Well, given the mythology in the book of Enoch, I imagine that if God did leave, the Watchers, of all the Angels would be the ones to move openly. Its a great way to score chicks, after all.

I sure this has been said but Armageddon by CJ Carella is a pretty game based mostly on this premise, though the power levels can be a bit uneven.  Kult reminds me of this premise also.  Maybe even UA and Neliphem iirc.

Actually, I'm shocked I didn't think of Kult! The Demiurge is explicitely dead/missing in Metropolis, so much so that his dark mirror went exploring the gaping hole in reality he left behind at great cost.

That's the keystone of the entire setting, in a way...

True, its a bit more Gnostic than the OP's premise, but its spot faaking on.

Quote from: Spike;521001Actually, I'm shocked I didn't think of Kult! The Demiurge is explicitely dead/missing in Metropolis, so much so that his dark mirror went exploring the gaping hole in reality he left behind at great cost.

That's the keystone of the entire setting, in a way...

True, its a bit more Gnostic than the OP's premise, but its spot faaking on.

Yeah, it seems totally obvious to me, but games set on this premise have always caught my eye being first a Christian and second an unabashed MtAw fangirl, I even have a couple author signed Mage/NWoD books to prove it, in my small RPG library.

The whole angle of God just "checking" out on creation is so antithetical to my actual beliefs that it's like "flies to honey" just to run as a game or thought experiment to me.

You have any game from CoC-->Eclipse Phase -->En Nomine and everything in between to completely rip off gleefully, all the time to use with the OP's stated premise.

Because by definition if God checks out you either have an Athesistic/Agnostic universe, like CoC or something Gnostic like a phethora of games. MtAw and Kult being my favorite interpretations of this with Unknown Armies just being delightfully weird.

One of my favorite settings I recently found (though the book is older) is Seventh Seal. Haven't run the system, so I don't know its hiccups, but it's an interesting twist on the divine being distant.

Basically the premise is God believes in humanity so much that He is willing to let humanity be the rebuking hand against the fallen. So the divine only intervene to inspire certain humans to fight against the horde. If the humans fail, then heaven intervenes, humanity is wiped out, and even though the fallen will lose they'll have a moral victory by proving God wrong and making Him sad. But if the humans do successfully rebuke the fallen then God has performed the ultimate insult to the fallen's hubris atop of being right and keeping humanity.

The stakes are high for humanity, the reliance on divine is purposefully weak, and... it's kinda funny. God as the penultimate gambler with a wry sense of humor on a cosmic scale. Wish I could wrangle the players for it.

Quote from: Opaopajr;521034One of my favorite settings I recently found (though the book is older) is Seventh Seal. Haven't run the system, so I don't know its hiccups, but it's an interesting twist on the divine being distant.

Basically the premise is God believes in humanity so much that He is willing to let humanity be the rebuking hand against the fallen. So the divine only intervene to inspire certain humans to fight against the horde. If the humans fail, then heaven intervenes, humanity is wiped out, and even though the fallen will lose they'll have a moral victory by proving God wrong and making Him sad. But if the humans do successfully rebuke the fallen then God has performed the ultimate insult to the fallen's hubris atop of being right and keeping humanity.

The stakes are high for humanity, the reliance on divine is purposefully weak, and... it's kinda funny. God as the penultimate gambler with a wry sense of humor on a cosmic scale. Wish I could wrangle the players for it.

Sounds interesting, so how are humans able to have a chance in this setup?  I don't assume they get to be Mages or supernatural in some way?

They do get "special powers" of sorts but overall it's not something strong enough to consistently rely on. They also subdivide the prime 4 archangels into 4 party archetypes: The leader, the fighter, the healer, and the mage/seer. Also there's acts of faith that require piety that can invoke divine assistance. But a lot of it is dependent on humans to be like CoC investigators, have intestinal fortitude, a clever head, cooperative spirit, and emotional resilience.

I'd like to play it, but it doesn't look like it plays like Wu Xia Kung Fu with Holy Water. At least I hope it doesn't play that way... much.

Quote from: Opaopajr;521041They do get "special powers" of sorts but overall it's not something strong enough to consistently rely on. They also subdivide the prime 4 archangels into 4 party archetypes: The leader, the fighter, the healer, and the mage/seer. Also there's acts of faith that require piety that can invoke divine assistance. But a lot of it is dependent on humans to be like CoC investigators, have intestinal fortitude, a clever head, cooperative spirit, and emotional resilience.

I'd like to play it, but it doesn't look like it plays like Wu Xia Kung Fu with Holy Water. At least I hope it doesn't play that way... much.

Haven't heard of that game but I love games like Dark Heresy and Whispering Vault.  You have power but it's not auto kill and the world is dangerous and bigger than you.  So preferably you investigate and plan your spot to nail TBB to the wall.
 
Sounds like something I should give a peek. I'm totally derailing this thread, sorry.

Actually the derailing is my bad, so...

Quote from: Opaopajr;521044Actually the derailing is my bad, so...

Just PM me with the relevant info, problem solved.

If there's any that is.

I think that someone who studies modern magic would be able to make perhaps a more interesting story with what really happened at the apocalypse.

You see, the apocalypse occurred in 1904.  It was the change that happens every 2500 years or so, the end of one Astrological aeon and the beginning of a new one; with the collapse of the previous paradigm and the birth of a new structure.  The devils of the past Aeon became the gods of the new, and the god of the old Aeon passed away.  But of course, there are forces and still, even more than a hundred years later, many many people who are stuck in the paradigm of the Old Aeon, the paradigm of spiritual sacrifice, slavery, obedience, and "rapture", and who are right PISSED that the end of their world didn't happen the way they thought the book of revelation was telling them it would. And for them, an Aeon who's central law is "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law" is most certainly hell on earth.

RPGPundit

Quote from: Werekoala;520855Christopher Walken would like a word with you, sir.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prophecy

*snip*

Yeah I've seen those movies.

So what you're trying to say is that's a good movie?

Quote from: Opaopajr;521044Actually the derailing is my bad, so...

This thread cannot be derailed. It merely becomes more awesome in an unexpected way.