Appendix I: The Divine Path
Odyssey of the Dragonlords provides heroes with the means to become gods. Becoming a god requires the heroes to cast powerful spells, forge mighty artifacts, and perform great deeds. It is a very difficult process, but it's achievable for heroes who complete the epic adventures presented in this book.
The Divine Path focuses entirely on the mechanisms required to become a god. Once a character becomes a god, it is assumed that their adventures have come to an end. True gods no longer live on the mortal plane—they are occupied with divine responsibilities.
The Divine Path is not for everyone. There are many heroes who would rather live out normal mortal lives. These heroes are content with their names being remembered for thousands of years. Don't force anyone to become a god unless it's clearly what they want.
Starting The Path
To start down the Divine Path, the heroes must first complete a ritual that involves three powerful artifacts:
- The @UUID[Item.kuJGgGBuqPaPmrrv]{Caduceus}.
- The @UUID[Item.9qrdfpdKLI5XFTMy]{Ambrosia}.
- The @item[Promethean Fire|ArcanumWorldsOdysseyoftheDragonlords].
These items are the components of a 9th level spell called @UUID[Item.NZoOm6LoxCd31nD7]{theogenesis} that is available to clerics, sorcerers, and wizards.
Divine Requirements
A hero must meet the following requirements before being able to ascend to godhood:
- Must be 20th level
- Must possess a divine spark
- Must have a Fame level of 20
Once all of these requirements are met, the hero must perform a legendary domain feat. These feats vary depending upon the chosen divine domain.
Legendary Domain Feats.
Below are the feats that must be accomplished in order to ascend to godhood. When the feat is accomplished, the hero is surrounded by divine energy.
Domain of Death.
You must kill creatures whose combined CR value is 100+. This must be accomplished in a single day.
Domain of Knowledge.
You must forge a magic item that is at least very rare.
Domain of Life.
You must die and be raised from the dead.
Domain of Light.
You must destroy an undead creature of CR 15+ in single combat.
Domain of Nature.
You must destroy an aberration or monstrosity of CR 15+ in single combat.
Domain of Tempest.
You must land the killing blow on a CR 20+ creature using thunder or lightning damage.
Domain of Trickery.
You must convince a creature of CR 15+ to swear an oath of service to you, against its better judgment.
Domain of War.
You must land the killing blow on any CR 20+ creature.
Becoming A God
When a hero completes his or her legendary domain feat, the hero becomes immortal and gains powers on a level similar to the Five Gods. The hero is essentially a demigod and can remain on the prime material plane.
The hero is unable to grant spells to their followers until they ascend to true godhood. Meanwhile, the hero gains the following abilities:
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Divine Attribute.
Choose an ability score. This ability score is increased to 30.
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Immortality.
If you die, you return to life at a temple or shrine dedicated to you of your choice.
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Ascension.
At any time, you may choose to ascend to the heavens and become a lesser god.
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Legendary Resistance (3/Day):
If you fail a saving throw, you can choose to succeed instead.
If the hero decides to ascend, they effectively leave the mortal plane and become bound to one of the divine planes of existence. Heroes may choose to delay their ascension for as long as they please. They might still have pressing business on the mortal plane.
Divine Responsibilities.
When a hero decides to ascend to godhood, they must retire their character. Gods have responsibilities to attend to which are beyond the scope of this book. However, they should become permanent fixtures of the Thylean pantheon, and future characters may choose them as a patron god or goddess.