I'm trying this again.
Kalpa is a godgame where players are either gods or very lucky mortals who through their actions influence the future of Creation. In Kalpa, the universe is destined to be destroyed so that a new one may take its place, with new residents and deities. Perhaps such an an end can be delayed or even prevented. Or perhaps it cannot, perhaps the apocalypse will come regardless of action and the only way to survive is to actively destroy the Kalpa? Or perhaps, there is way to escape the Kalpa entirely? Who knows unless you try it for yourself?
A strong ability to roleplay is expected.
If you're still interested, read up on the rules below.
-The game is played through turns where each player may perform an action (or not). If a player wants to pass, please make sure to make this known.
-All actions MUST be bolded. Please. My eyes are bad enough.
-Ensure to state what kind of of Act you are using.
-Creative actions are encouraged but if an action is determined to be 'not fun' or 'impossible' I will ask that you change it. Feel free to debate with me on this.
-Scheming and plotting is encouraged. Just don't get personal about it, ok?
-If you do get personal about it, expect being kicked out of the game. No exceptions.
-If there is a problem, feel free to talk to me about it. I'll try to recetify it if necessary.
-More rules will be added as the game progresses.
The universe is repeatedly born and destroyed through periods of time known as kalpas. The length of a kalpa is dependent on the actions of the universe's inhabitants and that of the Ancient. A kalpa can only be ended by either utterly destroying the universe or causing an event that is practically identical to the end of the universe. The end of the universe results in the destruction of all gods, ascendants, creations and perhaps the Ancient. More on this below.
GodsThe divine lords of creation, gods are largely responsible for the shape and formation of the universe. By their actions, gods can push the world into Apocalypse or ensure that the current Kalpa remains in existence. Gods acquire their power from either mortal subservience, sources of divine essence within the universe or cannibalism. Depending on the nature of such sources of power, the current kalpa may either be pushed closer to destruction or survival. Gods, due to their divinity, cannot interact with mortals for long periods of time. They cannot manifest themselves on the mortal plane without constantly leaking divine essence (Acts). This can be avoided by becoming Bound to the mortal plane. The Bound will be explained in-depth below.
All gods begin with 1 Major Act and 1 Act.
AscendantsMortals of unique ability or blessed natures, Ascendants are the heroes and villains of the universe. By their actions, whole civilisations are founded...or destroyed. Such actions can of course impact on the survival of the universe. Ascendants, by their very nature as mortals, are hilariously fragile in comparison to gods. Due to their position between mortals and the divine, Ascendants can be freely contacted by the gods. Ascendants may ascend into godhood via several methods although these are difficult and very much unknown.
Ascendants begin with 1 Minor Act. Ascendants gain 0.5 Minor Acts every turn.
The BoundGods or Ascendants who have either descended to the mortal plane or become godly through their actions. The Bound, by their nature, are physical gods capable of directly affecting Creation through sheer inborn power. The Bound are more likely to attract worship from mortals and can freely interact with them. Unlike gods, they cannot travel freely, being bound into their physical form. The Bound, due to their corporeal nature, can be destroyed by divines and mortals, although not without difficulty. One may become Bound either by creating an avatar, with it's power directly correlating to the amount of Acts used, or via ascension.
The AncientThe appointed destroyer of creation, the Ancient is an entity of power greater than any individual god. By its actions, the universe will be destroyed. The Ancient awakes some time after the beginning of a Kalpa and is inactive before this point. The Ancient, when awakened, begins with a large reserve of essence to begin the Apocalypse but must pursue divine methods of acquiring additional essence to continue their campaign of destruction. Despite their role, Ancients are not inherently evil.
Ancients begin with
Acts.
Worship
Divine essence can be gathered from any form of obedience mortals have to a god. Note that essence gathered via worship goes to the god who APPEARS to be the worshiped deity; it is completely possible to usurp the cult of a dead or absent (or not so absent) deity.
Fonts
The universe is populated with natural sources of essence that when held by any entity, can empower them. Such Fonts are very rare and usually difficult to hold. Fonts can be created by deities, but only with Mighty Acts; the strength of such Fonts is dependent on the method of it's creation and the amount of acts used. Fonts cost 1 Act to claim; Ascendants may claim a Font without using an Act, although they still must physically reach the Font.
Deicide
Every deity is composed of divine essence. Consuming a deity will give all those nearby a portion of the essence. Those who land the killing blow acquire a higher amount of essence. All Acts a consumed deity had at the moment of death is also split between all nearby entities. Ascendants have no divine essence but their Minor Acts will be given to their killer.
Acts are the way through deities conduct most actions. While Acts may be of great power, this does not mean that Acts allow for any action. Multiple Acts may be required for certain actions; feel free to ask if certain actions to need them. Having no acts for more than one turn will result in the god disappearing from existence. Ascendants and the Ancient do not suffer from this. Acts not related to a god's spheres may have negative or unexpected effects. This does not include Mighty or Minor Acts.
Note that communication between gods/ascendants costs no Acts. Communication between Gods and Mortals requires Acts if speaking for an extended period. Communication is free if it is part of another Act.
Mighty Acts
Actions of truly divine power. These acts are usually out of reach of most deities although are certainly attainable. Mighty Acts allow for the creation and destruction of worlds, modification of natural laws, permanently destroying a divine entity and bypassing the Kalpic cycle.
Acts
Actions of divine power. These acts are the bread-and-butter of most deities. Acts allow for the creation of matter as well as its modification. This can include the creation of mortals, landforms and artifacts. Acts are gained through the worship of mortals, fonts and deicide
Minor Acts
Actions of heroic power. These acts are usually limited to Ascendants and are truly staggering (or just exceptional) things to perform-for a mortal. These include the spread of a technology or founding a religion. Ascendants intrinsically absorb essence from their surroundings, allowing them to perform Minor Acts.
Actions
Actions include all activities that are not performed through heroic or divine feats. Unlike Acts, these have a chance of failure. All non-Bound gods may only perform 1 action per turn. Ascendants and Bound may perform up to 4 actions per turn.
[Note that there is no expected length for Acts; be as long as necessary.]
One Mighty Act
From the voids of Creation, Obel gathered matter and energy into one form. Shaping the clump into a sphere, he poked and jabbed at it until it's surface was dotted with canyons and valleys. He smiled. Pleased with it, he breathed upon it, creating a dense atmosphere so that it would be shielded from the void around it. Taking his dagger, Obel cut his own hand, letting the blood mix in with the sphere. Vast oceans and seas were formed, with the blood that seeped into the earth becoming minerals which his future worshipers would prize. Seeing the world ready for life, he let it drift away from himself, allowing his peers to populate it with their creations.
1 Mighty Act: Obel creates the world.
One Act
Raphen shaped the essence of creation into a weapon of war, a spear, and imbued it into something far greater. A carrier of thoughts, memories, knowledge...insight. An artifact that would keep the wisdom and inventions of humanity safely stored and available for future generations.
One Act: Raphen creates the Spear of Ages, an artifact which copies all memories of its bearers and passes on these memories to subsequent bearers.
One Minor Act
Koren arose from the caves a changed woman. No longer a mere peasant girl, she had been enlightened by The Voice Below. She saw the world as it truly was; a sleeping divine which would awaken when the world was One. She would be it caretaker, its prophet for there was no one else. Taking a stick and a stone, she ventured the lands of her nation, speaking throughout the villages and towns. Through her sermons she enlightened the masses; they would no that the dirt they tread was the skin of the One. The air they breathed was Its blood and the forest Its mind. They would learn and it would be Good.
One Act: Koren spreads the faith of the One throughout her country.
Action
Emperor Trenin surveyed the forces around him: five armies for the five gods of the Pact. Mighty Orcest, Quiet Li, Cunning Joven, Insidious Avlon and the mysterious Kresos. Each versed in their arts of arms and knowledge, they had come to end his rightful rule of the world. He had only his retainers left; the rest had died gloriously in battle with their souls now at his side, powering his arcane machinery. Trenin would not let their deaths be in vain; the gods would be toppled and a new golden age brought to the world. Leaving his throne for what may be the final time, Trenin marched his way to the battlements, ready to deal with what the gods would do against him. The men he passed by were weary but ready to die. They had fought for too long to give up now. They continued with their duties, bowing as the Emperor walked pass them.
At the battlements Trenin made no speech or listened to the calls for surrender by the enemy; they were sheep and nothing more. A man did not listen to sheep. They had given their body and soul to the gods and were not worthy of talk; Trenin shot them down with a bolt of fire. The enemy could not retaliate for the arcane shields that surrounded the fortress would not allow them; shouts of cowardice was all they could do. Trenin shook his head and knew that for all their cravenness, they were right. And so, Trenin gave the call. The battle for the freedom of all mortals would be made hear.
Action: Trenin unleashes his army on the enemy forces, lowering the shields.
The Ancient is destined to destroy the universe and usher in a new kalpa. The kalpa can be prolonged through the actions of the resident gods, ascendants and even mortals...perhaps even prevented. This is of course very difficult. Such methods include withholding from deicide, raising the stability of the universe and promoting peace. If the Ancient is nearing success, the universe's residents may find a way into surviving the Apocalypse and moving into the new kalpa. This is very difficult. On the oft chance that this does happen, it is unlikely that the survivors will be of the same state as they were in the previous kalpa. The nature and power used to transfer to the next kalpa may have an effect on the travelers. Should the Ancient be successful in it's goal, every entity and object in the universe will be destroyed, including gods and ascendants that have been unable to acquire a method of escaping the kalpa. The destruction of a universe will usually result in the Ancient entering a resting state until the next Apocalypse. Usually. An Ancient, at any time after awakening, may offer it's position to another entity- even if the entity is a god or mortal of the current Kalpa. The former Ancient will be removed from the universe.
Ascendants and gods may be resurrected, allowing the player to take part in the game once more. The nature and power used to perform a resurrection may or may not affect the entity resurrected.
Divine Combat
While gods may compete with each other in many ways, direct combat is of course possible. Battles on the godly plane is won by whoever contributes the most Acts towards a battle. Acts contributed are consumed. Should victory be achieved, the winner(s) may elect to consume the loser(s). Be warned however that there may be repercussions to infighting between the gods, repercussions which are not present when undertaken via different methods.
In combat, Mighty Acts are equal to 3 Acts and 1 Act is equal to 3 Minor Acts.
Example:
The Enlightened Pantheon Vs Grobius the Great
EP: 5 Acts, 12 Minor Acts
Grobius: 4 Mighty Acts
Grobius defeats the Enlightened Pantheon at a great cost; the battle scattered divine essence outwards into the mortal plane, ripping tears in Creation. From these Rifts, rumbles can be heard...
Grobius may choose to eat each member of the Pantheon.
Mortal Kombat
The battles on the mortal plane are determined by the Power of the combatants as well as roll of the dice. Each battle is made up of three rounds and during each round, a 1d6 dice is rolled for both sides. Power is multiplied with the resulting dice roll. Whichever side has the highest number overall is the victor. The greater the difference between the sums of both sides, the greater the victory. A slight difference will only result in a draw. This system is only used for confrontations between players.
Korvol Vs Derumion
Korvol Initial Power: 20
Derumion Initial Power: 25
Round 1: 1d6= 5,3
Round 2: 1d6= 1,1
Round 3: 1d6= 6,4
Korvol Final Power: 240
Derumion Final Power: 200
Korvol wins a decisive victory over Derumion.
Sign-ups
Players will be chosen on merit. Good quality of writing helps. 4 starting gods will be accepted and 1 Ancient. Ascendants and Bound slots will emerge throughout the game. Don't worry if you don't get in the first time; The nature of the Kalpas will probably result in divine casualties.
Please PM Ancient sheets.
Name:
Role: God, Ascendant or Ancient.
Sphere: Applicable only to gods. Determines what aspect of creation a god has control over. A player may acquire more spheres by becoming associated with it by enough mortals.
Appearance: Chosen physical avatar of the entity. The actual appearance of an Ascendant.
Personality:
Description: Anything else you want to write in. This could include motives, goals, biographies...
Name: Obenia.
Role: God.
Sphere: Progress.
Appearance: Obenia appears as a seemingly immobile crudely crafted stone statue covered in mud. His face is constantly smiling, regardless of his emotions. His arms are crossed over his chest, bearing a knife and stone in either hands.
Personality: Obenia is a narcisstic deity believing himself to be the most important entity of all Creation. He believes that only through his guidance can advancement and progress take place. All mortals and thinking creatures should submit themselves to him for their safety and own happiness. If they will not, then Obenia believes they should be eliminated from Creation. Obenia is at times, deranged.
Description: No one knows why Obenia chooses to take the form of a vulgar idol, but all who asks the diety will receive the same answer: "The wiseman said stone was like grain and that people ate to live. Thus I am."
Author
Topic: Kalpa Reboot: A Godgame (OOC)[5/? God Slots] [2/4 Ascendants Slots] (Read 26768 times)