe once spread from Central Europe and Turkey to Spain and North. In fact, there is a place in modern Turkey which bears its Celtic names.
Perhaps the players would perceive the gods under different Masks based upon their genetic backgrounds? The Brit sees Dis Pater while th Greek would see Hades? Though it gets a bit mushy since the Brit could go roman, jute, Saxon, Norse, Celt...same for the French, Spanish (though toss Allah in as well).
I do think this is a brilliant concept, hopefully I didn't sour it!
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maxinstuff
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Post by maxinstuff on Aug 3, 2013 15:39:15 GMT -8
I didn't think the PC's would be powers at all. Just that they'd uncover that certain people are. So more of a Cthulhu edge without the horror or sanity loss. I guess you could go straight to BRP then?? Or GUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRPPPPPPPSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (which must always be suggested, regardless of its suitability)
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Post by ericfromnj on Aug 3, 2013 16:23:57 GMT -8
I would NOT do this in my favorite Savage Worlds but may I suggest World of Darkness?
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Post by Kainguru on Aug 3, 2013 17:03:33 GMT -8
I was thinking WoD as it handles mortals interacting with immortals quite well. Though BRP would be a strong contender because, like Call of Cthulhu, the 'story' is more about the PC's discovering the truth rather than affecting a specific outcome - ie the goal is to discover that these Old Gods still walk amongst us. I also like the idea of perceiving each God thru the individuals PC's cultural filter. A Greek or Italian PC would 'see' Dionysus gender bending on the streets of, say, Prague while a Slavic PC would probably see Radegast. Aaron
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Post by ericfromnj on Aug 3, 2013 17:36:55 GMT -8
I think it really depends on how weakened you want them.
Very weakened go with WOD.
Somewhat weakened go with BRP.
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D.T. Pints
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Post by D.T. Pints on Aug 3, 2013 21:36:49 GMT -8
Definitely check in with Gaimans American Gods and Anasazi Boys. There's definitely some interesting potential for ALL Gods to still be a presence. Especially with Poseidon running the fish and chips place.
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Post by stork on Aug 4, 2013 8:37:17 GMT -8
Though you may not want to run it in the White wolf system, this book might inform some choices and give you a road map on how to play it in another system. If nothing else it has a lot of fluff you can adapt. SCION
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Post by The Northman on Aug 5, 2013 4:03:49 GMT -8
I second (third?) checking out American Gods.
A, because it's good. B, because the resemblance is striking:
The conflict between the new 'gods,' and the Old makes for a really interesting set-up.
Scion is neat, and definitelt better fodder for one-shots than campaigns in my experience. It's also an R rated Percy Jackson, but that's neither here nor there...
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