Adventuring with the Goddess - Intro
I found myself trying to come up with an RPG that my wife would want to play. Something away from classic "male RPGness". Truth be told, she enjoys carnage as much as any hack-n-slasher. But, I wanted to change some of the priorities. I wanted it to be more "adult". By that, I don't mean "loaded with sex", I mean more realistic, gritty, world, where the characters can die permanently, and character actions can have severe side effects. However, sex may play an important role.
Many years ago I read a short story about the last worshipper of a forgotten goddess. I have forgotten most of the details, but he was a Conan type warrior and she had extended his life so that he could continue to do her bidding. It was an intriguing thought. The interdependency between them made for an interesting dynamic.
I toyed with the idea that the power of a god was in direct proportion to the number (and strength of faith) of it's worshippers. A god that is worshipped by many is more powerful than one that is worshipped by few. I pictured a large Parthenon of gods vying for worshippers, manipulating circumstances to their favor, but never directly challenging one another. (Think Greek and Roman mythology) What would happen if a monotheist god started to rise? When they realized their own existence was in danger they would fight back. This game would take place right after the pagan gods had tried to suppress the monotheist god. The cataclysmic battle would have killed many of the pagan gods, decimated worshippers on all sides, and ravaged the land. In the aftermath, most of the pagan gods are gone, the monotheist is severely wounded, and there are too few worshippers to give any god much power.
Any warrior goddess that existed before the battle would have been destroyed. Instead, I thought of using an earth goddess, a fertility goddess, as my focal point. She would be a nurturer, a protector, but she would be capable of some wrath when her charges were threatened. It seemed to fit the bill. The rebuilding world would need her. Thus the goddess Danae was born. I had kind of picked the name at random (thinking at the time it was an obscure Greek god), and later remembered she had been the mother of Perseus... Close enough... I guess.
Now for the priestess, the player character. Any video game RPG that you play (with some minor exceptions) creates a persona for you to play. You fill that role and expand as a character within that role. The player gets to pick what skills he wants, but the story and character development is hardwired into the game. I've never felt "cheated" by playing these games. I can identify with a character that is not my creation. So why can't you have a pencil & paper RPG with embedded characters? No reason I can see. So the reluctant priestess Brigid was born. What started out as a quick outline of the game, and Brigid, quickly turned into a multipage narrative. Sometimes the Muse hits when I least expect it.
Now for the protector, another player character. Brigid is a non-combatant (at least to start). She needs someone to protect her from the monsters that were loosed on the world during the great battle. She may also need a male to play a role in her fertility rites. He doesn't have a name yet... or even much of a background. He is a trained soldier, who fought against the Monotheist troops and lived. His god is dead, and he is greatly bitter against gods in general. He refuses to believe in any, and feels that the world would be better off without them. However, he owes a personal debt to Brigid, and he sees that she is doing good in the world. He has a strong sense of duty. While he won't always agree with her, he will always protect her as best he can.
This was how I envisioned the game group. Two player characters (Brigid and her protector), and a powerful NPC (Danae) that only Brigid can talk to. I expected the party to grow as it developed, bringing in other people and personas. But, it will start with Brigid moving out into the world to make it a better place, with only her bodyguard at her side.
Many years ago I read a short story about the last worshipper of a forgotten goddess. I have forgotten most of the details, but he was a Conan type warrior and she had extended his life so that he could continue to do her bidding. It was an intriguing thought. The interdependency between them made for an interesting dynamic.
I toyed with the idea that the power of a god was in direct proportion to the number (and strength of faith) of it's worshippers. A god that is worshipped by many is more powerful than one that is worshipped by few. I pictured a large Parthenon of gods vying for worshippers, manipulating circumstances to their favor, but never directly challenging one another. (Think Greek and Roman mythology) What would happen if a monotheist god started to rise? When they realized their own existence was in danger they would fight back. This game would take place right after the pagan gods had tried to suppress the monotheist god. The cataclysmic battle would have killed many of the pagan gods, decimated worshippers on all sides, and ravaged the land. In the aftermath, most of the pagan gods are gone, the monotheist is severely wounded, and there are too few worshippers to give any god much power.
Any warrior goddess that existed before the battle would have been destroyed. Instead, I thought of using an earth goddess, a fertility goddess, as my focal point. She would be a nurturer, a protector, but she would be capable of some wrath when her charges were threatened. It seemed to fit the bill. The rebuilding world would need her. Thus the goddess Danae was born. I had kind of picked the name at random (thinking at the time it was an obscure Greek god), and later remembered she had been the mother of Perseus... Close enough... I guess.
Now for the priestess, the player character. Any video game RPG that you play (with some minor exceptions) creates a persona for you to play. You fill that role and expand as a character within that role. The player gets to pick what skills he wants, but the story and character development is hardwired into the game. I've never felt "cheated" by playing these games. I can identify with a character that is not my creation. So why can't you have a pencil & paper RPG with embedded characters? No reason I can see. So the reluctant priestess Brigid was born. What started out as a quick outline of the game, and Brigid, quickly turned into a multipage narrative. Sometimes the Muse hits when I least expect it.
Now for the protector, another player character. Brigid is a non-combatant (at least to start). She needs someone to protect her from the monsters that were loosed on the world during the great battle. She may also need a male to play a role in her fertility rites. He doesn't have a name yet... or even much of a background. He is a trained soldier, who fought against the Monotheist troops and lived. His god is dead, and he is greatly bitter against gods in general. He refuses to believe in any, and feels that the world would be better off without them. However, he owes a personal debt to Brigid, and he sees that she is doing good in the world. He has a strong sense of duty. While he won't always agree with her, he will always protect her as best he can.
This was how I envisioned the game group. Two player characters (Brigid and her protector), and a powerful NPC (Danae) that only Brigid can talk to. I expected the party to grow as it developed, bringing in other people and personas. But, it will start with Brigid moving out into the world to make it a better place, with only her bodyguard at her side.
posted by Cyrunner | 9:03 AM
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