User:Neerti

Hand of God (aka "HoG") is a game mode featured in Secret that will run on NTStation 13. In it, there are two deities, which are played by players. Each deity has their own cult, who must serve their deity to the death, and defend their faith from the infidels from the other cult, security, and the hoards of assistants wanting to kill them.

Purge the Heretics!

During a Hand of God round, there will be two teams of cultists, known as red or blue followers. Each team has a prophet, which is appointed by their deity. Only one prophet per team can exist at a time. If they die, a replacement should be found asap. Each deity has their own objectives, which range from a simple assassination, to building shrines, to sacrificing the enemy prophet, to killing the other god or even escaping alone on the shuttle with only their followers. Some of these objectives might conflict with the other deity, causing much fun on-board the station for the crew. If the deity completes their objectives by round-end, they, and by extension their followers, win. It is possible for both teams to win, but it's rare.

Deities

Each cult will have one playable deity. The deity can go anywhere and see anything that's not in the dark, and has a variety of powers to use to help their followers and harm the opposition.

The deity can appoint a follower to be upgraded to a prophet at anytime. Only one person can be a prophet at a time. The deity can talk to their prophet anytime for free, while for anyone else the prophet must spend points to do so.

The deity can hear things close to it, so it excels at recon. Note that deities cannot see or hear other deities, but they have a verb to talk to them if desired.

Deity Powers

The deity has several powers available. Some more powerful ones can only be used when the deity has many followers. You also have a few helper powers like Jump to Follower, Goto Nexus, etc. Those are free.

Build Nexus

Places your nexus anywhere under you as long as it's on the station z-level, and not in space. You have two minutes to do this or a spot will be chosen for you, so choose a good spot. Can only be used once.

Appoint Prophet

Allows you to appoint a follower to be able to listen to you. You can only have one prophet at a time. If your prophet dies, your nexus will weaken.

Build

Allows you to lay the foundations for a structure. Note that the structure needs to be finished by a follower using metal or glass, or it will do nothing.

Smite

Does what it says, dealing damage to the mob under the deity. Gets stronger with more followers.

Holy Word

Allows you to knock out anyone under you for a very short time.

Bless

Gives the mob under you very minor healing and resistance to stuns for a few minutes.

Cure Disease

In-case the virologist decides to have fun.

Talk to Mortal

Allows you to send a message to any one person. Fairly expensive.

Summon Guardians

Summons a few mindless guardians to your nexus that will fight any non-belivers for a minute. Expensive.

Invoke Disaster

Causes a 'random' event to occur. You need at least 20 followers to be able to use this.

Heavy Ion

Causes your whole screen to be ionized. You need at least 20 followers to use.

Structures

Structures each have a unique use that followers can use. The deity designates a location to build a structure, then someone must add metal and glass to it to actually build the structure.

Nexus

This is the most important structure, as it anchors the deity to the world. Without it, they will fade into nothingness and die. Only one is made, and it's one of two structures the deity can build without follower assistance.

Ward

This is another structure the deity can make anytime. It only lasts for a minute, but it acts similar to the wizard's forcewall spell, except it can be destroyed. Has a variety of uses, from shielding followers to trapping security inside a room while your followers make off with the entire armory.

Conduit

This structure allows your deity to use 'nexus-only' abilities near the conduit as well as the nexus. This has a variety of applications from offensively smiting people to extending your deity's reach.

Power Pylon

This increases the power regeneration rate for your deity, letting it do more, faster. Moderately expensive.

Defense Pylon

A very strong and robust pylon version of the traditional turret. It can be used as Nexus defense or offensive area denial. Most expensive structure to build.

Forge

Creates useful items for you to use. You can use lesser and greater gems to create more potent items.

Conversion Altar

This will quickly convert a person to your deity's side if you drag them on top of it and click the altar. If they're implanted, carrying a null rod, or is a member of the enemy cult, you will need to deconvert/remove the offending objects first.

Sacrificial Altar

An altar useful if the person you nabbed was implanted and you can't remove it. It will gib the person on top of it (it won't gib friendlies, don't think about it). and give you a lesser gem. If you sacrifice an enemy prophet, you'll instead get a greater gem. Certain mobs, like the AI, will also give a greater gem, so seek them out!

Gate

This allows anyone that uses it to teleport to any other gate that is on the same side.

Healing Pool

Self explanatory. It heals followers that use it. If you're not a follower, it's a bad idea to use it.

Tips and Tricks

Security

As a mundane member of the crew, you will be in for a hell of a ride, pun intended.

Chaplain

You are considered both a target, and a kingmaker, to the different cults and possibly security. The reason is because both of your nullrod, and your holy water. Your nullrod blocks many deity abilities, and holy water is used to deconvert followers. As the followers normally need to spend glass to make their own, while you can make it for free, it becomes clear why they want to convert you so badly before the other team does.

Prophets

You are basically the second in command of your cult, with your deity above you.

You are the only person that can hear your deity talk. You must coordinate the cult to do as your deity sees fit, preferably in a covert manner. You are also a high value target for both the other cult as well as security, so make sure to watch yourself and listen to your deity so help anticipate actions that will be taken against you.

If you die, your deity's nexus will weaken, and you won't be a prophet anymore, so staying alive is critical!

Followers

One of two things must've happened to you to become this. You got chosen to be part of a cult at the beginning of the round, or you got kidnapped by a cult and forcefully converted. Regardless, you now serve your deity above all else. While being a pawn might sound bad, the deity actually depends on you to enforce it's will on the station.

As your deity was created from the belief in them, adding more followers will make them stronger, so it is a priority to get as many followers as possible in your cult. It makes both the cult and the deity stronger. Be sure to listen to your prophet. You cannot convert enemy followers normally, you must deconvert them first. Holy water is the best way to do so, which you can steal from the chaplain/have them make it for you, or make your own in the forge, costing glass. Implanted personnel are also immune to conversion, but they can be removed.

It's preferred to convert people you kidnap over sacrificing them. While the things you can make with lesser gems are quite nice, you can also acquire them with pets and monkeys, the later having only a 25% chance of yielding any reward. Now even Poly can be useful!

If you kidnap the enemy prophet, sacrifice them as soon as possible, for that coveted greater gem.

Deities

You are the main focus of the game, but that doesn't mean you can disregard your followers and win by yourself. You depend on them both to survive, and to interact with the world.

When the game starts, you'll have two minutes to choose a location to place your nexus down. If you don't choose in time, a location will be chosen for you, weighted to land in a covert location. It's still preferable to choose your own location. Ideas include maintenance, the AI core if it's empty, solars, toxins testing(bombs won't hurt you), R&D server room, and anywhere that's rarely visited, and can be defended easily. It must be on the station's z-level, and cannot be in a space turf.

You cannot speak to anyone, unless you use a moderately expensive power, or you have your prophet relay the message, as talking to your prophet is free. If you don't have one, you should appoint one as soon as possible.

You have access to some powers, that at first are weak, but become more potent as you get more followers. You also get access to more powers as you get more followers.

Your existence depends on your followers. If you don't have any followers, you will cease to exist. If your nexus is destroyed, you will also cease to exist.