I don't think this is even allowed ...
Maybe you can try making OP builds against surper weak oponents ? With mods making you even stronger, you can finish games in a couple turns. I can get it is not fun, but you will get a couple points fairly quickly.

Only a few of the pantheon unlocks profoundly change the gameplay. Mostly just the max city reduction social traits. If that's all you care about, you should buy those first. It can't cost more than maybe two dozen points to do that.

Starting leader gear is... fine, and so are the cosmetics, but those don't change the gameplay much and you can always edit leaders (including ascended leaders) later to add new stuff you've unlocked.

It's really not bad. Try not to look at the Pantheon tree as the reason you're playing, but as a side benefit you get as a reward at the end of a game.

From googling the pantheon skills they don't seem that great anyway