In my homebrew campaign gods are ascended beings and "immortal" (they don't die of natural causes) but not quite invincible. I'd like a level 20 character to have a chance of defeating one - not easily but worth trying if the incentive is right. What would I give a god in the way of HP so that it would be a difficult, borderline deadly encounter? It would have the ability to regenerate HP each turn.
Long answer: My honest first reaction is not to do it. Plenty of canon gods *are* ascended mortals, but that doesn't mean walking up to one and hitting it with a sword will have much effect. Maybe have the party quest for a weakness, or an epic ritual that will bind the deity in mortal form, making it possible to fight it conventionally. Or use an avatar, which would be stated out as a standard 20 CR (or higher) enemy without trivializing the god itself.
Of course, the "gods" in your campaign might have deliberately exaggerated the extent of their power and immortality, but still, you said *a* 20th level adventurer. Just one? Or a party of adventurers? Very different. Assuming the latter, try this list. Any of the CR 20 or greater monsters could be reskinned or just used as a starting point for building your party's opponent. I'd gravitate to the pit fiend. If anything in D&D is supposed to have god-like power without actually being a god, its a pit fiend.
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Do Not Meddle in the Affairs of Dragons, for You are Crunchy and Taste Good with Ketchup,
Tiamat is a goddess. Baphomet is also a decent choice to adapt to your own god. Demogorgon is a lesser deity. There are other options in the Monsters section, too.
Tiamat is a goddess. Baphomet is also a decent choice to adapt to your own god. Demogorgon is a lesser deity. There are other options in the Monsters section, too.
Those statistics for Tiamat are its newly-formed mortal avatar. Baphomet and Demogorgon are demon princes, not lesser deities. The intention (at least in this edition) is to have deities as a separate class of being, more or less unconstrained by the rules. Nothing stopping OP from using an avatar or other proxy for a deity off its home plane to give players a chance to defeat a "god" though.
Question: why has the empyrean not been mention? It's not the best build for a God, but it would definitely work as template for divine beings that a level 20 party could defeat.
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
Question: why has the empyrean not been mention? It's not the best build for a God, but it would definitely work as template for divine beings that a level 20 party could defeat.
I was going to, but I didn't remember how to spell it, and then I forgot. Yes, every time I came here.
In my homebrew campaign gods are ascended beings and "immortal" (they don't die of natural causes) but not quite invincible. I'd like a level 20 character to have a chance of defeating one - not easily but worth trying if the incentive is right. What would I give a god in the way of HP so that it would be a difficult, borderline deadly encounter? It would have the ability to regenerate HP each turn.
Look in the DM's Guide. Chapter 8 or 9.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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Short answer: 300 or more.
Long answer: My honest first reaction is not to do it. Plenty of canon gods *are* ascended mortals, but that doesn't mean walking up to one and hitting it with a sword will have much effect. Maybe have the party quest for a weakness, or an epic ritual that will bind the deity in mortal form, making it possible to fight it conventionally. Or use an avatar, which would be stated out as a standard 20 CR (or higher) enemy without trivializing the god itself.
Of course, the "gods" in your campaign might have deliberately exaggerated the extent of their power and immortality, but still, you said *a* 20th level adventurer. Just one? Or a party of adventurers? Very different. Assuming the latter, try this list. Any of the CR 20 or greater monsters could be reskinned or just used as a starting point for building your party's opponent. I'd gravitate to the pit fiend. If anything in D&D is supposed to have god-like power without actually being a god, its a pit fiend.
Do Not Meddle in the Affairs of Dragons, for You are Crunchy and Taste Good with Ketchup,
Thanks. Very helpful suggestions. I like the quest idea.
Tiamat is a goddess. Baphomet is also a decent choice to adapt to your own god. Demogorgon is a lesser deity. There are other options in the Monsters section, too.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.
Question: why has the empyrean not been mention? It's not the best build for a God, but it would definitely work as template for divine beings that a level 20 party could defeat.
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"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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