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--- consolidated:religion:divinity [2025/05/04 15:53] – [Other terms] johnb
+++ consolidated:religion:divinity [2025/07/20 16:56] (current) – johnb
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   * **Primordial Power:**  This is almost a back definition, based on the descriptions below.  Primordial powers are the very stuff of the cosmos – the essence of life, death, magic, nature, pain, anger, law, art, music, chaos …  All mortal life rolled into one.  It was Primordial Powers that formed our Prime Material and underpin it.  It was Primordial Powers that allowed mortals to survive the God Wars, and Primordial Powers that kickstarted both the first and second generation  of gods.  While they are the very essence of everything, they are completely inaccessible to mortals.  However, some sages believe that all of the lesser powers, Deities, Demi-gods, Quasi-deities and minor powers -get their abilities (including their divinity) directly from these Primordial Powers.  They are the driving source of everything.
-  * **Deity:** The standard Paizo definition is <i>any divinity that doesn't get a stat block</i> – although there have been a few ‘extra elements’ thrown in occasionally along the way.  One definition element I liked is that they are ‘incomprehensible’ to Mortals.  In other words, mortals know they exist, but don’t really understand them, nor can they second guess them.  This means that a full deity can have more than one church, with different philosophical interpretations of the faith – for Example:  in my game world Wee Jas has three different churches - with three different interpretations of how her faith should be represented.
+  * **Deity:** The standard Paizo definition is //any divinity that doesn't get a stat block// – although there have been a few ‘extra elements’ thrown in occasionally along the way.  One definition element I liked is that they are ‘incomprehensible’ to Mortals.  In other words, mortals know they exist, but don’t really understand them, nor can they second guess them.  This means that a full deity can have more than one church, with different philosophical interpretations of the faith – for Example:  in my game world Wee Jas has three different churches - with three different interpretations of how her faith should be represented.
-  * **Demigod:** The standard Paizo definition is <i>any divinity that gets a stat block and is almost always level 26–30 and is thus generally out of reach of typical groups.</i>  Demi-gods are much more ‘comprehensible’ to mortals, and are (in many ways) more predictable, relatable and personal than full deities – their churches tend to share a philosophical interpretation of the faith..  There are many more demi-gods than deities, and many demi-gods operate as assistants or subsidiaries to full deities.  Paizo lists many types of demi-god  https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Demigod
+  * **Demigod:** The standard Paizo definition is //any divinity that gets a stat block and is almost always level 26–30 and is thus generally out of reach of typical groups.//  Demi-gods are much more ‘comprehensible’ to mortals, and are (in many ways) more predictable, relatable and personal than full deities – their churches tend to share a philosophical interpretation of the faith..  There are many more demi-gods than deities, and many demi-gods operate as assistants or subsidiaries to full deities.  Paizo lists many types of demi-god  https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Demigod
-  * **Quasi-Deity:**  In the past there have used terms such as Hierophant, Godling, Quasi-Deity, Hero God and Nascent Power to imply an immortal able to grant spells but with less power than a Demi-god.  However, the current pathfinder definition is <i> any divinity of level 25 or lower with a stat block and is thus in the reach of typical groups.</i>   Paizo lists malebranche and nascent demon lords as examples of quasi deities, and there are probably others scattered around..  I am going to add powerful Mythic NPCs who can grant sixth level spells to their priests.  To further differentiate Quasi-Deities from Demi-gods and true deities, I am going to restrict them to granting spells from the Adept spell list.  Like demi-gods, many (probably most) quasi-deities are assistants, subsidiaries or even servants, to higher ranking deities.
+  * **Quasi-Deity:**  In the past there have used terms such as Hierophant, Godling, Quasi-Deity, Hero God and Nascent Power to imply an immortal able to grant spells but with less power than a Demi-god.  However, the current pathfinder definition is // any divinity of level 25 or lower with a stat block and is thus in the reach of typical groups.//   Paizo lists malebranche and nascent demon lords as examples of quasi deities, and there are probably others scattered around.  I am going to add powerful Mythic NPCs who can grant sixth level spells to their priests.  To further differentiate Quasi-Deities from Demi-gods and true deities, I am going to restrict them to granting spells from the Adept spell list.  Like demi-gods, many (probably most) quasi-deities are assistants, subsidiaries or even servants, to higher ranking deities.
   * **Minor Powers:** This covers everything else that doesn’t quite fit in the ‘Standard Mortal’ category.   For example:  Immortals without the ability to grant spells to followers; most mythic characters; any Divine Source that cannot grant 6th level spells; Nature Spirits.  Basically, any entity that might gain the ability to grant spells or might, somehow, ‘come to the notice’ of The Cosmos itself.