God moding to us has several different factors. Many believe it's just one but to us it is not one but several types that work either independently or combined that can ruin any game or role player's experience.
Now, there are exceptions to these listed below, especially in game play, but these exceptions are not an excuse to escape god mode classification. In certain circumstances some god moding types may show up in game play, for they can be utilized in plots or by players, within reason. However, these situations should always be discussed with GM's before implemented or used. There are limits to what a player should and shouldn't do with their characters.
Depending upon what game you participate in, there are often GM's who run the majority of the game's overall plot. Some will often accuse the GM's of god moding, yet you have to remember that they created the game, and they retain the rights to control the games progress. We're not saying that they should smash people to pieces or perform god moding actions and expect people to accept it, not at all. All we are saying is that GM's have to possess a form of power over the game- it's expected and shouldn't be marked as god moding. Good GM's understood this balance, and do their best to present it in the game at all times.
God moding is a form of game play that causes a player to act of their own needs, wants and desires for game play. They are unconcerned with the consequences of their actions, for if it benefits their character, it doesn't matter. The only time god moding is not considered is if it help players and plot, two, it doesn't break or 'bend' the rules, and three it is properly set up.
Not all god moders have the same symptoms, and can't be categorized exactly the same, for we feel there are some who are a degree higher than others. god moding goes from a scale of common God-Moders being a mere annoyance to those that are completely out of control. So, let us enlighten you on what we find to be god moding behavior.
Said character is 'not' receiving any form of injury, sickness, etc, what so ever… even in the middle of the biggest war in the known world. Fifty thousand arrows are flying at said person, and they manage to dodge 'every' one. No matter how large the fireball, regardless of how much that boulder weighs or how fast it's falling, despite who's doing it or how well they're trained, they always manage to avoid it. Always. They're a dancing butterfly capable of dodging, swaying, flipping (in full suits of armor!), and/or skillfully avoid any form of attack because they are just 'that' good. How likely is that? Even the best of fighters would get several injuries, minor to even severe. It's just how things are. Just because this world is fantasy based does not mean it is illogical. Besides, how fun is it to play with someone who just refuses to get hurt, take a hit, and play even remotely realistically? This is the most common god moding type.
The opposite of the Invincibility Complex, the Enduring Heroic Resilience is the master of defying death. So they've been struck by an arrow, but it only pierced through a lung. Hell, they've got two of those, they'll do without it, and of course they don't bleed as much as anyone else. They solider through, no matter how many foreign objects invade the sanctity of their body, no matter how much blood they lose, they endure, shrug off the blinding pain with every motion. No matter how big or how small, despite chucks of their flesh missing, they heroically charge forward! Or, on another level, they are hit, yet they just continue to completely ignore the consequences of being hit. That arrow lodged in their shoulder can't prevent them from lifting their six foot sword of epicness. At this rate they might as well not have been hit at all, which leads you back to god moding Type 1.
Yeah, it seems people who exhibit this type god moding doesn't understand physical pain nor how injuries can hinder movement, not to mention the inevitable state of shock they would go into with such great blood loss. The body has six pints of blood, not gallons. Again, yes this is a fantasy world, but it also pertains natural laws that can't be ignored. If you get shot with an arrow, it's going to hurt like hell. If you lose lots of blood, you will go into shock, and could even die. That's how the mortal body works, for any creature/race.
By far one of the most common types of god moding, the Jack of all Trades is the best of the best. They are the top of their class, the student who defeated the master. They know all there is to know about any skill, have infinite power, and magically also know things that they shouldn't. These characters don't need to study, they know things by instinct, and if they don't they can just pick up on the skills of others by only seeing them do it once. Alas, this is not something that's possible, for anyone, not even game characters as this can lead to trouble.
If players are at the receiving end of a God-Moder's mega skills, it can either intimidate them to place their character into submission when they otherwise wouldn't do so, or it forces them to compensate for the abusive player, and do as they do... gain more skills, or have a 'better' skill. If players keep going this path, it makes things complicated and messy for any story plot.
There are exceptions to this ruling, like leading villains, who are supposed to be a challenge to the heroes of the story. Also, some characters are just stronger or more powerful than others. This does not make any character less important, it's just natural order. However, a good player knows when they are pushing the limits, and should always discuss situations that can affect other player's characters in a negative way.
They can cast a thousand fire balls the size of a small house, and keep going. Nothing will slow them down, they never tire, because they are magical power houses. However, magic is a straining sport and they are testing the endurance of the mortal coil. If they've read anything about any games magic system, they'd know that this just isn't possible. Magic takes time and ones own personal energy to weave or hold together. They can do a lot of spells, but shouldn't they begin running out of energy sooner or later? Like a gun with an extended magazine, they aren't the unending pool of energy.
In our realm characters are essentially using their own life force to cast spells. When this life force is fully depleted the character will die.
In this particular god moding case, the Sixth Sense is where a player utilizes information/knowledge to give their character an edge or benefit they otherwise wouldn't have. The player has their character act upon a 'psychic' sense. They can see, hear, and know things that their character otherwise wouldn't. In this particular situation, the player is basically giving the character 'their' knowledge of the game, typically knowledge they gained OOC, and use it to their character's benefit. Another common term for this type of god moding is megagaming.
Common examples are characters reading thoughts of others, or knowing what's to come in the quest ahead and acting upon said knowledge. Their character knows something bad is going to happen, or that someone is evil just because they do, because they are that perceptive. They are beings that are so wise they are not surprised by anything; amazing mind reading masters and ever knowing oracles. Sneak attacks and puzzles just aren't what they use to be? Maybe it's because there's no risk of failure, or that they just can't stand the fact that their character 'could' fail. Some times it's cool to get that eerie vibe and whip around, beating up the minor enemy, its understandable. However, if a player ventures too far in to that realm and see every thing coming, knows everything that's going to happen, and has knowledge about everything and everyone (even though you just 'met' the other character) your not only going to have bored characters, you'll have angry players. It's not fun to play with know-it-alls.
These players are ranked pretty high in the god moding types, for the fact that they can be harmful to the plot. Players with this type tend to take over the actions of other characters, without permission, and often with ill results. Mostly it's the player having their character do something they 'couldn't' otherwise do with another person's character, such as injure them without permission, performing an action and giving the result of that action without allowing the other character to respond.
A person with this type of god moding often has others accompanied with it, but most common Type 3. Here is a great example: Player A is holding player B hostage with a curved dagger at their neck. Player A is a master assassin, much older and well experienced. Player B is a rogue, who is relatively young and new to their trade. However, Player B manages to 'turnaround' in Player A's hold. They then reach 'down' to pull an arrow out of their boot using it to effectively stab player A in the 'heart', dealing a death blow to the character. They apparently neglected all the facts in the situation, like the sharp deadly dagger 'pressed' to their jugular. Instead they completed movements that are insanely unerealistic to the situation. Did they think Player A would just stand there and do nothing during the course of their actions? Not only that, but it's kind of hard for a character to make a come back from a death blow. This person not only has god moding type 6 but they also have types 1, 2 and of course type 3.
Sometimes minor action controlling is impossible to avoide in certain situations, so there are a few minor exceptions to this case. However, for the sake of appropriate gameplay, it is always proper protocol to ask permission before controlling anyone else's character.
Yes, these people are god moders, believe it or not. They tend to want the game spotlight on themselves and can and will often do crazy and stupid things to keep it. It can range from their characters actions, attempting to pull everything around themselves, to discussing with other players and 'weaseling' their ideas into a plot that somehow put them at the forefront. They form 'clicks' where they play with certain people and ignore other players, especially if they attempt to steal their 'stage'. They constantly make people compensate or rework plots for their foolery. They act out of character at times and perform actions that conflict with their character/racial profile, but justify it as character development or 'necessary' for the game. When they make plots they primarily center on their own character(s) and do things that just aren't possible, logical, or don't make any form of sense. (Finding and wearing a pink bunny suit on a war ship? A river of blood blasting off all your character's clothes? Yes, these are sadly actual in game examples.) They show lack of interest in plots they don't run or aren't in control of, and often blame other players or GM's for their lack of participation. This form of god moding is quite severe, and is often associated with god moding type 8.
These players are the exception to every rule and push the limits, seeing what they get away and who they can manipulate to get what they want. So they twist, turn, and warp the rules out of proportion and then make a big scene when they are told to stop. Some even break the rules blatantly and then attempt to make excuses for it- that their real life problems are influencing their character's behavior, that other players are making them do this, that their character is being belittled, that the GM's don't like them and are punishing them, that they didn't like the plot twist. The excuses are endless.
What makes them the worst god moding type is that they seem like great players; they like to help with active plots, they talk well, have moderate writing skills, and are influential with other players. They seem like the active and helpful player that all game masters are searching for. Their influence is subtle at first, but slowly starts becoming a trend. They tend to cause arguments and problems just for the sake of drama, especially if their characters or ideas are involved. They like to be in control, and their ugly side starts to show through when that control is taken away from them. They can be extremely vengeful and bitter in such situations, which can lead to them ruining plots, dragging down players, and ruining game morale. Some may even go so far as to attempt to destroy the game itself. Overall God-Moders who are inflicted with type 8 are hard to notice straight off, they could be in game for months without showing their true colors. Those with this type of god moding also commonly have type 7, and can possibly have the others as well.