"Fresh sacrifices," the Lord of the Gluttonous Feast burbled, fragments of meat spilling down the rolls of his chest. "Bring them to me!"
A pack of sharp-taloned flesh tearers loped toward the newcomers, teeth bared and claws at the ready. Before they could close, the leader raised his left hand in the air, and murmured a single word. Bright light spilled forth from him, banishing the shadows and darkness, making the servants of the dread lord hiss and bleed.
"So showy," Elaria Valdeem snickered, raising her birch-stock crossbow, the holy charms dangling from the grip chiming as she took aim.
"Now can we ride?" Kolvurus Grimm snarled, tossing back his hood, revealing the branded face of a servant of Charn, the god of the hammer and chooser of the worthy.
"Yes," Valarus Cann, Father of the Order of the Purifiers said. "Let us ride once again."
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| And may our gods smile upon us! |
The God Squad
The gods have many servants, from clerics and inquisitors, to paladins and (at least according to some) oracles. Some even count shamans, druids, and rangers among their numbers, even though they draw on older, deeper powers than mere divinities. However, it is unusual to see these servants coming together to battle common foes. Not unheard of by any means, but what is almost unheard of is an entire party of these individuals coming together, the fingers of their faiths forming together into a single fist.
That is the God Squad.
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| Forgiveness and mercy? Sorry, that's not my department. |
While it's possible to form a Squad from a single faith, it is far more interesting to weld one together from different deities who share goals, but perhaps not methods. The leader as a priest of the god of light, who is trying to find peaceful solutions to the issues at-hand, for instance, but he understands that when peace is not an option, the Red Helmet at his side from the chosen of the war god will take the lead. While the inquisitor of the god of change and revolution might get the side-eye from her companions, there's no denying that she gets results, and that her heart is in the right place.
And when demons rear their ugly heads... hoo boy. That's when the fires flare, and the heavens go to war.
Having that much divine power in one place at one time means that the party can bless themselves and their companions to become true avatars of the greater powers. Between boons to attack and damage, increased defenses, healing, the abilities to summon allies from beyond the planes, empower your weapons, and break curses... this group is a force to be reckoned with.
What Brings Them Together?
The gods move in mysterious ways, but there are two basic structures for forming a God Squad... the organic, and the structured.
If you're the sort of person who likes to start off with everyone on the same page, then a structured origin story might be better for you and your table. For example, if there is a holy order of knights that accepts servants from a variety of faiths, the party may all be tasked with solving problems on behalf of that group. Something like The Order of The God Hand in 100 Knightly Orders, which I wrote specifically for folks interested in a concept like this. Alternatively, individuals might be part of organized churches who agree to form groups of champions, or they may be under the command of the same lord or monarch, who can summon them to aid their cause in a time of need. Especially if the individuals in question already have their own Small Legends, which I've talked about previously.
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| And for those who prefer an organic approach? |
A more organic solution for a God Squad is something you can turn to the Avengers for. Champions who may be individually powerful all find themselves in a situation where they need to rely on one another to be greater than the sum of their parts, their various specialties coming together to turn the tide. Perhaps they were all in the same place by happenstance, or they were given some sort of sign to look for; a nudge in the right direction by their patron deities. In this case the Squad assembles because of pressure from the outside, rather than from being told by higher-up mortal authorities to work together.
Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages, but if your group wants to try to do this there are some important things to keep in mind.
- Do Not Bring Fire and Ice: Just because you all have patrons of some variety, don't bring someone who's purposefully antagonistic. This is not to say that you can't have servants of a good and an evil deity, but think of it like keeping things civil at work; learn to not push each other's envelopes too hard, and see what mutual ground can be found. Explore the characters' faiths and backstories, and see if they pull each other in different directions instead of butting heads.
- Avoid Pecking Orders: This is good advice for any party, but doubly so for a God Squad. Just as different gods may have different areas of influence, different members of the Squad will have differing roles. Don't create a, "My god is bigger than your god," setup, and you'll avoid needless frustration.
- Really Lean Into Your Faiths: A lot of the time players just hand wave the praying and the rituals when it comes to divine characters, but the God Squad is the place to explore those dynamics. If you have worshipers from different nations or sects, what differences do they ignore, and which ones matter? If two sworn swords have taken different oaths, have them discuss their priorities and alternative approaches. You don't have to do all of this at the table (chats and downtime roleplay is your friend here), but it can go a long way toward character development.
Additionally, if you haven't checked out my 5 Tips series on some of the divine classes out there, you might find some of the following entries particularly useful:
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That's all for this installment of Unusual Character Concepts. Hopefully this one gave you something to chew over, whether you're a player, or a game master.
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