Spell of gods comunication

[lifo]

I need to create a spell that let the caster ask some questions to his god and receive answers in the form of a "yes" or "no".

I devised three ways of doing it:
1) Precognitive and retrocognitive Clairsentience.
2) Summon the God avatar (a desolidified being with lots of INT and skill points)
3) Mind Link, extradimensional, No LOS

I can't decide wich one is the best.
I'd go for the mind link, but it seems too simple...
Can you gimme your opinion?

[Shadowsoul]

I think summoning an avatar would be the simplest and most flavourful way of building this power but you could use Clairsentience if you piled enough disadvantages onto it.

[Markdoc]

I'd suggest a fourth option. If there really are Gods and they actively participate by talking to their worshippers, then allow priests to buy a contact (extremely useful, access to major institutions, contacts of his own). That way they can ask their contact questions and how likely they are to get a response depends on what they are asking for and how they've been doing in the religion business. It also lets you know how easily they can actually get an answer.

cheers, Mark

[Blue Jogger]

I need to create a spell that let the caster ask some questions to his god and receive answers in the form of a "yes" or "no".

I devised three ways of doing it:
1) Precognitive and retrocognitive Clairsentience.
2) Summon the God avatar (a desolidified being with lots of INT and skill points)
3) Mind Link, extradimensional, No LOS

I can't decide wich one is the best.
I'd go for the mind link, but it seems too simple...
Can you gimme your opinion?

If you were getting the mental image (sight and sound) of a particular question, then I would used #1.

If the special effect was calling down a representative to bargain, argue, or beg with them, then I'd use #2.

I'd use #3, it is simple, but it costs 20 active points (one specific mind, psychic bond, any dimension). The GM would be wise to demand certain limitations on this one to prevent getting frequent calls on trivial mortal matters. You should not (in my humble opinion) get a limitation for only getting "yes" or "no" from a all-knowing deity.


(I so wanted to answer this post with a single "yes".)

[CTaylor]

You can just use a contact, although it's going to have to be pretty spendy given the power and utility of a deity. The GM should set the frequency roll too.

[Curufea]

I'm in favour of some kind of personification of the God or Goddess - it gives more interactivity and roleplaying opportunities.

[PhilFleischmann]

I would also suggest Contact, with an increased price due to increased usefulness:

He's a god, not a bureaucrat.
You can contact him anywhere, theoretically.

Then add on whatever modifiers are needed to make it into a spell: Extra Time, Concentration, Costs END, Focus (Expendible), Gestures, Incantations, RSR, Window of Opportunity, etc.

[shadowcat1313]

you could also consider not letting the player control when they contact the deity, random visions etc... or that sudden voice out of thin air, the old Bill Cosby sketch about Noah talking to God comes to mind

suddenly having thor and zeus drop by for coffee in the middle of breakfast unnaounced could liven things up

in fact that made a movie about that
Breakfast Epiphanies

[Captain Obvious]

You should not (in my humble opinion) get a limitation for only getting "yes" or "no" from a all-knowing deity.


That depends. If you're getting 20 questions (or worse yet, unlimited), it's not too limiting. If you only get to ask three, the yes-no answer is generally going to lead to some pretty vague information gathering.

[Killer Shrike]

http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/HighFantasyHERO/MagicSystems/VancianSpells/ActiveSpellsList.aspx?c=2&SpellNameLike=augury
http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/HighFantasyHERO/MagicSystems/VancianSpells/ActiveSpellsList.aspx?c=2&SpellNameLike=commune

etc

[Blue Jogger]

That depends. If you're getting 20 questions (or worse yet, unlimited), it's not too limiting. If you only get to ask three, the yes-no answer is generally going to lead to some pretty vague information gathering.

You could require charges, one charge per question. 20 questions would be a +1/4, on the other hand, 3 questions would be worth -1 1/4. Unlimited would be a +1 advantage.

I'd worry about making it too cheap or too easy, otherwise the game would be bogged down with "Hold on, let me check with my deity."

As pointed out, there are many different ways to achieve the same effect, although re-reading Fantasy Hero, they recommend buying it as a Contact. And according to Hero Designer, Perks can be bought as a Power and thus be given additional Limitations to represent how difficult it is to set up contact.

[lifo]

Thank you guys for all the advice. :thumbup:
I didn't think at all about the Contact version of the spell. That's a good one.
I'll probably go for that or for the Mind Link, after gauging the cost.
And probably I will also prepare an advanced version of the same spell that makes use of the Summon deity avatar.