ENVIRONMENTAL MANIPULATIONControl over weather, landscape, and other physical phenomena in their direct vicinity. Gods whose domains are specifically geared towards a particular field, of course, have increased control over these.
All gods have the ability to control elements within their vicinity using only their minds. They may raise rocks and water from the ground, purify or mix materials, extract a particular element out the ground, or compress, melt, ignite or freeze something.
FORMGods have innate shapeshifting capabilities and can appear in whatever shape or form they wish. Most do tend to have preferred forms, while those more geared towards deception and espionage do not.
All gods also have a True Form: This is their domain(s) incarnate, the god becoming what they represent to all the awe and horror of unfortunate onlookers. What this shape manifests as, is entirely up to the player: A war god can become a bloody battlefield; a merchant god can turn into a mountain of gold and goods; a dream god can take on the shape of everyone’s nightmares simultaneously. Activating one’s True Form is a Major Action, as the widespread implications of a god taking on the form of their domain are most likely literally ground-shaking.
IMMORTALITYGods are ageless and almost unkillable. They cannot be harmed by mundane weapons or magic. A god's weakness is usually particular to that individual god and a secret hidden with the utmost care and vigilance. If they are to die, it must be either by suicide or by the direct efforts of a very powerful god or a group of gods. Mortal efforts could at best cause superficial harm to a god, and more often have no effect.
PERCEPTIONGods can see in great detail, able to see even in the true darkness of deep space, and can observe aspects such as heat, magnetic fields or souls. They can hear as far as they can see, are able to pinpoint the direction of sounds and are able to simultaneously understand all speakers of a large crowd.
DIVINE HOMESAny deity can create their own, non-euclidean home room in the Divine Realm, tied to the Galbarian layer. This can act as a private retreat or a manner to escape from other gods. These generally cannot be located by other gods unless the god in question allows others to find it, and those gods whose domain involve dimensions or space/time warps may be able to find said planes.
(Or: These planes can be visited by anyone, so if one seeks privacy, one must find some way to lock or hide away the opening, either by using powers or artifacts.)
These planes are very small, but can be customised as the god wishes it to be. This can be your Tartaros, your Hell, your Elysium, but lite.
Divine homes are separate from layers in that layers aren’t constructed by the gods, whereas divine homes are.
MOVEMENTA god can fly, run at high speeds, swim and breathe under or walk on water. Some gods may have preferences for particular modes of travel, creating vehicles and such, and those with relevant Domains may be better at utilising certain modes than other gods. The form a god takes may also hinder or facilitate travel - light, agile form with wings will be able to fly much faster than a large heavy form without wings. A god
cannot teleport, may not gain such an ability, and cannot teleport anything or anyone (exception being for a god with a relevant domain: a god of Gateways should be able to make cool gateways that can lead to anywhere, or a god of Speed should be able to move so fast that it effectively functions like teleportation, or a god of Space should be able to tear through the fabric of Space/move themselves instantaneously through space).
TRAIL AND PRESENCEEach god has a unique essence that leaves a trail wherever they go and a mark on all they create. This trail can only be detected by gods with relevant domains, and may only be concealed by gods with relevant domains. A god with a Domain related to Deception may be better at covering their trail, for instance, while one with a Domain relating to Espionage may be better at detecting such trails.
CREATIONA god can create anything following the rules for Major and Minor actions. The nature of these creations will be left up to the narrative, but it should be noted that any proliferating, powerful and space-needing species of life are very likely to be major actions. Below are some examples of what a god can create in terms of life:
- A god can create tiny creatures without magical properties, like ants, beetles, mice etc. These can reproduce, survive, and thrive.
- They can create unintelligent species of animals or other beings who can reproduce and thrive. These can continue to grow and survive even if the god should be destroyed. This includes magical and non-magical creatures.
- They can create intelligent species of animals or other beings who can reproduce and thrive, even if the god should be destroyed (humans, elves, dwarves and whatever else you can think of.).
- Can create life. This includes all kinds of flora, fauna, and lesser spirits. Intelligent life may not be produced en masse - it must be done one at a time or allowed to multiply on its own.
- Gods are able to create things from nothing and shift them with ease. On a very small scale this does not drain their energy at all, for example, they can create a clump of metal and heat the metal to melt it, they can shape clay and carve stone with their touch, they can cause seeds to grow rapidly by merely focusing on it.
- A god may modify existing life-forms using their essence in a manner befitting their Domains. Such modifications typically affect a small proportion of the species’ population.
STRENGTHWield great martial power and resilience, depending on the god. Most deities make terrifying opponents for all but other deities. Normal weapons are generally ineffective against them, as are low-level magics. They are immensely powerful, capable of lifting objects larger than them, and are unaffected by fatigue. They are able to shrug off mundane threats and perform impressive feats such as smashing large boulders with ease.
COMMUNICATIONCan understand all sapient mortal languages and can even communicate with non-sapient creatures or inanimate objects. In terms of long-distance communication, mortals may only communicate with Gods through a specific action or process (usually called ‘Prayer’).
Examples for how to pray to a specific god may include: whispering into a flower in the case of a God of Spring; sacrificing a lamb in the case of a God of Domestication; writing their prayer into a sheet of papyrus doused in jade powder in the case of a God of Archives, etc.
Gods may only respond in non-verbal ways such as a gust of wind pointing people in the right direction, a bird that had been flying overhead a starving man dying all of a sudden and falling in front of him, etc. Methods of communication on both sides will vary according to domains.
Gods may not telepathically communicate with other Gods, requiring the creation of a specialised Divine Communication System (i.e. messenger system, such as flying magical talking crows, a God who tapes wings to his shoes, etc.). Telepathy is restricted to gods with relevant domains.
AURAMay exude a supernatural aura that inspires, frightens, calms or generally affects nearby life. An aura may have additional effects depending on a god’s Domains and can also be further enhanced by using a Major Action if it affects the world at large.
ACCLIMATISATIONThere is no place where a deity cannot survive. A god is unharmed by mundane environmental hazards such as extreme temperatures, extreme pressure, poisons, or falling. A god does not require food, air, drink, or sleep to survive. However, extreme environments may still prove difficult to navigate.
DEMIGODSGods can breed with mortalkind to create demigods. Demigods are hybrids of god and mortal and are automatically granted the Chronicle feat of “Demigod”, which allows them to perform minor miracles relevant to their parent god’s domain. Examples: A demigod of the war god is unmatched on the battlefield; a demigod of the family god is immensely fertile; a demigod of the lightning god can control, well, lightning.
It should be noted that demigods, like heroes, are not immortal by default. Immortality can be achieved in two ways: either a god can grant it or the demigod may achieve it on their own. Demigods often have an easier time reaching out to the gods on account of their lineage, too. While the power to perform miracles cannot be inherited by the demigod’s offspring, anyone who can claim to be descended from a demigod and thereby a god will surely almost naturally be quite popular (or unpopular) with the mundane.
A demigod can ascend and become a true god. The only way to do this, however, is to challenge their parent and absorb their divine ichor for themself. This will mortalise or, at worst, kill the parent god.