AlexanderML

Lords of Creation: Children of the Flash

Nice, will be waiting on other characters before I make mine.

Lords of Creation: Children of the Flash

In the beginning there was nothing but possibilities. Infinite forms of reality condensed into itself, with unfathomable aspects of existence fighting with what was to come.

Then the first moment past and there was the Flash.

To a outside observer it would look like a bright light had come to encompassed a great darkness, but in reality space itself expanded from a singular point with the light being only a after affect of the rules of reality being enforced for the first time in eternity. Aspects of these rules and laws came into existence at random across the new universe, beings formed as physical representations of a small aspect of the universe, and they would be called the Lords of Creation.

Welcome to Lords of Creation: Children of the Flash! I'm a big fan of this type of god game and hope to introduce it to this site for those that might (most likely) not know about it.

"For those of you who are unfamiliar with Lords of Creation, or LoC, let me explain what it is. Lords of Creation is a cooperative storytelling game in which the players take on the roles of Gods. As gods, the players shape and build upon a blank slate fantasy world. They interact with one another, create mortals, magic, and civilizations, and rule over their domains with power befitting divinity." -Darklady2831

I am going to be copying large chunks of the rules of games done before this. I thank everyone who has had a hand in making Lords of Creation what it is, and hope that I can show how great the game is to others who have not played this before.

Da Rules:

While this is a free-form game for the most part, there are rules that give it some order and help keep the game enjoyable.
Mods:

My Hider

This game normally has several mods, or moderators. Mods are players who know the game, keep the peace, answer difficult questions, approve profiles and make judgment calls about in-game material. If a mod tells you to do something's, please respect their authority; nobody wants any OOC conflicts on our hands. If you have any questions, feel free to ask a mod! Current mods are as follows:

AlexanderML-The Confused

Posting Quota, and Divine Combat when your gone:

My Hider

This game, like other Lords of Creation games, requires that you post at least once every three weeks; however, it is highly advisable that you post much more often than that. If you fail to post once in three weeks, your deity if considered deceased. But don't fear! You may rejoin the game with the same deity if you choose to. Alternatively, if you simply wish to reenter the game with a new deity you may do that as well. However, you should not do this too many times, and try to make a god that you think you will be willing to play for an extensive period of time. If you simply wish to quit our game, you need not wait three weeks to do so.

If someone forces divine combat, you cannot respond for whatever reason, and no one helps you within 7 days your character is considered to have lost the fight. If a different character does join the fight on your side the player trying to help you rolls for you in combat, though this can only happen if you've been gone for a whole rollover beforehand.

Some of Mystic's great advice on curse wars:

My Hider

Curse Wars are something that seems to happen at least a few times in every LoC game. When two players can't agree on how to handle a particular blessing or curse, they often begin throwing AP at each other in increasingly expensive actions in order to simply undo the other player's actions. For these occasions, there has been a quote passed down through the iterations of this game that proves most illuminating. We thank Mystic1110 for making the post so long ago, and I'll have it posted it here for your convenience.

I think the problem is that people treat curse wars like this:

1 AP: Make super healing plants.
2 AP: Kill all super healing plants.
3 AP: Recreate super healing plants.
4 AP: Kill all super healing plants.
5 AP: Recreate super healing plants.

When it should be treated like this:

1 AP: Make super healing plants.
2 AP: Super healing plants are struck with a disease like real world plants and large cluster of them die because of lack of genetic diversity, now they only exists but far spread out, rarer and never in large clumps.
3 AP: Super healing plants emit an aura that make them easy to find.
4 AP: Plant poisonous plants around the world that emit the same aura, look the same and kill instantly, so a person looking for these plants will have to journey towards them but will never know if they will die or survive at the end of the journey.
5 AP: Create spirit guides that aren't an actual species but a manifestation of that super healing plant's benevolence, and like the will o' wisps in "Brave" they lead people away from the poisonous plants.

Mystic

In addition, we have provided players with a second method for solving this issue, fighting! Rather than continue when Curse Wars have become prohibitively expensive, the players may instead engage their Gods in RCR. This follows all of the same rules for RCR, with the stakes of ending the Curse War once and for all. The winner of the RCR decides on one final counter (for free) that must be approved by either the other player or a mod, and the Curse War cannot be continued.

Life, and Concept Ownership:

My Hider

In LoC, it is tempting to think of the Concepts and Creatures that you create as 'yours'. While sometimes it makes sense for an idea or life-form to be a closely kept secret, it should not restrict the story. When you Create Life or a Concept, you should discuss openly with other players whether you mind if they use it or not. If they want to use your creation for something, be open minded and consider their request. You can of course say no, but it is discouraged to completely shut someone down. Instead, try to work with them to find a compromise. You'd be surprised what can happen when players communicate with each other.

Action Point System:
The Action Point System is a measure of how much power and influence your Deity has and can expend at any one time. Each week, at 12:00 PM EST on Friday, every player gains their Weekly AP during what is referred to as 'rollover'. This AP can be spent in any way you want, and if the chief method of changing or creating things on the world that we are crafting. Players start the game with 16 AP, and begin gaining AP normally upon their first rollover.

Deity Rank---Weekly AP---Required Domains---Maximum Infusions---Maximum AP
Demigod---4---2---2---16
Lesser Deity---5---4---3---20
Intermediate Deity---6---6---4---24
Greater Deity---7---8---5---28
Elder Deity---8---11---6---30

AP Actions:

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The following categories contain the various actions that the Gods in LoC can spend Action Points to perform.

World Shaping Actions

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Disclaimer: All World Shaping Actions include in their price the creation of mundane lifeforms to populate the lands and worlds they create. Any real world animal or analogue that you can think of is created on and populates any lands or worlds that you create with these actions.

1 AP - Alter Land: Alter Land is used to change the physical properties of a location, allowing gods to change plains to hills to mountains to forests to deserts to plains again. An Alter Land action can only be performed on existing land created through the Create Land, Forge Astronomical Object, or Weave Plane actions. Alter Land can be countered by another Alter Land action, however any countering actions cost 1 more AP than the original action did. To counter a 1 AP action costs 2 AP, to counter that costs 3 AP, and so on.

2 AP - Create Land: Create Land allows gods to form new lands where none existed before. You could create floating islands, raise continents up from beneath the sea, carve out massive cave systems below the surface of the earth, or create a chain of asteroids in the space above a planet. When creating land, you can decide its terrain, climate, and ecosystem. Created Land has a basic geography that is decided when it is created, and is generally the size of a continent ranging from Australia to Asia. This action can also create physical worlds that exist as a part of the Material Plane, such as moons, other planets, or stars. However, if the Land being created is supposed to serve as its own world rather than as a feature of the existing world, then Weave Plane is the appropriate action.

4 AP - Weave Plane: Weave Plane allows you to create another world or dimension, separate from the First World of the Creator. Planes can be visible from the First World, but they do not need to be. Planes can be anything you wish, from a world of blistering fire to an endless sea to a mirror image of the First World. Planes can have their own laws of physics or magic, which are decided upon at the Plane's creation. God have to follow these laws as much as the First world's, which is almost not at all. A infusion (described below) on a plane can make it so that gods are forced to follow the laws of the plane. Any Plane that is created cannot be reached from the First World without magical, technological, or divine aid. If your plane is meant to be a feature of an existing world rather than its own world, then Create Land is the appropriate action.

2 AP - Bridge Plane: Bridge Plane is an action that connects two Planes of Existence, creating areas of 'bleed through' in each other. The metaphysical properties of the planes will leak into each other in the area surrounding the connection, forming small pockets of altered reality. Bridges between planes can be either voluntarily closed by their creators, or broken with a 3 AP Alter Land action.

Life Creation Actions

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Disclaimer: 'Life' as it is referred to in these actions is not limited to organic creatures that breath, eat, and sleep. The Undead, Elementals, and Constructs are all acceptable beings to create with these actions, and any references to 'life' in the actions below refers to any animate creature.

1 AP - Create Monstrous Life: Monstrous Life is any sort of incredible or supernatural creature that is incapable of higher thought. They think like animals, and cannot learn magic or industry. Monstrous life is incapable of using Concepts, but they can have innate abilities that are considered fantastic. Wyverns, Golems, Zombies, Shambling Mounds, or Dretches are all examples of Monstrous Life.

2 AP - Create Sapient Life: Sapient Life is life which can think and solve problems on its own. They are the mainstay of any fantasy setting, and many of the major characters in the world will be Sapient Life. Sapient life is roughly equivalent to a real-world human. One might be stronger on average, or smarter on average, but when you add up all the pros and cons of each kind of sapient life, they're all roughly equal. Sapient Life, can make use of concepts, although their innate abilities are only about as impressive as a human's. Humans, Elves, Gnomes, Orcs, or Intelligent Zombies are all examples of Sapient Life. In D&D terms, Sapient Life has a Level Adjustment of 0 or +1.

4 AP - Create Magical Life: Magical Life is life that can think for itself, and also have fantastical properties. They might be quasi-magical by nature, and are capable of supernatural flight and lightning manipulation. They might be vastly stronger than the average human, or have greatly expanded intellects. Magical Life is inherently superior to Sapient Life, and are capable of utilizing the same concepts as Sapient Life. Dragons, Demons, Vampires, Angels, and Archons are all examples of Magical Life.

6 AP - Create Fabled Life: Fabled Life is life that is inherently legendary. Beings of great power and consequence are considered fabled life, each member of such a species capable of destruction or benevolence on scales beyond all but the most exceptional and powerful of mortals. These beings are truly unique, being on a scale comparative to that of minor gods. Their very being is suffused with divine energy, allowing them to perform minor miracles simply by existing. Fabled Life takes up an Infusion slot, and may, once per rollover, perform a 0 AP Alter Land, Bless/Curse, or Create Monstrous Life action. Monstrous Life that is created this way can be controlled by anybody unless they use a bless or curse action to be the sole controller of the creatures. Fabled Life also can instead of using a divine action give the god that created them a +1 to a RCR once per rollover.

Variable AP - Create Sub-Race: Subraces are forms of life that are descended from and related to existing creatures. Half-Elves and Drow are subraces of Elves, while Metallic and Chromatic Dragons are subraces of Dragon. Creating a Sub-Race costs half as much AP as creating the parent race took, rounding up. Sub-Races are by default the same level of life as the parent race, but you can change the level of life during the creation of a Sub-Race if you wish. Changing the level of life up costs 2 AP per tier, while lowering it reduces the cost of the action by 1 AP per tier (to a minimum of one).

Concept Creation Actions

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Disclaimer: Concepts are ideas, techniques, and systems of power that make a fantasy world what it is. Anything that is used or applied by a Sapient being is a concept. From Smithing to Carpentry to Pyromancy, Concepts cover almost anything that would be a persistent part of the world that can be used by the sapient species that inhabit it.

1 AP - Create Mundane Concept: Mundane Concepts are simple things that nonetheless lay the foundation for higher civilization. Many Mundane concepts can be assumed to exist in a primitive form in any society of sapient beings, but spending AP will develop it further and make it a defining point of a culture. Agriculture, Trapping, Writing, Masonry, Shipbuilding, and Smithing are all examples of Mundane Concepts.

2 AP - Create Advanced Concept: Advanced Concepts are complex ideas that greatly improve the capabilities of sapient beings that utilize them. While a single Advanced Concept does not on its own revolutionize a society, in tandem with other concepts they can advance societies by leaps and bounds. Architectural Engineering, Mathematics, Steel Working, Siege Warfare, Astronomy, and Literature are all examples of Advanced Concepts.

4 AP - Create Mythical Concept: Mythical Concepts are fantastical ideas and elements that provide incredible resources and capabilities to the Sapient beings that utilize them. Mythical Concepts represent the various extraordinary arts and techniques that can be performed by Sapient beings, from systems of magic to powerful technologies. Sorcery, Alchemy, True-Naming, Magitech, and Mythril Forging are all examples of Mythical Concepts.

Variable AP - Create Sub-Concept: A Sub-Concept is a way of extending and better defining the capabilities of an existing concept. It can take the form of new applications for existing techniques, new materials to work with, or new Techniques to achieve similar effects. One could create a sub-concept of Sorcery called Divination that allows sorcerers to divine the events of the past, present, and future. A sub-concept of Magitech could by Vehicular Locomotion, allowing the creation of magic-powered trains, flying ships, or mechanical steeds. Sub-Concepts can only be created from existing Mythical or Advanced Concepts, and costs half as much as the base concept did to create.

2 AP - Form Society: Societies are the cultures and civilizations that mortals form when they band together for mutual gain. They can take the form of monarchies, merchant republics, city-states, nomadic tribes, democracies, or anything else you can think of. Societies are required for any non-heroic mortal to make use of Advanced or Mythical concepts, and without a society mortals default to hunter-gatherers or isolated hermits. Human Republics, Dwarven Kingdoms, Giant Empires, Elvish Democracies, and Orcish Tribes are all examples of potential Societies.

1 AP - Create Organization: Organizations are groups of like-minded individuals who are united under a single banner or cause. Organizations differ from societies in that they exist as separate entities. A single society may have several organizations that operate within its borders, while a single organization may operate within several societies. Organizations give mortals within them a +1 bonus to RCR, and allow non-heroic mortals to wield Minor Artifacts. Secretive Cults, Mercenary Companies, Magic Schools, Scientific Universities, and Merchant Guilds are all examples of potential Organizations.

Divine Artifice Actions

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Disclaimer: Divine Artifice Actions are actions that produce effects and creations specifically tied to your god's influence and essence. These actions allow your god to directly influence the circumstances, energies, and inhabitants of the world.

1 AP - Bless/Curse: Blesses and Curses are extraordinary circumstances that have been influenced by a god or brought into being by powerful forces. Blesses are generally beneficial effects that improve circumstances or events, while Curses are malignant effects that do the opposite. A Bless or a Curse can be as wide or narrow as you want, ranging from causing a drought in a small village to resurrecting every dead being in the world. Blesses and Curses can be countered by another Bless or Curse, but countering such an action costs 1 AP more than the action being countered did.

2 AP - Raise Hero: Raise Hero marks an individual as having an important role to play in the events of the world or the machinations of the gods. Such beings may have a wide variety of titles, or indeed no title at all, but they are all referred to as Heroes in this action. Heroes are set apart from the masses for some reason, be it impressive natural talent, divine providence, or perhaps they are exceptionally unremarkable. As such, Heroes can participate in RCR with both gods and mortals. Against mortals they roll 1d10+2, against the gods though they roll 1d4+1. Heroes are also capable of wielding both Minor and Major artifacts without belonging to an Organization. While Heroes can be affected by Blesses and Curses, or other actions, they cannot be killed or defeated through the use of AP without the permission of the owning player. RCR can defeat or kill them, if they were used in combat between gods.

3 AP - Divine Infusion: A Divine Infusion is a special action that imparts a portion of a deity's divine essence and power into another thing. People, places, objects, or even entire worlds can be infused, providing those things with unique effects and powers that act as an extension of a deity's will. An Infusion bestows the recipient with a portion of a Deity's power, and what exactly that does it up to you. You could infuse a population of people, or a hero to act as your earthly avatar, or infuse a particular place to become holy ground that reacts to attempts to change or intrude upon it. Infused peoples must be of either a organization, society, or race, once infused they gain a +2 to RCR as well as cosmetic changes based on the god's wishes. Infused Heroes become Exarchs, gaining an additional +7 against mortals and +3 against the gods in RCR and gaining the ability to serve as a vessel for your deity's mind, allowing your deity to possess them in order to act and speak through their body. Infused Artifacts either gain a +2 bonus to RCR or an additional 1 AP discount to specific action once per rollover. Infused Planes provide the infuser with a 0 AP Alter Land action once per rollover that can only be used on that plane, as well as turn it into holy ground. Infused Lands become Holy Ground, giving any follower or ally of your deity a +1 bonus to RCR on the infused land as well as allowing you to alter the magical or metaphysical properties of the land (such as by barring magic or technology, or defying gravity). Each god may only make a limited number of Infusions, but they may cancel an infusion for free in order to make a new infusion.

3 or 5 AP - Create Artifact: Artifacts are incredible objects with extraordinary powers and importance. Swords that can cut anything, boots that can walk across dimensions, or legendary forges that smith weapons unlike any other are all examples of Artifacts. Artifacts are incredibly significant magical or technological items, capable of unleashing world-shaking power. Artifacts come in two varieties, Minor and Major. Minor artifacts are too weak to be useful to a god, but to mortals are incredibly rare and powerful items. Major artifacts are so great that even a god can find great advantages to possessing one, and only the greatest of mortals could hope to hold one and survive. Minor Artifacts cost 3 AP and can provide a +2 to RCR for mortals and aid them in performing incredible feats, while Major artifacts cost 5 AP, can provide a +3 RCR to mortals, or can provide the wielder with a 1 AP Discount on an action specified at creation once per rollover. In the hands of a god a weapon is a dangerous thing, minor artifacts give +4 to RCR, while major artifacts gives +8. This only applies if the artifacts only purpose is to be used in combat.

3 AP - Form Pantheon: Pantheons are groups of Gods that have banded together for mutual gain or goals. Each member of a pantheon gains one 'Pantheon Action Point', or PAP per rollover for every three members that the Pantheon consists of. These PAP do not accumulate, and only refresh each rollover. If you fail to spend the PAP, then you lose it forever. PAP does not count towards gaining domains, but can be used in combination with normal AP to perform actions. The leader or leaders of a Pantheon are those who contribute to the AP required to perform this action. Those who use this action are automatically considered leaders of the Pantheon that they create, they do not have to use the 'Join Pantheon' Action. Each Pantheon has a leader or group of leaders, who can expel members for any reason by spending 1 PAP.

Each person in the pantheon cannot steal any domains from other members in the pantheon. Though they can still engage in RCR for other reasons against each other. If you leave a pantheon willingly then this still applies till the next rollover for you. If you were kicked out though other members cannot attack you till next rollover. Members of the same pantheon can help each other in RCR once per rollover without needing to spend a AP to join in combat.

1 AP - Join Pantheon: To Join a Pantheon, Gods must either be involved in its creation, or use this Action. You can only join a Pantheon with the permission of at least one of its leaders, and you cannot join a pantheon that you have been expelled from without the permission of all of its leaders.

3 AP - Gain Domain: Gaining a Domain allows your god to grow in power and influence, eventually ascending to higher tiers of divinity. In order to gain a domain, you must spend 7 AP on actions related to that domain. Pantheon Action Points spent do not count towards gaining a Domain, and discounted actions count the reduced cost towards gaining a Domain. When you gain a domain, you pick a Domain and a Portfolio, and you deity gains influence over those things.

3 AP - Steal Domain: Stealing a domain is a action that can only be taken right after wining in RCR against someone else (this can still happen if you have people helping you). This allows you to ascend closer to the top, while ripping those that would compete with you down. This action cannot be used against lower tiered gods, they don't have enough juice in them. Someone of who's tiered equally to you can have one domain taken from them. Anyone above your tier gives one more per tier above you. Only one person may use Steal Domain on any god per rollover. If this reduces someone to 0 domains they are killed. You can give these domains to instead of yourself to other people in your pantheon only.

Random Conflict Resolution:
Random Conflict Resolution, or RCR, is a method by which irreconcilable creative differences can be reconciled, or for murder to happen. Rather than continuing a stalemated argument in the OOC thread, players can simply opt to solve their disagreement with the roll of a die. RCR can also be used as a fun tool to settle matters where both sides are unsure of how to proceed, if both sides are fine with a randomly determined outcome, or if one side wants to kill the other. RCR can take many forms, though it usually comes in the form of combat between two gods, mortals, or civilizations. RCR must have a stake, and when RCR is initiated, the players involved must say what happens if they win, if both players agree to the stakes (which can make Kill a god a free action if agreed), then the RCR is free, and any players who wish participate must pick a side. Players who are on the same side add their rolls together to determine victory. If a player is unwilling to participate in RCR, then one player can force the other into RCR by spending 1 AP. If the initiating player wishes to bring other players to help them, then each helper must also spend 1 AP to join forced RCR.
When two or more Gods participate in RCR, they each roll 1d10 per Domain, and add any modifiers for Artifacts or Infusions that apply.
Societies, and Organizations always roll 1d10 plus modifiers. Heroes roll 1d10+2 against mortals and 1d4+1 against the gods (plus modifiers either way), while Infused Heroes roll 2d10+3 against mortals and 2d4+2 against gods plus (modifiers added up either way). Add up all of the totals and compare the numbers of the competing sides. Whichever side has the highest total wins the RCR, and may resolve the contested issue in the way they desire.

Deity Applications:
To join LoC, you must create a deity to be your character. Deities are powerful divine beings with the power to reshape reality according to their whims, and they will usually be the main being that you play. You application must be in the following format. If your application is not in the following format, the mods will ask you to remake your application to fit within the following format. This is not just an application for the game, but also a sort of character sheet. You will need to be approved by just me for now, but if other mods (2) are approved than two approvals shall be required.
Name, Optional Epithets/Aliases
Player Name: Your username.
Domains (Portfolios): Two Domains with Associated Portfolios in Brackets beside it.
Alignment: Standard Dungeons and Dragons Alignment, please. This is not meant to restrict your character, but rather give a vague idea of the direction your god is headed in.
Symbol(s): What symbolizes your deity? What iconography do mortals associate them with?
Appearance: What does your deity look like? Does it have multiple forms? Does it have a body at all?
Personality: Who is your deity? How do they act? What motivates them to do the things that they do?
Dogma: What does your deity stand for? What do they teach their followers? What are their goals?

Domains vs. Portfolios:

My Hider

There is sometimes some confusion as to the difference between a Domain and a Portfolio.
Simply put, a Domain is a wide concept that your god has influence over. A Portfolio is a narrow, specific thing that your Deity reigns over.
Water is a Domain, while Rivers are a Portfolio.

Hoping to start the game once there are around 5 to 7 approved players. Have fun!