Although previous editions came up with suggestions and sometimes even procedures on how to attain Godhood/Immortality, 5e has not in either 2014 or 2024.
Therefore I am coming up with my own suggestions on how to ascend. I am not looking for critique, but what I am looking for instead is how would you as a Veteran DM or Player thinks ascension, if any, should work.
First of all, I consider godhood and immortality the same. 2024 DMG ranks godhood/immortality in three ranks: Greater God, Lesser God and Quasi-deities. Don't look down on Quasi-deities because they can be very powerful. Tarrasques are Quasi-deities.
PC's can ascend to Lesser God status, only from the blessing of a Greater or Lesser god. Otherwise, the PC's can only become a Quasi-deity.
How to ascend?
First the PC's need to have a Bastion, which means they need to have subjects that worship as a type of royalty, hero or whatever the case. Which means their name is known throughout the known lands. Second, at 18 level, a PC can request to their DM that they be considered for ascension. At this point the PC must petition a god. Which god is determined on what alignment the PC has been closely aligned to during their career. The petition is dependent on 00% percentile dice, subtracted by your Charisma Modifier and for each Artifact you have in your possession. If your Petition is granted, then the god will send you own three quests, that you alone must fulfill. The quests will be challenging, each more so than the one before, but attainable and not an auto-death (for example a full Spell caster will Not be stuck in a chamber that both nullifies teleportation and is an Anti-magic chamber filled with 30 vampires). If the PC completes 2 of the three quests, they ascend as a Quasi-Deity. If they complete all three, they ascend as a Lesser God. If they fail all three, they are denied ascension and no further petitions will be granted. In addition, if the PC dies or is imprisoned, incapacitated on anyway that they can't complete the quest, the PC is resurrected or teleported back to the petition spot for the Deity's judgment.
The Second way to ascend allows the PC to skip petitioning, and ascend based on their own merits and grueling hard work. Thus, when a PC attains a 30 in one or more Ability Scores, the player can request that the PC see if he can ascend. To do so, the PC must meditate on a plane similar to the alignment they most closely played. Having a Bastion or subjects is ideal, but not necessary. In order to ascend the players roles a 00% percentile and subtracts their 30 ability score(s) modifier(s).If they succeed they become a Quasi-Deity, otherwise they fail. However, if they fail they may try again either by petitioning a god, as stated in the first instance or by achieving a 30 ability score in another ability.
Once they ascend godhood/immortality, the stats, feats, class(es) Species all stay the same with the exceptions:
1) As a Lesser god you can join your god on their plane, but not necessarily have to with or around them. You are given your own palace or area where you can rule over your own deceased worshippers. You gain Inspiration equal to your proficiency points daily, that you can give to any of your worshipers or other mortals at your pleasure. You may regenerate used Inspiration points only once after a short rest. You do not need to be on the same plane.
2) As a Quasi-Deity, you will automatically gain a demi-plane where you rule or you may opt to reside instead on a plane that resembles your played alignment. You do not get a palace or area for worshippers, nor do you gain any benefit from worshippers.
3) Undying Condition- You can be killed, but your spirit returns back to the plane or demi-plane you permanently reside. You have the option of leaving your body, with it's equipment where it lies, or you may wish for it to evaporate and the equipment minus the body returns back to where you reside. If the body stays, then you can have someone resurrect you, in which case you return in tact in full. You cannot be reincarnated or have such things as speak with the dead cast on you without your approval. If you do not choose to bring your body back, it eventually decomposes and evaporates in a number of days equal to your Constitution modifier. Any Equipment is left behind. Creating a new body can only be done in your plane/demiplane and will cost you your Constitution score minus your modifier. Nothing but further grinding or a magical tome or artifact can restore any score points lost.
4)Astral projection. You may leave your physical body behind and travel the planes in your Astral Form. You are immune to any hazards and you no longer have a silver cord. If for some reason your astral form is killed, you simply return to your physical body and no known force can stop it's return. Your spirit form is not your Astral form. If you are a disembodied spirit, you cannot cast any spells, except those as "self". You may appear to others, and speak to them (if you speak their language), but you will not look like anything other than a floating glimmer of light or darkness (if you are aligned to the lower planes), but never mistaken for an undead type nor can any power less than a Greater god, damage this form.
5)Spell casting- You are no longer bound by VSM, thus you may cast any spell you normally qualify for, unless you are dead or have the incapacitated condition. You are still limited in spells cast, slots, points etc. as before. However an arcane focus and similar objects are no longer necessary.
6) Artifacts-You may craft artifacts. However, you cannot replicate artifacts already made by others (for example you cannot create a Hand of Vecnae or Death Wand of Orcus). Any attempt will automatically fail. Artifacts require your divine energy. The first Artifact will require a quest for the materials and a vessel strong enough to handle the divine forces. The artifact must only be created by you. Any additional artifacts will cost 1 level of experience, and they can never be recovered by magic, adventuring etc. The level is lost forever.
7) Death. You can only be permanently killed if you are killed on your residing plane in a physical form. If you are dependent on Worshippers, and the last one dies or no longer worships you, you will not die, but will turn into a disembodied spirit with the incapacitated condition in a number of years equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1 year). If at some point one person learns of your and worships you again, you will regain your godhood/immortality, but at a lower power level as designated by the DM.
8)Aura- As a divine being creatures living and dead of 4th level and lower are awed in your Prescence whether you want them to or not. They will not attempt to harm you directly or indirectly, even if mentally controlled, unless you do so to them. Any attacks against them gives them disadvantage on the initiative.
9)Worshippers- As stated you may bless any of your worshippers with Inspiration. You may also find Paladins and Clerics or they may find you, and you may empower their spells, but cannot revoke or impede this gift once given. You may of course make their lives havoc with curses or what not and they save at disadvantage. Other than those, any curse or aversive action you take against any of your other worshipper causes them to fail all saves, unless they have some magical or divine protection, charm, blessing etc.
I've done it. Long campaign. At the end, the PC's confront a ... 'power' on the astral plane, and have the option to spread it's power or absord it for themselves. Basically the ending of Mass Effect 2.
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Your not alone, did it way back in 1e2e days - got a very lucky shot that killed a deity when I was the last party member standing and no one else was around/ nearby in her home plane. Absorbed the deific energies but had to “cleanse” them to be able use them. Finally ascended in 5e. Nothing like making 10 rolls of 05 or 01 in a row to show just how hard/lucky/unlucky it is to ascend.
Look for an old copy of the D&D Immortals set, lots of good ideas and information in there on ascending to that level and actually playing characters who are Powers.
Although previous editions came up with suggestions and sometimes even procedures on how to attain Godhood/Immortality, 5e has not in either 2014 or 2024.
Therefore I am coming up with my own suggestions on how to ascend. I am not looking for critique, but what I am looking for instead is how would you as a Veteran DM or Player thinks ascension, if any, should work.
First of all, I consider godhood and immortality the same. 2024 DMG ranks godhood/immortality in three ranks: Greater God, Lesser God and Quasi-deities. Don't look down on Quasi-deities because they can be very powerful. Tarrasques are Quasi-deities.
PC's can ascend to Lesser God status, only from the blessing of a Greater or Lesser god. Otherwise, the PC's can only become a Quasi-deity.
How to ascend?
First the PC's need to have a Bastion, which means they need to have subjects that worship as a type of royalty, hero or whatever the case. Which means their name is known throughout the known lands. Second, at 18 level, a PC can request to their DM that they be considered for ascension. At this point the PC must petition a god. Which god is determined on what alignment the PC has been closely aligned to during their career. The petition is dependent on 00% percentile dice, subtracted by your Charisma Modifier and for each Artifact you have in your possession. If your Petition is granted, then the god will send you own three quests, that you alone must fulfill. The quests will be challenging, each more so than the one before, but attainable and not an auto-death (for example a full Spell caster will Not be stuck in a chamber that both nullifies teleportation and is an Anti-magic chamber filled with 30 vampires). If the PC completes 2 of the three quests, they ascend as a Quasi-Deity. If they complete all three, they ascend as a Lesser God. If they fail all three, they are denied ascension and no further petitions will be granted. In addition, if the PC dies or is imprisoned, incapacitated on anyway that they can't complete the quest, the PC is resurrected or teleported back to the petition spot for the Deity's judgment.
The Second way to ascend allows the PC to skip petitioning, and ascend based on their own merits and grueling hard work. Thus, when a PC attains a 30 in one or more Ability Scores, the player can request that the PC see if he can ascend. To do so, the PC must meditate on a plane similar to the alignment they most closely played. Having a Bastion or subjects is ideal, but not necessary. In order to ascend the players roles a 00% percentile and subtracts their 30 ability score(s) modifier(s).If they succeed they become a Quasi-Deity, otherwise they fail. However, if they fail they may try again either by petitioning a god, as stated in the first instance or by achieving a 30 ability score in another ability.
Once they ascend godhood/immortality, the stats, feats, class(es) Species all stay the same with the exceptions:
1) As a Lesser god you can join your god on their plane, but not necessarily have to with or around them. You are given your own palace or area where you can rule over your own deceased worshippers. You gain Inspiration equal to your proficiency points daily, that you can give to any of your worshipers or other mortals at your pleasure. You may regenerate used Inspiration points only once after a short rest. You do not need to be on the same plane.
2) As a Quasi-Deity, you will automatically gain a demi-plane where you rule or you may opt to reside instead on a plane that resembles your played alignment. You do not get a palace or area for worshippers, nor do you gain any benefit from worshippers.
3) Undying Condition- You can be killed, but your spirit returns back to the plane or demi-plane you permanently reside. You have the option of leaving your body, with it's equipment where it lies, or you may wish for it to evaporate and the equipment minus the body returns back to where you reside. If the body stays, then you can have someone resurrect you, in which case you return in tact in full. You cannot be reincarnated or have such things as speak with the dead cast on you without your approval. If you do not choose to bring your body back, it eventually decomposes and evaporates in a number of days equal to your Constitution modifier. Any Equipment is left behind. Creating a new body can only be done in your plane/demiplane and will cost you your Constitution score minus your modifier. Nothing but further grinding or a magical tome or artifact can restore any score points lost.
4)Astral projection. You may leave your physical body behind and travel the planes in your Astral Form. You are immune to any hazards and you no longer have a silver cord. If for some reason your astral form is killed, you simply return to your physical body and no known force can stop it's return. Your spirit form is not your Astral form. If you are a disembodied spirit, you cannot cast any spells, except those as "self". You may appear to others, and speak to them (if you speak their language), but you will not look like anything other than a floating glimmer of light or darkness (if you are aligned to the lower planes), but never mistaken for an undead type nor can any power less than a Greater god, damage this form.
5)Spell casting- You are no longer bound by VSM, thus you may cast any spell you normally qualify for, unless you are dead or have the incapacitated condition. You are still limited in spells cast, slots, points etc. as before. However an arcane focus and similar objects are no longer necessary.
6) Artifacts-You may craft artifacts. However, you cannot replicate artifacts already made by others (for example you cannot create a Hand of Vecnae or Death Wand of Orcus). Any attempt will automatically fail. Artifacts require your divine energy. The first Artifact will require a quest for the materials and a vessel strong enough to handle the divine forces. The artifact must only be created by you. Any additional artifacts will cost 1 level of experience, and they can never be recovered by magic, adventuring etc. The level is lost forever.
7) Death. You can only be permanently killed if you are killed on your residing plane in a physical form. If you are dependent on Worshippers, and the last one dies or no longer worships you, you will not die, but will turn into a disembodied spirit with the incapacitated condition in a number of years equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1 year). If at some point one person learns of your and worships you again, you will regain your godhood/immortality, but at a lower power level as designated by the DM.
8)Aura- As a divine being creatures living and dead of 4th level and lower are awed in your Prescence whether you want them to or not. They will not attempt to harm you directly or indirectly, even if mentally controlled, unless you do so to them. Any attacks against them gives them disadvantage on the initiative.
9)Worshippers- As stated you may bless any of your worshippers with Inspiration. You may also find Paladins and Clerics or they may find you, and you may empower their spells, but cannot revoke or impede this gift once given. You may of course make their lives havoc with curses or what not and they save at disadvantage. Other than those, any curse or aversive action you take against any of your other worshipper causes them to fail all saves, unless they have some magical or divine protection, charm, blessing etc.
Yeah okay. I'm here for this.
I don't know if that is how I would have made an ascension system but if my DM told me those where the rules I don't know that I'd bat an eye at it.
I think mechanically once you become a god of any level the campaign is over. You become functionally all powerful within the real of normal play.
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"Play the game however you want to play the game. After all, your fun doesn't threaten my fun."
I've done it. Long campaign. At the end, the PC's confront a ... 'power' on the astral plane, and have the option to spread it's power or absord it for themselves. Basically the ending of Mass Effect 2.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Your not alone, did it way back in 1e2e days - got a very lucky shot that killed a deity when I was the last party member standing and no one else was around/ nearby in her home plane. Absorbed the deific energies but had to “cleanse” them to be able use them. Finally ascended in 5e. Nothing like making 10 rolls of 05 or 01 in a row to show just how hard/lucky/unlucky it is to ascend.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Look for an old copy of the D&D Immortals set, lots of good ideas and information in there on ascending to that level and actually playing characters who are Powers.