Divine Ascension

With the DMÆs approval, a character can abandon his or her profession and follow a different path to power. Divine ascension requires a great deal of attention and creativity from both DM and player. Only the barest guidelines are given here, because each character and campaign are unique.

A character can seek to ascend anytime after reaching 20th level (or earlier if the DM allows it). Once a character has reached 30th level, this is the only option that allows the character any further advancement.

Once the character embarks on the path to godhood, he can never turn back. The character ceases advancing in the original class. The character retains all class abilities but gives up normal adventuring and acts with a new purpose.

The character must seek a divine sponsorùusually a deity appropriate to the characterÆs alignment, original class, and raceùand prepare a special offering for that deity. The gift can be anything the character desires and the DM agrees to. The donation need not be a single item. In any case, the giftÆs monetary value must be at least equal to the characterÆs experience point total.

While preparing the offering, the character receives experience points normally. For each 500,000 experience points gained, the character can lower one saving throw number one point, to a minimum saving throw of three.

The ability to reduce saving throw numbers below the normal minimum for the characterÆs original class is special, and it is why the character must give up his or her original class. The character gains no other benefits from accumulated experience; no hit points, proficiencies, skills, etc.

When the offering is completed, the character must journey to the deityÆs abode and present the gift. If the character has been true to the principles of his or her alignment and profession, the deity probably accepts the gift. If in doubt, use Table 59, Encounter Reactions, from the Dungeon Master Guide. If the deityÆs alignment and portfolio match the characterÆs alignment and professionùfor example, a lawful good fighter petitioning a lawful good war deityùuse the first column on the table. If the character and deity are slightly mismatched, use the second column. Otherwise, use the third column. If the reaction roll is friendly, the deity accepts the gift. If not, the deity destroys the gift and sends the character away. The character can try again with the same deity or with another deity.

Note that the character might not get an immediate audience with the deity. Just finding and entering the deityÆs abode could be an adventure in itself. The material in the Planescape setting can provide details about what the character might find.

Once the deity accepts the gift, it assigns some heroic task to the character. (In a Planescape campaign, the character becomes the deityÆs proxy, see A PlayerÆs Guide to the Planes.) Completing the task proves the characterÆs mettle. It is up to the DM to create a suitable task and design a series of adventures so that the character can complete it. A few examples follow:

Found a dynasty.

Create a new magical item or spell that others seek to imitate.

Find and destroy an artifact from an opposing alignment.

Find and defeat the avatar of a rival deity.

Build a lasting monument to the deity.

The DM and the player must work out the exact details. In any case, the character must complete the task and earn enough experience to lower all saving throw numbers to three. In addition, the character cannot have any ability score (or subability score) lower than 13. When all of that is accomplished, the character becomes a demigod and companion to the sponsor. The character becomes an NPC under the DMÆs control.

Some players may be upset that they have worked so hard to improve their characters only to lose control of them to the DM. Remind them of their contributions to the campaign worldùnew characters can worship their ôretiredö heroes/demigodsùand invite them to help construct the new powersÆ portfolios. AD&D is a game of heroes, not gods.

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