Post by Zonkes on Jul 22, 2018 7:04:38 GMT 1
Here at Ancient, our gods run on a unique system we call “The Sphere of Influence”.
A Sphere of Influence - or SOI as I will be referring to it from now in - is a basic set of abilities that pertain to a certain aspect of your gods aspect. What does this mean for you? While an SOI is considered a baseline, it is up to you to decide how your character uses those powers and what they look like.
Example: Love sphere - Allows spread of love and hate.
Cupid - Uses arrows of love energy to activate this power.
Aenghus Ohg - Sends doves to spread feelings of love.
Aphrodite - Uses sparkling energy to activate this ability.
Note: These are examples, and are therefore not meant to restrict anyone from changing these should they want to make one of the gods listed.
As we can see here, each of these Love gods have the same power within the sphere; but each have a different way of going about it. This is how our system works. A sphere sets the basic groundwork for what you can do. You define what the sphere looks like under your god/demigods control as well as additional personal abilities.
When creating a sphere, it is important to remember that staff WILL STILL be approving it. So try to make it fair and balanced. That being said, here are some spheres that staff premade.
Sphere of the Underworld: Gods of this sphere find themselves drawing power from the Great Below. In myth, they were the Lords and Ladies who presided over the dead. All gods of this sphere may retreat into the Underworld, the subterranean district of Caliente. Within the Underworld, the power of this sphere is much stronger, these Chthonian gods easily able to summon and command the dead, bend the earth around them to their will, and entrap the souls of others. In the Underworld, they find themselves far more physically capable than on the surface. With a touch, they may drain vitality from the living, while in the Underworld, They may consume energy, such as the fire or lightning to satisfy the gluttonous Below.
Sphere of Life: Fertility gods and healers alike find their home in this sphere. Plant life finds itself invigorated and empowered under the command of these deities, or perhaps the flesh of mortals heals in their very presence. These gods are tied intrinsically to the concept of life in opposition of death and will find the sick more readily fighting off illness, flowers blooming, and even the strength of others growing in their presence. Immune to poisons, they may bolster the strength of others and rejuvenate the dying, borrow the features of plants (thorns, photosynthesis, etc.), hide within plants as large as their body, and as their strength grows, generate plants from nothing at all, grant them immortality, and absolutely heal others. One has to wonder whether resurrection of others is out of the question.(edited)
Sphere of Death: The escorts of souls and the traveller between worlds, this sphere’s rulers have power over travel from this world. Able to travel freely between the Underworld and the surface, these gods cannot be restrained; door nor gate may keep death from it’s quarry. While not able to heal others, gods of death may find that they can delay the fate of the mortally wounded, including their own, for a time. They may sense when someone dies, or is nearing that threshold, and perhaps even glean insight about one’s death by touching their body or a personal belonging. They may bring death to those who desire it with but a touch, and see the shades of those who refuse to pass on, casting them down where they belong. They may become immaterial for a brief time, and send the undead back below where they belong. With a touch, they may slowly drain vitality from the living.
Sphere of the Sun: Those gods who took up the mantle of the sun, that which the entire world revolves around. Gods of this sphere can emit the brightness of true sunlight from their form as an intense solar flare, emit heat and solar rays from their bodies, experience greater physical prowess during the daytime, and may be able to command others with the domineering power of the solar lords. They may use the sun’s life giving rays to heal themselves, imbue weapons with harrowing solar energy, or disrupt electromagnetic wavelengths with a flash of power. Those who truly embodied the sun’s power may turn it into an eye and gain an aerial view of a small area. The truly powerful may even become a manifestation of the sun itself, for a brief time.
Sphere of Nature: The gods who draw from the plants on earth are in this sphere.They find themselves more powerful when standing in lush forest environments or other such places, and are greatly weakened when standing in urban environments to the point where they may not be able to use the majority of their powers. These gods can call upon the plants to attack their enemies, such as having vines wrap around to trap opponents, or trees to suddenly start hitting people with branches. They can call upon animals to help them fight, and some can sink into the earth and burst out to ambush opponents. Some more powerful gods can transform into any animal they wish, and can even create ents, giant golems to fight for the god or protect them.
Sphere of Time: The gods who are tied to time in an inexorable way. The gods of this sphere can slow down their own perception of time or speed it up. They can see the future, the past, age or deage mortals, or stop time in small bubbles around themselves.
Sphere of Fire: The gods who draw from fire are in this sphere. These gods are immune to fire, but get hurt by water. These gods are more powerful in hotter places and weaker in colder ones. These gods can do simple things like throw fireballs, or toss around lava. Some can cloak themselves in fire, others can make spinning cyclones of fire. The most powerful can create small volcanes or call down flaming rocks from the sky. Some can even make a fiery shield to stop one or two hits that would normally be deadly
A Sphere of Influence - or SOI as I will be referring to it from now in - is a basic set of abilities that pertain to a certain aspect of your gods aspect. What does this mean for you? While an SOI is considered a baseline, it is up to you to decide how your character uses those powers and what they look like.
Example: Love sphere - Allows spread of love and hate.
Cupid - Uses arrows of love energy to activate this power.
Aenghus Ohg - Sends doves to spread feelings of love.
Aphrodite - Uses sparkling energy to activate this ability.
Note: These are examples, and are therefore not meant to restrict anyone from changing these should they want to make one of the gods listed.
As we can see here, each of these Love gods have the same power within the sphere; but each have a different way of going about it. This is how our system works. A sphere sets the basic groundwork for what you can do. You define what the sphere looks like under your god/demigods control as well as additional personal abilities.
When creating a sphere, it is important to remember that staff WILL STILL be approving it. So try to make it fair and balanced. That being said, here are some spheres that staff premade.
Sphere of the Underworld: Gods of this sphere find themselves drawing power from the Great Below. In myth, they were the Lords and Ladies who presided over the dead. All gods of this sphere may retreat into the Underworld, the subterranean district of Caliente. Within the Underworld, the power of this sphere is much stronger, these Chthonian gods easily able to summon and command the dead, bend the earth around them to their will, and entrap the souls of others. In the Underworld, they find themselves far more physically capable than on the surface. With a touch, they may drain vitality from the living, while in the Underworld, They may consume energy, such as the fire or lightning to satisfy the gluttonous Below.
Sphere of Life: Fertility gods and healers alike find their home in this sphere. Plant life finds itself invigorated and empowered under the command of these deities, or perhaps the flesh of mortals heals in their very presence. These gods are tied intrinsically to the concept of life in opposition of death and will find the sick more readily fighting off illness, flowers blooming, and even the strength of others growing in their presence. Immune to poisons, they may bolster the strength of others and rejuvenate the dying, borrow the features of plants (thorns, photosynthesis, etc.), hide within plants as large as their body, and as their strength grows, generate plants from nothing at all, grant them immortality, and absolutely heal others. One has to wonder whether resurrection of others is out of the question.(edited)
Sphere of Death: The escorts of souls and the traveller between worlds, this sphere’s rulers have power over travel from this world. Able to travel freely between the Underworld and the surface, these gods cannot be restrained; door nor gate may keep death from it’s quarry. While not able to heal others, gods of death may find that they can delay the fate of the mortally wounded, including their own, for a time. They may sense when someone dies, or is nearing that threshold, and perhaps even glean insight about one’s death by touching their body or a personal belonging. They may bring death to those who desire it with but a touch, and see the shades of those who refuse to pass on, casting them down where they belong. They may become immaterial for a brief time, and send the undead back below where they belong. With a touch, they may slowly drain vitality from the living.
Sphere of the Sun: Those gods who took up the mantle of the sun, that which the entire world revolves around. Gods of this sphere can emit the brightness of true sunlight from their form as an intense solar flare, emit heat and solar rays from their bodies, experience greater physical prowess during the daytime, and may be able to command others with the domineering power of the solar lords. They may use the sun’s life giving rays to heal themselves, imbue weapons with harrowing solar energy, or disrupt electromagnetic wavelengths with a flash of power. Those who truly embodied the sun’s power may turn it into an eye and gain an aerial view of a small area. The truly powerful may even become a manifestation of the sun itself, for a brief time.
Sphere of Nature: The gods who draw from the plants on earth are in this sphere.They find themselves more powerful when standing in lush forest environments or other such places, and are greatly weakened when standing in urban environments to the point where they may not be able to use the majority of their powers. These gods can call upon the plants to attack their enemies, such as having vines wrap around to trap opponents, or trees to suddenly start hitting people with branches. They can call upon animals to help them fight, and some can sink into the earth and burst out to ambush opponents. Some more powerful gods can transform into any animal they wish, and can even create ents, giant golems to fight for the god or protect them.
Sphere of Time: The gods who are tied to time in an inexorable way. The gods of this sphere can slow down their own perception of time or speed it up. They can see the future, the past, age or deage mortals, or stop time in small bubbles around themselves.
Sphere of Fire: The gods who draw from fire are in this sphere. These gods are immune to fire, but get hurt by water. These gods are more powerful in hotter places and weaker in colder ones. These gods can do simple things like throw fireballs, or toss around lava. Some can cloak themselves in fire, others can make spinning cyclones of fire. The most powerful can create small volcanes or call down flaming rocks from the sky. Some can even make a fiery shield to stop one or two hits that would normally be deadly