A

ncient peoples worshiped many gods. recommend really roleplaying. It’ll be much more
Thunderbolt-wielding Zeus and wise Athena. rewarding and memorable to plot and scheme with
One-eyed Odin and mighty Freya. The sun- like-minded gods, verbally antagonize enemies,
king Ra and death-defying Isis. Rain-giving communicate your god’s moods and reactions, pro-
Indra and dawn-bringing Ushas. Bellicose Ishtar and vide details of the creatures and worlds you create,
creator-god Enlil. and elaborate on what shape your wonders take.
In the mythologies handed down to us through Furthermore, it might be a good idea to write
the ages, we learn how the gods created worlds down events as they unfold. Your notes and written
and sundered realities. They fought and they loved. details can become the timeline or your own cam-
Some walked the world among mortals while still paign setting, complete with pantheons, peoples,
possessing awesome powers. Others were found rich history, landscapes, creatures, and more.
in the elements, in the hearth and home, in animal
form, and in the earth. With unsurpassed insight,
supernatural wisdom, and godly might, they in-
To Be a God
There are certain baseline assumptions about the
spired awe and fear. Everywhere their presence was
deities in Playing God. These assumptions are gen-
felt religions and cults sprang up to worship them.
erally true of the gods from real-world mythologies,
Now with Playing God, it’s your turn to create and
but not in every case.
play a deity, perhaps even an entire pantheon of
Gods Are Fallible. The gods are prone to the same
them.
passions and character weaknesses as mortals. Fur-

The Game
Playing God is a tabletop roleplaying game in which
thermore, they are not omniscient, and therefore,
can be misled or even deceived.
Gods Can Die. Gods have the potential to live
players take the roles of deities in a campaign forever, since they can’t die of age or disease. Even
setting you build as you play. You can construct killing their avatar does nothing but bruise their ego.
and create, or decimate and destroy. Pit your might But they can be murdered, usually only by another
against other godly opponents or work together as a god or other cosmic force.
pantheon of like-minded gods. Whatever you do, at Gods Can Change. Each god can progress in both
the end of a long campaign arc, you will have a de- character and power. Like mortals, a god can evolve
tailed setting you can use for other game systems. over the course of their existence. This might be
In Playing God, you can play with as many or as reflected in changes in their portfolio of domains or
few players as you like, or even as a solo game. The simply in their personality, goals, and methods.
players can work together, parallel to each other, or A god might also grow or dwindle in power over
in opposition. In addition, you can play with a Game time. One way this happens is by changes in the
Master (GM) or without one. If you play with a GM, number of worshipers the god has. No god needs
the GM controls nonplayer deities and all mortals. worshipers to exist and perform wonders. But the
With or without a GM, random events can still sur- more worshipers a god has, the more power they
prise you as you draw cards from the optional Deck derive from them. Worship is perhaps the easiest
of Fate. way to boost power, but it’s not the only way.
The deity you play has their own motives, goals,
and methods, the details of which you choose. Are Suggested Scenarios
you a lord of elemental power dedicated to protect- Playing God can be played with or without a GM and
ing the people devoted to you? Or are you a merci- with any number of players, even solo. Because of
less sea god who would like nothing better than to that variety, the actual play experience varies tre-
bring about the apocalypse by drowning the world mendously. Below is an incomplete list of scenarios,
in water? Or are you a bacchanal god of life and along the recommended number of players for each
fertility who just wants to throw the biggest parties? one. A scenario that requires a GM will also list that
These options and countless more are possible! fact.
It’s highly recommended to use the rules here as A Matter of Faith (2+ players). Rivalries can play
story scaffolding. While you could simply take your out as just proxy wars. See who wins in a contest
turn performing your allotted wonders, calculate
your worshipers, start a new age, and repeat, we

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 between gods by seeing who can convert and attract Ex Nihilo (1+ players). There is nothing and no-
the most worshipers. Set a time limit, if you like. body except the gods. All players create one deity
Cosmic War (GM, 3+ player). Another pantheon, with the Primordial origin and then go about creat-
all controlled by the GM, are your sworn enemies. ing a multiverse as they see fit. Augment your glory
Convert their worshipers, steal their domains, out- by having progeny, creating realities, and gaining as
rank them, or murder them, if you must. But come many worshipers as possible. Use your game as the
out on top in the end. origin myth of your next tabletop RPG campaign.
Doomed Multiverse (1+ players). The Fates have In-Fighting (4+ players). The chief god has died
foretold that the end is near! Set a certain number or been stripped of rank, and now everyone wants
of ages (or make it random by decreeing that the to fill the power vacuum. Each god joins a faction
next time an ace card is drawn from the Deck of or strikes out on their own. Become the first one to
Fate, it’s all over). The only way to save the multi- achieve the rank of greater god or murder all your
verse is to reach one or more specific goals, such as rivals.
one of the following:
• Double, triple, or quadruple the number of gods Example of Play
in your pantheon What follows is an example of play as two friends,
• Double, triple, or quadruple the number of reali- Alice and Roberto, sit down to play Playing God.
ties They’re later joined by another friend, Genevieve.
By keeping a record of what they’ve done, Al-
• At least one deity ascend the ranks to greater god ice is able to later write up the mythology they’ve
before the deadline created to memorialize their game and even use it
in a homebrew setting for their next tabletop RPG
campaign.

Setup Mythology
Alice: It’s just the two of us tonight. Hmm, I just got this game called Playing God. Before the beginning, there
Do you want to try it? were only Dyews the Sky and
Dheghom the Earth.
Roberto: Sure, I’ve had my eye on that one. And I have an idea. Why don’t you be
the goddess of the earth and I be the god of the skies. Dyews was all-consuming
light, a curved expanse; and
Alice: Classic, let’s do it. Well, there isn’t an earth option, but the Nature domain Dheghom was all shadow,
sounds just about the same. broad and flat. Rain fell from
Dyews onto Dheghom and
Roberto: Okay, then we’ve already got our domains. You get the Awaken wonder, so grasses grew.
you can make sentient animals, and I get Celestial Canvas, so I can communicate
my favor or wrath to people on earth. Dyews and Dheghom have
always been. There was no
time before their time.
Alice: If there were any people on earth….
After the rain, Dyews opened
Roberto: Good point! Or an earth even. I guess we have a lot of work to do. Since his all-seeing eye, which was
we’re starting before time, both of us choose the Primordial origin, giving us a the sun. Dheghom’s plants
starting score of 19. went white with seeds that
were then carried on Dyews’s
Alice: Hmm, maybe we should start as lesser gods instead of demigods. breath.

Roberto: Okay, then we add 25 more to our starting score…44.

14
First Age
Dheghom (Alice): 44, Dyews (Roberto): 44
Roberto: Your goddess looks like the earth, and mine looks like the skies, but Dyews saw there were no
there’s nothing else anywhere. And I don’t think you want people literally living on living creatures anywhere, so
you. his thunderous voice called
down to Dheghom.
Alice: Yeah, let’s look at the Create Reality wonder.
She lifted herself toward
Roberto: Hmm, if we both perform it, we just make two separate realities, each the Dyews. And he lowered him-
size of a large island. self toward Dheghom. Where
they met, the world began.
Alice: Like Madagascar? Well, that’s too bad.
The friction between them
Roberto: Yeah, or wait. Hold on. We can pool three of our minor wonders to make broke small pieces off a sa-
a major wonder. That way we can make a reality the size of a continent. cred mountain. These pieces
became the strong and gentle
Alice: Ooo, yeah, let’s do that! I think one that basically looks like Earth would be aurochs.
best.

Roberto: Sounds good to me. For doing that wonder, we both add 1 to our scores.
Oh, and one of us still has a minor wonder. You go ahead and take that.

Alice: Oh, thanks! I’ll perform the Create Animal wonder and make an aurochs—
it’s like a giant, ancient cow. Normally that would give my goddess more worship-
ers, but since there are no people yet….

Roberto: At least there’s life already! We can make people next. You get another
point for your giant cows.
Second Age
Dewys: 45, Dheghom: 46
Alice: Let’s see what it takes to make people. Where the waters lapped the
shores of Dheghom’s body,
Roberto: Yeah, Dweys wants to be worshiped! the first people arose. The
gods called them the first-
Alice: So, it’s the Create People wonder. We have to pool our minor wonders to cre- lings.
ate a major wonder again. So, that adds 1 to your score and 1 to mine. And there
are people on our world! Let’s make them look like humans except they’re blue. Formed of sand and seawa-
ter, firstlings were fragile.
Roberto: They’re so cute! How many are there? They got hurt, became ill,
and grew old. Dheghom
Alice: For a continent-sized world? Woah, it says 50 million. received their bodies into the
earth when they died.
Roberto: Do they know about us yet?
Dyews and Dheghom took
Alice: Yes, by default half of them worship you and half of them worship me, 25 humanoid form, and hand
million each. Oh, wait, because we both created them, the other half worship us in hand, walked to the top of
too. I guess all 50 million worship both of us! the sacred mountain.

Roberto: Awesome! Oh, and you can take the leftover minor wonder again. I don’t Fair-haired Hausos lifted her
mind. eyes to the mountain as she
lay dying—in the same mo-
ment that the sun rose—

15
 Alice: Really? Thanks! I really want to perform the Gain Domain wonder and take and was transformed into the
the Death domain. People get buried in the earth, after all. That means I get the goddess of the dawn.
Eternal Death wonder and add 1 to my score!
The firstlings started a ter-
Roberto: What does Eternal Death do? rible war, and killed each
other until there were none
Alice: Oh, it means if Dweys ever dies, I can make it so he never comes back, bwa- left standing. Dheghom
haha. mourned and buried them
in a worldwide avalanche to
Roberto: Hey! You better not use that on me. We’re allies. hide their bones from Dweys
and Hausos.
Alice: Only kidding. Oh, I guess our scores increase by 1 for every million worship-
ers we have. So, that’s 50 more each.

Roberto: Wow! We’re already intermediate gods! On to the next age!

Alice: Oh, we’re not done. It says here that, once you have people, you start draw-
ing from the Deck of Fate. One card for each of us. What did you get?

Roberto: Apotheosis. One of my mortal worshipers becomes a demigod. Anyone

can play them.

Alice: What?! That’s wild! Hey, we could invite Genevieve. She’d love this game. I
drew the Annihilation card.

Roberto: Oh no! What does that do?!

Alice: A global extinction event. We need to create a new species of people. I guess
we’re not intermediate gods yet, after all! Let’s call it a night, and we can do that
next time we play.
Third Age
Dweys: 46, Dheghom: 48
Alice: Thanks for coming, Genevieve. You got your character ready? Hausos built her Dawn Pal-
ace on a sacred island over
Genevieve: Yup, I’m Hausos, the goddess of the dawn. My first domain is Light, the eastern horizon.
so I can perform the Eclipse wonder—basically shielding me from harm and im-
pressing mortals—and my origin is Apotheosis, giving me a boost to worshipers. Humans stepped out of the
And my symbol is a landmark, which I imagine to be an island over the eastern light, born of air and earth
horizon. from Dweys and Dheghom.

Roberto: You weren’t kidding, Alice. You’re a natural, Genevieve! The Divine Twins lived as au-
roch riders who worshipped
Genevieve: Thanks! I love mythology. So, where are we? Dweys and Dheghom. So
devout was their worship that
Roberto: Well, we had a continent-sized world with people on it, but they all died— the gods blessed them to live
forever until they ascended to
Alice: —so now we just have a world. godhood themselves.

Genevieve: How can I help?

16
Alice: Let’s pool our minor wonders, one from each of us, and perform the Create Humans grew cunning.
People wonder again. We won’t get the points for performing a wonder, but what One spun a web of lies that
we gain in worshipers will make up for it. trapped Hausos on her island
for a thousand years. Another
Roberto: This time can we make them look like people and be called humans? subtly climbed the sacred
mountain and overheard
Alice: Sure! Another classic! Dheghom speak the sun
god’s true name.
Roberto: Like before, that’s 50 million potential worshipers, and we each get one-
third…16 million each. In the same age, people took
the stones that had fallen
Genevieve: I get a 10 percent bonus because of my origin, so 17 million for me. from the sacred mountain
What about that extra million? and with wondrous crafts-
manship made one of the
Alice: Oh, they don’t worship anyone. But we’re forgetting something, we each get wonders of the age—a great
a double portion because we all created them together, so everyone has 32 million statue 80 cubits tall.
worshipers. Well, Hausos gets 35 total because of her origin.

Genevieve: Looks like I’m done because Hausos is only a demigoddess. But you
both have a minor wonder left to perform. What’ll it be?

Roberto: You won’t be a demigoddess for much longer. You’ve already got enough
worshipers to turn you into a lesser god.

Alice: And us into intermediate gods.

Roberto: I’ve got a couple more friends who might want to play. Let’s both take the
Grant Immortality wonder this age, and then we can make the immortals demi-
gods by targeting them again with the same wonder.

Alice: Sounds good to me! This is turning into an entire pantheon! Oh, and a point
for each of us for those minor wonders. Now we just need to draw cards from the
Deck of Fate. Why don’t you go first Genevieve?

Genevieve: Deception. A mortal has tricked me and imprisons me next age.

Roberto: They tricked you?

Genevieve: Yeah, makes sense. I am a pretty inexperienced deity! What did you get,
Roberto?

Roberto: True name. A mortal has discovered my true name, so I have to use a
wonder at random next age.

Alice: Pesky mortals! I got the Colossus Statue card. Hmm, oh, my worshipers love
me so much that they built an enormous monument to me, and it grants me an
extra minor wonder next age!
Fourth Age
Dheghom: 81, Dweys: 79, Hausos (Genevieve): 35

17
 God Creation Origins
The first thing to do is create the gods you’ll play. Each god has one of three origins. They were born a
Each player creates one or more deities, though god, they became a god, or they have always been a
it’s recommended that new players create just one god.
each. Each origin option grants you a different bonus to
A god’s personality, agenda, motives, and meth- help boost your divine rank.
ods are up to their player. In addition, each god has
a divine rank, an origin, zero or more domains, and
Apotheosis
a holy symbol. You were once a mortal, but you ascended to god-
The following table lists the divine ranks of deity hood, by your own merits or as a gift from another
in ascending order: god, usually by them performing the Grant Immor-
tality wonder on you.
Divine Ranks
Relatable. Every time you would gain worshipers,
Mortal increase the number gained by ten percent (round-
Demigod ed down to the nearest million).
Lesser God
Roleplaying Questions
Intermediate God
Greater God • Who were you as a mortal? What were your major
life events?
A god reaches higher divine ranks as they contin-
• Who was your family? Do you still have mortal
ue to accrue worshipers, gain experience, or per-
descendants or relatives? Do they know they’re
form wonders. It’s recommended that new players
related to you?
start their deities as demigods or lesser gods.
Information on the benefits of divine ranks and how • How did you become a god? What earned you the
to move up the scale is detailed in the Ascending privilege, or was it a stroke of extraordinary luck?
the Ranks section. • What do you think of mortals generally, seeing
that you once lived among them?
Ten Percent Born of Gods
Several of the options in this game increase or de-
One or more of your parents are deities, and god-
crease a number by ten percent. This is a quick cal-
hood is your divine heritage.
culation that can be made in your head or on paper.
Heritage. Decrease the required points for each
The trick is to move the decimal point one place to
the left. Always round down. For example, ten per- divine rank by ten percent.
cent of 100 is 10, and ten percent of 21 is 2.
So, if you gain 30 million worshipers and you have
an ability that increases the number gained by ten
percent, you gain an additional 3 million (total of 33
million). If an enemy deity decreases your history
points—and you have 100 of them—by ten percent,
you subtract 10, leaving you with 90 history points.

18
Roleplaying Questions Chaos
• Which gods are your parents? Most chaos gods were born out of the primordial
• How did your birth come about? ether of creation or near reality’s fiery end. Unpre-
dictable and prone to wanton destruction, chaos
• How is the relationship between you and your par- gods are usually worshiped more out of fear than
ents, if they still exist? love. Appeasing these capricious gods might ward
• Do you feel the need to live up to your parents? off destruction for a time.

Primordial Wonder: Mayhem

For as long as the multiverse has existed, you were You perform a minor wonder at random from
there. You predate all realities. among the options the other gods have.
Experienced. You start the game with a number of Create Mirror Plane Modifier
History points equal to 20 minus the number of oth-
When you perform the Mirror Plane wonder, it cre-
er primordial deities.
ates a place so inhospitable that only your worship-
Roleplaying Questions ers can survive there for long. All of the people there
are your unconvertible worshipers.
• What was your existence like before everything
else came into being? Roleplaying Questions
• What do you think of younger gods, seeing that • Do you have an end goal—a return to primordial
they don’t have your perspective and experience? chaos, the extinction of the current pantheon, or
• Who made the choice to create the first reality? simply a world gone mad—or do you not know
Were you a part of that choice? one moment to the next what you’ll do?
• How do you predict the multiverse will end, if it • Do you have a big ego that gets you into trouble
ever will? or are you detached from ambition and causality?
• Are you an outsider or always in the middle of
Domains major events?
Virtually every deity has a portfolio of special in- • Is chaos in your very nature (perhaps you were
terests or areas of concern called domains. To use born from it) or do you aspire to it?
examples from Greek mythology, one of Zeus’s
domains was the sky while one of Aphrodite’s was • Do you sleep between cataclysmic events or are
love. you always observing?
Even within one domain, there can be diversity. Examples from Earth Mythologies
Two deities might have different outlooks and uses
Apophis, Balor, Eris, Loki, Tiamat, Yam
for the same domain. One fire deity might be pri-
marily concerned with volcanoes and their powers Death
of creation, while another might simply want to
watch the world literally burn. Gods of death might be grim specters stealing life
As long as everyone has the same number of from mortals. But most focus on creating and main-
domains, each god can have as many as the players taining the afterlife, a realm where the disembodied
and GM see fit. dead await judgment, reincarnation, or the end of
Each domain grants a unique minor wonder. Won- all things. Many of those who worship a death god
ders are powerful, miraculous, and mighty deeds do so to secure a favorable place in the beyond.
that only the gods can perform. They are divided Wonder: Eternal Grave
into the categories minor and major. Wonders are
further discussed in the How to Play chapter. A dead mortal or god of your choice cannot be
brought back to life by any means. If your target is a
god, you gain 1 extra experience.

19
 Birth Titan Modifier Fate
A monster you created can be killed only by avatars Gods of prophecy, time, and destiny are all gods of
defeating it twice. fate. They weave or watch over the threads of indi-
Roleplaying Questions vidual lives. Unlike the gods of luck, fate gods are
dispassionate and are more concerned with order
• Do you gently shepherd souls into the afterlife or than the whims of individual mortals. Those who
tear mortal souls from their bodies? worship the gods of fate accept the lot life has dealt
• Do you walk the worlds in disguise or spend your them and trust the grand design of the overall plan.
time ruling over departed souls? Wonder: Reweave
• If there is a judgment, do you judge souls yourself After each deity has drawn from the Deck of Fate
or delegate that task to another? and looked at their card, you can shuffle the drawn
• Would your sudden appearance horrify, attract, or cards, returning a random one to each deity. (If
calm mortals? you’re not using the Deck of Fate in your game,
substitute this wonder with one from a different
Examples from Earth Mythologies domain.)
Ah Puch, Anubis, Apophis, Hades, Hel, Kali, Mict-
lantecuhtli, Pluto
Prophecy Modifier
When you perform the Prophecy wonder, your word
is so certain that you automatically gain the benefit
of the Fulfill Prophecy wonder.
Roleplaying Questions
• Do you exist outside of time or are you also pulled
along by its current?
• Are you somehow responsible for every birth and
death or are you simply an observer?
• Do you ever listen to petitions from mortals who
want to change their fate or view fulfilling these
requests as heresy?
• Can you foresee the deaths of even other gods?
Have you foreseen your own?
• Do you ever give visions of the future to others?
Examples from Earth Mythologies
Chronos, Kali, the Moirai, the Norns, Shai, Tai Sui,
Zurvan

Festivity
Gods of alcohol, ecstasy, and theater are all gods of
festivity. They invite people to open their minds, don
a mask, or release inhibitions. They celebrate mortal
sensuality and altered states of mind. Their worship-
ers hold bacchanal rituals on the fringes of civiliza-
tion where they induct others into their mysteries.
Wonder: Bacchanal Rites
Ten percent of your worshipers become unconvert-
ible.

20
Create Afterlife Modifier Examples from Earth Mythologies
When you perform the Create Afterlife wonder to Aegir, Bacchus, Bastet, Dionysus, Liber, Methe,
create a paradise, it has such a sway that it also Ninkasi, Shezmu, Siris
affects the worshipers of each deity that have their
own afterlife. Fire
Roleplaying Questions Gods of fire know the value of flame as both weap-
on and tool. While fire can destroy, it can also warm
• Is your true identity known or do you go around the freezing mortal, revitalize a forest, heat food and
masked? drink, and power the forges of the world. Worship-
• Do you exist in a constant state of drunkenness or ers of fire gods are those who would bend the flame
are you merely the cupbearer for others? to their will or avert its destruction.

• Do you instruct others in the mysteries of your Wonder: Consume

cult or leave your worshipers to make their own Your divine fire consumes part or all of a plane of
rites? reality. The reality shrinks by one size. For example,
• Do most view you as a beneficial or harmful deity? an infinite plane becomes a world as the rest is con-
sumed by fire. A world becomes a continent, and so
on. The number of potential worshipers dwindles
accordingly.
Cataclysm Modifier
When you perform the Cataclysm wonder, its effect
is as if you were one higher in divine rank.
Roleplaying Questions
• Are you destructive or creative, or both?
• Do you freely grant the gift of fire to others or jeal-
ously guard it for yourself?
• Do you think reality will end in flames or that
warmth is dissipating from the worlds?
• Are you hot-headed or do you have a warm per-
sonality?
Examples from Earth Mythologies
Bel, Draupadi, Fuji, Hephaestus, Kagutsuchi, Pele,
Prometheus, Ra, Sekhmet, Tohil, Vulcan, Xiuhte-
cuhtli, Zhurong

Harvest
Gods of the harvest are involved in sun and soil.
They have the power to bring forth grain, fruit, seed,
and other food for mortalkind and animals. Their
feast days are at harvest’s end. Those who worship
harvest gods are foragers, farmers, and fieldhands.
Gods of the harvest might also watch over domesti-
cated animals.

21
 Wonder: Bounty/Drought Roleplaying Questions
You can do one of the following: • Are you always benevolent, or do you sometimes
You bless a region with plentiful harvests—you smite harvests with blight or drought?
attract one million worshipers as the number of
potential worshipers increases by the same number • Do worshipers associate you with a particular
You afflict a region with drought—one million of food or meal?
another god’s worshipers are lost, dying in the • How do your worshipers explain the seasons? Are
drought; the number of potential worshipers de- you dead or asleep in the winter months?
creases by the same number • Are you intentionally blessing people with har-
Elect Paragon Modifier vests or can you just not help using your power to
make plants grow?
When you perform the Elect Paragon wonder, the
paragon makes life so much better that the number Examples from Earth Mythologies
of potential worshipers on their plane increases by Ceres, the Dagda, Dagon, Demeter, Hoori, Osiris,
10 percent. Pachamama, Renenutet, Selu, Shennong, Shridevi,
Tammuz

Invention
Gods of music, crafting, tinkering, and creation are
all gods of invention. They send muses and strokes
of genius to mortals. Their influence is the fuel that
drives innovation, creativity, and progress. Those
who worship invention gods are artists, musicians,
craftspeople, writers, and inventors.
Wonder: Sophisticate
Your worshipers become the envy of all who know
them. You convert ten percent of other gods’ con-
vertible worshipers.
Gain Domain Modifier
When you perform the Gain Domain wonder, you
can perform this wonder once more beyond the
listed limit.
Roleplaying Questions
• Do you personally inspire your worshipers or send
lesser divine beings to do it?
• Do you create inventions for the gods or only mor-
tals? If the latter, do you sometimes get in trouble
with other gods for sharing too much knowledge
and power?
• Do you demand credit for mortal inventions?
• Do you bless only your worshipers or inspire in-
discriminately?
• Is there a particular craft or profession you’re as-
sociated with?

22