Divine Options: Epic Destinies

Excerpt from *Divine Power*: Chapter 5: Divine Options:

“One of the most distinctive features of any DUNGEONS & DRAGONS campaign world is its pantheon, the collection of deities available for player characters, villains, and monsters to follow or oppose. Just as there are many deities in the D&D pantheon, so too are there many ways for characters to gain the gods’ blessings, study their teachings, or demonstrate devotion to them. One dwarf paladin devoted to Pelor might select powers and feats that would be useful to any paladin, while another might choose radiant powers and feats related to them, reflecting Pelor’s ascendancy as god of the sun. Both are capable characters, and each is a unique take on what a dwarf paladin of Pelor might look like.

“With the options available to you in this chapter, you can customize your divine heroes to your own satisfaction. These options include the following material.

* Divine Domains: Deities often have several spheres of influence, represented by divine domains. You have access to feats, including divinity feats, associated with your deity’s domains. This chapter presents over thirty divine domains and their related feats.
* Your Deity and You: How does your character’s deity inform the way he or she thinks and acts? This section provides some roleplaying advice.
* Divine Backgrounds: This section provides several brief character backgrounds you can use or adapt to your own divine character.
* New Feats: Many new feats are presented here, providing you with new options for customizing your divine character. These include divinity feats related to evil deities, as well as feats specific to the avenger, cleric, invoker, and paladin classes.
* Epic Destinies: Ten epic destinies appear in this chapter, including the Chosen, the Saint, and Avatar, a destiny that involves you becoming an embodiment of your deity.
* New Rituals: The chapter concludes with several new rituals oriented toward divine characters.”

## Epic Destinies

“Many epic-level divine characters can anticipate exaltation or damnation after death; as powerful stewards of divine causes in the mortal world, they are naturally among the favorites of the gods. The following epic destinies offer paths that transition the divine hero from the mortal world to the dominions beyond.”

### Avatar of Freedom

“You are the incarnation of a deity of freedom and liberation. Every word you speak, every action you take, is in exact accordance with your deity’s will — because your choices are your deity’s choices. In time you will abandon your mortal form and rejoin your eternal essence in the heavenly dominions, but until that time comes you are a champion, teacher, and example for all whom you and your deity hold dear.

“As an avatar of freedom, you incarnate your deity’s aspects of liberation. You might be Avandra or Melora in mortal form.

“Regardless of your divine identity, you believe that the natural state of mortalkind is one free from oppression. You fight any force that seeks the enslavement of others and stand against deities bent on war and domination, such as Asmodeus and Bane. You believe that freedom of choice is the paramount freedom of all mortal creatures, and that destiny is not predetermined. You inspire the downtrodden with words of freedom, and you lead them in attempts to overthrow their vile masters.

#### Immortality

“As your life’s tribulations come to a close and your Destiny Quest comes to an end, you are ready to free yourself of the shackles of mortality and physicality. Great struggles await you throughout the cosmos, and immortality represents an opportunity to continue your fight against the oppressive forces in the universe. As long as tyranny flourishes anywhere, freedom everywhere is threatened.

“Divine Reunion: At the conclusion of your Destiny Quest, you abandon your current incarnation. Amid golden light and peals of thunder, your soul ascends to the heavenly dominions to rejoin your deity. You are once again Avandra, Melora, or a cosmic spirit of revolution — but you still recall your mortal persona. For ages to come the memories of your experiences and companions in your mortal existence influence your divine thoughts and actions.”

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Heinsoo, R., S. Schubert, R. Baker, L. Bonner, R. J. Schwalb, A. Collins, and P. Schaefer. 2009. “Divine Options.” In *Divine Power*, 106, 145-46. Wizards of the Coast.