PART-TIME GODS of FATE

ISBN: 978-0-9905318-7-6 (Softcover)

ISBN: 978-0-9905318-8-3 (Hardcover)

Written By
Phil Vecchione and Chris Sniezak

Designed and Developed by

Phil Vecchione, Chris Sniezak, Shawn Merwin, and Robert M. Everson

Edited By
Robert M. Everson and Shawn Merwin

Layout Design
Eloy Lasanta

Based On the Setting

Part-Time Gods by Eloy Lasanta and Third Eye Games

Special Thanks
The Encoded Designs team would like to thank Eloy for taking a chance on us and
letting us convert his fantastic game.
Phil would like to thank his wife Florence, whose support and encouragement led to the
formation of Encoded Designs.
Bob would like to thank the rest of the Encoded Designs team for letting him play in
their sandbox.
Chris says, Thanks, Jen, for being the goddess of awesome as you deal with my terrible
artistic tendencies.
Shawn would like to thank his two goddesses of chaos, Beth and Rory, for their constant
support, and the Encoded Designs team for the hours of fun and challenge.

Legal Stuff
Part-Time Gods of Fate is copyright 2015 by Third Eye Games, all rights reserved.
Fate is a trademark of Evil Hat Productions, LLC. The Powered by Fate logo is Evil Hat Productions,
LLC and is used with permission.
This work is based on the Fate Core System and Fate Accelerated Edition (found at http://www.fater-
pg.com/), products of Evil Hat Productions, LLC, developed, authored, and edited by Leonard Balsera, Brian
Engard, Jeremy Keller, Ryan Macklin, Mike Olson, Clark Valentine, Amanda Valentine, Fred Hicks, and Rob
Donoghue, and licensed for our use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license (http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
This work is based on the Fate System Toolkit (found at http://www.faterpg.com/), a product of Evil Hat
Productions, LLC, developed, authored, and edited by Robert Donoghue, Brian Engard, Brennan Taylor, Mike
Olson, Mark Diaz Truman, Fred Hicks, and Matthew Gandy, and licensed for our use under the Creative Com-
mons Attribution 3.0 Unported license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
This work uses Fate rules and material from Achtung! Cthulhu: Fate Keepers's Guide to the Secret War
designed by Ryan Macklin, published by Modiphius Entertainment Ltd., and is licensed under the Creative
Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en_US).
The Fate Core font is Evil Hat Productions, LLC and is used with permission. The Four Actions icons
were designed by Jeremy Keller.

1
 INTRODUCTION

SETTING SUMMARY
People think they know what lurks in the darkest corners of the earth. In
truth, humans can do little but guess at what really makes the universe tick. The
world works on a balance between order and chaos, between life and death, be-
tween divinity and mortality. This is where the gods come into play
Legends talk of the beginning of time, when gods and an entity known only
as the Source waged a war for control of the earth. When the gods won, the
Source was locked away. Using the Sources power, the gods ruled for eons, each
controlling their own piece of creation, called Dominions. Using the power of
their divine Sparks, they waged centuries-long wars on each other for domains,
ancient Relics storing remnants of the Sources magic, and worshippers to feed
their never-ending lust for power.
This led to the God Wars. The gods schemed and plotted, fought, and even
died at each others hands. Worse yet, the Source, forever thrashing in its prison,
sent its energy out into the universe, creating monsters called Outsiders. The
Source ordered its children to destroy the gods and unshackle its eternal bonds.
Soon the gods discovered the energy they had stolen from the Source was a
finite resource. Gods perished but none could be created from the divine Spark.
The Source went into a slumber, but the gods continued on only by passing their
power from god to human through the ages. The Sources magic leaked out oc-
casionally during moments of creation, bringing into the universe more Domin-
ions, or more complex ones. In the Dark Ages, the newly created gods were
patrons of the first blacksmiths and ironworkers, but today gods of the Internet
or telecommunications are gifted (or cursed) with divine Spark.
Today, the Source is trying to escape its prison once again. The Coming
Storm has begun. A new surge of magic is leaking through, bringing horrible
monsters and fantastic creatures into existence. This magic also imbues unsus-
pecting mortals with the divine Spark of the gods. If the Sources minions arent
beaten back, the world as we know it may cease to be. With this newfound re-
3
sponsibility, these new gods--part mortal and part divine--are found and trained
by the millennia-old Theologies. These part-time gods must learn how to hone
their gift, and more importantly, how to meld their divine and mortal lives into
one existence. Without holding on to ones humanity, there is truly nothing left
to defend against the Sources minions.

WHATS THIS GAME ABOUT

At Encoded Designs, we strive to make the games we create as playable as
possible for GMs and players alike. We feel GMs and players must understand
what a game is designed to do to optimize playability. That lets you choose to run
the game as designed, or deviate from that design intent with an understanding
of the underpinnings, so that you can make informed changes. The best tool
weve encountered for understanding a game comes from game designer Jared
Sorensen. Jared came up with three questions to explain a game. Those ques-
tions, and our answers, are below:

What is Your Game About?

Part-Time Gods of Fate is a game depicting the struggles between the hu-
man and divine natures of everyday people who have received a gift of divine
power. The game is about using your divine powers to protect the world--and
the people and places the characters care about within it--from various mun-
dane and supernatural threats.

How Does Your Game Do This?

The game is designed to create a duality between the human and divine
parts of characters by dividing their game-mechanical parts--aspects, skills, and
stunts, for example--between the characters human sides and their divine sides.
Drama is created through play, when the human sides of the characters come
into conflict with their divine sides. The Theologies, Bonds, worshippers, and
Pantheons are mechanical elements that provide the GM with hooks to engage
the characters and to drive tough decisions.
Characters use divine and human powers to interact with the setting and
fight the various enemies defined in the game. The territory-creation system
provides a tool for the group to define the issues threatening the peace of their
Pantheon and its territory.

How Does Your Game Encourage and Reward This?

Through the use of aspects and the fate point economy, characters receive
in-session rewards for following different dramatic paths. The territory sheet helps
prompt the characters to action as threats rise against their territory. The milestone
system provides rewards between sessions, giving incentives for completing the dra-
matic arcs established during territory creation, as well as those created during play.

4
Who are the Characters?
The characters are mortals who have received the divine Spark and have
become part-time gods wielding power over their own Dominions. The charac-
ters are a combination of human aspects, skills, and stunts; along with the divine
aspects, manifestations, and entitlements of a divine being. Gods are tethered
by their Bonds, which give them a sense of humanity. All gods are commanding
beings, but they find themselves separated from each other by their individual
interpretations of their power. These ideas are heralded by secret societies called
Theologies. Below are the most powerful Theologies today:
Ascendants: Gods who look to become as powerful as the old gods.
Cult of the Saints: Gods who believe themselves to be messengers
from heaven, since they hear voices.
Drifting Kingdoms: Nomadic gods who build powerful domains,
simply to leave them behind to build the next.
Masks of Jana: Gods who hide the existence of magic from the
world, hoping not to lose themselves in the process.
Order of Meskhenet: Gods who look to the past for their power
and survive through ties to aristocratic families.
Phoenix Society: Gods who guide humanity to greatness through
direct and intimate interaction.
Puck-Eaters: Gods who draw power from chaos and ingest the flesh
of other beings.
Warlocks Fate: Gods who seek the answers to the universe but rely
too heavily on their Relics.

WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY

Part-Time Gods of Fate is a Powered by Fate game, and thus requires the
same components as any other Fate game:
Fate Core System Rules or Fate SRD: The Part-Time Gods of
Fate (PTGoF) game is based on the Fate Core System. In order to play the
game, you need a familiarity with the Fate rules. You can get a PDF of the
Fate Core System at DriveThruRPG (http://goo.gl/N2HSSq). You can also
get an online version of the Fate rules at the Fate SRD site (http://fate-srd.
com/).
Fate Dice: You need one or more sets of Fate dice for the game. Fate
dice can be found in your friendly local game stores or at the Evil Hat web-
site (http://www.evilhat.com/home/fate-dice/). If you do not have access to
Fate dice, see the sidebar on pg. 3 of the Fate Core System book for how to
use standard d6 in place of Fate dice.
Tokens: You need something to use as tokens to represent fate points.
Glass beads, poker chips, or Fate coins will work.
Index Cards: You need something to record aspects as they come up
in play. Index cards or Post-it Notes are frequently used. We recommend
making a set of laminated index cards so that you can reuse cards during play.

5
FATE CONVENTIONS
If you have played Fate Core System games or other Fate games, Part-Time
Gods of Fate will be familiar to you, while having some new elements designed
to help emulate the world of the original Part-Time Gods.

What is the Same?

Here is a quick list of the major similarities:
Aspects: It would not be a Fate Core System game without aspects.
Nothing has changed about aspects or how they are used.
Skills, Stunts, Stress, and Consequences: These are still used in PT-
GoF. There are some new skills and stunts, but how they are used has not changed.
Four Actions: Overcome, create advantage, defend, and attack are
still the four major actions.
Contest, Challenge, and Conflict: These major dramatic rule struc-
tures remain the same and are used as described in the Fate Core System book.

What is Different?
A good Fate conversion is not without some unique mechanics to help the
Fate rules fit the world of Part-Time Gods. If you are familiar with the Fate Core
System, you will find some unique elements in Part-Time Gods of Fate.
Territory Creation: We have included a process for creating your
Pantheon and territory before play begins. Those familiar with the Dres-
den Files Roleplaying Game will find some similarities.
Character Aspects: Characters still have aspects, but rather than
using the phase trio of Fate, aspects were restructured to represent the

6
 duality of the human and divine sides of characters.
Manifestations: These are divine skills. These skills have a super-
natural feel, and they are the skills that gods and Outsiders use to create
supernatural effects.
Entitlements: Entitlements are divine stunts. Mechanically they are
stunts, but they have a supernatural feel.
Relics and Worshippers: These are divine extras that gods can take
to expand their powers.
Bonds: To represent the parts of characters lives that keep them
grounded and human, a Bond system is used, combining an aspect and a
new stress track to represent each Bond.
Antagonist Fate Points: Supernatural creatures also have Spark,
which is represented by fate points. Antagonists use these to fuel their
abilities or invoke aspects.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

This book is split into twelve chapters, each adding its own information to the
games setting and system. This guide may help you navigate the book more easily.

Chapter 1 - The Coming Storm: Discusses the history of the gods,

the Source, and Outsiders.
Chapter 2 - Game Creation: Shows the process by which the GM
and players define where their gods live and the threats they face.
Chapter 3 - Character Creation: Covers how players make their
part-time gods.
Chapter 4 - Skills and Manifestations: Describes the human
skills and divine skills, also known as manifestations, which gods use to
interact with the world.
Chapter 5 - Stunts and Entitlements: Describes the human
stunts and divine stunts, also known as entitlements, which make the gods
stand out from each other.
Chapter 6 - Bonds: Describes how the gods retain a hold on their
humanity and how that hold can change or slip.
Chapter 7 - Theologies: Describes the different secret societies a
character can belong to and the advantages and disadvantages each give.
Chapter 8 - Divine Extras & Rules: Covers the rules for how di-
vine powers, magical Relics, and worshippers work.
Chapter 9 - Gear: Supplies the rules for how mundane equipment
and weapons work.
Chapter 10 - GMing Advice: Offers tips for GMs on how to run
the game, how to handle specific situations, and how to get the most out
of their sessions.
Chapter 11 - Milestones: Presents rules covering how the charac-
ters can change during the course of a campaign.
Chapter 12 - Antagonists: Provides NPCs, from normal humans to
mythical creatures, to be used in adventures.

Now turn the page and begin your divine chronicle...

7
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 3
The Coming Storm 10
Game Creation 33
Character Creation 40
Skills and Manifestations 45
Stunts and Entitlements 69
Bonds 81
Theologies 87
Divine Extras & Rules 120
Gear 138
GMing Advice 141
Milestones 165
Antagonists 170
Glossary 205
Index 206
Kickstarter Backers 208
Character Sheet 210
Territory Creation Sheet 212
 CHAPTER ONE:
THE COMING STORM
One might look at todays world, with all its beauty and hope for the fu-
ture, and wonder how anyone could deny the existence of the gods. Another may
watch the world, with all its corruption and dying sense of wonder, and question
why anyone would believe gods existed. Both viewpoints are equally valid based
on who is asked, but just because one cannot see the gods doesnt mean they do
not still walk the earth. In fact, gods today live a distinctively typical life.
Old myths tell tales of powerful beings living in far-away lands or com-
pletely different worlds. They watched over humans, either to lord over them,
help them along in their everyday lives, or toy with their relationships for sheer
pleasure. When a god made its presence known in the area, every human in-
stinctually felt it and made quick sacrifices to gain the gods favor (or more
accurately to avoid its eventual wrath). An angered god would call terrifying
natural disasters or fabled monsters to destroy entire cities. Happy gods, even
as their followers basked in their generosity, were always on the edge of being
angered at the slightest offense. Gods reflected the best and worst aspects of
what it was to be human.
These myths were once true but are not so much anymore. While it is ru-
mored the old gods still live in hiding, what it is to be a god has changed. Di-
vine beings no longer have to be born from divine blood, carry around magical
Relics that imbue them with power, or survive wholly on the blood sacrifices of
their worshippers. No, modern gods live beside humanity--because these gods
once were humans themselves. They live in human cities rather than long-lost
dimensions, and they work the same jobs in order to pay their bills and live some
semblance of a normal life. Divine responsibility doesnt pay the rent, after all.
So where did it all change? How did the gods turn from mighty beings ca-
pable of destroying worlds into that derelict sitting next to you on the subway
or the unhappy temp answering your technical support calls? How did they go
from commanding hundreds of thousands of worshippers to supplicating only
a handful of followers in backrooms? Why did the gods go into hiding?

10
BEGINNINGS
Long before written history, humanity lived in perfect harmony with the
earth. Humans were but another animal one graced with opposable thumbs
and a spirit to accomplish almost any task, but an animal nonetheless. Humans
ran with the fastest wildebeests, swam with the deepest fish, and hunted prey
with the mightiest tigers, conquering every corner of the world. Humankind
spread like a cancer over the earth, unrelenting in its ferocious advance. Hu-
manity had tiny wars that burned out quickly, fought with sticks and stones
over immediate custody of a certain rock or cave, but were primarily interested
in survival. That is, until the Source arrived.
A single woman (called names like Eve, Pandora, or Izanami by different
histories) found herself by pure accident in a hidden cave that seemed endless.
As the tunnel stretched farther and farther, she noticed she entered another
world, one of nothing except an all-encompassing bright light. After weeks of
travel through the swirling cavern, she found something indescribable.
It called itself the Source of all things past, present and yet to come, and
the woman was surprised she understood these words, as an intelligible lan-
guage was spontaneously thrust into her mind the moment she made contact.
She and the Source became one, allowing it to take a form that could ef-
fect change on earth, which the Source claimed it had also created. Adding a
semblance of order to the world was its goal, and so it began. Humans evolved
from mere animals into intelligent creatures capable of cognitive thought. The
Source, in the womans form, was happy with this change and ushered in a new
existence for a few deserving humans, gifting them with unusual power. These
were the first gods to walk the earth, each shaping their respective cultures and
histories, at the command of the Source. Many of the gods regarded the Source
as a parental figure, a motherly influence, but it is believed the Source stayed
in the shadows, watching events unfold instead of directly intervening. No one
knew the actual criteria used for deciding which humans were worthy of god-
hood, but those deemed exceptional were given immortality and extraordinary
control over a fragment of reality.

Gilded Cage
The Source was a true gift to this world, but not everyone appreciated it.
Certain gods developed strong envy toward their benefactor. Why did the gods
need someone to lord over them when they should be supreme beings? One
young god, known today as Zeus, called on his fellow gods to join him in choos-
ing their own destiny. He spoke out against the Source, unhappy with the power
this mysterious entity had allowed the gods to possess, and called for control of
this power to be turned over to the gods. A charming god, Zeus and his Pantheon
drummed up the same animosity from other gods around the world. Many gods
called for the utter destruction of the Source, but this was not Zeuss plan.
Zeus, accompanied by the leaders of hundreds of Pantheons, developed a
strategy to secure true control of the universe in the hands of the gods. The
Source was ultimately deemed an unnecessary middleman and was to be elimi-
nated from the godhood equation. Though time was nothing to the gods, their
11
plan took centuries to put into action. A cage, created from the same divine
energy as the Source, was constructed to house the Source, no matter what
form it chose to take. The gods visited the entity with a false presentation of
sacrifices, then captured it within this unbreakable barrier, sealing it away in a
tomb deep beneath the earths surface, never to be heard from again.
Many speculate on how an omnipotent entity could be so easily captured by
the very beings it created. Maybe it was surprised by the gods audacity, or perhaps
it wanted to be captured for some inexplicable endgame. No one truly knows.
Moral implications aside, the gods rejoiced at their decision to rid them-
selves of the Source, swayed by the words of Zeus and their Pantheon leaders.
Celebrations were thrown around the world for years, until the gods were faced
with a new problem. They were left to govern themselves, which proved more
difficult than expected.

The God Wars

With the Source and its ways gone, the gods forged onward under their own
supervision. Only the leaders of each Pantheon truly knew where the Source was
held, and they slowly erased the Source from history. Mortals who once looked to
the Source to supply them with guardians now looked to their respective gods as
singular forces. Even younger gods were told stories of the Source as a bogeyman
or a being of pure chaos that would love to destroy the world.
The Pantheon leaders siphoned the Sources power to create new gods.
Pantheons grew to hundreds of members each, with cliques and factions that
might break off and become separate Pantheons. Soon, different gods lorded
over almost every aspect of creation, from fire and water to farming and tools
to love and procreation, and still thousands more gods emerged to rule over
smaller and smaller elements of reality. Each god had followers who fought
over which god was the most powerful or which deserved their sacrifices over
another. Most gods let humans settle these debates themselves, keeping a
healthy balance in the world for thousands of years, until one fateful day.
During a heated lovers quarrel between two gods--Coyote, the god of

The Source
- In the words of Benjamin Lowe
Looking at every angle of this story, I am troubled by its connec-
tions: too many secrets, too many holes in the plot. Most gods tell the
story this way: even my teacher who was a detective, not someone to
have the wool pulled over his eyes. No one speaks about where the old
gods discovered they could trap the purest power in existence. Hell, the
Source was existence itself, according to what Ive heard. I believe there
is more to this story than what weve been told. Reminds me of global
warming. Dont get me started on that though.

13
tricksters, and Demeter, goddess of fertility--Coyote stabbed Demeter in an-
ger. In times past, a god could simply remove the blade, growl at the rudeness
of such an action, and walk away without any lasting effect. However, on this
day, Demeter coughed up blood and fell to the ground with a thud. Coyotes
grief passed quickly, and this development piqued his interest. Coyote was
nothing if not curious, quickly returning to his homeland to thrust a blade into
his longtime rival, Raven, to see if only Demeter was weak. This resulted in the
second-ever death of a god, and Coyote grinned with delight.
Word of these events spread quickly through the world of gods, especial-
ly as Coyote continued his killing spree for days. It seemed sealing away the
Source was taking its toll on the gods power, removing their collective immor-
tality and replacing it with an ability to kill even a god.
Thus began the God Wars.
What was once a legion of gods ruling the world as a collective became
fractured. The gods were not shy about their hatred, jealousy, or lust toward
others of their kind in the past, but they would normally let the impulse pass.
Now that their murderous intentions would be permanent, many put these
feelings into action. Within days, hundreds of gods were destroyed, leading
to an important discovery: killing other divine beings offered the murderer
control of another facet of creation, stealing victims souls and making the
murdering god even more powerful in the process.
The God Wars became a full-fledged, violent struggle between all the gods
in the world. Every god had to take a side in this battle or it immediately cost
them their once-eternal lives. Pantheons became a gods army, the last line of
protection and family wrapped in one. And because the Pantheon leaders could
create new gods on a whim, these battles were waged over and over again.
Soldiers were simply replaced when necessary, turning feelings sour be-
tween gods within the same Pantheon. Gods not only turned on each other,
but also on humanity. Calling on ones mortal followers to take out another
gods followers became a common practice, leading to worldwide wars that
could weaken gods and make them much easier to destroy. Most gods were
apathetic to the cries of their followers, seeing them only as pieces to be moved
in a marvelous game.
With the entire world in chaos, the Source struggled in its cage. It could
not fully free itself but did manage to release pieces of its energy into the
world. This time, however, it gave power to other beings instead of humans.
Now the gods not only had to contend with one another and their soon-to-be
conquered followers, but also with these new magical creatures.
Known as Outsiders by the gods, they were new beings crafted from trees,
the elements, animals, and even the spirits of the dead that all received the
same divine Spark of a god. Many were born into the world with a single in-
tense purpose: destroy the gods. Pucks were the worst of these creatures: small
beings bent on chaos in all its forms. Other Outsiders, however, went the route
of self-preservation and hid away from the wars to ensure their own lives.
As the Source gave new life to the Outsiders, the Pantheon leaders realized
they were unable to steal any more of its energy. New gods could no longer be
made on a whim, and this revelation shook the pillars of the divine world. In
response, some gods carved new worlds to separate themselves from these ter-
14
rible conflicts, leading to the creation of dimensions that only certain Pantheon
members could enter--some hidden away too well and never heard from again.
Others stayed behind to continue the fight but were much more cautious in their
approach. Every lost soldier made ones Pantheon that much weaker.

The Big Come Down

The God Wars raged for several more millennia, but no conflict can last
forever. It became apparent to the gods that sealing away the Source was a
mistake, that their hubris was to be their undoing. As the war continued on all
sides, they saw new limitations to their diminished forms. Their power, the di-
vine Spark that made them gods, could leave their body and make them mortal
again.
Each god who devoured another and took the Spark contributed to the
decline in the number of actual gods in the world. And then as the final straw,
the gods found they could actually die from old age, a phenomenon they had
only witnessed from afar in mortals.
Still, the battles persisted until a single event stopped the God Wars cold.
During a night of gallivanting and flirting, Zeus was caught in an alley by fol-
lowers of Supay, a jealous and power-hungry god of death from South America.
Zeus attempted to fly away but was caught in a net. He fought with all the
divine might he could muster, but there were too many worshippers of death
to conquer. This led to the very first death of a god at the hands of mortals.
Not only did this event rock the world and show how far the gods had
truly fallen, but it also invited more of the same behavior from mortals. True
followers of faith became god-killers, stealing Relics and using them to collect
Sparks as supplication for their chosen deity. The gods looked to others of their
kind for protection from these horrible hunters, finding only the corpse of a
god they had killed in battle previously. So much battle had been undertaken

15
 The Angels
- In the words of Colt Bastian
Ever wonder why angels are the most emulated and followed of the
gods? As with most things, there is a simple answer to this question.
During the God Wars, or so the Orders records state, angels were the
gods most concerned with defending humanity. They shielded mortals
from many of the worst storms, stopping them before they ever touched
the earth, but it eventually became too much to keep at bay. Angels like
me have been shining beacons of hope throughout history, and it is my
goal to continue this tradition.

for the sheer glory and power of it, the gods failed to realize they were only
destroying what was left of their now-fragile kind. Zeus, the leader of this way
of thinking, was also now dead and gone, leaving little reason to continue the
warring. Many gods retreated from the world into pocket dimensions, and sev-
eral others gave up their Spark voluntarily to avoid a violent death. Some joined
with the Outsiders, deciding to hide together, while others used the magical
beings as shields or means of escape whenever possible.
Without the ability to create new gods, new traditions began among di-
vine beings. Societies of gods, called Theologies, developed as schools of new
thought. Few gods considered themselves masters of the world anymore, at
least not of the earth. They saw too much destruction and bitter betrayal in
their lifetimes. Being a god had taken on a new meaning. A new tradition of
passing their Dominions to other worthy humans began. This renewed the
gods ability to create new gods, in a small way.

A New Day
Many of the gods became hermits and recluses, leaving humanity to live their
everyday existences. These gods were happy to exist until they simply couldnt
go on any longer. Others, however, took a new outlook on their existence, and
they entered the mortal world like newborns. They lived beside humans, laugh-
ing around campfires and forming lasting relationships. One important human
factor, they realized, was missing from their divine lives: the ability to form last-
ing bonds. Love, companionship, even losing something important and caring
deeply for its loss: these became a luxury gods could no longer ignore.
Unlike the gods, the Outsiders couldnt join humanity, as they were often
hideous beasts no normal human could understand. Some gods even became
great heroes by vanquishing these creatures. Soon only the rare satyr or sprite
showed itself, only to quickly vanish. Over hundreds of years, magic became a
belief of the past. So did the gods.
As history continued and led to the rise of humanity over the dark ages of
the past, only a select number of gods were left in any area. They still interacted

16
with their Dominion and still influenced the lands they lived in, but they were
shadows of their former selves. The gods survived to the modern day, but there
is a reason why one might believe the gods have left the earth for good. Many
of them have, and the ones who remain walk hand in hand with humanity in-
stead of lording over them.

The Coming Storm

The gods stayed quiet, letting humans simply live. They carried out their
divine duties in secret, living double lives. Outing themselves as gods only
brought personal problems for them and their families, inviting the attention
of other gods or even dreaded God-Killers. Quickly quelling these problems
before they even began was the most logical approach.
This all changed on June 13th, 2011. On that day, every god in the world felt
a momentary quake beneath his or her feet the world shuddered. The average
person had no idea anything had happened, but those who possessed a divine
Spark knew it for what it was the return of magic and the stirring of the Source.
The individual Theologies held meetings to discuss what these events
meant to the world and to the gods themselves. New gods began popping up
left and right, every day another handful of divine beings springing from seem-
ingly nothing. This hadnt happened since the God Wars, but that was not the
worst part. From all the corners of the world, the Outsiders returned in full
force, in greater numbers and with their powers increased. The oldest gods,
those who had lived for hundreds of years off the blood of other gods, were
the easiest for the minions of the Source to detect. Stories of the final death of
Coyote spread quickly, fueling the fire of panic for the gods. If even the oldest
gods were now gone, what chance did new gods have? Paranoid by nature, the
Theologies were sure these signaled a Coming Storm. They now prepare for an
impending war, the first task being the indoctrination of the thousands of new
gods recently created. Their readiness for the fight will determine the future,
and many Theologies treat this as a race to gather the most members and en-
sure they survive to shape the future as well.

We Are the Answer

- In the words of Amala Ali
The Coming Storm is the logical outcome of the atrocities
the so-called gods committed ages ago. As new gods living in these
modern times, we must be the answer to the problem not the
cause. Continuing as we have with our constant in-fighting and our
kill-first-ask-questions-never approach will only end in our eventual
destruction. Too bad not all Theologies agree with this sentiment
and keep our kind barreling toward the void. I refuse to contribute
to this response.

17
THEOLOGIES
Secret societies of gods have existed throughout all of mankinds history,
each with a different outlook on what a divine existence truly means. The gods
beliefs set them apart from one another, and the power of that belief can be a
strong motivator. From time to time, a new god is created from nothing or by
receiving the Spark of another god who has met its final end, and these fledglings
require harsh training in order to indoctrinate them into the ways of the gods.
The Theologies compete, in a way, to garner the respect and loyalty of fresh gods,
to make their orders more powerful and to bring new perspectives into the mix.
While hundreds of different Theologies exist around the world, eight ma-
jor groups hold the most sway in North America. The Theologies are extremely
varied as a whole, which lends to the diversity of gods that exist and to many
debates (and sometimes battles) waged over ideology. No matter what one
thinks of these Theologies, however, it cant be denied they have survived to
become pivotal in the current times not a small accomplishment.

Ascendants
Obsessed with recapturing the former glory gods used to enjoy, the As-
cendants strive to become paragons of their kind. They are known for all but
ignoring their human sides (as much as possible), instead pursuing true divine
power beyond what any other god can attain. Ascendants take this to the ex-
treme by collecting as many followers as possible and are not averse to violent
methods to achieve their goals.

Cult of the Saints

Possibly the ultimate show of humility for the gods, the Cult of the Saints
teaches its members to surrender to a higher power. Entrenched in the foun-
dation built by the Roman Catholic Church, many of them believe they are
talking to a one true God, though others venture to guess they are speaking
directly to the Source. Saints can come from any religious background, but all
share the idea that they are not true gods.

Drifting Kingdoms
What goes up must come down, and anything built in this world will one
day be destroyed. This idea of balance is popular in many eastern philosophies,
but the Drifting Kingdoms bring these ideas to life. They are masters of divine
territory, building unstoppable kingdoms from nothing, only to move on to the
next location and start again. They often exult in new experiences due to their
constantly changing nature.

Masks of Jana
Hidden in the shadows are the Masks of Jana, lords of secrets. They teach
that a gods role is to live beside humanity, silently and without gaining undue
attention. To that end, the Masks have learned special techniques to affect

18
memories and are masters of illusions. This Theology strikes fear into other
gods that would otherwise reveal themselves to the world.

Order of Meskhenet
This Theology worked hard to institutionalize what it means to be a god,
creating a hierarchy of their members organized by ones connection to the
past. A Blue Blood, as they are often called, should be able to trace their Spark
back to the original god that held their Dominion, and they use this as a sym-
bol of status. They do not wish to emulate the past but instead use influence
over the past to better the future for their members.

Phoenix Society
Some gods took living with humanity to its extremes, forming the Phoe-
nix Society. This Theology teaches true power comes from ones often-ignored
human side and connections to other people so much so that members can
experience horrible depression if isolated. Phoenixes are known for choosing
humans with grand destinies and leading them along a path to greatness.

Puck-Eaters
There are many ways for a Theology to survive, and the Puck-Eaters have
chosen one of the more despicable methods. Members are taught to subsist on
the flesh and organs of the humans they live beside, drinking the sweet blood
that sustains life. They are the divine monsters, universally despised and mis-
trusted. What is to stop them from eating other gods as well?

Warlocks Fate
This Theology is strikingly different than the others, proving it is possible
to see the world in unique ways. Their focus on research and unlocking new
universal secrets leads to each Warlock requiring a Relic to pour their Spark
into. Seeing the connection in all things gives them expansive knowledge, and
with knowledge comes true power.

BECOMING A GOD
A new god once had to be chosen by the all-powerful Source and called into
service. The process wasnt an easy one, involving several rituals, a renounce-
ment of their human lives, and an intertwining of a humans soul with the pure
divine power gifted to the mortal. To become a god was to enter a new level of
existence, of immortality and limitless power. The gods relished this power and
encouraged the spread of their Dominions across the world.
After the Sources imprisonment, the leader of ones Pantheon would choose
the next gods, leaving them at the mercy of their leaders whims, which were
fleeting at times and calculating at others. If a god fell out of its patrons good
graces, ones hopes of becoming the god of war would instead end with becoming
the god of slugs, or sent to rule the bottom of the ocean as the god of muck.
19
 Modern gods dont receive their power in the same way: yet another re-
flection of times changed. Individual gods receive their power in varying ways.

The Feeling
- In the words of Hiroko Nakamura
You might think receiving a Spark is easy. Oh, you just wake up
one day and youre a god, right? Wrong. The experience is excruci-
ating, as the divine power travels through and reforms every cell in
your body to be more than human, stronger and faster and a suitable
vessel for its greatness. You should be prepared for the agony that
comes with becoming a god, during the transformation and after-
ward, when you must separate yourself from what makes you weak.
I bleed pure power now. The Spark is the only true goal, and those
with such a power should be given respect above others.

Ritual
It was discovered long ago that, no matter how hard one tried, a Spark
couldnt truly be destroyed even if one god absorbed anothers Spark into
his or her own. The two Sparks merged within the gods soul to give it si-
multaneous Dominions, but the energy could not be truly destroyed. As this
is a despicable act, most gods created traditions of passing their Dominions
through their lineage, training their offspring and their offsprings offspring to
handle the hardships godhood would bring. This has led to several myths of the
children of the gods and demigods. The Order of Meskhenet still carries this
tradition, being able to trace their Dominions back to the original gods.
A ritual of this magnitude is rarely a simple affair or done on a whim. Years
of preparation can go into this epic event, and gods (even with their limited
immortality) have plenty of time to choose a suitable candidate. What a god
looks for when passing down their power is up to the individual and likely has
much to do with their Theology and how they view their power. Ascendants,
for instance, may travel the globe in search of a paragon of humanity before
settling on their choice, while Saints may require the prospective god be of a
certain level of faith.
No god receives power without a trial of some sort, however - a common
thread between gods. Mortals who are unsure of themselves or unused to deal-
ing with responsibility on a basic level are of no use to the gods and rarely
receive attention. Some cruel gods, of course, give overly challenging or impos-
sible trials no mortal could successfully accomplish. As with the twelve trials of
Hercules, some initiates beat the odds.

20
Spontaneous
Though the gods could not create more of their own at will, the old gods
werent to be the last. Small fragments of the Sources power continued to leak
through its cage throughout history, usually during times of great achievement and
invention for humanity giving way to new Dominions. The most famous exam-
ples of this were the first gods of language, blacksmithing, fine art, agriculture,
plastic, telecommunications, and countless other advancements for the species.
Spontaneous godhood doesnt come to the unworthy. For the humans to
receive this special Spark, they must be the embodiment of the idea they are
receiving. As the first representatives of their Dominion, many other gods will
seek to steal their power. They must be wary of showing off their abilities, but
also vigilant in spreading their influence.

Random
With the Coming Storm, some gods received a Spark out of the blue,
which has led to a large number of new gods springing up. Its as simple as be-
ing in the right place at the right time when a Spark is flying. The Theologies
suspect the Sources power erupting from the earths core is imbuing random
people with divine gifts, many of them not worthy of such power. They are
quick to scoop up new gods and attempt to train them, eliminating them if
they arent worth the effort.
Another way to randomly receive a Spark is for it to be transferred after
the death of a god in the vicinity: perhaps by accident or in a battle with anoth-
er god that isnt interested in devouring the soul. When this happens their left-
over Spark needs to go somewhere, and it instantly seeks out another human
to house itself within. So, a regular Joe walking down the street could inherit
another gods Spark and Dominion accidentally.
Receiving a Spark in this fashion can be very disconcerting to the new god. In

21
contrast to those who work for decades to be worthy of their divine responsibility,
these gods have strange philosophies and heightened power thrust upon them with
no recourse but to accept it. Finding a way to fit into the world is better than resisting.

DOMINIONS
It should be noted that while a gods Spark is a show of how powerful
they are, no god would exist without a Dominion. It takes a million different
pieces to eventually add up to the puzzle of reality, and each god is gifted with
power over one of these fragments. Old gods controlled multiple facets of the
universe, some with four or five different Dominions. The god with the most
Dominions was usually lord of the land, unless others attacked them and ab-
sorbed the arrogant gods soul.
To describe a gods Dominion is pretty simple. A god of war has the Domin-
ion of war, giving it ultimate control of all the elements of war itself. It wasnt un-
til the modern day that gods were too weak to rule an entire Dominion as a single
god. Instead, multiple gods who have the same Dominion may come together
and discover they each have control of a different aspect of the same power. As
one god of earth may be able to shape the stone itself and one the ability to turn
someone to stone, yet another may have the ability to bring statues to life. Each
of these gods is unique in their display of their Dominions, making modern gods
more varied and more vulnerable to the forces behind the Coming Storm.
A god is still a person as well, and each takes his or her past upbringing
into account when manipulating a Dominion. Two gods of love from different
backgrounds may interpret and use their power in contradictory ways. One
that grew up in a broken home full of abuse and dysfunction may see love as the
same, creating couplings that are bound for terrible ends. Another god of love
with caring parents and surrounded with positive relationships and influences
may be more focused on helping others create prosperous couplings.

22
 Also, the Dominion attached to a Spark never changes. One god receiving
the Spark of another god also receives their specific Dominion. More com-
monly than not, unless they were explicitly chosen for a ritual to hand off a
Dominion or a spontaneous development, modern gods seldom receive the
perfect Dominion for their personality or occupation. Some even get Domin-
ions contradictory to their lifestyle. Such is the challenge of fitting ones divine
and mortal lives together the pieces dont always fit.

TERRITORY
The gods once ruled as a single entity, each traveling the world whenever a
worshipper needed help or an enemy reared their head. They shared the world
as a cooperative playground. It wasnt until their inevitable fall from grace that
the gods took root in single areas, influencing only nations. Todays gods have
fallen even further from this notion, so that now several Pantheons might op-
erate within the same state or city.
When gods begin their training and establish themselves within their Theol-
ogy, they start to attain some level of influence in their area and acquire divine ter-
ritory. Everywhere gods walk, invisible boundaries separate their territory from
another gods. With the sheer number of new gods created during the Coming
Storm, the static boundaries held by the old gods are now broken up into several
smaller domains, each with an owner hoping to expand. This process, however,
doesnt actually require the gods to desire the spread of their influence.
The longer gods stay in an area, the more their Spark infuses it. Every step
they take seeps into the ground, every building they touch becomes enchanted
with their divine power, and every person they interact with is touched slightly
by their godhood. This translates quite literally into a gods Dominion becom-
ing more prominent in an area with enough activity and effort. The territory
of a god of drugs will be full of addicts and dealers on every corner, while the
territory of a god of war may be plagued with rival gangs hoping to take each
other out. Likewise, the neighborhood of a god of celebration is filled with
block parties and festivals.
If no god is active in the area, then claiming additional territory is easy. These

Sharing Territory
- In the words of Penelope Rivera
Mixing other Dominions from Pantheon members is no joke. I
ran my town like a well-oiled, squeaky-clean machine. Im talking lots
of fun nightspots, dancing, and drinks all around. Then Victor came
into town and joined our little club. Now the number of deaths from
drinking has increased and is really killing my buzz. Such is the way
with Pantheons though. You have to take the good with the bad.

23
situations seldom stay so simple as soon as other gods are involved, however.
This can lead to two different scenarios: war or peace. The former is the most
common, as gods fight to claim dominance. Battle lines are drawn, and they duke
it out. The winner can spread influence into the losers territory, while the loser
usually ends up dead and often times devoured. Peace can be struck at any time,
with some gods wishing to keep their territories separate and promising not to
cross into one anothers domain. Others choose to actually meld their territories
to make an alliance of gods who rule an area together a Pantheon.

PANTHEONS
No god is an island. Some may attempt to isolate themselves, but gods
are social creatures by nature, driven by their emotions (Phoenixes to a larger
extent). As gods grow in power, their spiritual territories expand until coming
in contact with the domain of another god. If the individual gods come to an
understanding, perhaps over a cup of coffee, a Pantheon can be created on the
spot. The size of such a group can range anywhere from two powerful gods
with strong attachments to a few hundred loosely affiliated gods. This decision
isnt taken lightly, as it is entirely irreversible. Once two gods have chosen to
mingle their Sparks and weave their Dominions together, there is no turning
back. The only way to leave such an agreement is with ones death.
Several effects come from joining a Pantheon. First is the mingling of ter-
ritory, where two territories no longer contest for the same area, but instead
mix and overlap within the environment. Interesting cities are born from the
juxtaposition of seemingly contradictory Dominions.
The second benefit to a Pantheon is mutual defense against enemies. No
longer do gods have to defend their territories as a single soldier. They can bring
their brothers and sisters as an army to the battle. Some gods are more reliable
against minor threats, while others ignore threats entirely if the enemy doesnt
pertain to them directly. As soon as the territory and the Pantheons hold on
their domain are in danger, however, every member is expected to respond. Re-
fusing wont lose you membership in the Pantheon, as nothing truly can, but
Pantheons have been known to kill a god who doesnt live up to expectations.
Beyond simple defense of territory comes the constant camaraderie of a
Pantheon. The group becomes an extended family, sharing their experiences
(good and bad) and taking it upon themselves to be involved in each others
lives. It is inevitable for a Pantheon to become a soap opera of sorts. One day
two gods become bitter rivals. The next day, a passionate love affair blossoms,
followed by a play of betrayals springing from seemingly nowhere. Even with
the hurricane of different combinations, the cast of actors never truly changes.
It is important for each god to ultimately protect his or her Pantheon from
itself. Some gods fall off the deep end, possibly attracting the wrong type of
attention (such as from other gods or the media or local law enforcement) or
developing mental instability. Their brothers and sisters are expected to help
them maintain their chosen path and pull them back from the brink if they
veer too far. A rogue god roaming the city streets, destroying everything in his
or her path and causing problems for their Pantheon, isnt good for anyone.

24
 Theyll Find You
- In the words of Sawyer Devereux
From my experience, searching high and low for worshippers is a
waste of time. Its kind of like what they say about love: youll find it
when youre not looking. Nowadays, I cant walk down the street without
hearing the prayers for help from the lost and abandoned. It grates on my
nerves at times and makes me feel like I have a purpose at others. It comes
with the job, I guess.

Clashing Theologies
Pantheons are known for being one of the few institutions where gods of
differing Theological backgrounds can come together. Outside of a Pantheon,
the Theologies are often at each others throats to prove they are the true
way to exist as gods. Many have found, however, that mixing their abilities and
beliefs within the Pantheon can be the key to survival (especially in the face of
the Coming Storm). Learning from each other is important, but this regular-
ly devolves into countless arguments that can affect relationships. Of course,
some Theologies comingle better than others.
It is common for some territories to be ruled primarily by gods who follow
a certain Theology (often seen with the Order of Meskhenet), which leads to
Pantheons filled with gods with a single purpose and set of beliefs. This can
lead to a closer-knit Pantheon, as there isnt any proselytizing between gods
or constant arguments over the best strategy. This may also make the group
inflexible and overly prejudiced toward other Pantheons that do not follow
their Theology, however. This type of Pantheon can color their territory just as
much as their individual Dominions can.

All-Fathers/All-Mothers
As with all groups and organizations, there is usually some kind of hierar-
chy to decide whos on top and whos the scapegoat. Human nature encourages
putting people and things into categories based on their value, and gods are no
different. Some Pantheons organize themselves as full democracies, deciding
to follow no real leader. Most historical Pantheons, however, have opted for (or
have had thrust upon them) the idea of a single patriarch or matriarch.
Known as either the All-Father or All-Mother, this god is usually the most
powerful within the Pantheon, able to best the others if the need arose. If
the lesser gods joined together, their elder would no doubt fall, but most gods
enjoy the security of knowing that someone else will be blamed for major de-
cisions. Gods that rage against glass ceilings are quick to shatter that idea and
fight to ascend to the top of the Pantheon hierarchy.
Gods chosen for this position within a Pantheon have many additional
responsibilities. First, they have the authority to decide who is allowed into
25
the Pantheon itself, usually with a trial of some sort to determine the worthy.
This is no different than when choosing a recipient for Spark, because joining
a Pantheon is just as permanent a commitment. The god is also in charge of
approving wars or alliances with other Pantheons, and with generally keeping
things peaceful between the gods in the Pantheon itself. Some are able to make
this happen through coercion and charisma, while others rule with fear and the
promise of undoing anyone who disobeys.

WORSHIPPERS
No gods divine supremacy would be complete without humans to wor-
ship them. The very idea of what a god represents is wrapped in the idea of
demanding praise and sacrifices from the mortals who bow at their feet. This is
how it was for ages, while the Source was free. The veneration of worshippers
was akin to a gods report card, and that god was gifted with power from the
Source accordingly. The more worshippers one had, the more divine strength
they gleaned. This created a race to the top for the old gods, each one trying to
win over as many mortals as possible with blessings and granted wishes.
Of course, with the Source locked away, the gods were left without a real
need for worshippers. They became a welcome accessory for a god who wanted
more sway over events on earth, but followers were no longer a necessity. The
scoring system was gone, with no real replacement, but the gods quickly dis-
covered spiritual power was still collected with each prayer and sacrifice made
from mortals. There was still power, though slightly less, to be gained. The
idea of commanding armies or entire civilizations still appealed to many of the
more powerful gods, but others found they could garner close to the same level
of spiritual power from a handful of truly dedicated worshippers.
As the gods control over their own destinies diminished, even the greater
gods relied on individual worshippers and created connections unlike those
that can be made with a mass of adoring zealots. Time turned this practice
into what was expected of an individual god, especially those wishing to keep
mortal lives separate and stay mostly undetected by God-Killers. Some gods
still keep hundreds of worshippers on tap, but basic organization and regularly
proving ones power are often problems.

26
Getting Worshippers
In this increasingly cynical world, convincing people of ones godhood
without a huge display of power can be difficult. Unless it is staring them in the
face, most mortals rationalize away even overt manifestations as coincidence
or tricks of the mind. Even if gods are able to convince humans of their divine
natures, getting mortals to recognize and take the god as theirs is a game of
give and take.
Showing the mortals how their worship of the god can make a difference in
their lives (for better or worse) can make the idea of polytheism very attractive.
Mortals may worship the god of fear in the Pantheon so they arent destroyed,
and then turn around to worship the god of wealth in hopes of getting that
raise. If tapped correctly, a single Pantheon could all have access to a new wor-
shipper. Some gods even make this mortal their best friend, bringing him or
her into the world of the divine as yet another gift.
Not all gods have to work hard for their worshippers, however. Gods who
regularly pass their Dominion and names along, most notably the Order of
Meskhenet, are known to also inherit their predecessors worshippers. While
some followers may trail off as the god changes faces, most worshippers are
quite loyal and will accept a new god in the place of an old one as long as their
prayers continue to be answered.

OUTSIDERS
There were times in history where the creature in the forest that held
villages in terror was really just a god hidden behind a mask. Other times, how-
ever, it was very much a monster that lurked in places humans did not dare
venture. Mortals called them monsters. Gods called them the Outsiders. It is
believed the Source created these beings from its prison to spite the gods for
their betrayal, but this isnt always the case.
Once, specific creatures were created from the pure hatred spewing forth
from the Source, barreling toward the nearest god as soon as it was created in
order to rip the god to shreds. The first Giants, Minotaurs and Fenris Wolves
in particular were hell bent on ripping the gods limb from limb. Others simply
hid, luring the gods to them in hopes of killing them by surprise. The Outsiders
too possessed a Spark, which gave them resistance to the gods Dominions, and
none of them were particularly weak.
At the end of the God Wars, the Outsiders found their purpose gone, as
the gods withdrew from the world. Some remained to terrorize humans for a
bit longer, but the majority simply left as well. They snuck into the dimensions
created by the gods, some even allying themselves with certain Pantheons.
Others stayed on earth but secluded themselves from the prying eye of human-
ity for eons. It was during this time the Outsiders became species instead of
individual creatures. Instead of a god having to fight the Minotaur, it became
one of many Minotaurs that may be lying in wait. They all have their own life
spans, personalities, and even families to protect, just like the gods but they
will forever be Outsiders.
The Coming Storm has not only brought those hidden Outsiders from
27
 their burrows, but
has created more of
them--and even a few
never before seen.
Some gods dont be-
lieve they can con-
tinue to stay hidden,
calling for all gods
to make themselves
known to the world
once again. Of course,
this sentiment is in
the minority.

The Passable
The number of
monstrous Outsiders
is staggering, but not
all come off this way.
Some Outsiders can
pass for human under
certain circumstanc-
es, like Elves or even
Satyr. With a clever
fashion sense or some
makeup, an Outsider
can live in the world
of humans without a
problem. Some be-
come so obsessed
with this idea they
use magical illusions
to obscure their true
forms. Those without
such magic have been known to sand down their horns regularly or even bru-
tally remove whatever feature makes them stand out.
The gods interact with these Outsiders most, occasionally befriending
them. Even if just as a drinking buddy, a god can get valuable information from
the Outsiders, especially about the Coming Storm. Ravenous Outsiders, at
times, can be made into allies with enough patience and effort.

Pucks
The worst Outsiders cannot be reasoned with or talked out of acting on
their primal urges. Some would say these gremlins, called Pucks, are formed
from only their primal urges, taking special joy in causing destruction and gen-
eral chaos in the world. Pucks are completely invisible to all but the most ob-
28
servant gods, leaving them free to manipulate and toy with humanity to their
hearts content. If someone trips, a god should look to see if a Puck caused it,
and they certainly shouldnt have a private conversation before knocking on
wood to ensure Pucks cant listen in. Even other Outsiders hate these crea-
tures, believing Pucks to be a byproduct of what the Source originally intended
with its creations. Still, they are an ever-constant annoyance and a danger no
god can truly ignore.

The Name of God

- In the words of Victor Resnick
While Im skinning and devouring my prey, Ive heard a few of them
mention how they will strike us down with the Name of God. Apparently,
theres this word that you can speak to undo existence, the Sources true
name, or perhaps some magic word to unlock its prison. In any case, Im
doing my part to lessen the threat to our godhood and loving every bite.

DIVINE REALMS
The tales of Asgard where the Norse gods flourished, of Mount Olympus
where the Greek gods watched over humanity, or of whatever world the Incan
gods found deep within Pacari are all true. The gods are no strangers to the
theory of alternate worlds, as many created their own during the God Wars.
Each god had his or her own place to seek respite without fear of attack or
even places of solitude to pursue goals uninterrupted. Others, even, suffered
horrible fates or torment in these other worlds.
Many of these magical realms closed their doors for good during the God
Wars. The occasional god poked a head out to keep an eye on the remaining
gods on earth, but only the chosen were allowed to enter these realms. What
is considered chosen depends on the realm in question, as each usually had a
theme involved with its creation. Lands of the Dead, for instance, can allow
most spirits through its doors (sometimes kicking and screaming), but would
be wholly averse to letting the living pass without coaxing.
Dimensional worlds are much more subdued in these modern times, hid-
den well by the gods of old but still quite reachable with enough effort. Some
realms require special Relics, human sacrifices for hearts blood, a certain Do-
minion, and other things that can take a god their entire lifetime to acquire.
Others can be accessed simply by accident, people turning the wrong corner
and finding themselves in another world entirely. This happens primarily in
territories ruled by powerful gods of specific Dominions that may be attuned
to the same properties of a certain world.
Portals to these worlds can be found everywhere, each taking root where
the gods last inhabited this world during the God Wars. Some can be accessed

29
easily with a plane ticket to the right country, while others might require climb-
ing tall mountains or orchestrating a building demolition to get to the doorway
beneath. Volumes upon volumes tell how to get to these realms and to the un-
told secrets and power waiting on the other side. Unfortunately, many of these
tomes have been lost to the ravages of time or to certain gods not wishing to
be interrupted in their private dimensions. After all, in ones own realm, time is
relative and power unlimited. No god wants that taken away.

Lands of the Dead

The most notable of realms are the Lands of the Dead, where the dead
travel when they die. Unlike what many holy texts may say, there is not a single
afterlife. Hundreds, if not thousands, of gods of death once walked the earth,
and each created a place to enjoy their spoils when the God Wars ended. For
this reason, some ghosts travel across the globe in order to gain access to their
final resting place, suited best for their particular souls.
The Lands of the Dead are still around for another reason as well. Gods
can use these realms to circumvent their own deaths. When a human dies, the
spirit is taken from this world and delivered to its rightful resting place. If gods
can locate the right materials and the correct portals, they can travel to the
afterlife to retrieve a ghost and give it life again. Sadly, no modern gods can say
theyve accomplished this task. Most simply give up on the idea or never return
from their epic quests.
Not all these lands are the same, however. Purgatory is a realm of absolute
nothingness, while Valhalla is a world of constant, never-ending war. In Hades,
the spirits of the dead are made to work as slaves to the lords, while Hell is
similar to experiencing the agony of being burned in the center of a star for
eternity. Obviously, some realms are easier to access and others should be left
alone entirely.

Paradise Realms
Some doorways lead to dimensions of pure happiness (or someones idea
of happiness). Paradise realms are leftover from worlds the old gods used to
visit in order to unwind from battle, or where heroes of the God Wars were
given their just rewards for their duty. The rare human ghost may end its jour-
ney here, but these realms are exclusively reserved for the gods themselves
except they are mostly considered myths today.
Near-death stories talk of the Paradise realms that surround everyone with
swirling lights and a feeling of eternal bliss. El Dorado, the city of gold, is dili-
gently sought by mortals and gods alike, in search of riches beyond their wild-
est dreams. Shangri-La is thought to be a perfect utopia. Other realms exist,
filled with lustful virgins or even watching the deaths of ones enemies repeated
for all time. Paradise is not the same for everyone.

30
 Its Not Easy
- In the words of Robert Howell
Of course its not. If keeping yourself from losing it every minute of
every day were easy well being a god would make me much happier.
Ive lost too much in the service of an invisible force that wants nothing
more than to swallow me whole. Trying to deny it doesnt work, but giving
in means Im no longer me, you know? You have to fight to stay you for
your own sake, and for the sake of your family and the world the way I
see it. Then again, the thought of turning myself over to the hunger is so
tempting. Forget I said that.

STAYING HUMAN
Learning about other worlds one can travel to, amazing otherworldly crea-
tures one can meet, and the prospect of establishing territory or gathering
people of worship and adoration may all seem like worthwhile goals. In fact,
these concepts burn at the very center of every god, urging them forward in
their quest to accumulate vast power. For some, the idea of helping people is
enough to spur them along this path, while others need only clash powers with
another god one time to get hooked on the experience. Speaking with magical
animals and unearthing ancient Relics can certainly peak other gods curiosity,
catapulting them down the same path. Whatever is wonderful about being a
god, one must always be careful not to leave too much of oneself behind in the
process.
A god doesnt suddenly appear from nothing. It is the culmination of a
divine Spark as it merges with the human soul. The humans body changes,
feeling healthier, stronger, and faster. So too must its mind change, or the god
is destined to be caught in the whirlwind that is a divine life. The human spir-
it must not become swallowed up in a quest for power or the god becomes
nothing but a representation of their Dominion. An inhuman god of death
simply brings death wherever they go, caring little for the lives they take. A
disconnected god of joy may wander the earth in a chaotic attempt to spread
happiness, all the while draining the humans of the desire to do anything else
but party.
Not every god experiences this slow insanity in the same manner. Their
inhumanity becomes a reflection of their lives, twisting their minds in ways
that directly pertain to the god in question. One could become a jealous god,
destroying anyone who has what they wish to possess, while another may be-
come apathetic to the world entirely. There is nothing scarier than a god who
gives up its humanity for power, but even the Ascendants know this process
requires a certain measure of strategy to not go completely insane.

31
Held at Bay
Gods learned a long time ago how to stave off the effects of this unique
insanity by clinging to their mortal life. Consideration of the things most
important to the god and defending those things with their lives have proven
to be the only way. To care so deeply for something it would kill the god to see
it destroyed is the lesson. They must attempt to stay human for as long as pos-
sible, continuing their everyday lives in the hopes of keeping their inevitable
decline at bay.
For good or for bad, humans are defined by their occupation in several
cultures. Theologies urge their members to keep their mortal jobs. Not only
do they get social interaction and camaraderie from working beside humans,
but they get a paycheck as well. Except for those few gods lucky enough to
have Dominions of wealth or gambling, direct monetary benefits are hard to
come by. Staying human in the eyes of others is key to the god continuing to
feel human. To have a friend look at you with horror or disbelief is not a feeling
wished upon ones worst enemy.
And so todays gods are faced with the task of remaining a being of balance.
They can see their family and friends on one side of them, and epic quests and
mythic foes on the other, but cannot completely belong to either life. Their
time must be split between the two as equally as possible, or both their divine
and mortal lives will turn to utter ruin. They are essentially part-time gods.

32
 CHAPTER TWO:
GAME CREATION
You and the rest of the players create your game together using two steps:
first generate general ideas about your gods, then craft the territory your Pan-
theon of gods will defend against the forces opposing them.

Game Creation Steps

Concept the characters
Create your territory

Step 1: Character Concepts

Its time to come up with concepts for characters. Everyone playing a part-
time god should answer the questions below. The player acting as GM takes
notes to start getting ideas for adventure scenarios, and everyone else collabo-
rates on ideas for their gods.
What kind of Dominion do you want your god to control? (i.e. the god
of fire, goddess of liquor, god of time)
What people and places in your territory keep you connected to your
humanity? Who, what, or where is important to you, and why?
There is a Theology, a secret society of like-minded gods, that you
are connected to. Think about the following phrases, then choose one
you are interested in embracing or defying. You can also wait until later
to choose your Theology, when you have a better idea of your characters
background. If you choose now, you can always change later:
Your Theology completely embraces their divinity, believing
they are above the mortals surrounding them.
Your Theology believes they are not true gods but are instead
the saints of a higher power, and you were given your abilities to do
the higher powers work on earth.
Your Theology is one of wanderlust, being unpredictable and
33
 always moving on to the next new thing, leaving the old behind.
Your Theology is a secret, their divinity is a secret, and they
believe in keeping those secrets.
Your Theology is about gathering intelligence and connec-
tions to put that Theology above all others.
Your Theology believes in defending humanity and embrac-
ing the human side of life in every way possible.
Your Theology is bent on destruction, is violent, fierce, and
borderline crazy. If it involves chaos, its right in their wheelhouse.
Your Theology wishes to delve into the mysteries of the world
to learn everything they can.

Once youve gotten some of those ideas floating around, pull out a territo-
ry sheet and create your territory.

Step 2: Territory Creation

The territory creation process allows everyone to help create your games
setting. It provides GMs with material for adventure scenario creation, and
players get to craft parts of the setting so they already have some familiarity
and attachment to the game.
The territory is the area you and your Pantheon have banded together to
protect against opposing forces, especially those of the Coming Storm. Its a
place where the things you hold dearest live, and it is also your bastion of pow-
er. Youre never stronger than when in your own territory. To see the game benefits
of your territory, see pg. 123.

34
The Territory Creation Steps
1. Decide on a type of territory as a group.
2. One of the players (not the GM) creates a divine hub, gives it an as-
pect, and records that hub on the territory sheet.
3. Create an NPC for that divine hub, and give that NPC an aspect.
4. Repeat steps 2 & 3 until each player has created a divine hub, an as-
pect, and an NPC to go with each hub.
5. The GM creates a location, gives it an aspect, and writes that location
on the territory sheet.
6. The GM creates an NPC for the location, along with an aspect.
7. Repeat steps 2 through 6 until each player and the GM have created
two divine hubs (or locations) and corresponding NPCs.
8. Create the impending issues.

The Steps Explained

Decide on a type of territory: a city, a county, a state, a small town or even
three city blocks near each other. Take the territory sheet and write down the
name of the territory. (The GM can also make notes on a separate sheet regard-
ing any territory considerations.) There is no mechanical difference between
the types of territories, but since the territory is the focal point of the cam-
paign, its size helps determine the types of stories you tell.
Next, a player (other than the GM) creates a divine hub. Divine hubs,
in addition to being locations used in the game repeatedly (like sets on a TV
show), are also important places of divine power for the characters. These lo-
cations are the centers of a gods power and determine the boundaries of a
Pantheons territory. See pg. 124 for the divine hub rules.
When you create a divine hub, mark it on the the territory sheet. These
hubs might be buildings, businesses, parks, part of a mall or some other area
within the territory. The most common initial divine hub for gods are their
homes, but other relevant places work equally well. Theres nothing wrong with
using real places from your life as inspiration. Then create an aspect describing
the divine hub. If its a characters childhood home, it could be Victors Mothers
House with the aspect A Place of Childhood Memories. If its a characters
apartment building, it could be 10th Street Apartment Building with the aspect
Great View of the City Skyline. See Aspects, Fate Core System, pg. 56 .
Once the divine hub is placed within the territory, create an NPC associ-
ated with it, known as the face. Name and define the characters relationship
with this person. Are they friends? Lovers? Enemies? Do they have a compli-
cated past? When these NPCs are conceptualized, give them each an aspect,
which is a lot like your human aspect. This is a great time to use the people and
places you came up with during character concepting. Here are a few examples
of what it might look like: Maggie Resnik with the aspect The 20-Something
Fifty-Year-Old, or James Tunrik with the aspect The Nosy Neighbor of the
Apartment Building. If you get stuck and need a little help, ask the others at
the table. Collaboration usually spawns great ideas. Once youre finished, have
the other players at the table do the same thing.
After each player has created a divine hub and corresponding face NPC,

35
its the GMs turn. Create a location and an NPC in the same manner as the
other players. This should be an NPC and location you intend to use in the
campaign, and it should be known to the players and their characters. Once
youre finished, everyone at the table repeats the process once more, going
around the table creating divine hubs and faces.
When that is completed, it is time to create impending issues for the
game. (Creating impending issues is discussed later in this chapter.)

Example
We have Jen, Shawn, and Bridget playing with Phil as GM. The first thing
the players must decide is what kind of geographical location they want to play
in. They choose a fictional city, rather than a real one, and name it Trinity City.
Now that they have a geographical location, each of the players and the GM
creates two locations.
Bridget starts. Her character is Penelope Rivera, and her divine aspect is
Goddess of Liquor. She chooses to create a nightclub called Club Trinity, where
shes a bartender. Downtown on the party strip its a pretty crazy place where
unexpected things happen, so Bridget gives the club the aspect of You Never
Know Whats Gonna Happen at Club Trinity. She also decides one of her
good friends, Jessie, is the locations face. Jessie is another bartender who just
weathers the oddities that occur in Club Trinity. Bridget is having a hard time
coming up with an aspect for Jessie, so Jen suggests A Rock in the River to
show Jessies resolve and ability to stay steady amidst the chaos of Club Trinitys
clientele. Club Trinity and Jessie get written on the territory sheet.
Next up is Shawn with his character Benjamin Lowe, the God of Storms.
Shawn decides Trinity City Hall is a good place since its filled with political storms
for his politician character, and its also one of the tallest buildings in the city, giving
Benjamin a place close to the sky. Shawn comes up with the aspect A Storm of Pol-
itics to push the fervent pace of politics in Trinity City. Daisy is the face and works
the lobby of Trinity City Hall as a security guard. She knows everyone and most
things that happen in the building, so she gets the aspect The Well-Informed Se-
curity Guard. Trinity City Hall and Daisy get written on the territory sheet.
Now we have Jen, whos playing Amala Ali, the Goddess of Fire. Jen comes
up with Sacred Heart Hospital as a divine hub and gives it the aspect A House of
Healing. They talk for a bit and decide the hospital has a childrens ward and cancer
wing in addition to its highly rated ER. Douglas Kert is the face. Hes a doctor who
knows Amalas secret and helps cover for her when godly problems creep up. Hes
also an excellent cancer doctor in his own right, specializing in pediatric oncology. Jen
has a hard time coming up with an aspect for him from that description, and after
some conversation they give him the aspect An Understanding Childrens Can-
cer Doctor. Sacred Heart Hospital and Douglas get added to the territory sheet.
Our GM Phil is up next, and he wants a place where the players can go
to learn things, so he creates the Trinity Library with the aspect Where You
Learn Things. He wants knowledge and the seeking of knowledge to be a ma-
jor part of the game. He also likes the idea of an old man who just happens to
be helpful, so he creates James Wise with the aspect The Helpful Librarian.
He also might have other plans for James later.

36
 Lets take a look at the territory sheet:

Now the crew goes through the process again, and Bridget adds the store
Talbot Liquors to the territory, with the aspect A Home Away From Home.
The locations face is Zach Goldsteen, who has the aspect Booze Man and
Wise Man. Bridget tells Phil that Zach is an older guy who has owned Talbot
Liquors for a long time. He and Penelope developed a friendship years ago, and
they open a bottle of wine in the back and converse from time to time.
Shawn decides to create Benjamins campaign HQ on 7th Street, and gives it the
aspect The Calm in the Storm. The face is his campaign manager Amy Winters,
who knows about his godly abilities and is trying to leverage them to move Benjamin
up the political ladder. This makes her aspect Always Looking for an Edge.
Jen comes up with 137 Trinity Place, which is Amalas home. Its aspect is
A Spiritual Haven, because its a place she can find the silence she needs to
pray and listen, and the home itself is also a very soothing place for Amala. The
face is Sharaz Ali, Amalas husband, who is one of the most understanding and
calming presences around. His nature makes him that way and grants him the
aspect The Calm Man with the Warm Smile.
Phil wants a place where theres the possibility of a divine throwdown
without too much human interference, or somewhere for divine meetings away
from prying eyes. He comes up with the Placo Industrial Park, which has the
aspect Mostly Deserted. The face is Jacko Jixx, a Goblin who found his shtick
working with gods and other Outsiders to keep the area clear of people, so they
could conduct their business and set up meetings. He has the aspect Social
Engineering Outsider.

37
 Now lets take a look at the territory sheet again.

Once youve added locations and faces to the territory, move on to creating
the impending issues.

Impending Issues
The impending issues are three large conflicts that the part-time gods face
while defending the territory. These issues threaten the places and people the
gods love and care about, and they are the primary threats the GM uses to
create conflict within the game. The group creates them together, ensuring the
issues appeal to the players and the GM. The issues are also aspects, so they
can be used to compel the part-time gods or act as aspects.
Three slots are available on the territory creation sheet for the impending
issues. Write them in as they are discussed and agreed upon. Each time you cre-
ate an impending issue, choose at least two gods tied closely to that issue. Now
those players should tell a story about how their characters first discovered the
issue together, how it threatened someone or something important to each of
them and how they worked together because of the issue. When completed,
each player should be tied to at least two of the three issues.

Example
Bridget suggests the first issue: a powerful agent of the Source keeps pok-
ing around the city for some reason, sending his minions into town, trying to set
up beachheads in the Pantheons territory. The rest of the group like it and call
the issue The Prophet of the Source, which becomes an aspect. The players say
theyre not sure why this prophet is poking around their town, but theyd like to
38
find out. This issue is written into the first issue slot on the territory creation sheet.
Now Phil asks who wants to be tied to this issue. Bridget and Jen like the
prophet idea a lot, so they want in. Bridget says the prophet first made himself
known by sending a Minotaur to Club Trinity to wreck the place. Jen jumps in
and says Amalas daughter was there that night and was hurt during the con-
flict. Luckily for Amala, and everyone else, Penelope stopped the Minotaur be-
fore it killed someone by getting it to take a drink from her Relic flask, which
makes anyone who drinks even a drop from it drunk and jovial.
For a second issue the players want an opposing god who wants to take their
territory from them. Jen throws out the idea that the god is the CEO of a com-
pany buying land in the city. They call this issue The God of Wealth, and decide
together that this god wants this because Trinity City is growing city where a lot
of money could be made. Shawn is interested in this for some of the political
manipulations Ben could get involved in. He says this god of wealth comes into
town and makes a number of donations to local politicians, including his opposi-
tion in the previous election. Ben won, but while he was working overtime to win
his seat, this god of wealth bought the apartment building his mistress lives in
and is attempting to evict everyone to turn it into a parking garage - just to cause
Ben trouble. Bridget wants this guy to have a name and calls him Henry Porter
III. Now that the god of wealth has a name, she thinks Henry came in and tried
to buy Club Trinity, but Penelope convinced the owner not to sell. This issue is
written into the second issue slot on the territory creation sheet.
Phil, as the GM, suggests the third issue. Its the prophecy of a coming ca-
tastrophe that came in a dream they all shared, in which the sky opens and death
descends on the city. The group gives this impending issue the aspect The Doom
Thats Coming to Trinity City. Its something they need to learn more about
in order to stop it before it happens. This is the easiest to tie all the members of
the Pantheon to, because it is a dream they all shared. They all agree, but Jen says
it hit Amala harder because in her dream she watched her husband die. This issue
is written into the third issue slot on the territory creation sheet.

Omens
Underneath each issue are a series of omen boxes, labeled one through three.
Omens are used during play to represent how the issue manifests itself in the game.
When an omen is put into slot one for an issue, it is noticeable but not yet some-
thing that threatens to bring down the Pantheon. As the issue moves toward its
endgame, the omens for slots two and three are filled in, representing the advance-
ment of the issue toward something more dangerous for the part-time gods.

Reviewing
When the territory-creation process is completed, look back and see if
anyone has changed their minds about anything, or come up with any new
character ideas or concepts. Once everyone is happy with what been created,
move on to the next step - Character Creation. Use the tools presented here to
facilitate play. The impending issues, omens, faces, and places are explained in
the GMing Advice chapter (pg. 141).
39
 CHAPTER THREE:
CHARACTER CREATION
Characters in Part-Time Gods of Fate are torn between their divine power
and their human nature. This struggle is exemplified in character creation. A
characters humanity consists of its mortal elements, while the divine side of
the character sheet reflects the Spark that makes these characters true gods.
You create both parts of a character and then tie them together through
Bonds. Without mortal Bonds--symbolized by things that characters believe
in, that ground them, that keep their humanity intact--part-time gods risk be-
ing totally consumed by their divine power.

Character Creation Overview

Define your aspects
Assign your human skills and your divine skills (manifestations)
Select your human stunts and your divine stunts (entitlements)
Select extras
Calculate your stress, Bonds and refresh

Step 1: Aspects
Characters have five aspects that encompass their human and divine natures,
tying the two sides together. Youve already done some brainstorming when you
came up with character concepts in Chapter 2. Now use those notes to help
create aspects. See Aspects, Fate Core System pg. 56. The five aspects are as follows:

Human Aspect
This aspect defines your characters mortal life, illustrating what is import-
ant. In this age, humans are often defined by their passions, their hobbies, and
what they do to earn a living. When creating this aspect, include your occupa-
tion and one other interest or passion important to your life before receiving
the divine Spark. In the examples below, the aspects combine occupation plus
passion. We spend a lot of time at our jobs and following our passions: family, a
40
hobby, a sports team, or the pursuit we wish were our occupation.
Examples: Construction Worker and Family Man, Barista and
Frustrated Writer, First Child to Attend College

Divine Aspect
This aspect describes your characters divine Dominion: the source and fo-
cus of his power. A Dominion can be bestial, conceptual, elemental, emotional,
tangible, patron-related or some amalgam. This aspect often takes the form of
the god of [blank]. See Dominions, pg. 125.
Examples: The God of Telecommunications, The Patron God of
Writers, The Goddess of Gaming

Theology
The third aspect comes from the Theology your character follows. This aspect
represents the outlook and philosophy of the divine side of your character. It con-
tains the name of the Theology, as well as the characters relationship with the orga-
nization. Theologies provide more than just an aspect. Additional benefits, as well as
a drawback, are inherent in each Theology. More on Theologies on pg. 87.
Examples: Reluctant Puck-Eater, Warlock on the Outs, Up-and-
Coming Ascendant

Bonds
The fourth and fifth aspects are your characters Bonds (pg. 81). Bonds rep-
resent elements of the mortal world cherished by your character. Bonds are the
anchors binding your character to her humanity, preventing her from becom-
ing consumed by the Spark that resides within her. Bonds link your character
to an individual, a group, a location, or some other mortal element.
Examples: A Loving and Caring Husband, I Am My Childs Mother,
Boss of the 10th Street Stalkers, Captain of the Softball Team.

41
Step 2: Skills and Manifestations
Part-time gods have two categories of skills: human skills that any mortal
might have, and divine skills that reflect their unearthly powers. These divine
skills, called manifestations, represent the ability of the god to manipulate
their Dominion in the physical world.

Human Skills
Character skills form a pyramid with the following ranks:
One Great (+4) skill
Two Good (+3) skills
Three Fair (+2) skills
Four Average (+1) skills

All other skills are ranked Mediocre (+0) if you did not assign one of the
ranks above to them. See Skills, pg. 46.
Assign your ranks to the following skills:

Skills
Athletics Burglary Contacts Crafts
Deceive Empathy Fight Investigate
Knowledge Mythology Notice Physique
Provoke Rapport Resources Shoot
Stealth Technology Travel Will

Divine Skills (Manifestations)
The manifestations are less numerous and more difficult to use than hu-
man skills. Select three manifestations and assign the following values:
One Good (+3) manifestation
One Fair (+2) manifestation
One Average (+1) manifestation

Characters cannot use a manifestation unless they have a rank of Average (+1)
or better with that manifestation. Once youve chosen your manifestations, choose
a specialization for each one. A specialization is a description of how a manifesta-
tion is most commonly used by the character. Part-time gods are more successful
when using their manifestations within the bounds of their specializations. Mani-
festations and Specialization, pg. 54.

Manifestations
Aegis Beacon Journey Minion
Oracle Puppetry Ruin Shaping

42
Step 3: Stunts and Entitlements
Characters start with 4 refresh, one human stunt and one free point of re-
fresh that must be spent on one of the following divine extras: an entitlement,
a Relic, or worshippers. See Fate Core System pg. 87 for how to define stunts, and
Chapter 5 of this document for Entitlements (pg. 72).

43
Step 4: Extras
In addition to your stunts and entitlements, you can select other abilities
that further define your character. These extras are purchased using your 4
refresh. You must have at least one refresh left at the end of character creation.
Refresh can be spent on the following:
Category Cost (Refresh)
Entitlements 1 point each
Gear 1 point for each quality
Human Stunts 1 point each
New Dominion 2 points
Relics Varies
Worshippers 1 point per rank

See Chapter 11 for Relics (pg. 131), new Dominion (pg. 125), and worshippers (pg. 128).

Step 5: Stress, Bonds, and Fate Points

These final touches complete a character:

Stress & Consequences

Calculate physical stress, mental stress and consequences using the rules in
Fate Core. See Stress & Consequences, Fate Core System pg. 50.

Bond Tracks
A character has a total number of six stress boxes to be allocated to its
starting Bonds. That number is decreased by one box each time you meet one
of the following conditions, during character creation or later during advance-
ment: See Milestones, pg. 165.
Each entitlement beyond the first unless granted by your Theology (by
number of entitlements, not entitlement cost).
Each time you raise the rank of your highest-ranked manifestation skill
Any Dominions beyond the first

These conditions apply whether they were paid for with refresh or ac-
quired another way (unless directed otherwise). In addition, some Theologies
provide free Bonds or additional Bond boxes. Include these in determining
your starting Bonds. For how Bonds become strained, broken, and healed, refer to the
Bonds chapter, pg. 82.

Fate Points
Your fate points equal your remaining refresh. Starting characters gener-
ally have somewhere between 1 and 4 refresh, based on whether they took any
additional extras during character creation. You cannot have less than 1 refresh
at the end of character creation.

44
 CHAPTER FOUR:
SKILLS & MANIFESTATIONS

In Part-Time Gods of Fate there are two types of skills: human skills and
divine manifestations. The mechanics for skills and manifestations are essen-
tially the same. They use the same four actions from the Fate Core System.
The main difference between skills and manifestations is that manifestations
create supernatural effects and are only usable by part-time gods. Four Actions,
Fate Core System, pg. 134.

45
SKILLS
For the most part, the skills in Part-Time Gods of Fate match up with the
skills from the Fate Core System. Two skills were renamed to better fit with the
modern setting of Part-Time Gods of Fate:
Knowledge: Knowledge is a renaming of the Fate Core Lore skill.
Travel: Travel is a renaming of the Fate Core Drive skill. It covers
driving any type of vehicle.

There are also two new skills, which are described in more detail below. See
Skills, Fate Core System, pg. 96.

The complete list of available skills in Part-Time Gods of Fate are listed in
the table below, along with the actions which are allowable:

Skills Overcome Create Attack Defend

Advantage
Athletics X X X
Burglary X X
Contacts X X X
Crafts X X
Deceive X X X
Empathy X X X
Fight X X X X
Investigate X X
Knowledge* X X
Mythology** X X
Notice X X X
Physique X X X
Provoke X X X
Rapport X X X
Resources X X
Shoot X X X
Stealth X X X
Technology** X X X
Travel* X X X
Will X X X
* - Renamed skill.
** - New skill (see below)

46
New Skills
Mythology
The average person does not know divinity surrounds them so closely in
their everyday lives. Even those beings infused with Spark often dont grasp the
intricacies of divine power beyond their own personal manifestations of that
power. The Mythology skill reflects the information an individual possesses
about divinity, the history of gods in the world and the specific traits of crea-
tures with Spark.

Overcome: You can use Mythology to recall information about a

o particular divine creature or power. This information could prove
invaluable in overcoming some divine obstacles that you face. When
you have to answer a difficult question regarding the history or na-
ture of creatures with Spark, Mythology is the skill to use.

Create Advantage: Mythology can be used to create advantages

c by providing insight into something significant in a divine beings
power suite or history. Information about secret weaknesses, fore-
sight into tactics, or other pertinent information about divine pow-
ers are all available through use of the Mythology skill. For example,
if a power used by a villainous goddess of time makes her move more
quickly, you might use Mythology to counter that power by remem-
bering that the ability is less impactful when a time-keeping device
is held forth like a talisman in her presence.

a

Attack: Mythology is not used to make attacks directly.

Defend: Mythology is not used to defend against attacks directly,

d although it can provide an understanding of how a divine beings
attacks or other abilities might be thwarted.

Mythology Stunts
Dark Secret. You gain a +2 on Mythology checks when creating an
advantage against a creature with Spark. Your knowledge of the nature of
divine beings yields rewards as you take full advantage of any weakness in
a creature.
Saw It Coming. You can spend a fate point to use Mythology in
place of Fight when defending against an attack by a creature with Spark.
You know enough about the creature and its fighting tactics to briefly gain
the upper hand in an exchange.
Enlightened Sense. Once per session, when you feel a creature
with Spark enter your territory (pg. 123), you can make a Mythology check
against Good (+3). If you succeed, you can ask the GM one yes/no question
about the creature that they must answer truthfully. At the GMs discre-
tion, they can elaborate or clarify the answer.

47
Technology
Technology surrounds us in every facet of modern life. This skill reflects
the characters understanding of computers (and accompanying slang), soft-
ware use and programming, utilizing the Internet and hacking security sys-
tems. Everyone from computer techs to engineers to office managers finds this
to be one of the most important modern skills.

Overcome: You can use Technology to overcome obstacles tech-

o nological in nature or that require the use of technology. It could be
hacking into an encrypted laptop, bypassing an alarm system, using
a smartphone to find information, etc. If it requires modern tech-
nology to accomplish, Technology can be used.

c

Create Advantage: Technology can be used to create advantages

by leveraging technology in the characters favor. This often rep-
resents enhanced knowledge about a location or person, based on
collecting information from the internet or personal files.

a

Attack: Technology is not used to make attacks.

Defend: Technology can be used to defend yourself from someone

d using Technology to create an advantage. It is not used to defend
against physical or supernatural attacks.

Technology Stunts
Search Engine. You can use Technology in place of Investigate
when looking for information. Rather than hitting the books, you fire up a
browser and scour the web for information.
L33T Skills. You gain a +2 on Technology checks when overcoming
challenges involving computers. Your years of hacking have given you skill
in getting computers to do what you want.
Back Door. When you break into a location guarded by technology
(computer, security system, car, etc.) through an overcome Technology ac-
tion and succeed with style, you can create a backdoor rather than gain a
boost. The backdoor allows you to access the device at a future date with-
out making another overcome action. This backdoor remains intact until
someone has a reason to search for it and remove it.

48
MANIFESTATIONS
Simply put, manifestations are divine skills. Gods and other creatures with
Spark have the ability to use these divine skills to make reality itself bend to
their divine wills.
Like mundane skills, manifestations can be used to overcome and create
an advantage. Some manifestations, although very few of them, can also be
used to attack or defend directly. Unlike skills, part-time gods cannot use a
manifestation unless they have a rank of Average or better with that manifesta-
tion. There is no untrained use in manifestations. See Character Creation, pg. 40.

The Feasibility of Manifestations

The powers of the gods in Part-Time Gods of Fate are exceptionally
flexible, but at times may lead you to wonder if what youre trying to do
is too powerful, or if an action you contemplate will take the game in an
undesired direction. If these come up, just remember a few things:
If something seems impossible, then it probably is. The god of
dogs cant throw lightning from his hands as an attack action, but he
could empower his canine companion to attack a foe.
Even if something seems like an exceptionally powerful effect, it can
still be attempted. The Fate ladder has keywords like Legendary and
Epic on it for a reason! If one of these Epic or Legendary actions is
attempted and failed, theres often the choice to succeed at the cost of a
major complication. This is another idea to be kept in mind while playing.
Most manifestations only last until the end of the scene. If a player
wants to create an effect that lasts longer, allow it but charge that player
more resources. Ask the player for a fate point to make the effect work,
or tell them itll cause them stress that cant be wiped away for a period
of time or it will result in a consequence. In fact, this is a good rule to
keep in mind when any kind of power is being summoned and thrown
around. The players have resources. Charge them if they want to go big.

Altered Environments
Divine power is a strong force that affects everything it touches. When
gods use manifestations, they are altering the very fabric of reality to bring
their desires to life. If they are successful, they get what they want, and the
universe is more than happy to comply. If the manifestation exchange fails,
however, the god has released their Spark into the world and could affect the
environment in unpredictable ways. A failed check means the nearby environ-
ment absorbs the divine power, taking on some sort of aspect of the gods
Dominion almost instantly. Two people in the vicinity of a god of love may
instantaneously fall head over heels for each other when a manifestation fails.
A goddess of time who fails may age the surrounding area. Some effects last
longer than others, but this side effect can be devastating if the god has more
dangerous Dominions, such as death or fire. Gods should be careful where they
49
use their powers, just in case.
Anytime a manifestation fails, in addition to what normally can happen
from failing an action, the environment can also be altered. The GM can intro-
duce a complication on the scene based on the manifestation and the part-time
gods divine aspect. This complication can take the form of an aspect on the
scene, a challenge to be overcome, another antagonist appearing or any other
appropriate complication based on the situation, manifestation and part-time
gods divine aspect.

Modifiers
Manifestations can be modified in a number of ways and for a number of
reasons. Below is a list of possible, but not exhaustive, ways manifestations can
be modified:

Area Effects
When trying to affect an area with a manifestation, the difficulty to use
the manifestation increases by two or gives the targets using the defend action
against the manifestation a +2.

Blood
Using your own blood as part of the use of the manifestation (i.e. placing a
drop of blood on a person when using Aegis). Effect: Take a mild consequence
and the boost Powered by my Blood.

Duration
This is just a version of creating an advantage, but if its something that
would require a constant effort of their divine Spark to keep going, then any
further manifestation checks while that aspect exists are at -1.

Setting Difficulty For Manifestations

Figuring out difficulties for manifestation checks can be a little
tricky, and theyre different depending on the situation, especially when
it comes to the overcome action. Youll just have to assess the situation
and use the ladder to determine how hard it should be for the god to
overcome the obstacle. Lucky for you the ladder has excellent descrip-
tors like Good, Superb, and Epic. Most create an advantage actions are
a Good (+3) difficulty unless theyre against someone or something that
can defend, then the difficulty is set by the defend roll. The attack and
defend actions also work based on the opposition.

50
Multiple Manifestations
Using multiple manifestations on the same action increases the difficulty
of the action taken by two. The GM must find this reasonable to the game and
situation.

Multiple Targets
When using a manifestation against multiple, individual targets (not
mobs), you make a single manifestation roll against Mediocre (+0). You then
take that value and split it up between the selected targets, and determine if
each check was successful or not. If you are attempting to effect three targets
and get a Superb (+5) roll, then you can split your action up to effect target A
with a Good (+3) and targets B and C with an Average (+1).

Ritual Time
Most manifestations require one exchange to use. However, you can ex-
tend the time taken, concentrating more magic to provide a bonus to the ex-
change. This requires you to do nothing besides chant, concentrate and focus
your effect (sometimes lasting days or even weeks). Bonuses: ten minutes (+1),
one hour (+2), one day (+3), one week (+4), one month (+5).

Sacrifices
You can also use sacrificial offerings to increase your hold over your Do-
minion. These sacrificial items are usually mundane but have a connection to
the concept of their power, such as a pocket watch for a god of time, a bottle
of blessed water for a god of water, or a virgins blood for a god of lust. Some
are known to carry several sacrifices with them at any time. These items act as
boosts for manifestation checks.

Territory
You have governance over a portion of the earth. While within your own
territory, your power works as you would expect. However, if within anoth-
er gods territory, your power is challenged by the owner of the domain. This
means you gain a -1 to any exchanges which use your manifestations while in
another gods territory unless the god relents.

Time/Season
This is an aspect that can be invoked or compelled if the season is not
conducive to you or your powers. For instance, the god of winter attempts
to create snow in the Dead of Summer. Another god could invoke Dead of
Summer when trying to resist the snowy effects. The god of winter would also
have an easier time whipping up a blizzard in the Middle of Winter and could
invoke that aspect to do so.

51
Resisting Manifestations
When a PC or NPC is the target of a manifestation, the following rules apply:
Mortals have no defense against your manifestations, making their
defense always -1, and they are always resisting passively (they cannot roll).
Gods can only defend against a manifestation if they have at least one
fate point. If they dont have a fate point and are targeted by a manifesta-
tion, they follow the same rule as mortals. If the manifestation is hostile or
complicates their life, they then receive a fate point after the action resolves.
If the manifestation creates an effect in which the target has a chance
to dodge or evade the effect, the target, mortal or god, gets a chance to
avoid the effect (most often using Athletics). For example: a bolt of fire
shot at a target, a boulder dropped from above the target, etc.

Manifestation Examples and Overlap

Each manifestation skill contains a series of examples showing differ-
ent ways to use the different actions with a variety of godly concepts. In a
lot of cases, youll see overlap in the actions. Many times what is a create
an advantage action could also be a defend. What is an attack action could
also be an overcome. What really matters is the intent of the action. If its
an action meant to shrug off an attack, then its a defend. If its something
you craft into the story, then its a create an advantage. If you are intend-
ing to deal stress to something, then its an attack. If its just an obstacle
to deal with, its overcome. Those are the fictional constraints to the Fate
Core System. You have a lot of flexibility, but the rules are there to keep
things within a certain scope of action.

Handling Manifestations
It becomes noticeable quickly that some Dominions may be more
multi-purposed or wide-reaching than others. This is a very important distinc-
tion to make when considering what a characters Dominion should be. For in-
stance, what should the god be able to do and how should those powers work?
Should a god of water be able to affect my lemonade, that vial of poison or the
human body and its blood, since all are water-based? The answer is simple: The
god would have only a small degree of control over all of these things, because
they are not connected directly to their Dominion. We handle this by looking
at how closely the manifestation is related to the part-time gods Dominion,
and with manifestation specializations.

Broad vs Specific
Attempts to affect ones Dominion based on their divine aspect are done
normally. The god of water could affect the water in the pond with no problem
because this falls under the direct Dominion they possess. However, if the
part-time god steps away from their Dominion, the GM must decide if the ef-
fect can even be performed under their current Dominion. The manifestation
checks are more difficult if the effects are deemed only connected indirectly.
52
To affect a glass of lemonade, the god of water would have little trouble, as
lemonade is just water with sugar and flavoring. To affect poison, which has so
many other components that alter the chemical makeup of the water, the god
may find it much more difficult.
The list below gives some guidance on adding penalties to manifestation
checks based on the relationship of the action to the gods Dominion:
Specific (0): No penalty, as the effect is directly connected to their
Dominion.
Tangential (-1): The effect is something similar to or related to the
Dominion, but not exactly connected.
Broad (-2): Attempting to affect something that is only loosely con-
nected to a Dominion.
Beyond (Cannot be done): If use of a Dominion goes past the
Broad category, it should not be allowed.

53
Manifestation Specializations
With each part-time god getting several manifestation skills, and with an
infinite variety of Dominions available to players, the numbers and kinds of
effects achievable within a Pantheon can be vast. For example, the goddess of
nature using the Shaping manifestation could result in a staggering number of
effects: controlling trees, changing humans into animals, making plants gigan-
tic, causing a strong wind to blow a cloud of dandelions across a battlefield,
etc. This flexibility might be great for some players, but for others it can be
overwhelming and slow play.
To help focus play, each manifestation should be given a specialization.
This concept asks your players, at character creation, to describe the way each
of their manifestations most commonly presents itself when used. For exam-
ple, the goddess of nature might say that her Shaping ability generally mani-
fests by changing the size of animals in the area from as small as a grasshopper
to as large as a horse. This specialization gives the player a +1 to Shaping checks
that perform the specific effect named.
Making these specializations broad enough to be useful but narrow enough
to be functional is the key. Collaborate with the other players to come to a
consensus on manifestation specializations. If a particular specialization does
not function well in play, either because it is too broad or too narrow, it can be
changed at a minor milestone.

Manifestation Skills
Below are the eight manifestations a part-time god can possess. Each man-
ifestation is discussed in detail, along with examples of how different Domin-
ions are expressed with each manifestation.

Manifestation Overcome Create Attack Defend

Advantage
Aegis X X
Beckon X X
Journey X X
Minion X X * *
Oracle X X
Puppetry X X X X
Ruin X X X
Shaping X X

* Minion isnt used to attack or defend on its own, but your minions can do so.

54
Aegis
The Aegis manifestation allows gods to use their Dominion to directly
protect themselves or another from harm. It is a favorite for gods who offer
to defend followers or worshippers. Its effects can alert the god to any distur-
bance within their Dominion, make them invincible against effects that could
come from their Dominion or create defensive assets.

o

Overcome: Aegis isnt used to overcome anything.

Create Advantage: You can use Aegis to create defensive aspects

c on yourself or others within the scope of your Dominion. These
only last for the scene.

a

Attack: Aegis isnt used to attack.

d

Defend: Aegis can be used to defend any attack as long as it is with-

in the scope of your Dominion.

Create an Advantage Examples

Bestial: The god sends one of their charges to watch over a target,
like a guard dog or a raven that lurks in the shadows. These could be as-
pects like Eyes on My Loved One or Bogo the Watchdog. A goddess of
rhinoceri could create a Thick Hide on her body.
Conceptual: A god of the hunt could be alerted if his prey is hurt or
a goddess of knowledge could understand how shes being attacked. These
could be aspects like My Enemy is Hurt or I Know That Technique.
Elemental: A god of forests may sense when he comes under danger,
while a goddess of wind could whip up a series of wind walls. These could
be aspects like Plant Sense or Wind Walls.
Emotional: A god of love may want to be told if a pair of lovers is at-
tacked or a goddess of fear could make it harder for fear to take root in her
allies. These aspects could be I Know Their Hearts or This Fear is Known.
Patron: A goddess of music may protect a certain talented musician or
a god of dancers could boost his movement to become harder to hit. These
could be aspects like Sounds Protect Him or Breakdancing Dodge.
Tangible: A goddess of computers could be alerted the moment
someone attempts to access hidden files with Mental Circuit Link. A
god of filth could cover himself in feces to make himself harder to grab and
disgusting to mortals with Covered in Filth.

Defend Examples
Bestial: A goddess of cats could protect a cat with an invisible force
field that lasts for a moment, or the god of rats could use a swarm of rats to
defend himself from a fiery blast if the rats were already present in the scene.
Conceptual: A god of love may use his power to protect someone
they love or a couple who is truly in love. A goddess of vengeance could
use her power to protect herself from someone who is seeking revenge
against her.

55
 Elemental: A god of earth can use the earth around them to help
defend themselves, throwing it in the way of attacks, while the goddess
of wind could use buffets of wind to keep an attacker off balance, causing
their blows to miss.
Emotional: A god of fear could cause an attacker to panic as they at-
tack making them miss, or a goddess of anger could use her divine anger to
intimidate an attacker as they battle, causing the foes attack to go amiss.
Patron: The goddess of blacksmiths could cause metal weapons to
warp and miss her as shes being attacked, while a god of travelers could
use his power to move out of the way of attacks.
Tangible: The god of wine could instill double vision in an attacker
for a moment to make the blow miss, while a goddess of healing could just
use her power to heal the damage in an instant - but only in that instant, so
if her power isnt strong enough she could still be gravely wounded.

Aegis Entitlement
Invincibility: You can create an advantage against a difficulty of Me-
diocre (+0) to become invincible against any attack or create advantage
effects that come from your Dominion. Each invocation on the created
aspect lets you ignore any stress from a single attack against you and re-
moves one invocation. When the aspect has no invocations left, the aspect
is removed.

56
Beckon
There are plenty of instances where a goddess may be without her favored
weapon or may need to beckon aid from her Dominion. This manifestation allows
the goddess to summon her Dominion, turn it away, or even create false expe-
riences (illusions). Note: Beckon doesnt create or destroy their Dominion from
nothing, but instead calls it forth from (or banishes it to) another location nearby.

Overcome: You can use Beckon to summon or banish your Domin-

o ion. You only need to roll to summon your Dominion when there is
some kind of pressure on you or opposition resisting you.

Create Advantage: You can use Beckon to summon your Domin-

c ion to aid you or create an illusion. Either case creates an aspect in
relation to your Dominion.

a

Attack: Beckon isnt used to make attacks.

d

Defend: Beckon isnt used for defense.

Overcome Examples
Bestial: A god of canines may summon a dog to assist him, while a
goddess of worms could stop a corpse from being eaten.
Conceptual: A goddess of celebrations may summon party decora-
tions to set the mood, while a god of names could erase knowledge of his
identity from anothers mind.
Elemental: A god of storms could summon or attempt to banish a
powerful hurricane, while a goddess of fire could extinguish a house fire.
Emotional: A god of anger could instantly calm even the most aggressive
of attackers, while a goddess of war could crush a soldiers will to participate.
Patron: A goddess of scribes would never be without her writing
utensils, while a goddess of mechanics can send or summon her tools back
and forth from the shop.
Tangible: A god of wealth could make a wealthy mans wallet disappear,
while a god of dreams might summon an item from a dream into the real world.

Create an Advantage Examples

Bestial: A god of roaches may summon a swarm to fly and distract a
target creating the aspect Roach Swarm, while a goddess of wolves could
fabricate the howl of wolves to scare someone in the woods and create the
aspect Panicked.
Conceptual: A god of beauty can create an illusion of idealized beau-
ty making the aspect A Vision of Beauty, while the goddess of secrets can
hide the thought of a person, place, thing or idea from a conversation - if
you wanted to not be questioned about a man named Herman, the aspect
created would be Forget Herman.
Elemental: The goddess of oceans could create the constant sound of
the Crashing Tide to hide other sounds, while the god of trees can create
the aspect A Clear Path to help him find a quicker way through a forest.

57
 Emotional: The god of an emotion can bring forth a surge of that emo-
tion in their target, like a god of lust who makes his target Easy to Seduce
or a goddess of sorrow creating an aspect on her target of Falling to Pieces.
Patron: A god of cooks could create an aspect of World Class Kitch-
en to help his craft, while a goddess of musicians could draw a bunch of
excellent musicians to her, creating the aspect of Excellent House Band.
Tangible: A goddess of disease could make Illusory Rashes appear
on her victim, while a god of screams could summon forth The Sound of
a Thousand Wails.

Beckon Entitlements
The Illusion of Touch: When you create illusions, they can affect
anothers sense of touch. If an illusion does harm to someone, the stress
dealt is mental.

Journey
The Journey manifestation affects a gods ability to travel with great speeds
(sometimes even instantly) within their Dominion. It doesnt apply to all Do-
minions, but can be a powerful tool in the right hands. The following are ef-
fects that can be accomplished through the use of Journey: moving through
objects, moving swiftly, and teleportation within sight range.

Overcome: You can use Journey to phase through objects, have

o other objects or creatures phase through objects and barriers, or
have others phase through each other, depending on the Dominion.

Create Advantage: You can use Journey to create an advantage to in-

c crease your speed or someone elses speed depending on the Dominion.

a

Attack: Journey isnt used to make attacks.

d

Defend: Journey isnt used for defense.

Overcome Examples
Bestial: A goddess of monkeys could traverse a tree or other obsta-
cles like a monkey, or the god of dolphins could make you swim like a
porpoise.
Conceptual: The god of the hunt could track down prey through any
terrain, while the goddess of celebration could maneuver through a crowd
easily at a party.
Elemental: The goddess of shadows can teleport to any shadow she
can see, and the god of fire could appear in any fire he can see - but might
still get burned.
Emotional: The god of grief could teleport to a nearby wake or cemetery,
while a goddess of charity could teleport to a homeless shelter or food bank.
Patron: A goddess of sculptors could hide inside a statue, while a god of
killers could phase through any obstacle standing between him and his victim.

58
 Tangible: A goddess of racing could jump into a vehicle without the
need to open their door, while a god of the Internet could travel anywhere
within his territory that has a Wi-Fi connection.

Create an Advantage Examples

Bestial: A god of horses can provide a horse with a Speed Boost
while a god of cheetahs can give themselves the aspect Quick as a Cat.
Conceptual: A god of vengeance or justice can increase their speeds
when chasing down the target of their revenge/justice, creating an aspect
like You are Mine or I Have You Now.
Elemental: A god of wind could create an aspect Rising Wind to fly
quickly, while a god of the ocean can create the aspect The Swift Current
to increase their swimming speed.
Emotional: A god of fear can create Be Afraid in a target to increase
their fleeing speed, while a god of love can increase their speed to save a
loved one by creating I Need to Save My Love.
Patron: A god of messengers speeds up to ensure their parcel arrives
on time with the aspect Were Never Late, while a god of sailors can cre-
ate the aspect The Most Efficient Crew to boost their ships travel time.
Tangible: The god of tracking could quicken the pursuit of their prey
with I Have the Scent, while the god of racing can infuse their car with
power to create the aspect Souped Up Engine.

Journey Entitlements
Teleportation: You have the power of instant teleportation. It must
be rooted in your Dominion and costs one fate point to use.

Minion
The Minion manifestation allows the gods to create minions. Some do so
to have unpleasant tasks performed for them, and others do it to seek compan-
ionship. Its effects can call spirits, enchant a person and bend them to their
will, or instill life itself to create minions from scratch.

Overcome: You use the overcome action to enchant a minion to

o give you information.

Create Advantage: This serves two purposes. The first is sum-

c moning spirits.. Summoning a minion to do your bidding is risky
business and can go very wrong. Getting your associate Molok the
Immolator to help you out might leave you scorched in the end, so
be careful (or at least be informed of potential drawbacks).

The second is creating a minion. When you want to create a minion, use
create an advantage if the object or creature is part of your Dominion. Creat-
ing a minion is difficulty Good (+3). When you succeed at creating a minion,
you assign it one aspect and two skills: one at your Minion skill rating and
the second at your Minion skill rating minus one. It follows the same rules for
stress as a regular character but has no consequence slots. If you succeed with
style, it gains a third skill at your Minion skill level and a minor consequence.
The NPC is your Minion but is also an NPC. The minion will obey you unless
59
you give it a reason not to.

Attack: Minion isnt used for attack, but your minions could attack
a for you.

d

Defend: Minion isnt used to defend, but your minions could de-
fend for you.

Overcome Examples
Bestial: A god of monkeys could get his minion to fetch the guards
keys or his cat to leap up and attack.
Conceptual: A goddess of secrets could talk someone into giving up
a juicy nugget, while an evil goddess could ask someone to perform an evil
deed (keep in mind evil is different for everyone).
Elemental: Because a consciousness is necessary, only elemental
spirits could be made to perform almost any action at the gods command.
Emotional: A goddess of love can easily make another infatuated with
her, while a god of anger could talk someone into being angry pretty easily.
Patron: A goddess of merchants could charm someone into giving a sub-
stantial discount, while a god of fencing could command a swordsman to action.
Tangible: A goddess of dance will never get stood up on the dance
floor, while a god of blood could get anyone to donate at a blood drive.

Create an Advantage Examples

Bestial: A goddess of dogs could give her companion human level intelli-
gence, while a god of ravens could summon a raven spirit.

Bogo
Aspect: As Smart as I Am
Skills: Knowledge +3, Athletics +2
Physical Stress 2, Mental Stress 2

Conceptual: A god of sportsmanship could give life to a scoreboard that

would never cheat, while a goddess of wisdom could summon up the spirit of
the library and then converse with it.

Scoreboard
Aspect: Ill Never Cheat
Skills: Notice +2, Physique +1
Physical Stress 3, Mental Stress 2

Elemental: A god of earth may create a small mud man or summon up an

elemental spirit of earth.

Mud Man
Aspect: Im Made of Mud
Skills: Physique +3, Fight +2
Physical Stress 4, Mental Stress 2

60
 Emotional: A god of love could create a floating wisp that talks of noth-
ing except who should end up with who, or summon up a spirit of love to
converse with.

Kirby
Aspect: Wisp of Love
Skills: Empathy +3, Rapport +2
Physical Stress -, Mental Stress 2

Patron: A goddess of seamstresses could enchant materials to create a

suit, or a god of sailors could summon the spirit of a dead sailor to ask a favor
or ask some questions about what happened on his last voyage.

Threader
Aspect: Tools of the Tailors Trade
Skills: Crafts (Tailor) +3, Athletics +2
Physical Stress 2, Mental Stress 2

Tangible: A goddess of the dead may create a zombie from a corpse or

summon up a ghost to ask a favor.

Deadhead
Aspect: The Walking Dead
Skills: Physique +3, Fight +2
Physical Stress 4, Mental Stress 2

Minion Entitlement
The Creator: When you are using create an advantage to create a
minon within your Dominion, you gain a +2.

Oracle
A god with the Oracle manifestation gains the ability to sense their Do-
minion in many different ways: in the area, through time or even within anoth-
ers mind. It is one of the most useful and powerful abilities a god can possess,
if used correctly.

Overcome: You can use Oracle to sense your Dominion and what
o may have happened or will happen in the future, as well as to read
minds - be they human or animal.

Create Advantage: You can use create an advantage to assist in

c locating things in your Dominion, as well as to see possible futures
in order to assist you and your companions, as long as the future is
associated with your Dominion.

a

Attack: Oracle isnt used to attack.

d Defend: Oracle isnt used to defend.

61
Overcome Examples
Bestial: A god of snakes could sense any poisonous snakes in the area,
while a goddess of dogs can enter the mind of mans best friend. A god of
lions could also see the events of a recent lion attack.
Conceptual: A goddess of knowledge can get a general sense of the
information inside a book, while a god of names could immediately get any
name a target knows from them. A goddess of murder could see visions of
a crime scene as the murder occurred.
Elemental: A goddess of smoke can sense if there are any cigarettes
around, while a god of fire could search for thoughts of pyromania. A god
of fire could also tell what the ashes used to be.
Emotional: A god of ecstasy can tell if someone is elated due to drugs
or fortuitous events, while a goddess of vengeance could sense who has
vengeful intent in the room. A god of anger could see visions of moments
of extreme anger in the area.
Patron: A god of cooks could tell the group what cuisine is nearby,
while a goddess of blacksmiths could tell where a blade has been.
Tangible: A goddess of music could hear a song from miles away, while
a god of computers could sense someones real technological prowess. A
god of dreams could tell if someone who slept in a bed had nightmares.

Seeing Into the Future

When you create an advantage with Oracle, youre probably crafting an
advantage to use later. This will result in the GM giving some information
as to what actions are most likely important to the future scene. This means
creating an advantage will result in the GM revealing an aspect on the scene,
and if there is more than one invocation on the aspect, then its more likely
to occur as the character has seen it. The GM should discuss with you and
the other players what theyre looking for by asking and fielding questions
to find out what is being revealing. Knowing the right question to ask about
the future is just as important as looking into the future.

Create an Advantage Examples

Note: A lot of these create an advantage examples will make aspects like
I Know the Future, or This Will Happen, or even more specific events like
James Shoots at Keith. The important thing when taking the action to look
into the future is to pick the person or the place, associate it with the Domin-
ion of your god, and then get information. Knowing what is going to happen is
easy. Knowing exactly when is not always as easy.
Bestial: A god of monkeys could see the probable events that will
occur inside a monkey house at the zoo, while a goddess of cats could see
events that might occur through the eyes of a cat.
Conceptual: A goddess of celebration could see visions of what will
occur in a place where a party will happen, while a god of murder can see
if someone might commit a murder in the future.
Elemental: A god of earth could tell if an enemy will find him in a
62
 certain hiding place, while a goddess of storms could see a possible future
storm before it happens. Looking at the right place is the hard part though.
Emotional: A goddess of anger could see the next time an event fu-
eled by anger happens in a place or the next angry act a person takes, while
a god of pride could see a vision of someones ego being broken.
Patron: A goddess of sailors could tell if she is about to cross paths
with another ship on her travels, while a god of artists could see what his
targets next great project will be.
Tangible: A god of music could hear the sounds of future music and
maybe other sounds in a theater, while a goddess of computers or a god of
words could read future emails written on a computer screen.

Oracle Entitlements
Time Viewer: You have a gift when looking through time. Any time
you use Oracle to look into the future or the past, you gain a +2 to the roll.

Puppetry
The Puppetry manifestation is a favorite among gods, allowing them to
move and manipulate their Dominion with only their mind or the wave of a
hand. Note: These effects do not create the Dominion, only move it around.

Overcome: This is used to manipulate your Dominion and take

o control of someone or something connected to your Dominion.

Create Advantage: You can transfer the effects of your Dominion

c to others by creating an advantage.

Attack: As long as the Dominion is accessible, it can be used to

a attack.

d

Defend: As long as the Dominion is accessible, it can be used to

defend.

Overcome Examples
Bestial: A goddess of mice could levitate her small companion into
the air duct without issue, while a god of rhinoceri could control a rhinoc-
eros rampaging through the city.
Conceptual: A goddess of celebration could ensure all the fireworks
went off at just the right time, while a god of suffering can bend a targets
body in terrible ways.
Elemental: A goddess of metal could make a sewer cover fly at an
opponent, while a god of metal could paralyze a target wearing a suit of
knights armor.
Emotional: A god of anger could shove an angry man into a wall or
direct any angry person to attack someone.
Patron: A goddess of weapons could wage a war single-handedly with
weapons fighting on her own, while a god of swordsmanship could use his

63
 divine power to direct the weakest warrior in a fight.
Tangible: A god of disease could move an illness from one part of the
body to another, while a god of dance could make someone with two left
feet appear to be a master of movement.

Create an Advantage Examples

Bestial: A god of fish could transfer the ability to breath underwa-
ter to someone whos drowning with Water Breather, while a goddess of
frogs could give someone a frogs jumping abilities with Frog Legs.
Conceptual: A goddess of truth could give someone her sense of
morals with the aspect Ill Never Lie, while a god of the hunt may give
others better tracking skills with The Hunters Eyes.
Elemental: A goddess of earth could move any dirt on herself to an-
other with Youre Dirty, while a god of water could take any water on

64
 themselves and splash it on someone else: Youre Wet.
Emotional: A god of sorrow could transfer ones sorrow to another
giving them the aspect Overwhelming Sadness, while a goddess of fear
could remove their apprehension and give it to their enemy, creating the
aspect Fearful Hesitation.
Patron: A goddess of soldiers could give her battle resolve to some-
one who needed it, creating the aspect Courage Under Fire, while a god
of the poor could give a rich person a dose of humility with the aspect
Humble Pie, hoping to teach them a lesson.
Tangible: A god of racing could impart Godly Driving Skills upon
a new wheelman, while a goddess of dreams could give Nightmare Visions
to another.

Puppetry Entitlements
The String Puller: Even the most powerful have difficulty resisting
your string pulling. When using the overcome action to force past some-
one resisting your control, you gain a +2 to the check.
The Matter Manipulator: You just have a knack for tying your
strings around objects. When you are trying to manipulate an object thats
within your Dominion, you gain a +2 to the check.

Ruin
This manifestation is useful for causing physical harm or pain to a target
with ones Dominion. Ruin is a common power of many gods of war, destruc-
tion, and other horrible acts. Effects with this manifestation include destroy-
ing ones target from afar, creative curses, or enhancing destructive ability in
a target.

Overcome: If defeating some obstacle requires some kind of de-

o struction that doesnt inflict stress, use overcome to do so if its
within your Dominion.

Create Advantage: You can instill some part of your Dominion

c in yourself or another to enhance their combat prowess, or spin a
temporary curse to hamper them.

Attack: You charge up with power and fire that power out. You
a can attack something within your Dominion or attack a target with
your Dominion.

d

Defend: Ruin isnt used to defend.

Overcome & Attack Examples

Bestial: A goddess of bears could bring a grizzly to its knees, while a
god of animals could hurt all animals in his vicinity.
Conceptual: A goddess of justice could make a target experience the
same harm they caused another, while a god of celebration could shatter a

65
 disco ball to make sharpened shards rain on a target.
Elemental: A god of storms could fire a torrent of wind, while a god-
dess of trees could fire needles from a nearby pine.
Emotional: A god of love may harm someone wishing to stop true
love, while a goddess of guilt could cause the target to harm themselves
with visions of past crimes.
Patron: A goddess of artists could flick paint at her target that turns
into dangerous darts, while a god of thieves could create magical throwing
knives that disappear afterward.
Tangible: A god of acid could surround their target in a flesh-eating
smoke, while a goddess of music could create a high-pitched sound that
bursts eardrums.

Create an Advantage Examples

Bestial: A god of dogs could make it hurt to abuse a dog, No More
Canine Abuse, while a goddess of snakes may take on a snakes attributes
of Quick and Flexible.
Conceptual: A god of motherhood could get a bonus to fight an en-
emy that threatens his child, You Wont Lay a Hand On Them, while
the goddess of truth may make it uncomfortable for someone to lie with
Dont Lie to Me.
Elemental: A god of earth could harden their fists, Fists of Stone,
while the goddess of water could make it difficult for someone to enter a
body of water, Lake Erie is Like Acid to You.
Emotional: A goddess of anger could become a berserk warrior,
Frenzied Attacker, while the god of sadness could make laughing and
smiling a bleeding situation, It Hurts to Laugh.
Patron: A goddess of carpentry could enhance her combat ability
with their favorite hammer, Its Hammer Time, while the god of scribes
could make someone pained if they stop writing, Writers Cramp.
Tangible: A goddess of blood could create a blood whip from her
wrists to attack with, Blood Whips, while a god of night could make it
harder for someone to fight while in moonlight, The Moonlight Pains
You.

Overcoming Obstacles with Ruin

Ruin is a destructive force and manifestation of your godly power,
so acts like using a high-pitched scream to harm a target is pretty much
the same as breaking every piece of glass, including the one crystal wall
thats keeping you from escaping. The overcome action with Ruin will
only come up when the obstacle in question can be destroyed in one shot
or as part of a challenge. See Fate Core System pg. 146.

66
 The Geas Effect
If you place a geas on someone using create advantage, you can use
this optional rule. When using the create an advantage action against
someone they defend with Will. Each invocation placed on the aspect
when created is one time the geas can be triggered. When triggered, the
geas causes a two-stress physical or mental hit. The type of pain inflicted
is decided at the time the geas is created.

Ruin Entitlements
Lasting Curse: When you curse someone or something, there is a
special requirement to get rid of it. You spend a fate point after successful-
ly cursing someone, and then add a requirement in order for the curse to
be lifted. This should be negotiated with the GM.
The Destroyer: When you use your Dominion to harm a target and
succeed, you can spend a fate point to add an aspect to the target based on
the damage youve done.

Shaping
With the Shaping manifestation, the gods can mold the object of their
Dominion even themselves. It is one of the most sought after manifestation
skills because of the versatility it lends to its gods.

Overcome: Shaping may be used to overcome, but is more com-

o monly a create an advantage action.

Create Advantage: You can use shaping to change yourself, oth-

c ers, or items according to your Dominion or change the fate of your
Dominion for good or ill.

a

Attack: Shaping isnt used to attack.

d

Defend: Shaping isnt used to defend.

Create an Advantage Examples

Bestial: A goddess of horses could give their target a Donkeys Head, or
a god of dogs could change a target into a chihuahua, Youre a Chihuahua.
Conceptual: A god of war could instantly mold any item into a weap-
on usable in combat, Youre Now a Machine Gun, while a goddess of the
hunt could blend into their environment making it harder to become the
prey, Im a Tree.
Elemental: A goddess of water could take away someones ability to

67
 swim, You Forget How to Swim, while a god of earth could harden sand,
Solid Sand, or turn the ground to mud, Mud Pit.
Emotional: A god of fear may take on a terrifying form, Im Your
Worst Nightmare (also a good one for a god of dreams), while a goddess
of joy could make anyone ready for a party, Time to Party Hard.
Patron: A god of mechanics could make it hard for a rival to fix a
certain car, You Cant Fix That, while a goddess of light could make
someone blind, Youre Blind.
Tangible: A god of wine could make himself practically immune to
getting drunk, Liver Overdrive, while a goddess of death could make
someone look like a corpse, Corpselike.

Shaping Entitlements
The True Shape: You are more in tune with the true shape and na-
ture of your Dominion.
When you use create
an advantage to change
yourself into your Do-
minion, in addition to
the aspect you create,
you can subtract a point
from any two skills you
have. You can then use
those points to add a
point to any two skills
you have. This lasts un-
til the end of the scene.
The Transmut-
er: You have mastered
using your Spark to
transmute things into
your Dominion. When
shaping something or
someone into your Do-
minion, you can spend
a fate point to make the
shift permanent. If the
target of the change is a
living creature, that crea-
ture can make an over-
come action using Will
to try and revert to their
former shape once a day,
at the time the gods Do-
minion is at its weakest
or when the sun rises.

68
 CHAPTER FIVE:
STUNTS & ENTITLEMENTS

Just because youre the god of fire doesnt mean you arent also a therapist
with the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Previous chapters de-
scribed choosing manifestations to fit your Dominion and what youre gener-
ally skilled at. The next step is to customize your part-time god to get the feel
youre looking for in your character. To get that customization, you have free
reign to create stunts and entitlements with some guidelines found here and in
the Fate Core System book.

STUNTS
Human stunts are any stunts based on human skills. These stunts cover
things a highly skilled human could do. These stunts might only be attainable
by extraordinary humans, but they dwell in the mortal realm. Players can use
the stunts (or create new stunts) based on the rules laid out in the Fate Core
System book or from the occupation stunts. Fate Core System pg. 88.

Occupations
Some human aspects and the builds created using the skill pyramid dont
exactly match the concepts you might come up with for certain occupations.
Fear not! Fate allows you to craft stunts to help build any kind of character. To
help you, some example stunts and some skills you should consider are listed
below (the skills must be purchased normally):

Academic
Stunt - Academic. Choose a field of study, such as herbology, criminology,
or zoology. You get a +2 to all Knowledge actions related to that field of study.
Skills: Great: Knowledge. Good: Investigate, Rapport.

69
 Knowledge is the best skill for anyone showing brilliance, while Investi-
gate means you understand how to research. Rapport, on the other hand, gives
you the ability to speak in front of people and present yourself at functions.

Artist
Stunt - Artist. Choose an artistic field, such as painting, sculpting or
graphic design. You gain a +1 on Knowledge actions concerning art, and you can
use Knowledge to create works of art in your artistic feild as overcome actions.
Skills: Great: Knowledge. Good: Rapport, Contacts
Knowledge is core to the artistic craft. With the Artist stunt, works of art
can be produced even if your human concept doesnt include being an artist.
Having Rapport and Contacts helps an artist find galleries to display and sell art.

Firefighter
Stunt - Fire Fighter. You gain a +1 on Will overcome actions and Phy-
sique actions when dealing with fire emergencies. You can also use Knowledge
to treat victims of fire-related injuries and conditions.
Skills: Great: Physique. Good: Athletics, Will or Knowledge.
Having some excellent physical attributes helps a firefighter, but Knowl-
edge represents the experience in dealing with emergency situations.

General Practitioner
Stunt - General Practitioner. You gain a +1 on Investigate overcome
actions used to diagnose illness and injuries, a +1 on Contact actions within the
medical community, and a +1 on medical Knowledge actions.
Skills: Great: Investigate. Good: Knowledge, Contacts or Rapport
A general practitioner must be aware of a variety of illnesses, how to di-
agnose them and who to send their patients to if they require more tests or
specialized care.

Musician
Stunt - Musician. Choose an instrument, such as guitar, trumpet or per-
cussion. You gain a +1 on Knowledge actions concerning talking about or com-
posing music, and you can use Rapport to perform. This is usually an overcome
action.
Skills: Great: Knowledge. Good: Rapport, Contacts
Musicians who make their living performing usually have a higher Rap-
port, while those who are more interested in composition or teaching have
Knowledge as their higher skill.

Politician
Stunt - Politician. You gain a +1 on Rapport actions when dealing with
crowds of people or being in the public spotlight, gain a +1 to your Resourc-
es from your campaign funds or government budget, (be careful if youre not
spending them on what theyre for), and you have a position in government
70
garnering you a +1 to your Contacts when maneuvering the political field youre
a part of.
Skills: Great: Rapport. Good: Resources, Contacts
Politicians are first and foremost great public speakers. Its their main live-
lihood, but the money they have backing them and the people they know are
a close second.

Sex Worker
Stunt - Escort. You gain a +1 on Rapport and Contacts actions with the
people your class of escort deals with. You should decide if youre a street work-
er or a higher class of escort.
Skills: Great: Rapport. Good: Contacts, Empathy or Deceive.
Sex workers get to know people intimately and understand them. They
also get to know quite a few folks in their line of work. Those people might
not be pleased if you ask them for a favor, but they may be motivated to help
regardless.

Surgeon
Stunt - Surgeon. You gain a +1 on Athletics overcome actions when per-
forming surgery and gain a +1 on medical Knowledge actions.
Skills: Great: Knowledge. Good: Athletics, Physique
A surgeon must have steady hands to go with their medical training. Hav-
ing the stamina to perform long surgeries is also a trait many surgeons have.

71
Therapist
Stunt - Therapist. You gain a +1 on Knowledge actions concerning the
type of therapist you are, and gain a +1 on Rapport and Empathy actions when
in one-on-one situations.
Skills: Great: Knowledge. Good: Rapport, Empathy.
Therapists create bonds with people in order to get them to open up about
the things bothering them in order to relieve stress, help heal mental trauma,
and show people other, and hopefully better, ways to lead their lives.

Building Characters to Fit Occupations

First decide which skills make the most sense at Great and Good for your
occupation. Once youve done that, consider if your human aspect plus your
skills sufficiently encompasses your occupation. Knowledge is often the prime
example of needing more, but your human aspect could inform what kind of
knowledge you possess--meaning you dont need the stunt to understand what
your character would know. If you want the stunt for further specialization or
to help define your character, use the stunt-building advice from the Fate Core
System or use the +1 splits from the occupations above, which is essentially
building two related half-stunts or in some cases three, where two are very sit-
uational. Finally, remember this is a collaborative process. Work with your GM
to make sure the stunt is suitable for your character and the game.

ENTITLEMENTS (Divine Stunts)

Entitlements are another part of the divine experience. Along with the
massive power provided by their Dominions, gods are also gifted with certain
entitlements: special powers handed down from one god to another. Some en-
titlements are directly tied to ones Dominion, while others are not. Myths of
Zeus, god of lightning, are never without stories of his love of shapeshifting
and his ability to woo any love he wanted. Odins legends speak of his twin crow
familiars and his ability to see through the disguises of his enemies. So too are
these entitlements extensions of the characters core concept. Certain mani-
festations can create some minor effects, but entitlements come much more
naturally to the god and do not require connection to a particular Dominion
or Theology.
Not all entitlements are regarded as gifts to the gods. In particular, mas-
sive physical changes to your body make it harder to exist in the normal world
without people finding out. Seeing people bent to a gods will with a word can
also be off-putting, especially when it starts to affect friends or family.
During character creation, you have one free refresh to spend on divine ex-
tras, which can be used to buy an entitlement. Certain powerful entitlements,
costing double or more, can be gained by spending your refresh during charac-
ter creation and at milestones. Beware this option, because each entitlement
you purchase beyond the first causes you to lose a Bond stress box. If you want
to create additional entitlements in line with character concepts, the group
should work together to find a way for them to fit into the game.

72
Active and Passive
Entitlements are separated into two types: active (A) and passive (P). Ac-
tive entitlements require the power be activated before it takes effect, usually
with the use of a fate point. Because they have a cost attached to them, many
active entitlements are more potent than passive entitlements.
Passive entitlements are always on, providing a constant bonus that rarely
requires activation. Some allow gods to spend a fate point, or make an over-
come exchange, to expand the base passive abilities. In other instances, char-
acters may want to push their power into hibernation for a scene. This hiber-
nation is temporary and can be done with an overcome exchange.
These powers are so entwined into the characters Spark that active enti-
tlements are sometimes automatically activated at times of great stress or high
emotion. In a lovers argument, gods may find their friends or lovers dying in
their arms when their claws instinctively extend, or patients may spring inex-
plicably from their deathbeds when in the presence of a god of healing.

How to Build Entitlements

Passive entitlements allow the character to ignore some law of nature or
reality, such as breathing underwater or speaking with animals. They range in
how they function from deflection, to superhuman strength, to a projected
aura. When building entitlements, pick a concept for what you want the enti-
tlement to do. It should be about a single action or situation, and then provide
some mechanical benefit to doing that single action or being in that single
situation. It can give an aspect with a free invoke at the beginning of the scene,
give a +2 to checks involving the action or situation, or give a static benefit
thats always active. Some also have ways to spend fate points to push them
further in terms of power or scope. Others are also problematic for the god
but can be suppressed with the proper application of divine power. You can use
the examples below for your characters or use them to help you and your GM
build your own.
Active entitlements are a bit more potent than passive and can be a little
more costly to activate. These powers also range in function but take a con-
scious effort and an action to activate. Many allow the part-time god to change
shape or state, while others might provide protection or rejuvenation for oth-
ers. Spending fate points or making a Good (+3) overcome roll using their high-
est manifestation ability to activate them is generally part of an active enti-
tlement. To build them in balance, pick a concept and then give yourself two
advantages (like two stress boxes and +2 physique), or an aspect and a Weapon
rating, or both if youre giant-sized (which costs two refresh). Other examples
of possible advantages are walking through walls or choosing to be invisible,
which is part of the Astral Projection entitlement. This power is extremely
flexible though, so it has a cost of 2 refresh.

73
Entitlement List
Aquatic (P)
You become connected to any body of water while submerged. With this
entitlement, you can breathe underwater without penalty, gain a +2 to any
checks involving swimming and ignore any damage caused by the crushing
depths of the ocean.

Astral Projection (A)

Costs 2 refresh. You can separate your spirit from your body by spending
one fate point. In this form, you cannot affect the physical world, can pass
through walls and can be visible or invisible as you choose. You can use this
to send your spirit anywhere within ten miles of your physical location. While
this power is in effect, your body is left inert and unprotected.

Beast Form (A)

You may shapeshift into an animal of your choosing, like a golden retriever,
cobra, or hummingbird. When changing into this form, your gain the aspect
Form of, and can subtract a point from up to any two skills and use those
points to add a point to up to any two other skills. You can also choose to spend
a fate point to transfer two additional skill points.

Beast Tongue (P)

Taking after the legends of many beast-gods, you can speak with animals
as if they were human. Pick one type of animal you can easily speak with, such
as felines, monkeys, dogs, etc. If needed, you can make an Average (+1) over-
come action using your highest manifestation skill to speak to any animal type
for the scene. Keep in mind different individual animals, even those within
the same species, have their own personalities and information to give. GMs
should treat the animals like any other NPC, feeling free to flesh out important
animals, but leave others with general personalities.

Beast Ward (P)

You emit a natural vibe that banishes animals in the area with a thought.
Dogs, cats, lizards, and other lesser beasts hate being in your presence and have
to make a Fair (+2) Will overcome to avoid fleeing. You can spend one fate point
to raise the Will overcome to Great (+4).

Colossal Size (A)

Costs 2 refresh. Some gods are said to be gargantuan compared to a normal
person. With this entitlement you can force your body to grow up to fourteen
feet tall with rippling muscles, easily towering over others. By making a Good
(+3) overcome check using your highest manifestation ability, you gain the fol-

74
lowing: two additional physical stress boxes, +2 Physique, a Weapon:2 rating
with any attack that has to do with strength, and the aspect Giant-Sized. If
you succeed with style, Giant-Sized starts with a free invoke. On the other
hand, you stand out, first being large and hulking, then having ripped clothes
when you return to your original size.

Dark Sacrifice (A)

Often a power granted to dark gods, this entitlement allows you to drain
a victims life force with a single touch. You spend one fate point and make a
Good (+3) overcome check using your highest manifestation skill. This attack
has a Weapon:2 rating. If you succeed with style it becomes Weapon:3. Not
only do you cause the target pain, but you can clear a number of stress boxes
equal to half the stress dealt. You could instead use four shifts of damage to
clear a mild physical consequence or eight shifts of damage to clear a moderate
physical consequence, but never a severe or extreme consequence.

Divine Protection (A)

This entitlement gifts you with increased defenses for the scene, in the
form of an invisible force field or even just making yourself tougher. In either
case, you can take almost any attack. When activated you make a Good (+3)
overcome check using your highest manifestation skill, gaining Armor:2 on a
success, or Armor:3 if you succeed with style, for the duration of the scene.

Energy Deflection (P)

You become resistant to damage and negative effects from electricity, fire,
and other energy sources (even those created by manifestations). An invisible
field appears around you that automatically absorbs half the shifts of damage
received from energy. You can also spend one fate point to completely negate
damage from a single energy attack.

Extra Arms (P)

You are gifted with an extra pair of arms, in the image of Shiva the De-
stroyer. This gives you the aspect Extra Arms, which starts each scene with
one invoke on it. Most gods keep the extra arms tucked away in a coat when
not in use, but you can make a Great (+3) overcome check using your highest
manifestation skill to suppress them for the scene if you choose.

Familiar (P)
You are granted the service of a lower creature, imbued with near-human
intelligence and the ability to communicate verbally. Familiars are always mun-
dane animals, such as cats or dogs, not dragons or unicorns or similar other-
worldly beasts. They are built using the following guidelines:
One aspect
Skills: one Good (+3), one Fair (+2), and two Average (+1).
Stress: two stress boxesa three-shift hit is enough to take them out.

75
 You and your familiar can see through each others eyes from up to two
hundred feet away. The animal should fall in line with your Dominion and con-
cept. For instance, a god of death may have a vicious dog as his hellhound,
while a god of wisdom may travel with an owl as white as pure snow, which
keeps watch at night.

Fearful Aura (P)

You become much scarier than a normal person, emanating a terrifying
vibe. You gain a Fearful Aura of Fair (+2), and anyone who enters your presence
must resist with a Will overcome. A failed check makes the weak-willed cower
or run away entirely. You can further enhance your Fearful Aura by one per fate
point spent. You can also spend one fate point to suppress this aura for the
scene if you choose.

First Move (P)

You receive a +2 to your Notice when determining initiative in a physical
conflict. In addition, spending one fate point allows you to automatically act
first in a physical conflict.

Guardian Sight (P)

All gods have someone important to them, whether a Bond or a ward they
care for. With this entitlement, you can speak the name of that person and
instantly see a vision of the targets location, what he or she is currently doing,
and the emotional state of the target. Guardian Sight can only be attached to
one being at a time. You can spend 1 fate point to switch targets, but you and
the target must be in each others presence and cannot be strangers or have
only recently met.

Healing Hands (A)

Legends of gods who can heal others with their divine power are well
known. This entitlement gives you this awesome power, extended with a single
touch. To activate, spend a fate point and make a Good (+3) overcome check
using your highest manifestation skill. If successful, the target can clear a num-
ber of stress boxes equal to the number of shifts you succeed by. Success with
style means you can use the check to clear a mild consequence instead of the
stress. If you succeed with style and spend a fate point, the target can clear a
moderate consequence.

Incredible Strength (P)

Many gods have superhuman strength. At this level, your physical appear-
ance does not change, and you come off as surprisingly strong to anyone who
witnesses your feats. You gain +1 Physique, which can break the skill column
rule, and any attack you make utilizing your strength is considered Weapon:1.

76
Lashing (A)
You attack with the power of your mind, creating invisible, spiritual whips
that slash your opponent with a thought. To activate, make a Good (+3) overcome
check using your highest manifestation skill. This entitlement acts as Weapon:2
and can be directed at a target up to one zone away within line of sight.

Lucky (A)
Some gods use their Spark to protect them from horrible fates or push
their luck to even greater heights. This entitlement lets you spend one fate
point to pick up and re-roll any of the Fate dice again after learning if the roll
was successful or not.

Masterful Leap (A)

Gods who cannot fly often find other ways to get around. With this enti-
tlement, your ability to jump is greatly enhanced and made much more precise.
By making an Athletics overcome against Good (+3) using your highest mani-
festation skill, you can leap up to two extra zones. You may also make Athletics
checks to jump with a +2 bonus. When activated, this entitlement lasts for the
duration of the scene.

Masterful Speed (P)

Your physical body is supercharged to travel at much faster speeds than a
normal person. You can move two zones instead of one when moving, and re-
ceive +1 bonus to Fight and Athletics checks, which can break the skill column
rule. If you choose, you can also temporarily raise your movement to three
zones and increase your Fight and Athletics checks by another +1 for the scene
by spending a fate point.

Natural Weapons (A)

Several myths speak of gods with claws that can slice a human in two or
horns to smash opponents through a wall. By making an overcome against
Good (+3) using your highest manifestation skill, you summon forth your own
natural weapons: claws, horns, spikes, secretions of acid, or another unique
body modification. These natural weapons are considered Weapon:2.

Otherworldly Sight (P)

Your eyes open to unnatural things in the world. While other gods can
sense the presence of the Source in the area, this entitlement provides you
with two additional abilities. First, you can see and speak to any kind of Spirit
or Ghost you come into contact with. Second, Otherworldly Sight allows you
to see the true faces of Pucks or other monsters through any guises they may
choose to take. You may spend one fate point to suppress this vision for a scene
but cannot otherwise blind yourself to the hidden horrors of the world.

77
Picture of Health (P)
Your body is filled with energy, causing you to be abnormally healthy and
full of life. You gain two more physical stress boxes, and you can have more
than the standard four stress boxes. In addition you gain a +2 to Physique
checks against death, disease or poison.

Plant Tongue (P)

You can speak with a particular type of plant life as if it were human, such as
trees, bushes, or grass. Plants have plenty of stories to tell, especially since they
seldom get the chance to speak with anyone. Generally, the smaller the plant, the
younger they seem in terms of intelligence, while taller trees seem disconnected
from everyday life. You
can make an overcome
check against Good
(+3) using your highest
manifestation skill to
extend the communi-
cation with any plant.

PurityofSpirit(P)
Your mind is for-
tified with divine ener-
gy that you can use to
push yourself further
than others, keeping
your mind clear of any
intrusion or abnor-
malities. You gain two
mental stress boxes
and gain a +2 to Will
checks against fear, in-
sanity or pain.

Push (A)
This entitlement
creates a surge of pow-
er to push an object or
opponent back with
a rush of energy. The
effect does no damage
itself, but the target
may take damage from
things they hit or from
landing awkwardly.
You make an overcome
check using your high-
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est manifestation skill. You can push anything, including people, if the objects
or persons opposition roll is defeated. If successful, you push the object with
a force equal to the difference in shifts. Each shift either moves the object
or person one zone, or if they strike something deals damage equal to the re-
maining shifts. Weapon rating might also apply, depending on the object being
pushed into someone or what a person is being pushed into. By spending a fate
point, you can push a whole zone of objects and people. Push lacks the fine
manipulation of the Puppetry manifestation, but its great for forceful effects.

Regeneration (P)
Costs 2 refresh. Your divine Spark constantly generates healing power, fall-
ing in line with many legends of gods who cannot die. This entitlement allows
you to recover health at a much faster rate. Your lowest physical stress box
is cleared every time your turn comes up in a scene, and any physical conse-
quences are dealt with as if they were one level lower, with mild consequences
clearing at the end of the scene they were taken in.

Self-Sacrifice (A)
Many divine beings have a martyr complex that can be used to their advan-
tage. This entitlement sends your essence anywhere within line of sight to aid
a companion. By making an overcome check against Good (+3) using your high-
est manifestation skill, you ensure your ally takes no physical damage. Instead,
you take half the physical stress dealt (rounded down). This cannot be used to
reduce stress done directly to you, only to help another.

Skill Excellency (P)

Some gods are just better at a certain skill than a normal person, especial-
ly those who are patrons of a certain occupation. A god of archery would be
better at Shoot, a god of computers may receive a bonus to Technology when
in contact with any modern device, a god of seduction may be more persuasive
than another, or a god of cooks would have a natural ability to make the perfect
meal with Crafts. When selected, determine what skill this affects. At the be-
ginning of a scene you receive a free invocation on a skill of your choice, which
can be spent when using that skill. This can be taken multiple times to enhance
different skills, but not twice for the same skill.

Soothing Aura (P)

You exude an air of calm in the immediate area, making anyone around you
less aggressive and less likely to start a fight. This gives others a +1 to checks
when trying to concentrate, as their minds are serene and focused. If combat
starts despite the non-aggressive feeling, everyone within one zone of you has
the difficulty of any aggressive actions increased by two for the first round. At
the start of the second round, they shake off the magic. You are not affected by
this entitlement, and you can make an overcome against Good (+3) using your
highest manifestation skill to exclude one additional target per shift.

79
Superior Strength (P)
Costs 2 refresh. You put others to shame with your great physical power,
becoming a great figure of strength on earth. Onlookers to any feat of strength
can see your rippling muscles, and it is easy to see you are not normal. You receive
a +2 to Physique (which can break the skill tree), and any attack you make using
your strength is considered Weapon:2. If you take this entitlement it replaces In-
credible Strength. Because of this it only costs one refresh to go from Incredible
Strength to Superior Strength during a milestone.

Telepathy (P)
You have superior mental abilities, allowing you to communicate with oth-
ers without words, sending telepathic messages directly to the targets mind.
You can create two-way communication between yourself and one or more
targets of your choice, but this does not give you or them the ability to read
minds, or the targets to communicate telepathically with each other. With an
overcome check against Good (+3) using your highest manifestation skill, you
can communicate with a number of targets equal to the number of shifts you
succeed by. You can spend one fate point for communication with a target you
cannot see within one mile.

Tongues (A)
You can spend one fate point to instantly understand and speak a language you
dont otherwise know. You use the language without issue and can make Knowl-
edge checks normally to understand other languages within the same family. You
can spend two fate points to extend this ability to another sentient creature.

Unobscured Eyes (A)

Once activated by spending one fate point, your eyes flash red (or a color of
your choice), giving you the ability to ignore penalties from darkness (even magical
darkness), smoke, heavy rain, and other elements that cause concealment. This en-
titlement also adds a +2 bonus to Provoke checks as long as your eyes can be seen.

Visions (P)
You are visited in your sleep by prophetic dreams that can divulge snippets
of future events, some pleasant and some horrifying. However, the dreams are of-
ten veiled in symbolism and take effort to discern. By making an overcome check
against Good (+3) using Knowledge, you can ask one question the GM answers
truthfully about the dream. If you succeed with style, you can ask three questions.

Wings (P)
The ability of flight was long regarded as a gift only bestowed upon gods. You
receive a pair of wings (be they insect, bird or bat) that have an impressive wing-
span and arent easily hidden. When the wings unfurl, you can fly two zones with
your move and stay airborne. If you need to hide your wings for a scene, you can
make an overcome check against Good (+3) using your highest manifestation skill.
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 CHAPTER SIX:
BONDS

Bonds are what make part-time gods human, connecting them to the people and
places they hold most dear. In Part-Time Gods of Fate, a Bond has two components:
the aspect and the Bond track. The aspect defines who or what the part-time god
holds dear, and it is treated like any other aspect (see Character Creation - Chapter 3).
These Bond aspects represent the fourth and fifth aspects of a god.
The Bond track is a specialized stress track. Damage done to a Bond track is
referred to as stress. A Bond can be stressed when it is neglected, and if stressed too
many times it will break. When Bonds break they cause consequences for the god.

CREATING BONDS
When creating a Bond, we start by looking at its focus. Bonds can be focused
on one of the following:
Individuals: family members, friends, co-workers, lovers, rivals, etc.
Groups: a company, a team, a club, a community, etc.
Places: a home, a favorite park, a hometown, a city, etc.

You will notice the lack of objects as Bonds. No human truly bonds with a
particular item, as there is always a root Bond attached to it. For example, the
pocketknife that a girls mother gave her isnt the Bond her mother would be.
Keep this in mind when choosing your Bonds.
Also, Bonds are not intended to be made between player characters or to any
divine creature. The purpose of Bonds is to create ties to the mortal part of the
characters life.

Bond Aspects
Once you have selected the focus of your characters Bond (see above), you
need to create the aspect to represent the Bond. The aspect should include the
Bonds focus and can contain the passion which is fueled by this focus. Some ex-
ample passions include approval, charity, code of honor, devotion, faith, joy, perfec-
tion, protection, rebellion, rivalry, or survival. This list is not exhaustive, so define
your own passions if necessary. What is most important is that everyone has an
81
understanding of what the aspect represents.
Examples include: The Love of My Wife, The Safety of Home, I Wont Let
Bret Beat Me, I Wont Let the Council Ruin My Town or All Life is Sacred.

Calculating The Bond Tracks

The total number of boxes a part-time god has for Bonds is determined in
Step 5 of the Character Creation chapter. From that starting pool of boxes, assign
at least one box to all of your characters Bonds. The distribution of boxes does not
have to be equal, but all boxes must be assigned to Bonds. The more boxes a Bond
has, the more stress it can take before it breaks.
A Bond can have three levels of depth: causal, strong, or deep. These depths
are based on the number of boxes assigned to each Bond. A Bond with one box is
casual, a Bond with two boxes is strong, and a Bond with three to five boxes is deep.
A causal Bond is a passing friendship or mild attachment to a location. This can
be a newly developing Bond or a casual friend. A strong Bond is one with a level of
commitment and attachment, but it is not a driving force in a persons life. A deep
Bond is a sign of serious and mature commitment, a dedication to a person or place.
That Bond occupies a significant part of that persons life.
Example: Tyler, the god of snow, creates two Bonds: The Love of My Husband (indi-
vidual) and At Home in Stanford Park (location). Tyler has six stress boxes to assign to his
Bonds, and he assigns four boxes to The Love of My Husband, representing a deep commitment
to Alex, his husband of five years. He assigns the remaining two boxes to At Home In Stanford
Park, representing a serious but not deep connection to the park where he gained his divine Spark.

Extra Bonds
A part-time god is not restricted to just two Bonds. If you desire, your part-
time god can have a connection to and passion for more Bonds. You just create
another Bond as above, and then assign one or more stress boxes to it. Understand
that this increases the total number of aspects of a part-time god above the stan-
dard five, and this can cause some aspect bloat.
A part-time god with extra Bonds has less depth in each Bond. While this
looks to be a disadvantage at first glance, there are advantages for taking extra
Bonds. First, the part-time god has more aspects to draw upon when using fate
points. Second, should a Bond become destroyed (see below), the part-time god has
additional bonds to tether them to their mortality.
While there are advantages, its worth noting a few disadvantages. First, be-
cause they are more shallow, your part-time gods need to be more careful tending
and cultivating Bonds. They need to work to avoid filling a Bond stress track, de-
stroying a Bond, and taking a consequence, which has repercussions beyond just
those Bonds. Second, each additional Bond is another aspect a GM can compel
to complicate your life (though since you get a fate point for that, its not all bad).
Ultimately, you should determine what is important to the part-time god and take
a number of Bonds that covers his or her connections to the mortal world.

STRESSING BONDS
When a part-time god does something which injures or puts a Bond in jeopardy,
stress is done to their Bond track. This represents the internal turmoil of letting some-
one down, hurting their feelings, breaking commitments, etc. Part-time gods do not
take any stress on the Bond track for any transgressions that fall outside their Bonds.
Example: Joe has the Bonds Make My Father Proud (deep) and The Safety of
Home (strong). Joe has a big presentation at work that might earn him a promotion. On his

82
way to the office, Joe encounters a puck and winds up getting into a fight. Joe takes stress on the
Bond track if he misses the presentation and fails to get the promotion because this disappoints
his father. Conversely if Joe missed his daughters soccer game while encountering the puck, he
would take no stress since this is not one of his Bonds.
Each stress box on a Bond track represents a single point of stress. This is
different from physical and mental stress boxes, which have increasing numerical
values. The boxes are filled in from left to right in a one-to-one manner. If all the
boxes are filled, the Bond is in jeopardy. If additional stress is acquired, the Bond
breaks (see below).
Bonds take damage based on the actions or inactions of the part-time god.
During play the GM will inform you of any action or inaction which could result
in stress to a part-time gods Bonds and the severity of the damage, which could be
one or more boxes. GMs, you are responsible for judging the severity of the trans-
gression and giving damage accordingly (see below).

Stress Example
1 Missing a date with a significant other, not showing up to ride with your
bike club, not mowing the lawn at your house for a few weeks.
2 Getting caught in a deception with a significant other after the fact,
missing a charity drive with your bike club, not performing home re-
pairs for a long period of time.
3 Performing an action which undermines the fundamentals of your re-
lationship (e.g. having sex with an Outsider to gain information), testi-
fying against your bike club in court, allowing your home to be broken
into or harmed.

GMs, you are expected to use your discretion in determining the amount of
stress a Bond takes. You also have the responsibility of making sure a player un-
derstands when a Bond is in danger of taking stress and presenting the choice to
allow or prevent the damage. It is bad form for a player to state an action and for
you, without warning, to assign Bond damage without explaining the reasoning and
allowing a different action.

Jeopardy (All Boxes Filled)

When all the boxes are filled for a given Bond, regardless of how many boxes that
Bond has, that Bond is considered to be in jeopardy. In this state, the part-time gods
relationship is so strained that anything else that happens, no matter how insignificant,
drives the relationship over the edge and breaks the bond. This needs be represented in
a dramatic fashion, such as a large argument or other type of confrontation.
Example: Tyler, the god of snow, is in trouble. His husband Alex does not know about his
divinity nor his activities defending his territory. Recently, Tyler stood Alex up for a night out with
friends at a local wine bar and has two points of stress to his Bond, The Love of my Husband.
A few days later, a Goblin contact of Tylers shows up outside his house in the early morning. Tyler
quickly deals with the goblin, but the GM informs him that lying to Alex will cost that Bond an-
other point of stress, and Tyler agrees. This puts the deep Bond at three stress. In an attempt to make
things up with Alex, Tyler sets up a romantic dinner for two downtown, but on the way to dinner
he spots a group of Pucks up to no good. Tyler stops to clear them out. In doing so he misses the dinner
and takes a fourth stress to his Bond. This places that Bond in jeopardy. When Tyler gets home later
that night, he and Alex have a fight, and Alex chooses to sleep in the guest room. The next day Alex
does not speak to Tyler, and there is a palpable tension in the house.

83
Breaking Bonds
A Bond is broken when it is in jeopardy and takes one or more additional
stress. This can also occur if the object of the Bond is killed or destroyed through
the course of the story. If any of these happen, the Bond is broken and the follow-
ing effects occur:
1. In the story, determine what the result of the Bond breaking will be (a
break-up, divorce, destruction of a location, etc.).
2. Cross out the Bond on the character sheet. This Bond is no longer in
play, nor can the aspect be used by the player or GM.
3. The stress boxes which made up the Bond track are destroyed and lost
to the character.
4. The part-time god immediately takes a consequence on their conse-
quence track equal to the depth of the Bond:
a. Casual Bond (one box) takes a minor consequence (or higher).
b. Strong Bond (two boxes) takes a moderate consequence (or higher).
c. Deep Bond (three or more boxes) takes a severe consequence (or is taken out).

The consequence taken should reflect the breaking of the Bond in the same
way a consequence taken during a physical fight represents the bodily damage. This
means the breaking
of a shallow Bond has
a small and temporary
impact on a part-time
god, but the breaking
of a deep Bond has
more lasting effects.
Example 1: A
few days after their big
fight, Tyler and Alex
are expected at Tylers
mothers birthday party.
On the way there, Tyler
senses a new Spark in
his territory. Fearing
another Puck outbreak,
Tyler stands up Alex,
leaving him alone at the
birthday party with no
explanation. That ac-
tion causes one stress and
breaks the bond. Tylers
player crosses off The
Love of my Hus-
band and suffers a se-
vere consequence. After
discussion with the GM,
the two agree that Alex
has left Tyler, who now
takes the consequence
Alex Moved Out. In
addition, the four stress
boxes that made up the
Bond are lost. All that

84
keeps Tyler tied to his mortality is his two-stress connection to the park.
Example 2: The Pucks take revenge on Joe, tracking him to his fathers house. In the
ensuing battle, Joes father is knocked out and the house is set ablaze. Joe arrives in time to save
his father, but is unable to stop the blaze which consumes the house. In the aftermath, Joes
player crosses off his bond The Safety of Home. Joe then suffers a moderate consequence
for the loss of a strong Bond and selects Distraught, and loses the two stress boxes associated
with the bond.

Should a part-time god be taken out because of stress to Bonds, she loses her
grip on her humanity, becomes fully divine, and is now an NPC of the GM. Like-
wise, if a part-time god has all their Bonds broken, they lose their connection to
humanity, are consumed by their divine nature, and become an NPC of the GM.

RECOVERING STRESS
Any unbroken Bond can be healed by spending quality time with the object
of the Bond. This could be staying home and watching a movie with a loved one,
taking an afternoon to climb a favorite mountain, or hanging with the crew busting
jokes. While this can be done at any time during play, the effects of the actions
are earned during milestones (see pg. 165). Each milestone level recovers one box of
Bond damage. Thus, a single box is recovered during a minor milestone, two boxes
can be recovered during a significant milestone, and three boxes can be recovered
during a major milestone. In order to be awarded the recovery, the player must
narrate a scene about how they are taking action to repair their Bond.
Example: After getting demoted at work and disappointing his father (and taking two
stress), Joe surprises him with a weekend getaway to watch their favorite sports team in an-
other city. This occurs during a significant milestone. They spend the weekend bonding, and
Joe erases both boxes of stress from this Bond. Joes player narrates how during the weekend,
Joe and his father talk about the demotion, and Joe gets sage advice on how to get his position
back.

INCREASING POWER
As the part-time gods increase their divine powers, it becomes harder to main-
tain their hold on their humanity. This weakens the strength of their Bonds as the
following things happen during advancement through milestones:
Lose one Bond stress box when you take a new entitlement.
Lose one Bond stress box each time you raise the rank of your high-
est-ranked manifestation skill.
Lose one Bond stress box with the acquisition of each new Dominion
beyond the first.
You can only remove a non-damaged box from a Bond. If all their stress boxes
are filled for a Bond, you must break the Bond and suffer the effect if you must
remove a stress box from that Bond.

Increasing Bonds
Part-time gods have the opportunity during a significant or major milestone to
spend a point of refresh to add a stress box to any of their Bonds. This expenditure
represents commitment of the part-time gods to their human side. Boxes can be
added to any bond, including one in jeopardy. When this is done, the Bond is no
longer in jeopardy, representing a new opportunity to connect with the Bond.

85
New Bonds
At a major milestone, a character can spend refresh to create a new casual
Bond. This new Bond should fit into the context of the character and the fiction.
This Bond can be added to existing Bonds, or it can replace a previously broken
Bond. Create the new Bond in the same manner as described earlier in the chapter.
Each point of refresh spent gives this Bond another stress box.
Example: At a major milestone, Tyler decides to spend a point of refresh to create a
new Bond with Alex, his estranged husband. Tyler creates the bond To Earn Alexs Trust,
which has one stress box and is a causal Bond. This reflects the slow and fragile journey Tyler
must travel to win back his husband. Tylers player decides that this path will start with tell-
ing Alex about his divinity.

Changing and Replacing Bonds

Through play you may determine that one or more of your Bonds are no longer
relevant to the character. It may be possible that while the object of the Bond is rel-
evant, the aspect which defines the relationship is no longer valid. At a significant
milestone, you have the option to redefine the Bond aspect. This leaves the Bond
intact but gives you the opportunity to redefine the nature of the relationship.
Example: After several Puck attacks in his beloved Stanford Park, Tyler, the god of
snow, decides that At Home in Stanford Park feels too passive. At a significant milestone,
he changes the aspect to I Must Protect Stanford Park.
Other times, just changing the aspect of the Bond is not sufficient, and the
Bond is no longer valid in terms of the character and the fiction. In these cases, a
character can change her bonds at a major milestone. The character has the option
to change any and all of her Bonds, as long as it fits in the context of the fiction and
is agreed upon by the GM.

When changing Bonds, follow these steps:

1. Determine which Bond(s) you would like to remove.
2. Count the stress boxes from all Bonds to be removed.
3. Create new Bond(s).
4. Delegate unassigned stress boxes to any new or existing Bonds.

A few notes about the process. You can assign stress boxes to both the new and
any older Bonds you have. All Bonds must have at least one stress box. You must
have at least two Bonds when the process is done. This process can be used in place
of creating a new Bond, but doing so creates more shallow Bonds.

Example:
Mary the goddess of metal (music) has the following Bonds:
Rocking Out With The Band - two boxes
Brians (younger brother) Protector - three boxes

Through the course of the campaign, there has been little story about Brian. Mary has
been spending more and more time with her band, and has fallen in love with The Dark Well,
a rocker bar in her territory. At a major milestone, her player decides to remove the Bond with
Brian, freeing up three boxes. She then adds one box to Rocking Out With The Band,
and creates My Second Home to describe her feelings about the Dark Well. Her Bonds now
look like this:
Rocking Out With The Band - three boxes
My Second Home - two boxes

86
 CHAPTER SEVEN:
THEOLOGIES

Some gods strike out alone after receiving their power, but few can survive in this
manner for long. A single god, unless immensely powerful, is a tender, unprotected mor-
sel for other gods to easily devour. A gods Pantheon is crucial for sure, but the strongest
component of a characters divine makeup is how they interpret their power and their
training. Theologies are secret societies composed of like-minded gods.
When gods receive their divine Spark, their power can be instantly sensed by other
gods nearby, and Theologies are always looking for new people to share their beliefs
with. Gods naturally gravitate toward each other, for fateful alliances or developing
rivalries. When gods fully subscribe to a Theology, understanding new teachings and
incorporating them into their core beliefs, they learn fantastic new abilities kept secret
from outsiders. However, gods also receive negative side effects from their new identity.
Theologies have existed since humans looked to the heavens for answers. The gods
had different ways to deliver their message to their followers and interpret their power,
changing over time and eventually leading to the eight most common and powerful
Theologies. Gods Theologies color every decision they make, from how they treat wor-
shippers to how ravenously they desire to extend their territories.
Theology Format
Other Names: Other things members of the Theology might be called (to
their face or otherwise)
Stereotypes: Thoughts about the group (true or otherwise)
History: How the Theology was founded
Lifestyle: What the life of a member is like
Pantheon Roles: What roles gods fall easily into
Aspect: The Theology aspect should reflect the relationship part-
time gods have with their Theology and may contain the Theologys name.
This aspect takes the third aspect slot during character creation. Exam-
ples: Reluctant Puck-Eater, Warlock on the Outs, Up-and-Coming Ascendant
Each Theology describes cases (though not all-inclusive) when the aspect can be invoked,
as well as some suggestions for possible compels. As with any other aspect, players and
GMs should work out what this aspect means specifically for each character.
Special Gift: Each Theology grants a unique gift. This special gift takes the
form of a stunt or extra that members of the Theology possess. The exact mechan-
ics for this gift are provided in its description.
Drawback: A weakness stems from each Theology. This takes the form of a
specialized rule or a special type of compel on the Theology aspect.

87
 Ascendants
Other Names: Exaltants, True Gods, Inhumans
Stereotypes: Holier-than-thou, Snobbish, Deluded

History
As one of the first Theologies, no records exist that talk of the Ascendants found-
ing. Its members stand on a single foundational belief: as gods, they have ascended
beyond being human. This superiority complex spawns a belief that humanity needs
shepherds in order to survive. Ascendants enjoy the feeling of lordship, collecting fol-
lowers as souvenirs. They also seek the thrill of battling to attain power, especially if
that power already belongs to another. This becomes a mission to perfect themselves,
often at the expense of others. Some even suspect the Ascendants were responsible for
trapping the Source so long ago.
Throughout time, Ascendants have been responsible for many terrible atrocities.
The worlds worst dictators and cult leaders were, in secret, Ascendants looking to con-
trol humanity. Ascendants are taught very early how to inspire loyalty from humanity,
whether through absolute love or absolute fear. When not seeking to control humanity,
the Ascendants hold Olympic events involving the different Theologies or destroy entire
cities between seasons. The destruction of Rome is only one example of what lengths they
may go to in order to attain the power they seek. In short, they become judge, jury and
executioner, only showing true mercy when they receive something in return.
Its easy to understand how ravaging warlords and dark knights could speak of
lording over humanity so easily, but it is quite different in modern times. Power means
different things to different people. The Ascendants look for paragons of humanity, per-
haps someone with the ability to lead (or dominate) others with a few words, or perhaps
a prize fighter who is a premiere warrior. Ascendants are famous for seeking initiates
with political power to provide sway over cities and states, and some modern world
leaders are alumni to this prestigious Theology. Spurring others to action on a personal
level is a skill often learned. As times become more scientific, Ascendants embrace the
notion that they are the next step in evolution for humanity.

Lifestyle
Ascendant doctrine states that once gods receive a divine Spark, they are no longer
human. Members of different backgrounds can have very distinct reactions. The first
is a questioning of what humanity truly is and how it applies to them in their new lives.
New initiates often look to their sponsors as a new family, forming stronger connections
with them than they had with their mortal family. They are taught disconnection from
Bonds over time is a natural occurrence--even encouraging some to cut them early.
The second reaction to the realization of being greater than human is the belief
that everyday conventions are quite bland and mundane. Ascendants try to see them-
selves only as divine beings, often taking it one step further and no longer obeying the
laws of man. Some go on to lead protests against corrupt establishments, while others
become cult leaders, banding together families of impressionable people and gaining
riches in the process. One might become a terrorist (eco or otherwise) in order to gain
power and make a change in the world, while another may enjoy the simple pleasure of
power over a single person, becoming a sadistic serial murderer.
In the end, it all comes back to power for Ascendants, who have that power and
forsake their humanity in the process of getting it. This search for power also makes
them extremely territorial and quick to violence if their power is ever compromised.

88
Of course, newcomers to the Theology may experience some nerves or weak stomachs
when trying to perform the horrible acts required of True Gods, but veterans are often
unshakable and truly inhuman (in mind and body).

Pantheon Roles
The Ascendants fight anyone who tests their power, including other gods. They
have a special hatred of Pucks and monsters that cause so much destruction in the
middle of their orderly territories, and Ascendants have no problem unleashing divine
powers on these creatures. This makes an Ascendant an easy addition to a Pantheon
that needs some extra muscle.
They also make appropriately suitable leaders. Their holier-than-thou attitude ac-
tually translates into being better than others at times. Ascendants know how to take
charge in a situation, but the other Pantheon members should be prepared to hear of
how they are underutilizing their gifts and selling their divinity short with old-fash-
ioned ideas of morality and humanity. They obviously make poor followers.

Character Creation
Aspect Ideals: Your Ascendant aspect can be invoked or compelled in these sit-
uations: when seeking power, embracing the way of the True Gods, acting inhuman,
acting holier-than-thou, being snobbish, being deluded.
Special Gift - Inhuman Visage: To reflect the inward disconnection from their
human side, Ascendants are taught how to make their divine side shine through their
temporary mortal shell more easily. This can have varying effects, depending upon the
personality and Dominion of the god. Animal features, extra arms or heads, and other
physically inhuman traits are the most common, but others with more ethereal Domin-
ions may exude an aura of terror or something similar.
The Ascendant automatically receives the Fearful Aura entitlement (see pg. 76) for
free. This entitlement does not count as the characters free entitlement from character
creation, and does not reduce Bond stress track boxes. In addition, the god gains the
ability to turn this form on or off at will, unlike other gods whose entitlements cost
fate points to use. Here are two examples: The Extra Arms entitlement requires an
overcome action to repress, but for an Ascendant the check would not be required. The
Fearful Aura entitlement can be suppressed for one scene normally by spending a fate
point, but for an Ascendant it does not cost any fate points.
Drawback - Disconnection: As the Ascendants believe their human lives are
so much less important than their new divine stature, they look at their relationships
with more disdain. It is harder for them to recover stress done to their Bond tracks at
milestones (pg. 165). At minor milestones they recover no stress from their Bond tracks,
at a significant milestone they recover one point of stress, and at a major milestone they
recover two points of stress.

89
Hiroko Nakemura - Goddess of Blood

Background
Hiroko was born in Japan, and her family moved to America when she was six years
old. Her family was very strict, demanding only the best from both Hiroko and her
older brother Daniel. Their father, Hideo, forced Daniel to go to college to become a
doctor, so he did. Hideo then demanded that Hiroko go to college and select a similar
career path. Hiroko, however, loved hip-hop and Japanese visual rock, even taking on a
look following the Gothic Lolita fashion trend. When she refused her fathers demands,
she was thrust into the streets without a dime. Distraught and depressed, Hiroko con-
sidered herself weak and attempted suicide, slitting her wrists in an alley.
As she bled in the street, a random divine Spark revived her body. She became the
goddess of blood, her body coursing with power. Hirokos resolve was renewed, and she
vowed never to be weak again. She turned her back on her father but was taken in by
her brother for a short time while she continued to raise her reputation as a club DJ.
She is now quite popular in some circles. She was found by the Ascendants and took
quickly to their teachings. Hiroko has finally found her lifes focus.
Within her Pantheon, Hiroko can fill different roles. She is known for releasing
blood whips from the only wounds on her body that wont heal - her wrist slits - and
these weapons make her formidable in combat. Her cold exterior makes her perfect
for harsh negotiations, and she is known for going with Victor when enforcement is
necessary. She crosses paths with Colt frequently, and Daniel works closely with Amala
at the hospital.

Personality
Her expression is with-
out emotion and her words
without inflection. Even when
behind the turntables, she is so
focused that enjoyment or fun
never enters the equation only
being the best. Only with
her brother does she
ever truly smile, as he
is the last person she
will ever love. Read-
ing her true intentions
is very difficult, for even the
best therapist. She isnt rude to
anyone, though just apathetic.

Bonds
Daniel Nakamura: She
will do anything for her brother.
Club Goers: She wants to
be the biggest DJ in the city,
battling other DJs every week to
cut down the competition.

90
 Part-Time Gods of Fate
Hiroko Nakamura Name Divine The Goddess of Blood Aspect

DJ with the Blank Stare Aspect Human Theology Up and Coming Ascendant Aspect

Skills Manifestations
Rank Specialization
Superb (+5)
Aegis
Great (+4) Fight
Beckon
1
Good (+3) Burglary, Rapport Journey
Fair (+2) Physique, Stealth, Technology Refresh Minion
Average (+1) Athletics, Craft, Provoke, Will Oracle +3 Smells blood in the air

Bonds Puppetry
Object Aspect 1 1 1 1 1 +2 Blood whips from her wrists
Ruin
Brother Anything for Daniel +1 Purify blood of any substance
Shaping
Audience I Live for the Cheers of the Crowd

Stunts & Gear Stress & Consequences Entitlements & Divine Extras

1 2 3 4 5 Regeneration
DJ - Use Rapport when DJ-ing for a Physical
performance or creating a recording. Picture of Health
Mental Inhuman Visage (Ascendants)
Crack that whip - Gain a +2 on Create
Advantage with Fighting when using Minor Fearful Aura (+2)
2
whips. Drawback: Disconnection (Ascendants)
4 Moderate

6 Severe
 Cult of the Saints
Other Names: Saints, Schitzos, Messengers
Stereotypes: Zealous, Joyous, Spiritual

History
The Cult of the Saints began during the rise of the Roman Catholic
Church. The church saw the holiest of people as true embodiments of what it
meant to emulate heaven on earth and officially recognized them as saints. In
some cases, they were just normal people used as an example of how followers
of the faith should strive to be. Others, however, were in fact divine them-
selves, even if they never truly realized this fact. These were the Saints, imbued
with the same divine Spark as any other god. They, however, believe themselves
to be simple messengers of a singular God.
The Saints went on to tap into the voice of God (or some other higher
being). This special power has made many of them believe they have gone cra-
zy, while others trust they have been touched by God, making them a truly
polarizing presence in any area. This led to many Saints being burned at the
stake as heretics during the Inquisition, while others became household names
long after their lives ended. They turned the tide in many of the Crusades and
supported the Church through all its wars and trials.
Even today, the Cult of the Saints knows the love of heaven and wont give
it up for anything. They recruit people of faith, each one strengthening their
ranks and allowing them to spread the word of God. Their primary mission is
to ensure all Saints, including those who might follow other misguided Theol-
ogies, take the right path and avoid hubris. Saints become a constant reminder
that giving oneself to a higher power and understanding ones place leads to
true enlightenment. In their minds, a human can emulate a god but may never
truly become one.

Lifestyle
For most gods, the revelation they are suddenly divine and in charge of a
fraction of the universe can be hard to cope with. This is seldom so for a Saint.
Their members, knowing they are simply vessels that God is using to influence
the world, usually feel secure in the understanding that heaven is looking out
for them. The Cult of the Saints encourages many of the same doctrines that
have made ancient saints so infamous: fasting, giving up material possessions,
and making regular sacrifices to prove ones faith.
The downside to opening ones self to the voice of God is many other voic-
es can creep in as well. Listening to the wrong voice can lead to many wrongs
in the name of the Church the Crusades being a great example of these huge
gestures. Of course, some Saints dont care. Most know the adage God works
in mysterious ways, and some of the Saints do not question the voices they
hear. The voices can drive a schizophrenic to depraved, murderous acts, and to
altruistic, humble works as well.
Some Saints appear as born-again Christians to their friends and family.

92
This could bring them closer or create untold separation and destroy their
personal Bonds, forcing them to seek new Bonds in other places. Usually, this
brings them to the Church, where they look for others who follow the same
faith. Some Saint sects do not follow the Christian faith. These Saints simply
believe their power has come from another being outside of themselves. Some
believe themselves lost avatars of ancient Hindu gods, while others may simply
believe they are champion warriors of the Norse Pantheon.

Pantheon Roles
Saints can prove to be the spiritual center of any Pantheon. Other gods
may only exist to kill and feed, to accumulate vast amounts of power, or to
escape their regular lives, but members of the Cult of the Saints wish to enrich
humanitys existence and help lay a righteous and humble path for their allies.
As leaders, they can lead their Pantheon to great wars or to a humble existence.
As followers, they can be great strategists and advisors. It all depends on what
the voices tell them.

Character Creation
Aspect Ideals: Your Cult of the Saints aspect can be invoked or com-
pelled in these situations: when dealing with matters of church, being faithful,
acting beyond ones needs, being zealous, being joyous, being spiritual.
Special Gift - Divine Words: Saints believe God has blessed them with
a piece of His divine power. This can stem from their upbringing but is usually
due to voices that request service and provide guidance. These requests can be
as simple as helping a specific person cross the street, or as profound as defeat-
ing a beast that threatens all of heavens children.
The voices come and go as they please, but once per session the Saint can
ask the voices for guidance, to give direction on a decision. With this ability,
the player asks a question that the GM must answer truthfully. The answer may
be in the form of an ancient proverb to be deciphered or even a simple yes or
no, depending on how much the voices are willing to divulge at the moment.
From the outside, the Saint appears to be in a trance. The Saint can also use
this ability in combat to add a +2 bonus to any single attack--one guided by
divine intervention--but must then suffer a -2 penalty to their next action as
they recover.
Drawback - Voices: Members of the Cult of the Saints are trained by
the Theology to respond instinctively and immediately to whatever the voices
tell them. To reflect this, the GM can compel the Theology aspect to have the
character perform a task, once per session, that the character must comply
with. The character can buy off this compel, but if they do, the next time they
attempt to use Divine Words, they must first make an overcome using Will at
Good (+3) as a free action in order to be in the proper mental state to receive a
new message. If successful, they may use their Divine Words ability. If unsuc-
cessful, the god must wait a whole day before attempting another overcome
challenge at the same difficulty.

93
 Amala Ali - Goddess of Fire
Background
Amala, often called Amy, is second generation American, her family moving from
India to make a better life for their children. She was a studious child, and that extend-
ed into her adult life as well, leading Amala toward her love of medicine. During medical
school, she met the love of her life, Sharaz Ali. Since Sharaz was also of Indian descent,
their marriage was approved by both families, and Amalas previous arranged marriage
was cancelled. Her family, after all, was very traditional, including their devotion to the
Hindu religion. Amala and Sharaz went on to have two children, both now in college.
Amalas true passion has always been her loyalty to the field of medicine.
An emergency situation brought a dying man to Amalas care. In the rush of adren-
aline and chaos, no one noticed the man had four arms. She tried her best to save him
but failed despite her best efforts. As the mysterious man took his last breath, his Spark
was transferred to her in an explosion of power that killed two of the assisting nurses in
the emergency room. When Amala woke from the blast, she saw that she now had four
arms and the ability to control fire. She turned to her Hindu faith for answers and found
the stories of the gods avatars, who were given power to fulfill great quests. Sharaz and
the rest of the local Hindu community have acknowledged she is one of these avatars,
granting Amala several followers. Joining the Cult of the Saints, she has learned how to
access the messages from the Hindu gods.
Her position within the Pantheon is one of an advisor. She is not quick to take
charge, instead lending a wise word to the other gods in her Pantheon in hopes that
they will make the right decisions on their own. Amala has become a den mother of
sorts, which comes naturally since her children have left home. Her mastery of fire lets
her beat back other gods and Outsiders, but she never leaps into a battle without un-
derstanding all sides. She runs into Hiroko on occasion, as she works with the goddess
of bloods brother at the hospital, and she became Benjamins primary care physician.
She particularly dislikes Victor and his methods.

Personality
Amala is a woman with a pleasant personality and flawless bedside manner. When
she is working, she can get into a focused state where she ignores things around her, but
she returns to her kind self once snapped back into
the moment. Some would think that she cares too
much, even caring about her enemies

Bonds
Medical Community: Her Hippo-
cratic oath is very important, and she never for-
sakes it. She looks to her medical career as the
greatest thing in her life at times.
Sharaz Ali: Amalas husband is loyal to
her, both as her husband and as a believer of
her position as an avatar. Her loyalty to him
is equal.
Sacred Heart: If the
opportunity arises to
use her medical knowl-
edge to make someone
in the hospital happy,
she will.

94
 Part-Time Gods of Fate
Amala Ali Name Divine The Goddess of Fire Aspect

Caring Mother and Doctor Aspect Human Theology Avatar of the Cult of the Saints Aspect

Skills Manifestations
Rank Specialization
Superb (+5)
Aegis
Great (+4) Knowledge +2 Banishing fire
Beckon
1
Good (+3) Notice, Rapport Journey
Fair (+2) Empathy, Will, Athletics Refresh Minion
Average (+1) Physique, Technology, Crafts, Contacts Seeing the past of something that was on fire
Oracle +1

Bonds Puppetry
Object Aspect 1 1 1 1 1 Ruin +3 Creating fiery fists
Medical Community Sworn to Preserve Life
Shaping
Sharaz Ali Devoted to My Loving Husband

Sacred Heart There Will Be Joy For Those Within These Walls

Stunts & Gear Stress & Consequences Entitlements & Divine Extras

1 2 3 4 Extra Arms
ER Doctor - Use Knowledge when
Physical
treating injuries and tending to sickness. Healing Hands
Mental Divine Words (Cult of The Saints)

2 Minor Drawback: Voices (Cult of The Saints)

4 Moderate Worshippers - Hands of the Hindu Fire

Oracle (Rank 2; 20 Worshippers, Prayer
6 Severe +2, Mundane +1, Stress 3)
 Drifting Kingdoms
Other Names: Wanderers, Missionaries, Flip-Floppers
Stereotypes: Nomadic, Wayward, Infuriating

History
The belief of the Drifting Kingdoms is, at its very core, a set of oxymoronic princi-
ples constantly at war with itself. This Theology was once a group of powerful gods who
held domain over entire nations. Not only did they have the people under their sway,
leading to almost unlimited supplies of Spark at their disposal, but the very land was
soaked with their divine essence, making them almost unstoppable within their own
domains. Over time, they began seeing a flaw to their power. Stagnation and compla-
cency are crutches humanity uses to make it through each day. So, these gods decided
to change themselves.
Their members became nomadic, bringing their kingdoms with them, and took
the name Drifting Kingdoms to reflect this. They no longer sustained kingdoms for
hundreds of years. Instead, they traveled to new locations to build smaller but much
more powerful territories again and again. Some Drifters throughout history have used
this compulsion to conquer entire nations, just to see them crumble. The Theology
claims Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan as two of their greatest members. Their
forced travel brought them all over the world, cementing them as one of the most active
and follower-filled Theologies in existence.
Today, the tradition unfolds in a new way: build a powerbase in a city, only to leave
months later when the compulsions become too much. The Drifting Kingdoms way
of life comes naturally to occupations that lend themselves to a lot of travel, but most
gods within the Theology are faced with the challenge of keeping their Bonds in place
through long-distance relationships much of the time. Others are constantly shifting
what is important to them, which many have a problem doing. On the flip side, this
Theology, more than any other, is known for having worshippers across swaths of terri-
tory, some with international influence.

Lifestyle
A Drifter, first and foremost, is concerned with building power and influence. Not
only does their Spark permeate the area more quickly than other gods, but their per-
sonality usually influences the area as well. If the god is a drug addict, many suppliers
will appear for them to get their stashes, while one ruled by an alcoholic will never have
a shortage of bars. They begin to live for the idea of spreading their influence and play-
ing out all their sick fantasies.
Their urge to control is not direct like the Ascendants, who want to lord over indi-
viduals. Drifters instead become lovers to their territory, which leads to many becoming
forces in their community. Working in homeless shelters, hospitals, or community cen-
ters can put them in the center of their power, experiencing it firsthand.
When the time comes to cut ties to their Bonds, and it always does, it can be a hor-
rible time for a Drifter. First, not all relationships (friendly or romantic) are willing to
travel with the god, either leaving a hole in their Bonds or straining it through limited,
long-distance communication. Second, Drifters develop a penchant for jobs instead of
careers, unless the career supports lots of travel, which involves possible branch trans-
fers, different bosses, and new co-workers. The Drifting Kingdoms encourages as much
movement as possible, leading most members to change jobs every few months, since

96
they dont get any real warning from the urges that mystically drive them to wander.
Such is the blessing and curse of the Drifting Kingdoms, to build a kingdom to such
proportion only to have it torn down in a day.

Pantheon Roles
Having a member of the Drifting Kingdoms in the Pantheon can turn the tide of
any battle. While they are not always powerhouses in combat, outright destroying their
opponents, their ability to create a stronghold of power to boost their Dominions (and
others in their Pantheon) often proves invaluable to the group. As a leader, they are
brilliant tacticians, as they often know every inch of their territory. As a follower, they
can provide priceless backup against the forces of chaos that send those Pucks running
home to hell.

Character Creation
Aspect Ideals: Your Drifting Kingdoms aspect can be invoked or compelled in
these situations: when building things up, traveling, trying something new, wandering
off, being unpredictable, cutting ties.
Special Gift - Instant Domain: Drifters know how to plant roots in an area,
both figuratively and magically. On top of naturally influencing their area like any god,
Drifters have the option to force their Spark into a territory, creating a divine hub
which makes the territory shared. If left unchecked, the power could spread and take
over the territory.
If the Drifter gods highest manifestation skill is higher than any other gods in the
territory, she can create another new divine hub each week shes in the territory, with a
maximum number of divine hubs equal to her highest manifestation skill. If the num-
ber of divine hubs the Drifter has active in the Instant Domain is more than any other
single god has in the territory, then the territory is taken over by the Drifter. Only one
Instant Domain can be active at a time.
If the Drifter gods highest manifestation skill is tied with or less than any other
gods in the territory, she can only create one divine hub in the territory.
Instant Domain gives Drifters enhanced abilities, even if used within another gods
territory. First, Drifters suffer no territory penalty in a territory containing their divine
hub, unless it is within another gods divine hub. Trespassers in their divine hub suffer
the normal -1 penalty when trying to use manifestations. Drifters can gift bonuses to
allies within the territory by spending one of their fate points for their comrades.
The Instant Domain persists, but it fades with each week, taking away one divine
hub per week that the Drifter forced into the territory until none remain. The Instant
Domain also ceases to exist if some other god or gods take steps to remove it, or the god
creates a new Instant Domain elsewhere. Once the Instant Domain ceases to exist in a
territory, the Drifter cant create a new one within that territory for a week.
Drawback - Wanderlust: They are called Drifters for a reason, urged by an un-
known power to be in a constant state of change and movement. If they choose to plant
roots, Drifters must make an overcome using Will against Good (+3) every month to re-
sist traveling in some way. This could be anything from taking a long vacation to visiting
a friend in another city, but the travel needs to last at least a full day.

97
 Robert Howell - God of Hunger
Background
Robert had more opportunities than other kids raised in the ghetto. He stayed
away from drugs and gangs, instead focusing on sports, becoming a quarterback in
school, and getting a scholarship to college. Though he never got to go to college due
to an injury as a high school senior, he still sought an honest and simple style. Robert
excelled at fixing cars and eventually met the love of his life, Angela. The couple had a
son, Derrick. He had everything he could ever want. Life for Robert was perfect.
During a late-night shift, there was a knock at the door. He let the man in, covered
in blood that wasnt his, and Robert left the room to get him a blanket. When he re-
turned, the man had smashed a coffee mug and stabbed it into his own neck. I just cant
eat any more! the man screamed as he died, transferring his Spark to Robert.
In a frenzy, Robert grew to twice his size and began eating everything in sight,
from chairs to the counter to the computer. He woke up the next day with an intense
hunger. Rushing home, he was confronted by his wife, who feared he might have been
out cheating on her. Roberts hunger took over once again. When he woke the second
time, he found his wife and son dead by his hand, chunks bitten out of them. Robert
left his home that day and never returned. There might be someone after him or not,
but hed never know. Now he floats around, performing random jobs in random towns,
always sure to give back to a shelter or the church in
an effort to show penance. The Drifting Kingdoms
seemed perfect for him.
Within his Pantheon, Robert serves primarily as
muscle. He is a tad unpredictable and possibly on the
run from the law, so he seldom attends public social
gatherings. Robert spends a lot of time with Sawyer,
giving back to the homeless, and he has gone out with
Penelope for nights of drinking. He is constantly eating,
ensuring that his hunger does not overtake him again.

Personality
Robert wears a sullen expression most of the time.
He rarely talks and attempts to stay unseen, as strange
as that seems with his large size. Happiness is an emo-
tion he doesnt feel he deserves, but it happens on oc-
casion. Robert refers to his alter ego as Bane, when he
loses himself and wakes up to see his destruction.

Bonds
Homeless Community: Robert identi-
fies with the homeless, sharing the streets with
them at different points in his life. Giving back
at the local soup kitchen is important to him.
The Church: Only through faith and a
belief the universe has a place for him can he
even continue on. Maybe one day hell find out
why this is happening to him.

98
 Part-Time Gods of Fate
Robert Howell Name Divine The God of Hunger Aspect

Guilt-Ridden Mechanic Aspect Human Theology Paragon of the Drifting Kingdoms Aspect

Skills Manifestations
Rank Specialization
Superb (+5)
Aegis +3 Protects someone from hunger
Great (+4) Physique
Beckon
2
Good (+3) Crafts, Fight Journey +1 Teleports near any restaurant
Fair (+2) Athletics, Provoke, Travel Refresh Minion
Average (+1) Contacts, Shoot, Stealth, Will Oracle

Bonds Puppetry
Object Aspect 1 1 1 1 1 Ruin
Homeless Community Friend of the Homeless
Shaping +2 Creates crippling hunger in a person
The Church Faithful Believer

Stunts & Gear Stress & Consequences Entitlements & Divine Extras

1 2 3 4 Colossal Size
Take the blow - You can use Physique Physical
Instant Domain (Drifting Kingdoms)
to defend against Fight attacks made with
fists or blunt instruments, though you Mental Drawback: Wanderlust (Drifting
always take 1 shift of stress on a tie. Kingdoms)
2 Minor
Dumpster Stomach - Robert can eat any
4 Moderate material without injuring himself, though
he is still susceptible to poisons, toxins,
6 Severe and drugs, but gains a +2 to any check to
resist their effects.
 Masks of Jana
Other Names: Masks, Veils, The Obscure
Stereotypes: Mysterious, Secretive, Cowards

History
The Masks of Jana took their name from a pseudonym for Diana, goddess
of the hunt. It is said the Masks were a group chosen from her greatest stu-
dents. They were not thought to be remarkable for their ability to kill their
prey, but how easily they stalked and hid during their hunt. The Masks actually
detested battling against other gods in any contest of power, showing off their
gifts to anyone or attempting to steal territory for fun. As the other students
of the hunt became jealous and the Masks grew ostracized, the Theology was
born. Their ability to hide morphed into a template for existence and a code of
conduct. The Masks took to hiding away everything about their true emotions,
their divine powers, and their lives in general.
The Theology grew in secret as more ostentatious gods became grander
and grander with their displays of Dominion. The Masks became known for
hiding among mortals, secretly working to destroy those gods calling atten-
tion to themselves. This behavior eventually developed into a mission. As time
passed, their well-placed assassinations and the recoiling of the worlds Pucks
began the age of keeping ones true divinity a secret. For those who ignored the
fear of their reprisal, the Masks were a clean-up crew, making sure the unde-
serving knew nothing about the gods.
Masks are prone to initiating people who already have the calling to dis-
cover and keep secrets, or those who know power comes from only speak-
ing when necessary. This can include high-priced call girls, international spies,
quiet librarians, and wise men alike. The Masks of Jana teach humility, never
allowing their members to become showy with manifestations unless it is to
conceal anothers. They are also known for using unmatched teamwork to as-
sassinate an overzealous god with too much power and not enough self-control.
Of course, no one ever knows the Masks of Jana performed this duty. Their lips
are sealed, as always.

Lifestyle
The life of a Mask is one of responsibility, first and foremost. The other
gods, even if subconsciously, look to the Masks to fix the destruction they cre-
ate. A battle of gods in downtown Manhattan would cause buildings to crumble
and innocent bystanders to see more than they should. The Obscure often
stand on the sideline, keeping the battle veiled from the eyes of any onlook-
ers and mending any destruction. They exist because they know gods cannot
truly control themselves, and their job only becomes more demanding as the
Coming Storm approaches. Pucks rest at nothing to undo any type of order the
Obscure lay down, but the Theology attempts to take as many of the creatures
with them as possible if they go down.
100
 Tackling their everyday lives is easy, as they learn quickly to compartmen-
talize their divine role and their mundane existence. The main problem for
Masks is that they must always wear one. It is obviously a taboo within the
Theology to reveal ones true nature to their mortal families, as secrets are the
norm for them. Their friends may suspect they only act friendly, and their
lovers may feel like they are putting on a show for their affection. Some Veils
work hard to become great actors in order to convince those closest to them
they dont have deep dark secrets. Others begin to cut themselves off or be-
come very unemotional and detached from the human world. This can lead to
a lot of problems in their lives.

Pantheon Roles
Masks of Jana demand order from their territories and from all aspects
of their lives. This includes their involvement with their Pantheon. As lead-
ers, Masks often take a micromanagement position over the others gods. They
watch every move made in the name of their Pantheon, harshly scolding their
followers if they step out of line or make a poor decision. Their orders are to
be performed to the letter without resistance or questioning, as they are often
secretive about their motives and reasons in the first place. As followers, they
are great for obtaining dirt on enemies or in keeping the exploits of more ram-
bunctious members under wraps. However, they are not quick to give their
loyalty if they disagree with the decisions being made for them.

Character Creation
Aspect Ideals: Your Masks of Jana aspect can be invoked or compelled
in these situations: when hunting, being responsible, being mysterious with
others, keeping secrets, micromanaging.
Special Gift - Forgotten: Delving into the power of secrets, the Masks
of Jana have perfected keeping themselves anonymous. By spending one fate
point, they can walk anywhere without being noticed. They are not technically
invisible, but an onlookers eyes dont want to see them. The god can allow
herself to be seen at any time, negating the benefit of this effect.
Masks can also make someone they interacted with slowly forget the meet-
ing. Details turn into muddled thoughts that turn into cloudy recollections,
until they are completely forgotten a day later. This effect costs one fate point.
Sometimes this is all that is needed for the Masks to hold order in their
realm. They can extend these effects to hide god-battles or the use of mani-
festations. These effects work seamlessly on mortals, but attempting these on
other gods (or others with Spark) forces a contested Deception versus Empa-
thy check.
Drawback - Cut Off: Due to a penchant for keeping secrets, Masks find
it hard to form new relationships with others. To reflect this, increasing an
existing Bond or creating a new Bond costs 2 refresh for each stress box (pg. 82).

101
 Sawyer Devereux - Goddess of Orphans
Background
Sawyer is still a kid physically, but shes grown up a lot mentally. Born and
raised in New Orleans, she grew up around magic and voodoo. The worst of
this magic is that which killed her mother. Sawyer spent three years watching
after her in her hospital bed, attempting her best prayers and spells to revive
her mother, but her wishes fell short. When her mother passed, Sawyer was
left alone. She sought her father but was too scared to meet him when the
opportunity presented itself.
Instead, she left her home and began living on the streets at the age of thir-
teen, taken in by the homeless community with open arms. Sawyer took care
of the new faces she met as if they were family. Her kindness shined through,
but getting what they needed was always a problem. To fix this, Sawyer started
a band of thieves with other young kids (and those with quick hands), and they
made sure they got what they needed. Having taken on a role of a patron, the
Sources power filled Sawyer and made her the goddess of orphans. Coming to
terms with her power has helped her and her new community survived many
hardships, from cold weather to getting rid of some who would take advantage
of the homeless. Her voodoo doll that her mother gave her on her deathbed
became magical, giving her even more power.
Sawyer holds a strange place within her Pantheon. With a less offensive
Dominion than her counterparts, she finds herself as backup. She is quick on
her feet and can talk her way out of most situations, but when combat rears its
head, she knows how to find a convenient hiding spot. She brings more to the
group than divine power, however. Sawyer is like everyones little sister in the
Pantheon, especially Victor and Robert. Even though everyone loves her, the
Pantheon knows shes a Mask and the other gods watch their step around her.

Personality
Sawyer is a fast-talking girl, quick with a comeback
or a word of snark to fill any void in the conversation.
There is always the smirk on her face. She loves meeting
new people and is able to add fun to many situ-
ations with her child-like (because shes a child)
wonder.

Bonds
Homeless Community:
She watches out for her communi-
ty, but less as a protector and more
as one of them. If she can help
them survive, then her own chances
increase tremendously.
Band of Thieves: Sawyer is the
leader of her band of thieves but must
constantly prove herself so no one else de-
cides to stage a coup.

102
 Part-Time Gods of Fate
Sawyer Devereux Name Divine The Patron of Orphans Aspect

Quick-Witted Street Urchin Aspect Human Theology The Unassuming Mask Aspect

Skills Manifestations
Rank Specialization
Superb (+5) Protect the homeless from the streets
Aegis +2
Great (+4) Burglary Summon one of the Band of Thieves
Beckon +1
1
Good (+3) Deceive, Stealth Journey
Fair (+2) Athletics, Empathy, Rapport Refresh Minion +3 Empower one of the Band of Thieves

Average (+1) Contacts, Notice, Technology, Will Oracle

Bonds Puppetry
Object Aspect 1 1 1 1 1 Ruin
Homeless Community The Homeless are My People
Shaping
Band of Thieves Always Proving Myself

Stunts & Gear Stress & Consequences Entitlements & Divine Extras

1 2 3 4 5 Otherworldly Sight
Slippery Target - Provided you are in Physical
Purity of Spirit
darkness or shadow, you can use Stealth
to defend against Shoot attacks from Mental Forgotten (Mask of Jana)
enemies that are at least one zone away. Drawback: Cut off (Ascendants)
2 Minor

4 Moderate Voodoo Doll

Power: 2 [ Remote use of manifestations (2)]
6 Severe Sawyer can link a soul to her doll, allowing her to use her
manifestations from afar.
 Order of Meskhenet
Other Names: Blue Bloods, Suits, Inheritors
Stereotypes: Loyal, Well-Connected, Built on Nepotism

History
The history of the Order of Meskhenet goes back as far as the gods them-
selves, which speaks to the Theologys purpose. There have always been gods
who looked to their origins and tried to ensure traditions were passed on to fu-
ture generations. This Order was named after a particularly capable god by the
name of Meskhenet, goddess of childbirth. She taught true power came only
with understanding ones roots and inheriting divine gifts through birthright,
cementing her lessons by empowering her children with social backing and
stability within the mortal realm. This same courtesy was extended to others
who joined the Order, making each generation more powerful than the last.
This built a society of gods connected through lineage of one sort or an-
other. As gods would perish, often through ritualistic means, another within
the Order would take their place and pay special homage to their benefactor.
Within the halls of the Order of Meskhenets massive temples in Africa, tomes
upon tomes record accounts of every past members powers, abilities, life, and
eventual death. They even have information on those outside the Order, con-
stantly tracking potential allies (to better protect their allegiances) and inevita-
ble enemies (so they know when to strike).
As time passed, the Order of Meskhenet grew into what could be known
as the ruling class of divine (and often mortal) society. As they stood as a com-
munity of many gods acting as one, the Order pooled its vast resources and
kept businesses in the family, allowing their power to flourish. In modern
times, their members make up many of the richest people in the world.
Today, there is no way to become a member of the Order of Meskhen-
et. What was once a haven for gods seeking answers and purpose, each one
thanked and welcomed into the Order, has turned into a collection of privi-
leged, snobbish powermongers. One must now be born into the family or con-
nected (in one way or another) to the Order through circumstance, regardless
of ability or want. Most come to know of their true purpose after their 18th
birthday, only then taking over their familys power. If ones father was the
god of lightning, they too must become the god of lightning and continue the
name. Some children grow up within the Order of Meskhenet, seeing examples
of divine power in their everyday lives. These special members are groomed to
fight for and build upon the power of the Order.

Lifestyle
In the old days, most of the aristocratic families in existence belonged to the
Order, members passing down their gifts to the next in line. Members of other
Theologies often must discover their place after becoming a god, while members
of the Order of Meskhenet track their lineage back to the very first god known
to the world. They are born into the world of gods, seeing their parents perform
miracles and knowing it will soon be their fate to do the same. To that end, In-

104
heritors often know their fate and are more likely to accept their place within the
hierarchy. When they are ready to give up their power to a protg or relative,
the god enacts an intense and personal blood-shedding ritual and sacrifices their
life to deliver untold power to the next deserving member of the Order.
Most power is transferred by bloodline, but some become members of
the Order by accidentally obtaining a transferred Spark of a current member.
These initiates are approached and tested to see if they possess the status and
ability to survive. If they do not, the Order has no qualms about removing
them and absorbing their soul in order to get the Dominion back. It is then
given to a more deserving member.
The Order has existed for millennia and has accumulated vast power, plen-
ty of influence, and hundreds of worshippers. The Order of Meskhenet uses
these gifts to ensure their continuation, giving their members an obvious ad-
vantage over others who just luck into their Spark.

Pantheon Roles
A Blue Blood can fit into any Pantheon quite easily. They love gathering
knowledge on their enemies and allies, and can deliver this intelligence to their
Pantheon to aid in keeping their territory. It isnt rare for a member of the Order of
Meskhenet to single-handedly fund their Pantheons endeavors or use social con-
nections to fight the agents of the Coming Storm in their own special way. Those
who are raised within the world of gods often become leaders, if only because they
believe it more and take the others along for the ride. They come off as entitled
and bossy, but it is always in pursuit of the Pantheons preservation. They have no
problem following another god either, as they are used to taking orders. They may,
however, second guess orders that conflict with their Theology directly.

Character Creation
Aspect Ideals: Your Order of Meskhenet aspect can be invoked or com-
pelled in these situations: when practicing traditions, gathering information, using
their connections, putting the Order above others, being bossy, acting entitled.
Special Gift - Social Status: Members of the Order of Meskhenet, also
known as Inheritors, are born into a world of people who serve and worship
them, where power is their birthright and is handed to them on a silver platter.
To reflect this, characters within the Order receive a free point of refresh, at
character creation, which must be used toward one of following gifts: a new
Dominion, a relic, or worshippers.
Drawback - Family Loyalty: An Inheritors loyalty to the Order that
gives them so much is very strong. This becomes an obligation to the part-
time god, as the goals of the Order are expected to be served before personal
ones. The character automatically begins with an additional strong (two-point)
Bond in the form of a mentor, who is a mortal representative of the Order. The
mentors job is to watch the gods progress, occasionally asking the character
to perform tasks, whether it is convenient or not. This Bond and its two boxes
are in addition to the other Bond boxes the god gets at character creation.
Also, should this Bond be broken, the character is on the outs with the Order.
In that instance, the god cannot replace this Bond - in order to get back in the
Orders good graces, at their next major milestone they must repair this Bond
with the same mentor (or a new mentor if the previous is not available) and
spend the refresh to do so, as if this was a newly created Bond.

105
 Colt Bastian - God of Music
Background
Colt Bastian was born Julian Martin to a wealthy family, his father a successful governor and
his mother the CEO of a global corporation. They didnt achieve this level of accomplishment
without help, however, as they were members of an underground society that worshipped the
angels incarnations on earth. When the young Julian was brought into this world, however, the
prophets said he would be the next angel.
He was taken in by his Uncle Jim, a man who worked for the society, and began his training
in music. By the age of ten he could play a dozen different instruments and could figure out any
other placed in his hand. His voice was honed as well, making him the perfect musician, and he
composed many songs and symphonies before he turned fifteen. His younger brother, Justin, was
always jealous of his success and constantly attempted to steal his thunder. Justin was a star athlete
but lacked any musical ability, which meant he always fell flat.
Then came the day when Uncle Jim revealed Julians true fate - to take on the mantle of Israfel,
the angel of music. Being brought to the deathbed of a withered man, the two of them touched
hands, and divine power was passed to Julian. From his back sprouted a pair of huge, feathered wings
and his head was filled with every piece of music the passed Israfel had ever created. Uncle Jim told
him he must spread his gift among the masses and revealed the society was the Order of Meskhenet.
At first, this involved shows for wealthy businessmen, but Colt soon grew frustrated by how much he
was being controlled. He left the Order shortly after to forge his own path.
Being a fan of electronic rock music, Julian changed his name to Colt Bastian and created his
band, Choir of Angels. His first album Hymns from the Drugstore went platinum and was heralded
as one of the best albums of the twentieth century. Choir of Angels second album Afterbirth of
Afterlife was more of an eclectic mix of music, from blues to classical, which broadened the bands
appeal to the masses. Follow-up albums Trail of Fears and Organ Grinder continued to show
his genius and won several awards, but drove Colt further into his shell, away from the fame. Hes
currently working on his fifth studio album, The Coming Storm, meant to be his musical accom-
plishment for the future.
Colt wears many hats within his Pantheon. He is a perform-
er by nature, giving him the ability to sing, play instruments, and
act. Hiroko and Penelope are usually found hanging around him.
His fame can be a welcome distraction if the group needs one,
and his money has funded many a mission. Colt is also a skilled
marksman with a sizeable gun collection.

Personality
Colt isnt the happiest of people at times. He is often over-
whelmed by his success, finding it necessary to disguise himself
to operate normally. In a crowd, he can become very quiet and
sullen with a slight masochistic streak. When in a one-on-one or
small group scenario, however, he is often the life of the party.

Bonds
Uncle Jim (Mentor): Colt walked away from
the Order but still must follow their tenets or face
harsh consequences. He owes his life to them, and
they come to collect on occasion.
Justin: Colts younger brother, Justin, envies
his brothers fame and constantly tries to out-
shine his brother, but is doomed to fail. Justin
has recently been gifted as god of the race,
but he still lives in Colts shadow. He tries
hard to put Colt in a bad light and disparag-
es him in the eyes of the Order.
The Order: Colt is not one to
be controlled, and he takes pleasure in
going against what the order tells him
to do.

106
 Part-Time Gods of Fate
Colt Bastian Name Divine The God of Music Aspect

Introverted Musician Aspect Human Theology Order of Meskhenet - Rebellion Against the Order Aspect

Skills Manifestations
Rank Specialization
Superb (+5)
Aegis
Great (+4) Knowledge +3 A musical instrument is there when he wants it
Beckon
2
Good (+3) Technology, Rapport Journey
Fair (+2) Will, Shoot, Empathy +1 Convince musicians to do things
Refresh Minion
Average (+1) Athletics, Burglary, Stealth, Resources Oracle
+2 Can play multiple instruments at the same time
Bonds Puppetry
Object Aspect 1 1 1 1 1 Ruin
Uncle Jim My Way is Just as Good Uncle Jims
Shaping
My Brother Justin This Irrational Jealousy Must Stop

Choir of Angels Close Knit Band

Stunts & Gear Stress & Consequences Entitlements & Divine Extras

Rock Star - Gain +1 on Overcome and 1 2 3 4 Wings

Create an Advantage with Rapport rolls Physical
when performing as a musician. Worshippers - The Listeners of the
Mental Choir of Angels (Rank 2; 20
Songwriter - Gain +1 on Overcome and Worshippers, Prayer +2, Mundane +1,
Create an Advantage with Knowledge 2 Minor
rolls when creating music. Stress 3)
4 Moderate

6 Severe
 Phoenix Society
Other Names: Phoenixes, Flames, Human-Lovers
Stereotypes: Proud, Honorable, Preachy

History
The Phoenix Society was founded after the great God Wars, when the
lines between god and human began blurring. Its members stand on a single,
undying, irrefutable fact of the universe: gods exist for the sake of humanity.
With this in mind, its members have focused on defending humanity from
hundreds of species of Pucks and monsters for all of history. Sure, the other
Theologies may look to save a human here and there, usually tangentially of
their true intent, but a Phoenixs very existence is to preserve what humanity
has built. The gods fought hard to make this possible and only wished to give
the fruits of their labor to their fellow man.
The Phoenix Societys reach extends to every corner of the Earth, with
several chapters started anywhere the world needs protection. Some went to
China to be known as the Eight Immortals, teaching the humans there how
to till the land, creating traditions that still exist today. Some went to Rome
to fight for what they believed to be a true civilization worth protecting. Ev-
erywhere humans flourished to a great degree, so too did the Phoenix Society
ensure they had representation. Often different sects of the Phoenix Society
stood on opposite sides of the battlefield, Phoenix against Phoenix, as the fate
of humanity was decided by the swing of a blade and strike of a gods wrath.
It is not about good or evil. They are concerned only for the continuation of
humanity.
Modern Phoenixes are often less militant than what was required for their
original mission, instead focusing on becoming muses to individual humans
they feel can better the world. Their members often turn to psychedelic drugs
to open their minds and those of their human charges, finding it easy to be-
friend new members in the process. Modern times make a well-placed stroke
of the hand or gathering of like minds mightier than brandishing a weapon.
Their members still strive to push the limits of humanity though, each day
finding another person worthy of attention.

Lifestyle
The derogatory name for Phoenixes is Human-Lover, and theres good
reason for it. They congregate in places with heavy human traffic and watch
the events of society unfold, soaking up every bit. Common gathering places
include plenty of nightclubs and bars, citywide festivals, and stadiums for rock
concerts or sporting events. They surround themselves and bathe in humanity
in every way they can. Many of these events can fit into a gods everyday lives,
making them appear as playboys or socialites, but they are taught to always be
mindful and on the lookout for the next it person. The Phoenix Society has
molded special individuals who have changed the course of history in one way
or another, and they feel the next revolution is imminent.
108
 The Phoenix Society accepts almost any god into their ranks, as long as
they share ideologies. They require no blood sacrifices or binding pacts in or-
der to become a member. One should have the freedom to choose their path,
even if it is not their own. The Theology has little in the way of organized
structure to their membership. Some operate as individual free agents or in
duos, using their small numbers to hide their presence in case other gods dont
desire the rise of humans. Others gather into communities of ten or more,
often becoming an army unto themselves and performing huge acts for the
betterment of humanity. Some groups even have a newsletter.
Of course, a discussion about the Phoenix Society cannot occur without
bringing up their alleged rampant drug use. While some members go off the
deep end and indulge too much, most Phoenixes view drugs as just another tool
to get close to others. This is usually combined with a dash of group sex and
philosophical discussion sprinkled in, to make themselves more aware of the
world and the universe. They have gained horrible reputations as sexual deviants,
instead of being seen as the leaders they are. The Phoenix Society knows their
purpose regardless and dont really care what others think about them anyway.

Pantheon Roles
Members of the Phoenix Society love being part of a Pantheon. It is true
they love humanity foremost, but the companionship from other gods can pro-
vide pleasure as well. Phoenixes also make great leaders by nature, as they al-
ways have a new agenda for their Pantheon to attempt, be it gathering humans
for some grand experiment or taking out another Pantheon that may have a
poor influence on the area. As a follower in a Pantheon, Phoenixes can be
trusted to always have a wise word to convey as an advisor, especially with ideas
of how to treat the mortals in their territory. Their influence can often lighten
the mood of even the gloomiest Pantheon.

Character Generation
Aspect Ideals: Your Phoenix Society aspect can be invoked or compelled
in these situations: when defending humanity, being honorable, coming up
with a new plan, being preachy, partying too hard, being too accepting.
Special Gift - Linked to Humanity: Phoenixes learn to connect with
humanity on another level, giving them a special link few other Theologies can
match. This makes them more receptive to ideas and easier to befriend. To
reflect this, during character creation, members of the Phoenix Society start
with two additional stress boxes for creating Bonds (pg. 81).
Drawback - Addicted to Humans: Phoenixes live for humanity, quite
literally viewing isolation as a major weakness. They crave mortal company
and affection. Each day without personal interaction with humanity (usually
involving conversation and intimate encounters), Phoenixes suffer a -1 penalty
to all checks, trapped in a depressed funk. After their next intimate and ex-
citing encounter, the penalty ends. Many Phoenixes favor casual but intense
encounters, ensuring no individual mortal relationship becomes stagnant or
harmful to the human.

109
 Penelope Rivera - Goddess of Liquor
Background
Born to a single mother, Penelope and her sister, Pilar, grew up reasonably happy.
Penelope always looked up to her mother, Maria, seeing her as the perfect woman: able
to raise two girls on her own and continue her goals for education. There was always a
secret surrounding their fathers identity, however. Maria was never forthcoming with
this information, crying in secret after receiving private phone calls on holidays and
birthdays. Penelopes childhood was spent wondering why there was such a big secret.
Her questions were answered when she turned eighteen years old, the day her
father re-entered her life. She was walking home from a rough day at college when she
bumped into a man. One look into his eyes, eyes the same as hers, and she knew it was
her father. You are my daughter and I have many enemies, but my time is up and I
dont want my power going to just anyone, he explained. He handed her a flask with
the emblem of grapes before disappearing in a flash and filling Penelope with his Spark.
Penelope ran home, invigorated with the divine energy coursing through her veins, only
to find her mother lying dead on the ground. Penelopes attempts to revive her failed.
These events occurring on the same day could not have been a coincidence, putting
Penelope on edge. She had to keep Pilar safe from all of this.
Fast-forwarding a year, Penelope buried her mother, dropped out of college and
became a bartender. She spent a couple of months as a model, but her new Dominion
over liquor made working in bars and clubs the perfect career. She has blocked most of
the pain of her mothers death out of her life, replacing it with a life of spreading joy.
Being a bartender gives her the ability to help people who are down on their luck, and
her cheerful attitude can make even the saddest person smile.
Penelope proves to be a great companion to her Pantheon. She and Hiroko have
been friends since their paths crossed in the various clubs they visit, and her Dominion
keeps the wine flowing. She was integral to her Pantheon defeating a kraken as well.
While on a cruise boat being attacked by this heinous beast, she emptied her flask into
the ocean and got the monster drunk so everyone could get away safely.

Personality
Penelope, or Penn, as she commonly goes by, is an easy-going, fun-loving woman
in her early twenties. She carries a glint of flirtation in her eye, has tons of sex appeal,
and is very easy to speak to. Even the most private person spills
their deepest secrets in a conversation with Penelope. Her smile
is infectious, and she likes to keep the laughs going wherever she
travels. Her job is to keep morale strong.

Bonds
Pilar: Her sister remains an import-
ant person in her life. They go shopping fre-
quently and get together to mourn
the death of their mom on the an-
niversary. She must keep her sister
protected from the threats of their
fathers enemies.
Club-Goers: Penelope has
developed a reputation for bar and
club hopping, looking to make any-
one she comes into contact with
very happy. She can ask for almost
anything from her club friends
and theyll do it, knowing shell
make them happy in return.

110
 Part-Time Gods of Fate
Penelope Rivera Name Divine The Goddess of Liquor Aspect

Bartender with the Bent Ear Aspect Human Theology The Lovely Phoenix Aspect

Skills Manifestations
Rank Specialization
Superb (+5)
Aegis +1 Create a tolerance to alcohol
Great (+4) Rapport
Beckon
Athletics, Empathy
2
Good (+3) Journey
Fair (+2) Physique, Notice, Burglary
Refresh Minion
Average (+1) Stealth, Knowledge, Will, Travel +2 Looking into the future of a person through their drink
Oracle

Bonds Puppetry
Object Aspect 1 1 1 1 1 Ruin
Pilar Rivera I Need to Keep My Sister Safe +3 Change the alcohol content of liquor
Shaping
Club Trinity Keeping My Peeps Happy

Stunts & Gear Stress & Consequences Entitlements & Divine Extras

Gentle Soul - Penelope gains a +2 to 1 2 3 4

Linked to Humanity (Phoenix Society)
overcome actions with Rapport to get Physical
Addicted to Humans (Phoenix Society)
someone to give up a secret.
Mental
Cat Like Balance - Penelope gains a +2 The Flask of Spirits
to overcome actions with Athletics checks 2 Minor
Power: 2 [ The Drunk Effect (2)]
to keep her balance.
4 Moderate The Drunk Effect: Ingesting just one drop creates the
aspect Youre Drunk with two invocations on it to be
6 Severe
used against the imbiber.
 Puck-Eaters
Other Names: Maniacs, Eaters, Puckers
Stereotypes: Cannibalistic, Crazy, Warlike

History
Few enjoy coming face to face with a god from one of the least-revered of
all Theologies, but the Puck-Eaters dont try to win any popularity contests.
Survival by any means necessary is the main lesson taught by elders of the
group, and their methods bring disgust when mentioned. It is founded on
the idea of fighting fire with fire: the gods taking the power of the monsters
they battle and using it against their enemies. New initiates quickly learn this
strength can only be gained through devouring their opponents flesh.
This Theology began in primitive cultures throughout North and South
America, spawning cannibalistic worshippers who wished nothing more than
to emulate their gods. When no Pucks were around, Puck-Eaters frequently
feasted on hearts left for them at the base of sacrificial temples. Violence led
to more violence, making this Theology the most aggressive of its kind. They
conquered monsters within their realms and made humans their willing slaves.
Then they brought that fight to other gods, building quite a bad reputation.
The modern practices of the Puck-Eaters are a little less overt. Their mem-
bers train heavily in their ability to use their Dominion to cause destruction,
while ensuring the best parts of their opponents stay unharmed to be eaten
later. Initiates who are afraid to get their hands dirty wont make it in this
special group. Other Theologies find their horrible practices to have no place
in todays world. Puck-Eaters, to the contrary, believe their ways (as violent as
they are) will see them through the Coming Storm. Theyll be the last standing
because theyll pierce the hearts of any other gods who stand in their way
with their teeth.

Lifestyle
Puck-Eaters are prone to lives of violence and disorder. Such is the life of
someone who consumes the very essence of chaos into their body. Their life-
styles lend to high-energy activities, members often skydiving, bungee-jumping,
street-fighting, and other activities to get their adrenaline pumping. Even if they
have a lackluster job, theyll do their jobs enthusiastically, waiting for closing
time to get to a new adventure. Their aggression can turn on their friends, family,
Pantheon members, and even other gods often at the drop of a hat.
Puck-Eaters enjoy hunting down Pucks and other Outsiders. This isnt
strictly for survival, but instead as a game they play with each other. The sport
becomes a friendly (and sometimes not-so-friendly) rivalry between Theology
members to obtain the best trophy from their kills. This can bring Puck-Eaters
from all around the world in search of rare (often peaceful) beings, only for
their throats to be ripped out and displayed with pride on the gods trophy wall.
The Theology itself is loosely associated into lodges that meet periodically

112
to show off their wares and talk about how they can still retain their humanity
in the midst of all the chaos. Killing monsters, eating them, and taking pieces
of them as trophies can certainly make someone question their lives.

Pantheon Roles
Puck-Eaters fill many roles with completely random results. As a follower,
they are often content to serve as the Pantheons muscle (because none of the
other members could possibly beat them, right?). Their fellow gods no doubt
leave them to their own devices until they are absolutely needed, only then
bringing them into the picture. This is just as fine for the Puck-Eaters, as they
have their own agendas. As leaders, this Theology has conquered towns, cities,
and even nations. Little can halt their ferocity once they get started, especially
when they have a Pantheon to back them up. Their leadership decisions often
confuse their followers, however, similar to the chaotic trends of the rest of
their lives. As followers, they are unpredictable at best.

Character Creation
Aspect Ideals: Your Puck-Eater aspect can be invoked or compelled in
these situations: when being fierce, destroying things, hunting Pucks and mon-
sters, acting crazy, showing violent tendencies, being chaotic.
Special Gift - Cannibal Behavior: As cannibal-gods, the Puck-Eat-
ers can ingest parts of their victims for power. On the battlefield, this can be
done on the spot in order to be used on their next opponent, but some careful
Puck-Eaters are known to store parts for months. Effects of ingestion last for
a day and then fade. This can have a variety of effects, depending on the meal:
Mortals: Eating a piece of a mortal fills their stomachs and provides
different abilities, specifically a temporary aspect lasting for the day, with
a single invocation related to the organ consumed. Eating a sensory organ
can provide an aspect such as Sharpened Vision, related to that organ (an
eye boosts sight, an ear enhances hearing, etc). Eating the tongue gifts the
ability to speak a language their victim knew. They can gain aspects related
to skills as well if they eat the correct organ and their victim had at least
a Good (+3) in the skill in question. For instance, eating the hands of an
artist may give the Puck-Eater the aspect The Brush and I Are One.
Outsiders: Instead of simply eating organs, Puck-Eaters can steal the
special, magical abilities of non-human prey by ingesting flesh of the ap-
propriate type. Eating part of a wing could make them grow wings, and the
same goes for claws, tails, eyes, etc. These creatures possess other abilities
as well, and the Puck-Eaters cant wait to sink their teeth into them (see
Antagonists, pg. 170).
Drawback - Chaotic Tendencies: Puck-Eaters are prone to chaotic be-
havior, each day different from the one before. They must perform some form of
chaotic act in order to keep their wild souls pacified for another day (GMs dis-
cretion as to what is chaotic enough). Anything from smashing a store window,
starting a bar fight, turning on a comrade to see what would happen, or crashing
their car for the fun of it suffices. If they do not let off steam, they suffer a -1 pen-
alty to all checks until they do. Their reputations often precede them.

113
Victor Resnick - God of the Dead
Background
Victor grew up on the streets, constantly picked on due to his short size. He knew
hed always be shorter than other kids, so Victor fell in league with the local criminal
underground for protection. He started as a runner, delivering packages whenever asked.
He took up a strict workout regimen when not on the job. He dropped out of school at
fourteen and ran away from a broken home to work permanently for the godfather, Wil-
lam Leoni. This ruthless killer and maniacal crime lord was more of a kind foster parent
to Victor, teaching him everything the young man would need to know to one day take on
the mantle of godfather.
This plan veered off track when Victor was incarcerated for manslaughter. He spent ten
years in prison, spending most of his time becoming even stronger than before and learning
how to survive. He had no contact with the family during this time, as any communication
would have connected his crime to the organization. Victor always knew this was a probability
and accepted his fate with grace. The day before he was to leave prison (let out on supposed
good behavior) he secretly murdered one of the guards who gave him a hard time. Unbe-
knownst to him, the guard was a god of the dead, taken out with a surprise shiv to the liver.
The power was transferred to the nearest person: the gods killer, Victor.
Victor finally had a taste of true power and returned home to
the open arms of his family. He has taken up his old position as
enforcer for Leoni, breaking legs and taking bullets where needed.
Being the god of the dead has given him supernatural strength to
crush anyone that would go against the family and the ability to
speak with informants even if they are already dead. He was
quickly found by the Puck-Eaters, and his ruthless nature helps
him, along with his new diet.
Within his Pantheon, Victor is the obvious muscle.
Hes used to taking orders, making him a great sol-
dier, but his chaotic nature also makes his actions un-
predictable. Victor is a fan of Choir of Angels,
served time alongside Benjamins brother, and
has strangely become Sawyers protector in
dangerous situations. His gruff nature may
turn some off, but his place within the Pan-
theon would be hard to replace with another.

Personality
Victor isnt great at first impressions. He is fond of inciting
fear in others and wrecking everything around him, and one
can tell this simply by looking at his sinister appearance. His
attitude is a little off, as well, because Victor is self-conscious
about his height (or lack thereof). Anyone that mentions how
short he is quickly feels his knuckles on their cheek.

Bonds
The Family: The crime family has supported
Victor since he was a kid, and he hopes to climb in
its ranks. He is constantly vying for the attention
of the higher-ups so he can assume more power.
His respect for those above him is the only rea-
son he hasnt killed his way to the top.
Willam Leoni: This is the man that Vic-
tor looks up to and would die for if asked. The
godfather also appears to know more about the
divine than he is letting on.

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 Part-Time Gods of Fate
Victor Resnick Name Divine God of the Dead Aspect

Ruthless Mob Enforcer Aspect Human Theology Fearless Puck-Eater Aspect

Skills Manifestations
Rank Specialization
Superb (+5)
Aegis
Great (+4) Fight
Beckon
2
Good (+3) Physique, Provoke Journey
Fair (+2) Athletics, Detective, Shoot Refresh Minion +2 Empower dead souls
Average (+1) Burglary, Contacts, Stealth, Travel Oracle +3 Able to see the dead

Bonds Puppetry
Object Aspect 1 1 1 1 1 Ruin +1 Cause tissue necrosis
The Family Seeking Their Respect and Approval
Shaping
Willam Leoni I Would Die for the Don

Stunts & Gear Stress & Consequences Entitlements & Divine Extras

1 2 3 4 Superior Strength
Killing Stroke - Once per scene when you force Physical
an opponent to take a consequence, you can spend Cannibal Behavior (Puck-Eaters)
a fate point to increase the consequences severity.
If your opponent was already going to take a severe Mental Drawback: Chaotic Tendencies (Puck-
consequence, he must either take a severe and a Eaters)
second consequence or be taken out. 2 Minor

Provoke Violence - When you create an 4 Moderate

advantage on an opponent using Provoke, you
can use your free invocation to become the target 6 Severe
of that characters next relevant action, drawing
their attention away from another target.
 Warlocks Fate
Other Names: Warlocks, Wizards, Magicians
Stereotypes: Analytical, Obsessed, Knowledgeable

History
Ever since divine magic has existed on earth, a few have sought the answers
behind the mystery of life itself. This is where the Warlocks come into play, look-
ing under every rock and analyzing every creature (mortal or otherwise). They
see it as their fate to discover new magic and Relics, bringing enlightenment to
the world. Their training leads each Warlock to delve into the fabric of reality
and seek out how it is all connected. Divinity allows them to view changes to the
world over decades or centuries, and they believe only with this craving to know
everything can the gods hope to continue to survive in this world.
Warlocks have taken on many forms throughout history. They were wiz-
ards watching the people from their ivory towers and playing out their hidden
machinations. They were mad scientists, hoping to uncover the secrets of life
itself and finding any excuse to test the limits of the universe. Many of the
worlds greatest advances were Warlock-driven, from analyzing the sophisticat-
ed workings of the body to creating new medical procedures to commanding
the sky via flying machines. This Theology knows all too well the potential
humanity holds in its hands and hopes to help their old species reach that po-
tential, even if kicking and screaming.
The Warlocks Fate is no different today than it was millennia ago. Being
the ones to uncover new technology and other discoveries has led the Warlocks
to be some of the first gods to pick up new and never-before-seen Dominions.
They claimed the first god of reading, first god of cars, and first god of the
Internet, and the Theology shows no signs of slowing down. They prefer to
recruit those already on the cutting edge of their fields, so occupations like
scientists, designers, engineers, archeologists, and mathematicians become the
gods of the new world. With such a large collection of the worlds finest minds,
the Warlocks Fate feels they can endure the Coming Storm and pass their tra-
ditions on long after its over.

Lifestyle
To be a Warlock is to look at life in a completely new way. Instead of sim-
ply watching a bird fly, a Warlock is trained to look at the flap of its wing, listen
to the chirp of its song, and observe the twitch of its eye. Only then can they
truly understand what a bird is. With such a focus on research, there are two
common approaches to the Theology. One is to view the lives of others from
afar, leading to using ones Dominion to shape events and see how their sub-
jects react. The other route is to directly insert themselves into an interesting
subjects life, get close enough to observe, then take a direct hand in bringing
about change. Stories tell of Warlocks obsessed enough to kill their subjects to
see the effect on others and analyze the impact they once made on the world.

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 With each connection they see created and broken, the Warlocks learn to
view their own lives in the same manner. They have a tendency to instantly cut
unnecessary Bonds from their lives, only keeping the bare minimum for their
best performance. In the meantime, they seek out new pieces of the universe
they can scoop up as new Dominions. Their search for knowledge replaces
their need for companionship and drives them further toward inhumanity.
Initiates are instructed in the ways of manipulating their manifestations,
just as any other god, but only to a limited degree. Warlocks believe their main
goal is new discoveries, leaving them little time to train past the basics. Each is
gifted with a focus item, however, to boost their abilities to be equal with other
gods and give them a fighting edge.

Pantheon Roles
Having a Warlock in the Pantheon can be very helpful when cooler heads
should prevail. They look at every situation from all directions, attempting to
find the correct way to handle the issue. Flying off half-cocked is the last thing
theyd be caught doing, making them invaluable leaders (making wise decisions
for their Pantheon) or followers (offering priceless advice to its members).
They can also see the connections others may have missed, making them great
for diplomacy and reconnaissance missions.

Character Creation
Aspect Ideals: Your Warlocks Fate aspect can be invoked or compelled in
these situations: when solving mysteries, gaining or sharing knowledge, dealing
with magic, being obsessive, over-analyzing a situation, getting lost in books.
Special Gift - See Connections: Warlocks insights into the powers
that connect all gods allows them to view the very fabric of creation. For one
fate point, the Warlock may attune their eyes to see the general connections
between all people and things. For more accurate information, they must also
make a Notice overcome action against an opposition of Fair (+2). If an oppo-
nent is using magic to conceal their connections, the Warlock must make an
opposed roll of Notice vs. the manifestation used to conceal the Bonds.
Looking at a couple, for example, Warlocks sense any emotional or familial
connection. They could tell whether a driver is connected to a car or if it is
borrowed or stolen. With this ability, Warlocks can also see the traces of any
manifestations used in the area for up to an hour, giving them a +2 bonus to No-
tice checks against other gods. If in the presence of another god, they can even
spend one additional fate point to see the gods connection to specific Bonds.
Drawback - Focus Item: Warlocks become overly reliant on tools to
use their manifestation. Their main tool is a focus item (like a locket, wand, or
cloak) that they must have in their possession to fully actualize their power. It
is an item that must be actively used as well, so subdermal implants or ingest-
ed items have no use. Without their focus item, they suffer a -2 penalty to all
manifestation actions and take a mild consequence (or higher if not available)
of Lost Focus until it is retrieved. If the item is destroyed, they must devote
one week performing a blood ritual to create another.

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 Benjamin Lowe - God of Storms
Background
Benjamin had a childhood like any other; he made and lost friends and lovers and had
parents that pushed him to reach his potential. He always had a certain charm about him,
and he could talk others into doing almost anything he wanted. Benjamin naturally gravitat-
ed toward politics, working as a community organizer and eventually running for Senator.
The race was hard, however, due to his younger brother Christopher--who was in and out
of jail over the course of their whole lives. Benjamin worked hard to distance himself from
the smear campaigns that revolved around Christopher, while helping his brother in secret.
Theres little he wont do or give to his brother, but this doesnt make Benjamins wife, Linda,
very happy. Something else that doesnt make Linda happy is Benjamins current affair with
Maria, a younger and more beautiful owner of a flower shop. While Linda doesnt know
about the affair directly, her suspicions have driven her into a deep paranoia. Still, Benjamin
loves his wife very much, and loves Maria too, so his feelings are torn.
When flying home from Congress, his plane was caught in terrible turbulence. Peering
out of the window, Benjamin saw an epic battle between a woman riding a cloud and a giant
wielding lightning spears. In one blow, the woman was knocked into the plane, causing it to
crash. When Benjamin awoke, he was in the middle of a crash site as the only survivor. His
hands crackled with energy, and it was obvious this new power was the reason he was still
alive. This catapulted his political career, giving him more exposure and a strong platform as
a survivor. Benjamin hopes to run for president during the next election.
He climbed to the top of the Pantheon quite easily. The other gods in the city deferred
to his leadership experience, none of them really wanting the spot of
All-Father. Benjamin enjoys being able to control the things in his life,
and this extends to his territory, so he was happy to take charge. Ama-
la and Benjamin are quite close, as she was the doctor he saw upon
his immediate return to the city, and the Senator has known Colt
Bastian through his parents since he was very young.

Personality
Benjamin is a politician in every sense.
His words are calculated, with inflection
on just the right phrases, and he pur-
posefully uses no profanity. His opin-
ions carry more weight than others,
and he is quite the moral man in that
he doesnt take advantage of his pow-
er. He is a cheerful person, but those
close to him can tell that Benjamin
has a lot of turmoil in his life.

Bonds
Christopher: His brother
is one of the most important people
in Benjamins life. Benjamin gives and
gives. Too bad his brother takes and takes
too often.
Political Career: Benjamin wants to
keep his political career in pristine condi-
tion and wont let anyone stand in his way
to the presidency.
Linda: He and his wife are estranged.
They love each other, and they have been
together for 10 years, but their love for
each other wanes.
Maria: His relationship with
Maria is blooming and still fresh.

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 Part-Time Gods of Fate
Benjamin Lowe Name Divine God of Storms Aspect

The Silver Tongued Senator Aspect Human Theology Warlocks Fate - Master of Politics Aspect

Skills Manifestations
Rank Specialization
Superb (+5)
Aegis
Great (+4) Rapport
Beckon
1
Good (+3) Notice, Deceive Journey +2 Create whirlwinds people can travel in

Fair (+2) Empathy, Knowledge, Contacts Refresh Minion

Average (+1) Fight, Will, Technology, Resources Oracle
+1 Moving Storms
Bonds Puppetry
Object Aspect 1 1 1 1 1 +3 Lightning Strike
Ruin
Christopher Lowe Theres Nothing I Wont Do For My Brother
Shaping
Political Career I will Be President No Matter What

Linda Lowe I Love My Wife Maria I Love My Mistress

Stunts & Gear Stress & Consequences Entitlements & Divine Extras

Inspirational - Gain a +2 on Overcome using 1 2 3 4 Energy Deflection

Rapport when giving a speech. Physical
Telepathy
Media Connections - Benjamin has friends in the
media he can call on for a favor. The player and Mental See Connections (Warlocks Fate)
GM come up with the contact and then the contact
can ask for a favor in return. The bigger the Minor Focus Item (Warlocks Fate) - Ankh
request the bigger the favor in return. Once used it
2
Pendant
can not be used again until a milestone has been
reached 4 Moderate

Self Defense - When an opponent takes a fight 6 Severe

action against you your defend action gains a +2.
 CHAPTER EIGHT:
DIVINE EXTRAS

This chapter contains information about some of the things associated

with having divine power. It focuses on three areas: the natural abilities that
come with being a god; worshippers, the faithful who can empower your god
through adoration; and Relics, instruments of divine power.

NATURAL ABILITIES
There are powers all gods have in common, divine gifts provided by the
Spark inside them.

Sense Spark
All gods, part-time or otherwise, can sense each other and the minions
of the Source whenever they are in close proximity. Unfortunately, telling the
difference between gods and Outsiders is difficult, since the same Spark infuses
both. Gods can sense the presence, general direction, and power level of any
being with Spark (including gods, Pucks, and Outsiders) within a one mile ra-
dius. No roll is needed for this.

Power Levels
When determining power levels of two gods, compare the highest man-
ifestation rating between the two gods to determine which is more powerful.
When comparing between a god and a Puck or Outsider, compare the char-
acters highest manifestation skill vs. the Outsiders highest skill.

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 If gods find themselves in the vicinity of another with Spark, theyll feel
the hair on the back of their neck stand up, or get a slight chill. Sadly, this sense
isnt perfect. A god cannot track or pinpoint the exact location of another crea-
ture with Spark. If these gods share the same Dominion, however, the two gods
can immediately detect each others exact location. These beings are in direct
competition and possibly dangerous to one another.

Immortality and Death

Upon receiving their Spark, all gods become effectively immortal for one hun-
dred years. They can, if they choose, live through this period without aging. The can
also will themselves to age, giving themselves an older appearance, but they cannot
turn back aging. Adult gods often take the opportunity to remain in the same state
forever. Younger gods, like those who receive their Spark as a child, often choose to
age a year at a time until they find an age and body type they most enjoy.
Although they are immortal in terms of aging, gods can still experience death
through violence or accident. If killed by being taken out in a conflict, the gods
body, no matter how destroyed or damaged, rises three days after death in perfect
health. The downside, however, is the resurrected gods also lose one permanent
point of refresh, as resurrection takes a lot of energy. If left unharmed for the three
days, their spirits reach their bodies again. Any damage is instantly healed.
If losing that point of refresh reduces their starting refresh to 0, their
Dominion abandons them and jumps to a new (and hopefully more worthy)
recipient. These former gods live the rest of their lives knowing that they lost
true power. In the case of long-lived gods, natural age instantly catches up with
them, and their bodies rapidly wrinkle and shrivel. If they have lived past their
lifespan, the now-mortal god instantly dies.
During the three days of waiting for their body to rise, the gods are
stripped of their Dominion and become akin to a ghost. They often have to
evade minions from the Lands of the Dead attempting to transport their souls
to the afterlife. If this occurs, their Pantheon members may even travel to the
Lands of the Dead to get them back (a sign of true friendship).

Being Devoured
Gods must also be wary of another danger surrounding death: other gods.
When they are in their ghost form, gods are defenseless, with no Dominion
and no way to affect the real world. Hiding is recommended, because a rival
god (or any god, for that matter) who finds the part-time gods soul can attempt
to absorb it. Some gods become dead hunters, tracking down dead gods with
desirable Dominions in order to steal their power.
In order to do this, both gods enter a contest using Will. If the attacking
god wins, the soul is absorbed (some would say devoured). The dead god is now
forever dead and has no Spark to revive. The absorbing god assumes control
over the Dominion of the dead god as well, boosting that gods power. If the
dead god had the same Dominion as the absorbing god, the latter instead re-
ceives +1 refresh and a +1 bonus to a manifestation of their choice, adhering to
the manifestation skill rules. The manifestation receiving the bonus must be

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one that the dead god possessed, reflecting the strengthening of the connec-
tion to the absorbing gods existing Dominion. See Manifestations, pg. 49.
Another benefit to devouring a gods soul is that the energy of their Spark can
be used to re-energize ones own. With this, a god can actually add years to his rule.
Normally, a gods Spark lasts about one hundred years. However, each Spark they
devour extends this by another twenty five years. Many older gods have existed
only through the naivet and trustworthy natures of younger, weaker gods.
Of course, absorbing someones soul comes with a cost. The essence of the
dead gods soul becomes one with the absorbing gods soul, merging the two
and mingling them. The absorbing god must roll on the following chart to see
the outcome, but it is rarely good. Side effects range anywhere from a slight
dizziness for a short period to permanent skill loss, or even the absorbing gods
own death. Unless otherwise stated, the side effects are permanent.

Devour Side-Effect Chart

3dF Roll Effect
+3 No Effect: The god escapes with no effect.
+2 Dizziness: The god is left slightly dizzy and takes the minor
consequence Feeling Dizzy.
+1 Drawback: The absorbing god receives a moderate consequence
based on the dead gods aspects (GMs choice).
0 Bond Loss: The absorbing god loses their hold on their human-
ity, and loses one box from one of their Bonds (players choice).
This is in addition to the box lost for taking a new Domain.
-1 Skill Loss: A fragment of the absorbing gods memory degrades,
removing some of their training. The absorbing god must lose a
skill (divine or human) of Fair (+2) or greater.
-2 Multiple Personalities: The soul merge was not complete, leav-
ing remnants of the dead gods personality preserved within the ab-
sorbing gods mind. In times of stress, or when coming into contact
with a possible trigger, the dead god takes control of the character
for a moment. This is resisted with a Good (+3) Will check, but
can raise to a Superb (+5) if faced with any of the dead gods Bonds.
-3 Character dies: The two Sparks prove incompatible, rendering
the absorbing god dead. They receive no benefit from absorbing
the soul, and they are now at other gods mercy until they come
back three days later.

It is not unheard of for multiple gods to share in devouring another gods

soul. When this occurs, all the absorbing gods roll against the dead god. If they
win, they get to take a piece for themselves, but everyone still needs to roll on
the Devour Side-Effect chart. However, the Dominion often breaks apart into
its different aspects, each god receiving one. For instance, devouring the soul
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of a god of storms may garner one god the lightning Dominion while another
receives the Wind Dominion. Tales of a Pantheon betraying one of their own,
just to split the power among themselves, are surprisingly common.

Territory
As gods settle in an area, they begin to build a powerbase and establish
their territory. Gods territories arent limited to where they live. Throughout
history gods have ruled entire states, nations, or large portions of the world,
only because there were either a lack of other gods in the area, no one wanted
the territory (it was in a poor or useless area), or other gods feared the rulers.
The part-time gods in this game begin play having been gods for a short
while. They each have a couple of divine hubs in the Pantheons territory. The
divine hubs are the locations most connected to the god. The gods started with
just one hub each, and as they traveled to and from work and to other loca-
tions, they spread the essence of their Spark around the territory. Within days,
they had a territory of a few square miles, which grew exponentially until it
collided with or overlapped another gods territory. Multiple gods can share the
same territory if they choose to, instantly sensing if the boundaries of their ter-
ritory have been moved or tampered with, but most gods are petty and unused
to sharing. Through territory creation the part-time gods of your Pantheon
have connections to each other and have decided to rule the territory together,
in relative peace. See Territory Creation, pg. 34.

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 Some gods enjoy expanding their territory, forcing other gods to defend
their turf. They stroll into town, their presence being immediately felt by that
territorys ruling gods. When they face each other, the winner can lay claim
to the territory and call it theirs until the next usurpers arrive. It is a nev-
er-ending cycle. The most famous account of this phenomenon was the Roman
Pantheon sweeping in, destroying the Greek gods of the time, and then ruling
in their place, no mortal the wiser.
Territory is established during territory creation. Mechanically, a territory
gives a -1 penalty to all manifestation checks for other gods within another
gods territory. Gods who all share the same territory do not suffer this, but
those gods who travel from other lands certainly do.

Divine Hubs
Whenever fate points refresh in the game, each divine hub gains two fate
points that the part-time god associated with the hub can use while within that
divine hub. This shows the power a divine hub possesses. (These points are
only available when within the divine hub, not within the territory as a whole.)

Spheres of Influence
A side effect of godhood is that the influence of a Dominion, fueled by
Spark, seeps into a territory. It begins slowly, with the gods very presence
altering a decision a mortal makes, until the citizenry have no control over
themselves. For instance, the territory that is home to a god of love is filled
with happy couples, while a neighborhood ruled by a goddess of fear would
exhibit locked doors and empty streets after dark. The effects should scale with
the gods power level (see above). A manifestation of Good (+3) causes subtle
changes in the environment, while a manifestation of Legendary (+8) alters the
very land and peoples minds entirely.

Territory Problem Slots

The territory sheet has slots for arising problems plaguing the territory.
Each of these problems threatens the territory in some way and has three slots
to show the growing severity of the problem. Once the part-time gods become
aware of the problem it goes in one of the slots depending on how close the
problem is to its end goal. Once the problem passes the third slot the end goal
is achieved, the territory is taken out, and is changed for the worse. See Creating
A Campaign Arc, pg. 147.

Taking Out a Territory

When a territory is taken out, the territory gains a consequence. As a re-
sult, every god in the territorys Pantheon fills their highest consequence slot
with that consequence as well. This consequence can only be removed when the
consequence is removed from the territory sheet. The consequence can also be
removed if the Pantheon removes the territory consequence aspect, assuming
it can be dealt with, during play. Whenever a major milestone is reached, any

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consequences that are remaining on the territory sheet are cleared, as are any
related consequences the gods have taken from them.
Through the course of more than one campaign arc, if the territory re-
ceives four consequences before any of them are cleared, that would mean the
gods would have received their fourth consequence and are taken out. The GM
should determine what happens to the gods and the territory, but in most cases
the gods should lose their territory.

DOMINIONS
Gods have the power to manipulate aspects of their Dominion, the piece
of the universe they have direct control over. The old gods once had absolute
control of their Dominion, but newer gods must grow into this level of power
over time.
In the old days, many gods chose their own Dominion, or it was gifted
upon them by a higher god. A great cook might have become the patron god of
chefs, or an inventive scientist the god of science. In todays reality, however,
gods dont always get the perfect Dominion for their natural talents. Seldom
does a plumber luck into the Dominion of water or become the patron of
plumbers. Often part-time gods end up with a strange or even contradictory
Dominion, such as gold or fear. When this occurs, the god must take time to
make their new Dominion a part of their everyday life, or they may need to
step back and reevaluate their life and mindset.
Millions of Dominions exist, each a different piece of the puzzle that
makes up the world and each with its own god to govern and set order to
it. Players are only truly limited by their imagination and the restrictions the
group envisions for the story to be created. Players are encouraged to pick
carefully, as it will undoubtedly color their characters entire career, both occu-
pationally and divinely.

Choosing Dominions
During character creation, each players Dominion is defined within their
divine aspect. The aspect is the key phrase all of their powers will work from.
Some Dominions are very similar to each other without actually being the
same thing: for instance the god of the race and the god of running. The
former could include running but is really about anything pertaining to racing
an opponent specifically. The latter could affect races too, as long as they are on
foot, but would specifically pertain to any sort of running.
Another example is a god of death versus the god of the dead. Very
close, yes, but the former would give the god control over the concept of death
itself, while the latter points specifically to things that were once alive but are
now dead. The focus of each Dominion is different, so the wording of ones
aspect should be carefully considered and discussed before beginning play.
The important thing to remember is gods love flashy titles. A lackadaisical
god of dead things doesnt sound as good as a triumphant god of the dead.
Likewise, a god of guns sounds silly, but the patron god of snipers carries

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much more weight.
While almost any Dominion can be allowed in Part-Time Gods of Fate,
your group is encouraged to create certain stipulations based on the setting
and story to be told. Certain Dominions shouldnt exist at all unless they fit
into the game world specifically, such as god of the world, the goddess of every-
thing, or god of gods. Likewise, some areas might not require a god to lord over
them, meaning there shouldnt be a god of tacos or goddess of cheese. Some
Dominions have the potential to be game-breaking, while others could easily
turn the game into a slapstick routine.

Types of Gods
There are many different directions to go in when deciding on a Dominion,
and not all players will have a clear idea of what theyd like to choose for their
character. Below are a number of ideas to get the brain going. Of course, if the
players have a notion of the Dominion they want, you should be open to it.

Bestial
Animal gods are relatively common, from Ra the eagle-headed god of the
sun, to Pan, the satyr god of music and shepherds. This proves even gods who
do not directly have Dominion over animals may have animal-like features, with
modern gods usually inheriting them from their predecessors. However, there
are also gods of cattle or cats or dogs.
Suggestions: Cats, Dogs, Horses, Elephants, Monkeys, Bulls, Ravens.

Conceptual
Some Dominions are composed of ideas and concepts understood by hu-
manity, but may all be perceived differently. One persons sense of justice, for
instance, may not be the same as anothers, but there is a general idea of what
justice should be. Conceptual Dominions are those that usually cannot be inter-
acted with by ones five senses.
Suggestions: Beauty, the Hunt, Vengeance, Justice, Truth, Names, Secrets,
Celebration.

Elemental
Gods often have elemental Dominions, from fire and lightning to mountains
and hurricanes. The elements surround humanity everywhere and are always be-
ing harnessed in new and interesting ways. They are all devastating to their ene-
mies, and often to the environment itself. Elemental gods may control the same
elements at varying levels of intensity or form, such as the difference between a
god of wind and a god of tornadoes.
Suggestions: Fire, Forests, Sky, Sun, Shadow, Ocean, Mountains, Wind, Storms.

Emotional
Gods often command humans at their basest level: their emotions. Someone
can be made to do a great many things by manipulating their ability to feel. The
most infamous gods rule over fear, bending anothers courage to their will, while

126
others, like gods of love, help to craft relationships for others.
Suggestions: Fear, Ecstasy, Love, Anger, Courage, Cruelty, Sorrow.

Patrons
Some gods end up as the Patron god of their people or profession. Most no-
tably, they become paragons of a particular type of occupation. It could also be a
Dominion over a certain group of people, like those of a certain ethnic origin, or
even a god that is sworn to protect those of a certain bloodline. These are becom-
ing much less frequent, as the melting pot of cultures and races continues to stew.
Suggestions: Cooks, Scribes, Messengers,Travelers, Artists, Blacksmiths,
Dancers, Swordsmanship.

Tangible
Many gods have control over a certain thing in the world, something they
can interact with using their five senses. Others become gods of a certain type of
action as well. There are an endless number of things that fall under this category,
from the god of wine to the god of cars.
Suggestions: Filth, Tracking, Androgyny, Music, Computers, Paper, Fertil-
ity, Healing.

Crossovers
There are those Dominions that bounce from type to type. It may be Con-
ceptual one moment, but then behave like an Elemental the next. Its important
to discuss possible limitations with your GM so everyone has a good idea of what
youre looking for in your Dominion.
Suggestions: Death, War, Trickery, the Hunt, Dreams.

127
 GM Rule or Committee
Dominions can be tricky to rule on. Any use of a power becomes a
discussion between you and the player as to what the part-time god can
affect and how it affects the world. This dialogue should never end, con-
stantly evolving to suit the situation. Players should feel free to speak with
you to determine when their Dominion breaks out of the specific and into
the broad and if the Dominion fits within a manifestations specialization.
Likewise, many groups may find it helpful to rule by committee. If
one player decides to use a Dominion, its up to you and the other players
to discuss it and make the decision together. This method makes all the
players feel involved in the game, even if their character isnt directly in-
volved in the scene.

WORSHIPPERS
As a divine being, a gods name carries weight in the universe. There is a reason
why gods try so hard to get others to know their name and to pick up followers and
worshippers--because they can hear their prayers. Yes, any prayer made to the god
by name from anywhere in the world will be carried on the wind and brought to the
gods ears within seconds. As a shiver runs through their body, they get a sense of
the emotional state of the prayer and its intent. Hearing prayers all the time can be
a drag and can distract from other activities, but its worth it in most cases.
These prayers come from groups of followers who actively worship the part-
time gods. Whether invited or not, their prayers generate additional magic that
translates into fate points for characters to use. In PTGoF, worshippers are a
group of people defined in game terms using the Bronze Rule of Fate: everything
can be treated like a character.
Worshippers, as a group, act as a character with an aspect and a rank. The
aspect defines who the worshippers are (i.e. The Cult of the Winds, Followers
of the Crimson Light, etc.). This aspect should be tied to the god they worship.
Their rank represents several facets: the approximate number of worshippers, how
easily they contribute fate points to their god, mundane resources they have to aid
their god, and how much stress the group can take before they fall apart.

Rank Number of Prayer Mundane Stress

Worshippers Ranking Ranking
1 2 to 5 Average Mediocre 2
(+1) (+0)
2 10 to 20 Fair (+2) Average (+1) 3
3 25 to 50 Good (+3) Fair (+2) 4
4 50 to 100 Great (+4) Good (+3) 4 + Minor Consequence
5 150+ Superb (+5) Great (+4) 4 + Minor and Moderate
Consequences

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 Worshippers can be taken multiple times during character creation. Each
point of refresh spent increases worshipper rank by one level. In addition,
when the characters would gain a skill rank during milestones, they can choose
to raise the rank of their worshippers in lieu of one of their own skills.

Divine Assistance
Worshippers can give power to their god in the form of prayers. Once
per session, worshippers can attempt a create an advantage action using their
prayer ranking against an opposition of Good (+3). If successful, they generate
one fate point for their god, or two if they succeed with style. Characters can
use these fate points as they see fit.

Mundane Assistance
Worshippers can also help their gods in less miraculous ways. Worshippers
are people who have Contacts and Resources. Once per week, characters can
call upon their worshippers to make a Contacts or Resources check at the rank
indicated. This represents the collected effort of the worshippers.

Responsibilities
Worshippers require care: gods must grant their worshippers petitions,
which can be given directly to the gods or prayed for. These petitions are com-
pels on the characters divine aspect. If the character accepts the petition with
the intent to complete it, they receive a fate point, and the worshippers recover
a point of stress if they have any, as their faith in their god has been renewed.
The character can buy off the compel normally, but the worshippers suffer two
points of stress for being let down by their god in their time of need.

Stress and Consequences

Worshippers have a single stress track, and if large enough can also have
consequences. Worshippers take stress when exposed to violence, both phys-
ical and mental, as well as when they are neglected by their god (see above).

Physical Conflicts
A group of worshippers can act as a mob in physical combat, though its of-
ten unwise to put worshippers in harms way. Its also possible for worshippers
to come under attack, in part or in whole, by an Outsider or rival god.
When a conflict occurs, determine how many worshippers are present and
the groups rank. That mob has the Fight skill equal to their Mundane ranking,
and a maximum stress based on rank.
Example: A group of seventy five members of the Followers of the Crimson Light
have a Fight skill equal to Good (+3) and a stress track of 4 + a minor consequence. A ten
person group would only have a Fight of Average (+1) and a stress track of 3.
During the conflict, worshippers take stress from attacks levied against
them and can be taken out. If worshippers are killed in a conflict, then the rank
of the worshippers may drop based on the number lost. Any stress that does
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not take out the worshippers is kept. If the stress was incurred by a subset of
the group, it is transferred back to the main group, as are any consequences.
This represents the strain the group takes seeing their own injured and killed.
Example: The Followers of the Crimson Light (Rank 4, seventy five members)
decide to assist their god in removing a rival god by having twenty five members join
their god in the battle. The intense fighting sees the mob of worshippers valiantly lay
down their lives, and all are killed. After the battle the Crimson Light drops from being
a Rank 4 to a Rank 3, now at only fifty members. Their god will have to work to rebuild
their ranks.

Mental and Social Conflicts

Worshippers can also be attacked socially or mentally, through the use
of skills or manifestations. These attacks do not target specific members but
rather the entire body of worshippers. These kinds of attacks can come in the
form of social persuasion (using Provoke), or from a supernatural source such
as mind control or emotion projection. In these cases, the group has a Will
equal to their Mundane ranking. Stress incurred from these kinds of attacks
represents confusion and lack of cohesion within the group.
Example: The Followers of the Crimson Light have been the target of a smear
campaign by another religious group. They have taken two points of stress when the local
news paints them as religious zealots.

Taken Out
Should a time come when the worshippers of a part-time god are taken
out, in either a physical or mental conflict, it is up to you to decide their fate.
They can simply disband, giving up on the god and going their separate ways.
They can be killed, massacred by whatever force attacked them. They can also
be turned, becoming the worshippers of a rival.

Recovering Stress and Resolving Consequences

Stress and consequences on the group need to be healed, otherwise the
group will eventually be taken out. Healing worshippers stress is the job of the
god. Once a week, the god can interact with worshippers and make an over-
come action against a threshold equal to the amount of stress incurred. Typi-
cally this overcome action uses Rapport, as the god reassures the worshippers,
but other skills can be used as long as you and the player agree.
If the overcome action is successful, the stress is removed. If unsuccessful,
the stress remains and the god cannot attempt to remove it for another week.
Any consequences incurred are recovered in the standard manner. The god
must make the necessary overcome roll, similar to the check to remove stress.
The consequences clear at the appropriate milestone. See Removing Consequenc-
es, Fate Core System, pg. 164.

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RELICS
Stories concerning gods wouldnt be complete without their mythical Rel-
ics. These Relics are not just items used by a god. They are special artifacts,
infused with the very Spark that grants divine power, often hand-crafted by the
gods destined to use them. Despite the legends of Thors Hammer or Indras
Thunderbolt, most Relics are not weapons. Many are pieces of clothing or or-
naments of some kind, such as Aphrodites Bodice or Intis Sun Mask.
The special gifts needed to craft these terrible and magnificent items were
lost long ago during the God Wars, but the Relics themselves still exist. Some-
times new Relics take form spontaneously, just as todays gods can. Modern
gods often go on long quests and fulfill requests from their Theologies to ob-
tain a powerful Relic. The quests are truly worth the time and effort, especially
if the god can get the item to attune to their Spark.

Relic Format
Relic Name
Power: X [ Effect (refresh), Effect (refresh), ]
Description

The Relic name is just that: the legendary name of the Relic. Power de-
scribes the number of effects the Relic possesses,which determines its difficul-
ty for attunement (see below). Next to the power value is a listing of each effect
within the Relic. The number next to the effect sets the amount of refresh each
effect costs in order to attune oneself to that effect. Finally the Relics descrip-
tion ends with details of the item, including what it looks like, its history, and
any relevant instructions about using the Relic.

Attunement
Finding a Relic doesnt guarantee that it is usable by a part-time god. No
matter what kind of monsters the god crushed to uncover it or what riddles
were solved to find it, some Relics choose their wielders and not the other
way around. Everyone should discuss whether the Relic would synchronize ap-
propriately with the part-time god, taking into account their Dominion and
Theology. This is why a god of the sea would most likely have a trident or other
water-attuned Relics.
In order to use a Relic, a part-time god must first become attuned to it. A
Relics power is expressed with a value between 1 and 5, as comprised by the
total refresh cost for all its effects. The attunement requires a full days time
and concentration, as the part-time god studies the Relic and exerts will over
the object in order to unlock its secrets.
Attunement has two parts: an overcome challenge and a refresh cost. The
overcome is always a Will challenge with the difficulty determined by the to-
tal power level of the object. The Will challenge can be attempted after any
milestone. If failed, the character is not attuned to the Relic and cannot try
again until the next milestone. If successful, the character has become attuned,
paying the refresh cost one-to-one for each effect. The character can spend
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as much refresh as they want during a single check in order to attune to more
than one effect.

Power Will Overcome Opposition

1 Fair (+2)
2 Good (+3)
3 Great (+4)
4 Superb (+5)
5 Fantastic (+6)

Example: Bill, the god of wind, would like to attune himself to the following Rel-
ic:

The Fan of Power

Power: 3 [+2 to Ruin (1), Resistance Field (1), Summonable (1)]

After acquiring the fan in a recent session, Bill takes the time during a minor mile-
stone to attempt to become attuned to it. He will need to make an overcome action using
Will against a difficulty of Great (+4) in order to unlock any of the effects. Bill has a re-
fresh of 4. Bill is successful in his overcome check, and selects the +2 to Ruin and the Sum-
monable effects, leaving Resistance Field to be unlocked at a later date. He then spends 2
refresh, leaving him with 2 refresh.

During Character Creation

A character can choose to create a Relic during character creation as an
extra or in some cases as the special gift of their Theology. Relics taken during
character creation are made using the rules below. The god does not have to
roll for attunement, but does have to spend the refresh to unlock the desired
effects. Any powers not unlocked at character creation can be gained during
the campaign using the attunement process above.

Creating Relics and Relic Effects

Thousands of different Relics exist, each with different powers and pur-
poses. If none of the listed Relics fit a players concept for their part-time god,
which is bound to occur, create a custom Relic. The player can determine what
effects it should have and then discuss it with you to determine the best way
to reflect those ideas, but in the end youre the final arbiter of which Relics are
allowed in the game. Each Relic can have up to five effects, and some effects
can be taken multiple times, but the total cost of all effects cannot exceed five.
Below are some example effects:

Aspect: The object has an aspect associated with a number of free invoca-

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tions equal to the number of refresh it costs to attune that part of the relic. The
attuned god can use those invocations with the relics aspect, and they refresh
whenever the part-time gods reset their refresh. Each time this effect is taken, a
new aspect (or another invocation upon an existing aspect) is added.

Extra Damage (Weapon): The Relic has the ability to inflict extra dam-
age when used in an attack. Each point of refresh needed to attune to this power
grants +1 to its Weapon rating.

Flaw: The object has a negative effect which complicates the users life. A
flaw can be a negative aspect, or it can be a requirement in terms of refresh level
or skill level. A flaw reduces the power level by one, offsetting the total power
level of the Relic. A flaw does not have to be attuned, as it affects the user as soon
as they attune to a single effect.

Indestructible (Special): The object is specially crafted and cannot be

broken by normal means. Only use of the Ruin manifestation can destroy the
Relic. This ability does not need to be attuned, so the item simply has this quali-
ty, though it does count as an effect for the purpose of refresh cost.

Protection (Armor): This Relic has the ability to provide protection to the
user, preventing damage from any attack. Each point of refresh needed to attune
this part of the relic grants +1 Armor to the Relic, which is conferred to the user.

Resistance Field (Aspect): This Relic assists the users in resisting the ef-
fects of manifestations. The Relic has the aspect Resistance Field with a number
of free invocations upon it equal to the number of refresh needed to attune this
effect. This aspect can be used when resisting the effects of manifestation abilities
and refreshes when the part-time gods have a refresh. It does not have a compel.

Skill Bonus (Stunt - Bonus): The Relic has the ability to grant a +2 bonus
to any single skill or manifestation. In addition, it will grant the use of the skill
or manifestation if the attuned does not already possess it. This can be taken
multiple times.

Spark Storage (Aspect): This Relic has the ability to retain Spark. For
each point of refresh needed to attune this part of the relic, the item holds one
fate point. These fate points can be used by anyone attuned to the Relic. These
points replenish anytime the part-time gods reset their refresh.

Summonable (Stunt - Rules): The Relic can be summoned at will to the

part-time gods hands from anywhere within their territory. If used outside the
gods territory, it is limited to a one mile radius.

Transform: The object can change from one shape to another when willed
by the user. This can be taken multiple times to grant the Relic different shapes.

Unique: GMs can allow unique Relic abilities, gauging the potency of the
effect vs. the number of effects it will cost. Some effects mirror things that can
be accomplished with certain manifestations (like the Storm Bowl), while others
may have wholly unique gifts to bestow upon the god (like the Eternal Coffin).

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 Example Relics
Book of Your Story
Power: 2 [Aspect: Ive Read That (1), Unique: writes the story of your life (1)]
Some gods know they have a destiny, a story yet to be told. Upon finding
this book and attuning to it, the cover changes to read: The Story of and then
the gods name. The attuned god can open it to read all the significant events
that have occurred in the gods life, as if it were a work of fiction. The pages
appear blank to anyone else who holds the book.
As the god lives on, this Relic actively writes the gods life story as it is
lived, keeping track of every significant moment. By reading it, the god can
gain insight into the motives of others or be warned of traps, as it is written in
the third person, constantly chronicling the gods journey.

Eternal Coffin
Power: 3 [Unique: nothing ages inside (3)]
This Relic is one of the rarest, but its existence explains how some gods
continue their reigns for longer than others. This Relic looks like a mundane
coffin but has a much more mystical purpose. Anything living or constructed
placed inside the coffin does not age while sealed inside. Some gods sleep in-
side it, lending to the idea of vampires in the world, while others use it to store
their most precious items to keep them free from the ravages of time. The
coffin can only be opened by the god to whom it is attuned.

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Fan of Power
Power: 3 [+2 to Ruin (1), Resistance Field (1), Summonable (1)]
The Fan of Power is an ancient artifact from Japan, used in battle by the
divine to destroy enemy forces. It is a metal fan that, when opened, has a paint-
ing of a cherry blossom on it.

Invisibility Cloak
Power: 2 [Unique: Become invisible to all visual devices (2)]
The god wraps herself in this cloak and spends one fate point to become
invisible. Of course, she can still be heard, smelled, or touched normally, so
Stealth actions may still be needed. The effect can last for an entire scene but
ends if the wearer chooses to commit physical harm to a living creature.

Lightning Javelin
Power: 3 [Weapon:2 (2), Summonable (1)]
Many gods have been known to wield lightning itself as a weapon, a mighty
bolt of electricity that can strike mortals down from high above. The Lightning
Javelin is one of many that have been spread throughout the world. The Relic
works much like a regular javelin (requires Shoot in order to attack) and can be
summoned to the gods hand with a mere thought.

Map to Anywhere
Power: 2 [Unique: Locate a place or item (2)]
This special map looks like a common treasure map of pirate fame. How-
ever, instead of only one treasure, it can give directions to the location of any
item or place with reasonable accuracy. Each map details a certain region,
country, state, city, etc. If a god spends one fate point and speaks the name of
the place or specific item they are seeking, the map notes the location. Sadly,
the map cannot locate specific people or other gods.

Mirrored Shield
Power: 2 [Resistance Field (1), Unique: Reflect attack back to attacker (1)]
This magical shield has saved many a god throughout history. If an oppo-
nent attempts to attack the god with a manifestation, entitlement, or special
ability, the god can spend one fate point to simultaneously resist the effects and
reflect the attack back at their opponent. If the gods defend action is success-
ful, their attacker must then defend against their own attack. Its power takes
time to recharge and can only be used once per session. One should time their
deflection wisely.

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Mystic Chessboard
Power: 5 [Unique: turns two mortals lives into a game (5)]
This Relic exemplifies how powerful gods use humans as toys for their
enjoyment. Two opposing gods sit at opposite sides of the game board (usually
chess, but could also be Go, Checkers or something similar). Each god chooses
a mortal and attaches their soul to one of the game pieces. Each move the gods
make causes one of the two mortals to get a leg up on the other. However,
the game also chips away at their lives. As pieces are lost to the rival god, the
mortals livelihoods, relationships, and possessions become victims of circum-
stance.
At the end of the game, one mortal is dead and the other one is left in
disarray because of the conflict of the game. There are truly no winners in this
game, especially if a gods Bond is the mortal linked to the game. Stories of
gods forced to play to save their loved ones against impossible-to-beat master-
minds are infamous in the divine world.

Skeleton Key
Power: 1 [Unique: opens any mechanical lock (1)]
An old-looking key with an iron skull as its handle, its teeth fit into any
keyhole and it has the ability to unlock any door, except for new-fangled elec-
tronic locks. While the key is small enough to fit in ones palm, its design is
quite conspicuous.

Storm Bowl
Power: 2 [Unique: Create storms (2)]
This Relic is a spirit bowl used by Native American gods to call down the
rain. A truly powerful tool, gods were known to demand sacrifices to gift its
power to their followers. With a single drop of blood, the bowl produces water
that the god then pours into another body of water to summon up monstrous
rain clouds. As it starts to rain, many rejoice and others remain indoors to stay
dry. The god can spend one fate point to add elements of thunder and light-
ning, making it much more dangerous to step outside (creates the scene aspect
Thunder and Lightning). For two fate points, the bowl can call a hurricane
or violent monsoon. This storm has the previous scene aspects plus the power
Violent Storm (+4) which is uncontrolled. The effects seem like a freak storm,
usually lasting a single night.

Thors Hammer
Power: 3 [Weapon: 3 (3), Transform: Into Mjolnir, Flaw: Physique of Good
(+3) or greater]
No story about Thor is complete without mentioning his divine hammer,
Mjolnir, used to defeat his enemies time and time again. In actuality, Thor had
a number of hammers created for him and his descendants. It is heavy and hits
hard. Usually, it is carried as a normal-looking hammer only to transform into
this legendary weapon when needed.

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Winged Shoes
Power: 2 [Unique: Fly (2)]
Based on one of Hermes staples, this footwear (that can look like anything
from sandals to high heels to high-top kicks) has a pair of wings on them. With
them, the god gains the ability to fly, but the Winged Shoes can prove difficult
to control for the unskilled. Simple flight requires no checks, but any kind
of tricks, rapid changes in altitude, or sharp turns require a Travel overcome
action with an opposition of Good (+3) to sufficiently control the shoes. Oth-
erwise, the god may find himself flying head first into a brick wall. Activation
requires one fate point and lasts for the scene.

Mysterious Relics
It is possible to create a Relic where the effects are not fully defined at
first. In this case, define the total power and any known effects, and the re-
maining effects can be defined at a later date. Once defined, these effects can
then be attuned by the god in the normal manner. An example might be:

The Codex of the Source

Power: 5 [Indestructible (1), Spark Storage (1), Skill Bonus: Mythology +2
(1), unknown (2)]

Believed to be the notes of Zeus, this book contains information about the
Source. The last pages have been ripped out but were believed to contain infor-
mation on how to construct the Gilded Cage. The user of the tome can draw
upon the power etched into its pages for additional power, as well as increased
knowledge of the Source. There is a passage in the center of the book that has
mysterious writing in a hand not of the original author. Only through study can
its secrets be revealed.

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 CHAPTER NINE:
GEAR

The Fate Core System rules do not put an emphasis on owning or using
gear. In general, if a character has a rank above Mediocre (+0) in a skill, that
character is assumed to have the gear necessary to perform that skill. There
are times, though, when a character (player or non-player) obtains an item that
does something special. These special items are gear. Gear, in this context, can
possess one or more of the following:
A Weapon rating (see below)
An Armor rating (see below)
A stunt
An aspect

When you possess gear with one or more of these qualities, you can use
any of that gear in your actions. Unlike Relics, there is no attunement to gear:
just pick it up and use it. Conversely, if you are separated from your gear, you
no longer have access to any of the items qualities, and anyone else who picks
up the gear will be able to use the qualities for free.
Gear is mundane, so its qualities come from construction and the tech-
nology used. Items of magical gear in Part-Time Gods of Fate are called Relics
(pg. 131).

Obtaining Gear
How you obtain gear is less important in the fiction of the game than the
mechanics the gear employs. The two main ways to obtain gear are through
refresh or through the use of skills.

Through Refresh
You can, during character creation or during advancement, use refresh to
obtain gear at the following costs:

138
 One point for each point of Weapon rating
One point for each point of Armor rating
One point for each aspect
One point for each stunt

When gear is purchased using refresh, it is an integral part of your charac-

ter. That gear is part of who your character is, as much a part of your character
as manifestations, stunts, Relics, etc. If gear purchased with refresh is lost or
destroyed, your character can acquire a replacement at any milestone. The re-
placement items value equals the value of the item lost.

Through Skills
Gear can also be acquired during the game through the use of various skills.
You might acquire a new car with Resources, steal a baseball bat using Decep-
tion, or take a pair of night-vision goggles from a guard knocked out with Fight.
When gear is acquired in this manner, there is nothing special about it. It can
be lost, stolen, or broken during your adventures. If anything happens to this
gear, there is no free replacement. The character must reacquire a replacement
through the use of skills.
It is possible that a piece of gear can be acquired through skills but later con-
verted to be an integral part of the character by spending refresh. During any mile-
stone, you can choose to pay refresh to make the item a key facet of your character.

Weapons and Armor

The use of the Fight or Shoot skills assume the user has some kind of
non-descript weapon: a bat, a sword, a pistol. A character may desire a weapon
that does more damage through size, superior construction, enhancements, etc.
This is represented by the Weapon rating. Weapon ratings have a value between
one and four. The Weapon rating adds to the shift value of a successful attack.
A sword that has Weapon:1 does one additional shift of damage on a hit. (Note,
though, that it does not increase the Fight skill of the user by one). The table
below gives an idea of the power or size of a weapon based on its value.

Value Sample Weapons Notes

1 A claymore sword, a Magnum pistol
2 A giant axe, an assault rifle Maximum value for a weapon
easily carried by a person
3 A heavy machine gun
4 A rocket launcher

Armor is represented by an Armor rating. Each point of Armor rating reduc-
es the shift of damage by one, to a minimum of zero. Armor can be worn, such
as leather jackets or flack vests, or it can be part of a vehicle or structure, such as
the armor plating of a Humvee or the reinforced walls of a bank vault. The table

139
below gives some examples of the durability of armor based on its value.

Value Sample Armor Notes

1 Leather jacket, bulletproof vest, chainmail
2 Full tactical armor, plate mail The highest value of
wearable armor
3 Light vehicle armor, Humvee
4 Heavy vehicle armor, tank, The Beast

Gear as Aspects
Gear can possess aspects that can be used by the owner. A car could have
Hugs the Curves and allow the driver to invoke this aspect while racing
through busy streets. A Magnum pistol could have the aspect of Fearsome
Pistol to show how physically terrifying it looks.
When gear has an aspect, it acts like any other scene aspect. It can be invoked
by its owner using their fate points to gain the normal benefits of invoking an
aspect. Additionally, the
GM can compel the own-
er of the item using the
aspect. That Fearsome
Pistol can be compelled
by the GM when the char-
acter is being searched by
the police.

Gear as Stunts
Gear can also possess
stunts that the charac-
ter can use. These stunts
conform to the normal
rules for stunts (see Fate
Core System pg. 88). A com-
puter loaded with Hack-
ing Software could grant
a +2 to Technology rolls
when hacking technolo-
gy. A pair of night-vision
goggles could have the
stunt Night Vision to al-
low a user to make a nor-
mal Notice check even in
dim or no light.

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 CHAPTER TEN:
GM ADVICE

This chapter contains information and advice for getting the most out of
Part-Time Gods of Fate. This advice comes in three parts. The first discuss-
es the feel of a Part-Time Gods game, letting you know about the themes,
moods, inspirations and struggles this game is intended to convey. The second
part talks about building your campaign with a fully developed example of a
campaign arc. The final section describes running the game at the table, high-
lighting the things you should keep in mind and how you might use all the
games tools. You have the best vision for how you want your game to run, so
everything in this chapter is a suggestion that can be used or discard based on
how you want to run your game.

PART I - THE FEEL OF PART-TIME GODS

Do you help the people living in your territory escape from the god of
hate, who is inciting a riot at the college football game? Or do you go support
your husband during his fathers last moments on this earthly plane? They need
you, and he needs you. Neither choice is wrong, and both have consequences.
The question is this: whats more important to you right now?

Themes
Many themes fill the pages of Part-Time Gods of Fate, but the core theme
of the game is how a human infused with divine power clings to humanity. Its
about understanding what is truly important. Its about finding an equilibrium
between the mortal and divine, coexisting in the same life, not letting either
take too much energy and time. In the face of all the wonder and magic filling
the world of gods, all the mythical creatures encountered, the powerful Relics
they may possess, and the worlds they could one day travel to, will the charac-
ter choose their connection to being human (through their Bonds) or pursue

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divine strength at any cost? It is not an easy decision to make, and most justify
power as a means to an end.
Another major theme is unlocking secrets. With each step the characters
take toward their full godhood, the more they see behind the veil of the divine
reality that infuses the world (and some revelations they might have been hap-
pier not seeing). The store clerk that always seemed so nice may be harboring
and feeding a hydra in her basement. Random people on the street may be re-
vealed as ghosts or monsters. Your best friend may take off his always-worn hat
to display his Satyr horns. Embracing divinity inevitably leads to peeling back
the layers of reality to find more complexity and more terrible truths.

Moods
Drama
Part-Time Gods of Fate can come across as a soap opera and this is inten-
tional. Fostering relationships is very important to the game. Even if a rival
god is your enemy, the dynamics of that relationship matter--because it could
change in a moment. The relationships with enemies or antagonists are often
just as vital to the character as any lover or family member. Bonds for the gods
human side reflect these relationships and shouldnt be ignored when exploring
godly duties or the colorful cast of characters the gods might encounter on
their adventures. The ever-changing landscape of drama, conflict and passion
is Part-Time Gods of Fates playground.

Action
Even though Part-Time Gods of Fate is filled to the brim with drama, there
is no story without compelling action. Conflict doesnt have to be a gunfight or
a street brawl. Action is simply the result of conflict (of any type). If the char-
acter is walking down the street, conflict can be created if they sense someone
shadowing them, spurring them to take action. The characters shouldnt feel
bored or bogged down with the amount of action or drama. Just like the part-
time gods must do with their mundane and divine lives, you need to be careful
to balance the different moods of the game.

Comedy
There are very serious themes and moods in Part-Time Gods of Fate, but
nothing can be dramatic and action-packed all the time. Just as with real life,
you can find a hint of humor in almost anything. Players and their characters
should be able to show a bit of levity at times, laughing at the interactions they
have with the other characters and NPCs. Too much humor can lead to a game
of silly puns and slapstick though, so use humor sparingly to keep it from losing
its intended purpose: to lighten the dramatic moments and provide contrast.

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Inspirations
Part-Time Gods of Fate was inspired by several different sources, from
pop culture to literature to mythology. Learning about different legends is the
first step to finding inspiration for running a game about gods. Then comes the
trick of how to twist those myths and legends into a modern versions of the
stories. Many of the Outsiders in the Antagonists chapter are good examples
of this. Below are other influences you can use for your game:
Dead Like Me: This little show went well before its time, only hav-
ing two seasons, but was the first spark of where the original Part-Time
Gods came from. The main character, George, dies when a space station
toilet seat falls from the sky and crushes her. Thats just the beginning of
her worries, however, because she comes to find out she is now a Grim
Reaper. Responsibility for taking souls and delivering them to the realms
of dead is a lofty duty but doesnt come with a dental plan. It is full of com-
edy, suspense, and death, all wrapped up in a very enjoyable series perfect
to watch before starting a game of Part-Time Gods of Fate.
Works of Neil Gaiman: He is one of my favorite authors because
of his brilliant mind and bursting creativity. Everything Neil Gaiman has
written has influenced parts of Part-Time Gods. He has a wonderful way
with melding the real and the unreal, the magical and mundane. American
Gods is a very direct representation of how the gods could operate on
earth, full of their own scheming and still toying with humanity. Never-
where is a book about hidden worlds full of fantastic people that fear very
real threats. It tells the tale of a group of travelers on the run from mon-
sters that crave the very potent ability the protagonist possesses. Sandman
is an ingenious comic about beings that embody certain ideas, the main
one being Dream. In a pinch, however, anything Neil Gaiman has ever
written can be used as inspiration for a game of Part-Time Gods of Fate. If
you havent already, pick up one of his books.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Both a movie and a series of
books, it follows Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon, in the modern day. It
is full of adventure, battles against legendary monsters and a good mixture
of modern and mythological concepts. The Olympian gods are depicted in
nice detail of how they might operate today.
Comics: Many of the ideas about Part-Time Gods of Fate come from
my love of comics, so it is not a coincidence this game might feel like
one. Marvel Comics are great for stories about heroes who have mysteri-
ous power thrust upon them and how they deal with balancing their lives.
Who would Spiderman be without his Bonds to Mary Jane, Aunt May, and
New York City, after all? DC Comics handle the same issues, the relation-
ship between Superman and Lois Lane being a core example, as well as
Supermans protection of Metropolis. However, DC heroes are more often
about a lineage, useful for stories where a god in Part-Time Gods of Fate
may have their Dominion passed on to them. Decades of stories, deaths,
betrayals, and excitement can make for a great precursor for a Part-Time
Gods of Fate game.

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STRUGGLES
One of the key elements in Part-Time Gods of Fate are struggles. The very
title of this game denotes a struggle: Part-Time Gods of Fate. The characters
are not full gods. Their divinity is in conflict with their humanity. The struggle
between these two sides creates drama. Do you get that project for work deliv-
ered on time, or do you stop a pack of Outsiders from setting up shop in your
territory? These kinds of questions create drama for the characters.
During play, players may have a tendency to downplay the human sides of
the characters, focusing more on the supernatural parts. The supernatural side
can be more exciting, with divine powers and magical creatures and the like.
But those things can become rote, and even boring, without the contrast of the
human side of each god.
Your job as a GM is to find and illuminate these struggles, framing tough
questions and decisions for the players. It is the players jobs to figure out how
their characters answer them, then deal with the consequences of their deci-
sions. In many cases, the player is going to look for the win-win, trying to find a
way to get the project done and deal with the Outsiders at the same time. That
is the easy way out. Your job is to push harder, present more difficult choices,
and create consequences for their decisions.
The goal is not to be mean to the player, or outright torture the charac-
ter, but rather to make them sweat. Give them difficult decisions with conse-
quences they are aware of, and the tools to solve one issue or the other, but
never both. Then take what they do and determine the consequences of those
actions and inactions, and weave them into the story. This creates drama and
memorable experiences, which everyone at the table will appreciate.

The Dramatic Struggle

A dramatic struggle represents two opposite desires that cannot be satis-
fied at the same time. Part-time gods overflow with these desires. The most
obvious struggles occur between the human side and the divine side of a god.
On the one hand, the gods grew up human, living a normal life, going to school,
making friends, having a first kiss, going to work, etc. On the other hand, at
some point in their lives they gained a Spark, putting divine power at their
command. Being both human and divine, the part-time god can be pulled be-
tween those two poles in an number of ways.
On the human side, part-time gods have the following:
Family: parents, spouses, children, etc.
Friends: schoolmates, co-workers, BFFs, etc.
Work: owning their own business, climbing the corporate ladder, en-
joying a desired career, enduring a soul-sucking part-time job, etc.
Obligations: shoveling the neighbors driveway, keeping the park
clean, meeting a parole officer, paying the rent, etc.
Responsibilities: picking up the kids from school, baking cupcakes
for the fundraiser, reducing your carbon footprint, etc.
Commitments: a weeknight bowling league, volunteering at the lo-
cal food bank, going to church weekly, being an AA sponsor, etc.

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 On the divine side, part-time gods have the following:
Territory: divine hubs, the land surrounding them, and the people
and activities taking place within them.
Pantheon: the commitment made to the other gods (other charac-
ters) to provide mutual support and protection.
Theology: a group with its own agenda and plans for the part-time god.
Worshippers: mortals who serve but also have their own needs and
petitions.
Outsiders: the creatures who often oppose the part-time gods with
their own desires and plans.
Other Gods: divine beings interested in your knowledge, your terri-
tory, or even your Dominion.

Using the above lists, we can create a dramatic tension by pitting any two
of these things against each other: human vs. human, human vs. divine, divine
vs. divine. Of the three, human vs. human is usually the least interesting, and

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has the least contrast, but when done properly you can get good dramatic ef-
fect. The other two combinations better drive the kinds of stories this game
was designed to produce.
Here are a few different, but not comprehensive, combinations:
Family vs Pantheon: supporting your spouse vs. protecting one of
your fellow Pantheon members.
Friends vs. Outsiders: Assisting a co-worker vs. dealing with that
group of Pucks you discovered last night.
Work vs. Theology: Going to an important after-hours client meet-
ing vs. attempting to steal the Relic that is on display at the museum.
Responsibility vs. God(s): Getting the kids to their swim meet vs.
investigating the Spark you sensed a mile away in your territory.
Commitment vs. Worshippers: Volunteering at legal aid vs. mak-
ing sure your worshippers son gets into the pre-school they want.
Theology vs. Pantheon: Advancing your Theologys plans vs. being
loyal to your Pantheon.
Worshipers vs. Pantheon: Granting a petition to a worshipper vs.
helping your Pantheon investigate a new threat.

Your Tools
As the GM, you are well-stocked with tools for determining these con-
flicts, as well as determining consequences. In fact, if done correctly, the play-
ers have spelled out exactly what struggles they desire during character cre-
ation and territory design. Just look at the following elements of the character:
Bonds: These spell out the most important mortal connections of
the character. These are the things that should be routinely put into con-
flict or danger.
Human Aspect: This aspect describes the characters occupation,
passion, or other vocation. Many have their own inherent obligations (a
doctors Hippocratic Oath, a police officers oath to protect and serve, an
artists creative code, etc.).
Theology: This aspect defines the part-time gods Theology, and of-
ten their relationships within (or with) the group.
Divine Hubs: As locations important to the character, these are ripe
targets for threats.
Impending Issues: The descriptions of what kinds of issues the
gods anticipate, as agreed upon during game and territory creation.

Creating the Struggle

There is no one single format for creating a good struggle, but the struc-
ture below is one method you can employ as you prep your sessions:
Setup: Start by narrating something the character is doing that fits
either the human or divine side. Play to get the buy-in from the character.
Challenge: In the process of playing out what happens with the first
side of the struggle, introduce hints (subtly or not) of the other side of the
struggle.
Present Consequences: Once the player becomes aware of the
struggle, be clear about the possible consequences for either of the char-
acters actions.
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 Apply Pressure: Sweeten the pot by compelling one of their aspects
to push them into action.
Play Out the Decision: Once the decision has been made, play out
the decision.
Apply the Consequences: When it fits best into the game session
(or subsequent sessions), have the consequences of the struggles choice
come into focus.

Example: Tyler, the god of snow, has the Bond The Love of My Husband
(Alex). Alex is the curator at the local museum and is hosting a new exhibit of ancient
Greek artifacts, which Tyler has agreed to attend (Setup). Before the event, Tyler, who is
a member of the Warlocks Fate, has been asked by the Warlocks to steal one of the museum
items, which is a Relic (Challenge). Tyler goes to the museum that night and has a decision
to make. The GM tells Tylers player that stealing the artifact will cause two stress to his
Bond, and not stealing the artifact will put him on the outs with the Warlocks (Present
Consequences). The GM then offers a fate point as a compel to the Bond (Apply Pressure).
Tyler decides that upsetting Alex is not worth it (and could use the fate point), and spends
the evening at his husbands side rather than stealing the artifact. A few days later, Tyler
needs information from a fellow Warlock, only to find that his contact wont return his
calls (Play Out the Decision). A few sessions later, Tyler discovers that a Minotaur broke
into the museum and stole the artifact and is now using it to attack the Pantheon (Apply
the Consequences).

PART II - BUILDING THE GAME

This section describes a method of building a campaign frame for Part-
Time Gods of Fate. This isnt the only way to build and run a campaign, but this
method integrates the tools presented in this book.

Creating a Campaign Arc

Although the game can be played as a one-shot session, Part-Time Gods
of Fate works best when it is played in multiple sessions as a campaign. Bonds,
the way they heal, and the consequences of breaking them dont have the same
weight in one-shots as they do in campaign play. The territory and the impend-
ing issues are more meaningful during campaign play, and the territory sheet is
one of the most powerful tools you have as a GM. When you go through game
creation, the impending issues and divine hubs (with their associated faces) are
made by everyone together, giving the group buy-in through creative owner-
ship. Pre-gens and a pre-made territory are fine, but using that structure can
stifle the creative ownership of the group.

Impending Issues and Problems

The point of having impending issues is to use them to incite the part-time
gods to action. When one of these issues complicates the lives of the gods, and
they realize it, put an aspect into one of the three omen slots on the territory
sheet. This establishes a real in-game manifestation of the impending issue.
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How much trouble the issue, and the resulting omen, is causing the territory,
and possibly what the part-time gods know about it, will determine which of
the three slots you use.
The first omen slot means the issue, and the problem the issue is causing,
has just started--there is time to deal with it. When the second omen slot is
used, the issues progress is much closer to completion and can soon upset the
balance of power in the territory. The third omen slot being filled represents
the issue nearing its endgame, and if the part-time gods dont intercede imme-
diately, the territory could be taken out. This would change the territory--and
not for the better. The issues and the omens define the story arcs you and your
players have agreed to deal with during the game. Heres how you can build out
an overview of a series of sessions using them. See Territory Taken Out pg. 124.

Creating the Problems

First figure out what the end result of each issue will be if the part-time
gods do not intervene. Then give each issue a series of problems that happen
before the end result--three to five problems seem to work best--with the last
one being the problem which directly creates the end result. (These problems
can tie directly into the omens, but problems are the idea, while the omen is
the in-game, story-based expression of the problem.) These problems could be
parts of a plan to accomplish the issues end result, a bunch of events or hap-
penings that occur as symptoms of the issue, or a mix of the two. Once youve
determined them, these problems become the driving forces within your game.

Milestone Pacing
Fate Core contains three kinds of milestones: minor, significant, and ma-
jor. Part-Time Gods of Fate deviates slightly from the Fate version of pacing.
Every time a problem is solved and eliminated from the territory sheet, you
have reached a milestone: usually a minor one. An issue is solved when it can
no longer pursue its goal or endgame, or has no reason to pursue its goal. When
an issue is eliminated, the group has reached a significant milestone. When
the last of the original three issues is resolved, the group has reached a major
milestone, which wraps up a campaign arc, or season, of play.
When you have these issues and problems created, you use them to create
struggles for the part-time gods, which leads to scenario design. See Milestones,
pg. 165.

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Scenario Design
Part-time gods: those words tell you what the struggle of the game is about.
Now its time to take the general advice and use it to create the material youll
need to play the game.

Choose a Problem
Go to the list of issues youve created and pick one. Select one of the prob-
lems that youve brainstormed for that issue. Avoid using a problem that leads
directly to the endgame of the issues, as that would create an unsustainable
pace. Once youve picked a problem, ask and answer these questions:
How is this going to affect the gods and their Pantheon?
What will this do to the territory?
What will happen if the problem goes unchecked?

Choose a Bond
Now pick a Bond or two you can use to create a struggle. Ask yourself
these questions when deciding which Bonds you want to use:
How will the problem affect the Bond? If the answer is It cant or
wont, thats fine. Look for a different Bond.
How can I push the god with this Bond into a difficult situation?
What question do I want answered about the relationship between
the Bond and the god?
Which god hasnt been in the spotlight lately?

Other Elements
Sometimes you might want to highlight some other elements, like the wor-
shippers of the gods or their Theologies. These dont always pop up in the
Bonds or on the territory sheet, but now is the time to ask yourself if you want
a struggle involving one of them to be highlighted in the next session.

Fleshing Out the Scenario

Once youve answered those questions, you should have a struggle between
the territory and one of the impending issues, and one or two conflicts with a
part-time god and a Bond (or some other element). Once you have the problem
and know what happens if it goes unchecked, chosen which Bonds to target,
figured out the kinds of struggles you want to highlight, and determined which
questions youd like to see answered, its just filling in some blanks.
Under the first omen slot for the current issue, write down how the prob-
lem will manifest. This omen should lead you to come up with a series of
events--and the way the Pantheon becomes aware of the problem--which all
act as the frame of your scenario. The struggles and your questions are omens
you can bring into play when it feels natural, and maybe they dont show up
that session at all because there was never a good moment to do so. If you really
want to highlight those struggles and questions, then putting scenes into the
frame of your scenario, which involve those omens, is the best way to do it.

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Multiple Problems
Introducing multiple problems from your problem list, and therefore put-
ting more omens on the territory sheet, at the same time is possible--and can
sometimes make a more dramatic and eventful session. You can and should put
them on the territory sheet in whichever slot you deem best. Most of the time
this should be from two different issues, but there are situations where it could
be from the same one. When you do this, you need to answer the choose a
problem questions for both omens and then ask the question, How do they
interact, if at all?
Doing this makes the scenario more tense for the gods, as theyll either
need to make choices about how to handle the omens, be it splitting up or
dealing with them one at a time. Introducing three omens at the same time is
also perfectly fine, but just realize what youre getting yourself into. Itll be a
number of problems to juggle at once, and these three-problem sessions should
only appear during the most important scenarios.

Eliminating Issues and Proactive Characters

Elimination of an issue creates some new pieces for your game and relies
on understanding scenario creation. The first way the part-time gods can elim-
inate an issue is by reacting to every omen and stopping the one that happens
at the end, which immediately precedes the issues goal or endgame.
The second involves more interaction between you and the part-time
gods. As things are happening in the part-time gods territory, they might want
to go on the offensive and hunt down, engage with, and do whatever they need
to do in order to stop the issue. The first thing to remember is this means they
want something, so you can put costs in front of them for wanting to achieve
these goals. It also means you need to give them a way to chase their goal. To
do this, you need to answer the question, What steps do they need to take to
stop the issue? Its similar to creating the problems of the issue except these
are the steps the part-time gods need to take to stop the issue.
So come up with some number of steps or objectives which lead to stop-
ping the issue. This could be gathering/learning information, tracking down
people or objects integral to the issue, or eliminating threats. Look at how
many problems you have left and create a number of steps equal to the number
of problems left minus one. Each step should have the depth of a problem but
to get that youll need to ask some different questions:
How will this get the part-time gods closer to solving the issue?
What could it cost them to pursue this step?
How will the issue react?

As you did with the problems in scenario design, figure out which Bond or
Bonds you might want to bring up as theyre pursuing this goal. Of course, feel
free to keep pushing problems at them as theyre trying to deal with the issue.
By doing this, youll have a gameplan of how to handle the part-time gods being
proactive by giving them steps to follow.

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Putting it All Together
Heres an example of three constructed issues and a scenario with two
omens based on the characters of Trinity City.

Campaign Arc
Issue One
The Doom Thats Coming to Trinity City
End Game: During the next eclipse, a portal opens above the city, and
denizens of hell escape into Trinity City.
A plague of Pucks comes to town.
The power of the gods starts acting strangely, especially the power of
Ruin, and a living manifestation of Ruin wreaks havoc on the city.
The eclipse begins.

Issue Two
The God of Wealth
End Game: This god takes over the territory without resorting to violence.
Talbot Liquors is being run out of business by the god of wealth.
Someone starts running a smear campaign against Benjamin Lowe.
A malpractice suit is brought against Amala Ali.
The god of wealth brings in a member of the Drifting Kingdoms The-
ology to take over the territory.

Issue Three
The Prophet of the Source
End Game: The Prophet finds the Book of All and uses it to bring about
his perfect vision of the world.
The Prophet sends an Outsider to scout the territory, gathering infor-
mation on and gauging the power of the Pantheon.
Outsiders and other minions of the Prophet search each of the Pan-
theons divine hubs for the Book of All, while using other Outsiders as
distractions.
The Prophet awakens a dragon just outside the territory who might
know where the Book of All is.
Negotiations are called for between the Prophet and the Pantheon to
have them help him find the Book.
The Prophet finds the location of the Book of All and tries to acquire it.

Sample Scenario Construction

Selecting two omens from the issues above, scenario construction begins
by answering questions:

Talbot Liquors is in danger of going out of business be-

cause of local competition.


Question: How is this going to affect the gods?


Answer: Penelope will lose one of her divine hubs and damage would
be done to her Bond with the store owner.
152


Question: What will this do to the territory?


Answer: It will weaken the gods hold on the territory and remove one
of Penelopes places of power.


Question: What will happen if the problem goes unchecked?


Answer: Talbot Liquors will go out of business, and Penelope will lose
one of her divine hubs.

The power of the gods starts acting strangely, especial-

ly the power of Ruin, and a living manifestation of Ruin
wreaks havoc on the city.


Question: How is this going to affect the gods?


Answer: First, when the gods manifest their powers, especially Ruin,
unexpected things happen. This will require a list of ideas for different
ways that manifestations could go awry. Second, a living manifestation
roams the city causing terrible things to happen in their territory, and
any of their Bonds could be in trouble. In this case, its a living storm.


Question: What will this do to the territory?


Answer: Places of importance, especially related to Bonds, could be
damaged or destroyed, weakening those Bonds. Worshippers could be
injured or lost.


Question: What will happen if the problem goes unchecked?


Answer: Downtown is ravaged by the living storm, and City Hall is
greatly damaged, as well as Club Trinity.

Choosing Bonds
Here are the Bond questions again:
Can and how will the problem affect the Bond?
How can I push the god with this Bond into a difficult situation?
What question do I want answered about the relationship between
the Bond and the god?
Which god hasnt been in the spotlight much lately?

In this case, lets look at three Bonds. Well focus the brunt of the living
storm downtown, and well test Benjamins Bonds Linda - I Love My Wife
and Maria and I Love My Mistress. To push them, well put both in the
same downtown restaurant that sits in the storms path. The question we want
to answer: Who does Benjamin love more? A panicked phone call from both
at the same time puts Benjamin in the middle of that drama. We also like the
idea of Amalas Medical Community - Sworn to Preserve Life Bond, which
prompts this question: Will Amala sacrifice a few to save the many?

Fleshing Out the Scenario

Now we just use the questions from the fleshing-out section to fill in our
notes, starting with a series of events for the storm and a list of facts for the
part-time gods to learn about regarding the god of wealths plot:
Penelope goes into Talbot Liquors and finds out from Zach Gold-
steen, her friend and the owner, that hes in danger of getting evicted,
since a larger liquor store opened in the neighborhood and is undercutting
him. At the same time, it starts to rain. The aspects A Storms Abrewing

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 and Penelopes in Danger of Losing Her Hub would be placed in the
first omen slots on the territory sheet for each of the corresponding issues.

The Storm
The storm worsens around City Hall as the living storm gains more
sentience and power from Bens divine hub.
The streets start to flood, and the gods learn about the source of the
issue, while the hospital calls for Amalas help.
High winds create dangerous situations, and Bens wife and mistress
both call him from the same restaurant.
Lightning strikes, starting fires downtown, including at the restaurant.
Multiple buildings are destroyed as the storm plays out, hindering the
fire department and police. The city is a wreck.

The God of Wealth & the Liquor Store

The larger liquor store was funded by a very rich businessman who
recently moved to the area.
A liquor store is uncharacteristic of this businessmans previous ventures.
The location is expensive, and with the low prices, the store obviously
operates at a loss.
If they approach the businessman, they discover he is a god.
If the store survives the storm, which it will unless the Pantheon does
something to harm the location, or the Pantheon doesnt help Zach keep
the store open somehow, then it moves into the second slot at the conclu-
sion of the storm. Then its time to introduce another problem.
If the Pantheon doesnt do anything by the time this problem esca-
lates, move it into the third slot and introduce the next problem. Keep
doing this until the Pantheon deals with the problem or the problem goes
past slot three, Zach closes the store, and the territory is taken out.

Discovering the Problem

The storm is unnatural and centered at City Hall, and Penelope gets a call
from Zach to let her know whats going on.

Using Other Elements

Theres a lot going on in this scenario, with problems overlapping, so more
struggles or questions arent necessary. If more were needed, go to the terri-
tory sheet or the part-time gods character sheets to look at locations, faces,
worshippers, and anything else to ask questions about: particularly look at the
relationship between the part-time gods and the Bonds. See if theres anything
interesting to bring into the game.

Solving a Problem
Heres an example of how the theoretical group from territory creation
might arrive at a solution to eliminate a problem from our example above: See
Territory Creation Example, pg. 33.
Phil, our GM, has chosen the following omen for this scenario: The power of the
gods starts acting strangely, especially the power of Ruin, and a living manifestation of
Ruin wreaks havoc on the city. The session begins with a storm starting to cause prob-

154
lems, which the characters begin to deal with. The streets start to flood, and high winds
create situations where people in the city are under threat of injury and even death.
After a few minutes of dealing with the storm, Benjamin gets a call from both his
wife and mistress, who are at the same restaurant and are looking for help. This poses the
question: Who does Benjamin love more? Benjamins power veers out of control when
Phil compels the hidden problem aspect of The Spark of Ruin is Acting Strange.
The lightning strike Benjamin tried to use to jump start the backup generator at Sacred
Heart Hospital becomes a lightning serpent they need to deal with. Benjamin, played by
Shawn, gets a fate point for accepting that compel.
After stopping the serpent, Penelope, played by Bridget, gets the idea that the storm
and this unusual behavior of Spark isnt natural. Now the Pantheon starts looking for
things out of the ordinary in the area. Amala looks into the future using her Oracle ability
and sees the destruction that will befall the city from the sentient storm gathering power
from City Hall.
Phil consults his problem checklist to see how far along the problem is to achieving
its endgame and puts the aspect of Ruin Manipulating Storm in the second omen
slot of the territory sheet for that issue. With new information in hand, the Pantheon
makes their way to City Hall and Benjamin, the god of storms, draws out the sentient
consciousness of the storm.
The Pantheon bargains with it and convinces it to go out to sea where it can live and
gain power for as long as it wishes instead of burning out over land. Their bluff works.
The problem is solved since the endgame of the issue--wrecking Trinity City--will not be
reached.
This is only one of a number of ways this scene could have played out. The Pantheon
could have forced the sentient part of the storm to materialize and then defeated it in
battle. They could have spotted an Outsider orchestrating the storm and dealt with the
Outsider to end the threat. Benjamin could have sacrificed his divine hub to implode the
storm or disperse the sentient part of it. The ideas of the players at the table, their Domin-
ions and aspects, and GM preparation guide the action.

Solving an Issue
An issue being resolved is much the same, except the stakes are raised and
each omen before the last one should relate to the issue and this final problem
in some way. Heres an example:
Look at the issue The Doom thats Coming to Trinity City. From territory
creation, our GM Phil knows theres going to be an eclipse that starts this doom, but he
hasnt decided what the doom will be as the first session starts. He has just a vague idea
of things from hell will come to Trinity City. Using the plague of Pucks omen, Phil seeds
the idea that when the eclipse happens, a bridge will open the way to another land, and
the Reaper of Souls will enter the world and feast upon the living. This is discovered
through the Pucks, who form a cult in service to this soul reaper.
During the living manifestation of Ruin omen, City Hall is the focal point. The
placement of the storm, and its final warning that death itself will come here when day
becomes as night, gives the Pantheon a hint of things to come.
After the Pucks give a second warning about the eclipse of doom, the players decide
to do something about it. They decide to learn about some of the symbols on the items they
took from the Puck death cultists and how they relate to eclipses and reapers. This leads

155
to a step session, giving Phil the idea that the players might consult a seer who can give
them answers.
Now Phil decides it is time to flesh out more concrete information about the doom.
With whats happened previously concerning reapers and a death cult, he shifts the issues
endgame a bit. Once the Pantheon finds the seer, she reveals the reaper is an ancient god
of death who escaped into a pocket dimension during the God Wars and is due to return
during the eclipse. The eclipse is a conjunction, opening a rift above City Hall, which has
been a place of power for millennia. Phil pictures the pocket dimension as a kind of hell,
with its denizen descending on the city.
Envisioning another twist, Phil decides the seer doesnt have the knowledge of how
to stop it but knows who does, the Prophet of the Source. The players know their Panthe-
on only has a few weeks before the eclipse, so now they have to deal with the Prophet in
order to deal with the doom. To make matters worse, their previous interactions with the
Prophet have been extremely unenjoyable.
In the next session the Pantheon gets the Prophet to tell them how to stop the ancient
god of death from coming into the world by stopping the eclipse from happening. Now
that they see a means to stop it, they must find a way to stop an eclipse. Jennifer, playing
Penelope, thinks they should ask a moon goddess. With a little research and investiga-
tion they learn Hecate and Artemis are still around and might be able to do something.
They find them working at the Moonlight Diner and discover that a third lunar goddess,
named Luna, is capable of working magic that can forego the eclipse. Unfortunately Luna
was recently taken by something called The Night, so the Pantheon must rescue Luna
from The Night in a whirlwind, pocket-dimension-hopping adventure burning Bonds all
the way--but making sure the eclipse never happens and solving the issue.
As with any omen, this could have played out in any number of ways, but the point
is to use the territory creation, Bonds, and questions that have been answered during play,
and any other elements created from play to allow for the players to create as much as you.

Creating a One Shot Game

Part-Time Gods of Fate can easily be run as a one-shot game. To do this,
the GM should create the characters, the territory, the impending issues, and
their related problems and omens. The players can be given the chance to be-
come acquainted with their part-time god characters, understanding the as-
pects and Bonds. In this way, the drama of the game can be created by the GM
ahead of time, and the action of the one-shot can highlight the mechanics of
the game: particularly the manifestations, entitlements, other extras, and the
importance of the Bonds in the game.
With a one-shot game, you wont have time to really work the Bond me-
chanics to their fullest, so focus on the aspect portion of the Bond rather than
the stress track. Weaker Bonds have a chance to be put in jeopardy and break,
so those are better targets in a one-shot.
If youd like to delve a little deeper, come up with one question youd like to
see answered by each character at the table during play. With those questions,
plus a problem or two you decide to use as the external pressure on the territo-
ry, you can have a dramatic and fulfilling one-shot session of play.

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PART III - RUNNING THE GAME
You now have the ideas behind the game and the tools to get ready for your
game. Now here are some things to keep in mind while running the game to
keep things moving at your table.

Things You Can Do

Youre the GM: you can pretty much do anything you want. Resist that
temptation in favor of a more controlled approach. Focus on these generalized
principles to foster solid sessions:
Be flexible with the issues
Address the gods, not the players
Embrace the juxtaposition of the divine and the human
NPCs exists beyond game roles
Ask questions and use the answers
Be a fan of the gods
Push the gods to the brink
Think off screen, too
Consider how the Pantheon influences the territory
Be descriptive, not definitive

The Things You Can Do section was inspired by Apocalypse World

and the many games which have drawn on its ideas. Thanks Vincent!

Be Flexible with the Issues

When you come up with the end result of the issues, you are envisioning
what would happen if the part-time gods dont get involved with the issue. This
just means you know where the issue wants to end up. Dont get married to
the idea. The part-time gods are going to interfere, and you need to react to it
without forcing an outcome. Be flexible and brainstorm other ways the issue
can achieve its endgame. More importantly, consider other consequences that
might result from an issue, even after the part-time gods interfere.

Address the Gods, not the Players

To keep play in the fictional space and everyone focused, including your-
self, address the characters and not the players. If you say Phil, is Robert go-
ing to deal with the Puck problem at Trinity Park or help his homeless friend
Corey, who you heard hurt himself pretty bad? that encourages the players to
think as players instead of their characters. By saying instead, Robert, you just
heard your friend Corey hurt himself pretty badly, but reports of disturbances
at Trinity Park sound an awful lot like Pucks, the players are more likely to
keep their minds engaged within the play space.

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Embrace the Juxtaposition of the Divine and the Human
By placing things that are divine in nature within the space of what you
consider normal and vice versa, you can help bring this modern fantasy world
to life. Cyclopes wear expensive business suits. The pocket dimension of a god
of love looks like a busy mall right before Valentines Day. Dwarves are working
as auto mechanics. Goblins often travel the world as carnival folk. When you
find a place to bring out the juxtaposition of the worlds living side by side, itll
bring out the wonder and mystique of the game.

NPCs Exist Beyond Game Roles

The NPCs in your game might simply be there to point the part-time gods
toward the next scene, but make them more than that. Start by naming every-
one, give them a motivation beyond their game function, and let them express
an opinion on topics relevant to the characters. This assists you in giving your
setting and territory some added depth.

Ask Questions and Use the Answers

To help yourself be flexible, you need to have options. Your players are
often the best sources for realizing those options. Ask the players questions
about what theyre doing--and even why theyre doing it. Do not dissuade them
from taking unexpected actions, but use the opportunity to get a feel for who
they are and why they do what they do.
When theyre taking action, questions can help players define the kind of
actions theyre taking. For example, in Fate, creating an advantage, overcom-
ing, and attacking can sometimes feel the same. Questions help players, and
you, draw a clear line between all of those.

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 Questions also ensure that players are aware of nuanced or evolving situa-
tions. Asking a clarifying question can simultaneously inform players and evoke
responses, thereby creating the ongoing narrative and pushing play.

Be a Fan of the Gods

Youre here to be entertained as much as the other players are. That means
you want to see the triumphs and defeats of the characters and be surprised
by their choices, not create them yourself. Its like reading a book youve never
read before and wanting to know what the characters will do when you turn
the page. By presenting them with interesting choices in dramatic situations,
you are proving yourself a fan of the characters and the stories they are telling
with your help.

Push the Gods to the Brink

To create those tough choices, especially ones which can change the course
of the part-time gods lives, you need to push them hard. Dont be light with
the compels, dont give them easy outs, and create situations where even if they
win, itll cost them something or create another problem.

Think Off Screen, Too

Yes, the game is about the part-time gods. However, it helps to think about
what is happening in those places the part-time gods arent. The game world
shouldnt stop moving just because the part-time gods arent there. If import-
ant events occur when the part-time gods arent present, make sure their ef-
fects have an impact on the game later.

Consider how the Pantheon influences the territory

The part-time gods have a divine Spark, and that means their Dominions
influence the surrounding area. Bring that to the game, show how it is influ-
encing the territory (both for good or ill), and think about how some of the
different part-time gods Dominions might combine to influence parts of the
territory. And always remember that if you dont show those influences to the
players, they will never see them.

Be Descriptive, Not Definitive

Describe the feel of the environment and the NPCs that characters en-
counter, but leave out exacts and avoid being too definitive. For example:

You walk into the hotel and see your Puck-Eater contact standing next to the vend-
ing machine.

vs.

You enter the not-so-grand Grand Palms Hotel, noticing too many cracks in its
structure to feel safe inside for too long. The place doesnt look like its been tidied in weeks,
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and even the concierge desk is empty. The lights flicker from poor fluorescent lighting
along the walls, and the smell of urine permeates the room. Theres a man leaning against
the wall next to the soda vending machine. Hes got tattoos along his arms and is creating
a drum beat with his hands and reverb guitar with his mouth. You take quick notice of
his slightly sharpened teeth.

Several elements are missing from the first example. It doesnt set the
scene very well. The NPC is just a Puck-Eater, and since you want to embrace
the juxtaposition of the divine and real world, this needs to be done better.
The second description uses cues like sharpened teeth to give the characters
a prompt that this NPC is unusual, and in this run-down hotel theyre looking
for a contact out of the ordinary. The GM then has the option to introduce
a Puck-Eater, an Outsider disguised as a human, or even just a fan of vampire
movies who happens to be in the hotel. Being descriptive, not definitive, keeps
mystery alive. The players are afforded a wider range of options when the game
world is not made totally defined in purely game terms.

GMing Manifestations
Manifestations are used constantly during the game. During playtesting,
players tended to apply their part-time gods divine powers in all cases: every-
thing from defeating Outsiders to fixing a malfunctioning elevator. This means
you must be prepared to adjudicate actions involving manifestations. Here are
some tips:

Dominion + Manifestation = Effect

The first thing about manifestations is that they are always an expression
of the part-time gods Dominion, which is defined in their divine aspect. The
description of the manifestations does a good job of giving examples of how
different Dominions can be expressed. Work with your players to make sure
that you all have a good understanding of what their effects look like, based on
their Dominions.

Pick the Right Manifestation

The manifestations are broadly written on purpose, but not so broad that
they are interchangeable. When players describes their action, listen to the
effect they wish to create, and pick the manifestation that fits best. Pay special
attention to Puppetry, Shaping, and Beckon, as these are often confused.

Think about the Ladder

The descriptive elements on the Fate ladder really help when trying to
figure out what the difficulties of certain manifestations are. The general guide-
line is a Good (+3) result is needed to get a manifestation to go off, but youre
going to have to make calls about manifestations. If something sounds like it
would make for an Epic moment, then give it a +7 difficulty. If it would make
for a Legendary story, then put it at +8. The gods have fate points and the
ability to create advantages to help them pull these moments off, so dont be

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afraid to push the bar. When they reach it, make sure the outcomes live up to
the descriptors.

Encourage Human Skills Too

At times, players get manifestation-happy. They try using their divine pow-
ers for everything. When this happens, remind the players they have human
skills as well. Human skills do not draw unwanted attention in crowds, they do
not attract the attention of other gods and Outsiders, and they usually can be
done without expending fate points. Sometimes hitting a Goblin with a punch
rather than a divine manifestation makes more sense.

Fate Point Economy

During the course of play, fate points move to and from the players. When
the group is tuned in and playing well, this flow of points is continuous: the
players spend fate points on rolls and gain them through compels. There are
times, though, when the flow of points may slow, typically during combat,
when players spend more points than they earn. If fate point pools get too low
for the players, scenes can start to drag, as the players may not feel empowered
to take risks, or they lack the fate points to invoke enough aspects to deal with
their opposition.
When this happens try to jump-start the flow of fate points:
Encourage them to create advantages: Newer Fate players have
not fully realized the power of creating advantages. These often come with
free invocations.
Compel their aspects: Look for ways to compel aspects to compli-
cate the scene, and then give them fate points. Here are a few tips for how
to compel different aspects:
Divine aspect: Complicate the scene through the Domin-
ion of the part-time god. For instance, have something important
break in the presence of the god of chaos.
Theology: Theologies are mindsets, and you can compel
that aspect by having the character act to that mindset, especially
when it forces important decisions.
Bonds: If you can draw the objects of the Bonds into the
scene, you can compel them into favoring their Bond over other ele-
ments of the scene.

The Consequences of Downtime

Part-Time Gods of Fate dramatizes the difficulty of juggling divine and hu-
man responsibilities. Taking time to cultivate bonds and erase stress comes at a
price, as the part-time god is not out in the territory or helping the Pantheon.
There should be consequences for tending to your human side, in the form
of new story hooks and opportunities. Perhaps the Pantheon took casualties
without one of the gods available to help, or some Outsider moved in on the
Pantheons territory while the gods were spending time with their Bonds. Like
struggles, dont totally incapacitate or punish the gods, but make their lives

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interesting. They should feel the cost of taking time away from being a god,
and it creates greater drama.

Some Final Thoughts on GMing

The Characters Are the Story
No matter how tempting it is to create the coolest NPCs with epic abili-
ties or mysterious origins, only the players characters matter in the end. They
are the central focus of the game. To be fulfilling and surprising for everyone at
the table, the narrative created through game play must be shaped by the char-
acters decisions. If the Pantheon travels to fantastic worlds, saves innocents,
or conquers grand enemies then the setting, environment, and people around
the characters should change to reflect these choices. Milestones provide the
characters a chance for personal change on a mechanical level. Their actions
during play should also change their world. No one wants to play in a game
where nothing they do matters.

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Dont Control Everything
Some GMs tend to become aggressive dictators over their games. Others
take an adversarial role of GM vs. players. Different modes of GMing might be
fine in the right time and place. Part-Time Gods of Fate is not a game that ben-
efits from those confrontational modes of GMing. Yes, GM generally stands for
Game Master, a title worthy of someone who creates a world and takes the role
of everyone in it. Its often more accurate, however, to think about your function
as the Game Facilitator or Game Mentor instead. Youre just as much a player
in the game as everyone else.

Have Fun!
As the GM, it is your privilege to facilitate a game that your friends will all
enjoy. Any game should be played with the intent of having fun above all else.
The moment playing the game starts feeling like a chore, or your players stop
having fun, is the moment the game falters. If this happens, take a break. Spend
an evening watching a movie or doing another activity you all enjoy. Regain your
bearings and gain a new perspective. Everyone will have more fun when youre
focused and having fun as well.
Bottom line: having fun is what its all about. Even an intricate game, full
of twists and mystery, needs to be toned down if the players are not having fun.
The players may be in the mood for a fight or for a moment of character interac-
tion or perhaps a bout of investigation. The game could be overly focused on an
antagonists plot and not enough on the Pantheon itself. Its helpful to be able to
change course on the fly. With the tools provided and a little time and practice,
youll be able to do that easily. Honestly, though, if you need a moment, just call
for a fifteen minute break while you decide how to proceed. Your players will
understand.

A FEW FUN NPCs

Here are a few additional NPCs that you can pull into your game.

Chris Mobberley
Squirrel Boy
This skinny, lanky young man is barely twenty one years old, is a fan of Ha-
waiian-themed shirts, and speaks in impossibly long run-on sentences. He is
known as the god of squirrels, but those familiar with him call him Squirrel
Boy. He has a great group of friends who accept his eccentricities, and he does
everything he can to protect them from Outsider threats. While one might think
being the god of squirrels is useless, they dont know about the specially bred
friends he can summon instantly to chomp his enemies. Chris is a great example
of how a seemingly weak Dominion can be useful.

Julie Hodgson
Goddess of Charity
The territory of this wholesome, beautiful goddess is full of people who give
to their community. Although within a larger city with a devastated economy,
Julies territory has one of the lowest rates of homelessness or deaths from hun-
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ger in the country. When the characters meet her as a contact for their current
problem, theyll realize she is really a cruel woman. Quite prosperous herself, Ju-
lie simply wills people to be charitable toward her. They hand over their wealth,
which Julie keeps a large percentage of. This goddess is a great way to show how
a seemingly good Dominion can still lead to corruption.

Boabdil Perez
Black Market Centaur
Ever seen a centaur with a machine gun? Few have. Boabdil is a portly man
with a bit of military experience, a bit of charm with the ladies, and the ability
to take a half-man, half-horse form. Boabdil wasnt born an Outsider, but he is
certainly considered one now. He has underground contacts to get just about any
type of firearm he wants and can be used as a contact to procure weapons (even
a few Relics) for the characters.

Jacob Segal
Cultist Zealot
A shy and quiet man, Jacob is jaded from seeing the worst of humanity. He
works in a casino, dealing cards from 4am to noon, but few would look twice at
his appearance that mostly blends into the background: short, blonde, glasses,
and average height and weight. Jacob sees little value in humanity, becoming the
leader of a cult that prays to random gods of evil, hoping one will show up and
grant them all power. If left to his devices, the cult is bound to awaken some
unspeakable evil, but what if a hero showed Jacob humans are worth something?

Nathaniel Garth
God of the Blues
The great Nathaniel Garth only recently turned forty, but he exhibited all
the qualities of an expert blues player. Nathaniel was so good, in fact, his love
for the blues spontaneously produced his current Dominion of the blues. He
travels from town to town with his favorite guitar, Snake Eyes, playing for anyone
willing to listen. His electric rhythm hypnotizes his audience. As good as all this
sounds, he is also constantly stalked by Demons, personal and of the Outsider
variety, and may be looking for the part-time gods to assist him.

Brian Galley
God of Libraries
Brian follows the Phoenix Society, becoming god of libraries and helping
spread knowledge to all humans in hopes of making them better people. During
the course of his research, he found secret excerpts depicting ways to free the
Source from its cage. His mind calculates that if he helps humanity using only the
small slice of power he has already then by unleashing the Source, much more
of the magic that makes up the Spark, that could only help humanity even more.
Convincing him otherwise will prove difficult, especially since he has gathered
multiple cults in his efforts.

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 CHAPTER ELEVEN:
MILESTONES

During the course of the game, the gods of Part-Time Gods of Fate grow
and change. The rules below reference specific changes made to the Fate Core
System milestone mechanic. For more information on milestones and setting
them, see the Fate Core System book (pg. 255).

Minor Milestones
In Part-Time Gods of Fate a minor milestone occurs whenever the part-
time gods have solved a problem, allowing the pace of the game to slow. This
could be the end of the session or when the characters have a moment to catch
their breath. These milestones are more about tweaking the characters or ad-
justing them in response to whatevers going on in the game. Minor milestones
are not about boosting power. Sometimes it wont make sense for you to take
advantage of a minor milestone, especially if you dont want to change anything
about your character, but you always have the opportunity if you want.
During a minor milestone, you can choose to do one (and only one) item
from this list:
Switch the rating values of any two skills, or replace one Average (+1)
skill with one that isnt on your sheet.
Trade any single stunt for another stunt.
Purchase a new stunt or extra (see Select Extra, pg. 44), provided you
have the refresh to do so. (Remember, you cant go below 1 refresh.)
Change a specialization for one of your manifestations.
Clear one point of Bond stress, provided that you describe a scene
with your Bond and show how youve helped heal damage done to the re-
lationship. If you had a scene in the previous session with your Bond, that
can be considered the scene if it helped heal the relationship.

In addition to the item you chose above, you can also rename any moder-
ate consequences you have so that you can start them on the road to recovery,

165
presuming you have not already done so.
Note: you cannot swap Entitlements like you can with human stunts. En-
titlements are meant to be permanent. You can gain new Entitlements when-
ever youre allowed to purchase new extras.
Minor milestones are good opportunities for you to make slight character
adjustments if it seems something on your character sheet isnt quite right. For
example, if you havent been using a stunt as often as you thought, replace it
with another.

Significant Milestones
Significant milestones occur when a territory issue has been dealt with.
Unlike minor milestones, which are primarily about tweaking characters, sig-
nificant milestones are about learning new things. Dealing with problems and
challenges has made your characters generally more capable at what they do.
In addition to the benefits of a minor milestone, you also gain all of the
following:
Clear one point of Bond stress, provided you describe a scene with
your Bond in which youve helped heal any damage to the relationship.
This is in addition to the one gained for the minor milestone.
Change the wording of one of your Bond aspects if the relationship
has shifted or changed. See Changing and Replacing Bonds, pg. 86.
Add one additional skill point, which you can spend to buy a new skill
at Average (+1) or increase an existing skill by one rank.
Add one additional manifestation point, which you can use to increase
one of your manifestations, following the rules for manifestation advance-
ment (see The Skill Chain below).
If you have any severe consequences, rename them to begin the recov-
ery process, if you havent already.

Bond Scenes
When you reach a milestone and can repair your Bonds, you must
describe the scene, event, or even the entire day that helped mend that
relationship. Part-Time Gods of Fate is about the balance between
your godhood and the people, places, and things you care about that
make you human. Treat these scenes as your lifeline to your humanity.
They should emphasize what makes the Bond important to your char-
acter, and should generally be free from conflict. Their point is simple:
its your time to show why this person, place, or thing is so important
to your character. When youre done with the scene, put a little note
on the character sheet near the Bond to remind you what happened.
Once youve gone through a few Bond scenes, you will have created a
story showing the relationship of your character to these Bonds.

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Skill Columns (Human Skills)
During character creation, you organized your human skills into a pyra-
mid. That pyramid changes during character advancement. However, theres
still a limitation to deal with: skill columns. You cant have more skills at one
rank than you have at the rank below it. So in order to have three Good (+3)
skills, you must have at least three Average (+1) skills and at least three Fair (+2)
skills to support them.
The pyramid follows this rule already, so when youre adding skills, make
sure you dont violate that limit. Its easy to forget that if you use a skill point
to upgrade one of your existing skills, you might not have enough skills to
support it at the new rank. If you have one Good (+3), two Fair (+2), and three
Average (+1) skills, your skill distribution looks roughly like this:

At a milestone, you might want to upgrade a Fair (+2) skill to Good (+3).
Thatd give you two Good (+3), one Fair (+2), and three Average (+1):

That doesnt work: youre now missing the second Fair skill you need to
be square with the rules. When this happens, you have two options. You can
either buy a new skill at the lowest possible rankin this case, Average (+1)
and then upgrade it in subsequent milestones until youre in a position to bump
the skill you want to the appropriate level, or you can bank the skill point,
not spend it now, and wait until youve accumulated enough to buy a skill at
whatever rank you need to support the move.
This means the further you get up the ladder, the harder it is to quickly
advance your skills. This is intentionalno one can get to a point where they
are awesome at everything, all the time. Thats boring.

The Skill Chain (Manifestations)

Advancement for manifestations works a little differently. Manifestations
can be advanced in their rank as long as there are no gaps in the sequence of
numbers from the three with the highest ranks. There can be ties: that is, more

167
than one skill can have the same rank, but there cannot be a gap.
Consider the following set of initial manifestations: Ruin Good (+3), Aegis
Fair (+2), Shaping Average (+1). The player achieves a significant milestone and
wishes to advance one of them. Here are some examples of what can and can-
not be done:

You can:
Raise Shaping from Average (+1) to Fair (+2) The sequence is then 3, 2, 2.
Add Beacon at Average (+1). The sequence is then 3, 2, 1, 1.

You cannot:
Raise Ruin from Good (+3) to Great (+4). The sequence would be 4, 2, 1.
Raise Aegis from Fair (+2) to Good (+3). The sequence would be 3, 3, 1.

This essentially creates the need to piggy-back two or more skills at the
same level, in order to eventually pass one up above Good (+3). This progres-
sion helps the character expand their array of manifestations while requiring
investment to raise one to Great (+4).
Dont forget that when you are able to move your highest manifestation skill
rank up, you must lose a Bond stress box. (See Increasing Power, pg. 85).

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Major Milestones
A major milestone only occurs when the final issue of the territory has been
dealt with or resolved, which finishes your first campaign arc or season of play.
These milestones are about gaining power. The challenges of yesterday
simply arent sufficient to threaten these characters anymore, and the threats
of tomorrow must be more adept, organized, and determined to stand against
them. Achieving a major milestone confers the benefits of a significant mile-
stone and a minor milestone, and all of the following additional options:
If you have an extreme consequence, rename it to reflect that youve
moved past its most debilitating effects. This allows you to take another
extreme consequence in the future, if you desire.
Clear any consequences on the territory sheet and remove any conse-
quence that resulted from the territory consequence on your character sheet.
Take an additional point of refresh, which allows you to immediate-
ly buy a new stunt, buy a new entitlement, deepen a Bond, create a new
Bond, or keep it to give yourself more refresh (and therefore more fate
points) at the beginning of each session.
Advance a skill beyond the campaigns current skill cap, if youre able
to, thus increasing the skill cap.
Advance a manifestation beyond the campaigns current manifestation
cap, if youre able to, thus increasing the manifestation cap.
Rename your characters human aspect if you desire.
Clear one point of Bond stress, provided you describe a scene or se-
quence of scenes with your Bond, in which youve healed damage to the
relationship. This is in addition to the points gained from the effects of the
minor and significant milestones, for a total of three points.
You can choose to replace a Bond with a different Bond at this time.
(See Changing and Replacing Bonds, pg. 86)
You can choose to create a new Bond at this time. (See New Bonds, pg. 86)
You can add a divine hub, or choose an already existing location on the
territory sheet to become a divine hub. As your power grows, so does your
divine hold on the territory.

Reaching a major milestone is a big deal. Part-time gods with more stunts
and extras are going to have a wider range of resources at their disposal, making
them more effective. The higher refresh means more fate points when sessions
begin, which means youll be less reliant on compels for a while.
When the part-time gods go past the skill cap, it necessarily changes the
way antagonists are handled, because foes must match the characters in terms of
competence. This change wont happen all at once, which gives GMs the chance
to introduce more powerful enemies gradually. However, if you play long enough,
eventually youre going to have gods with very high skill and manifestation rat-
ingsthat alone should give GMs a sense of the kinds of villains needed.
Most of all, a major milestone signals that things in the world of the game
have changed. Some of that is reflected in territory advancement, but given the
number of chances the characters have to revise their Bonds in response to the
story, a different set of priorities and concerns are generally needed.

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 CHAPTER TWELVE:
ANTAGONISTS

The part-time gods need a full cast of characters to interact with. Some
will be monsters to fight, some will be mortals to contend with, and some may
even be other gods. All these non-player characters are called NPCs.
Some NPCs are created during territory or character creation, but youll
need more. They can include anything from the mountain lion stalking the
part-time gods along their path, the flirty shop owner, or even rival gods bent
on destroying the part-time gods. NPCs are tools controlled by you in order to
add variety and depth to the game world.
This chapter focuses on the threats the part-time gods face, both mortal
and divine. Descriptions are purposefully generic, giving you room to custom-
ize these NPCs to suit the game and part-time gods.
NPCs come in five varieties:
Fodder: An NPC that is fodder usually has one stress box and no fate
points. Such NPCs are meant to be defeated easily.
Minions: An NPC that is a minion has stress tracks but no fate points.
They are sufficiently threatening to take a blow from a part-time god and
survive.
Touched: An NPC that is touched has both stress tracks and fate
points. The touched contain divinity that can be used to surpass what is
possible in the mundane world.
Outsiders: The Outsiders are those mythical and legendary antago-
nists who have Spark but are not gods themselves. These antagonists have
immense power. Some are bestial, while others possess a human intellect,
making each one unique. Outsiders are, by nature, loners--or at least wary
of approaching others outside their kind. Some work directly with certain
gods as well.
Gods: There are other gods in the world, and many of them are not
friendly to the part-time gods of your game. Their motives and agendas are
as varied as snowflakes in the winter or the leaves of fall. They are generally
as powerful as they are old, but to underestimate even the youngest of the
gods is foolish at best and deadly at worst.

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How Outsiders Function
Outsiders, by their very nature, exist outside the normal world. They work
like NPCs in the Fate Core System, but look a little different. Heres an over-
view of how their divine presence changes how they look on the page.

Aspects
Because of the otherness of these Outsiders, they have one or two aspects
representing their nature and their purpose for existing.

Skills
To emphasise their otherness, these Outsiders do not draw from the nor-
mal skill list. Instead, they have two to four skills named as general descriptors
representing the sorts of actions they do, such as God Hunter, Eater of Time,
or Wields the Knowledge of the Ancient Past. After all, who would be scared if
an Outsider used a skill as mundane as Fight!
These Outsider skills, as they are called throughout the chapter, are broad
concepts. When an Outsider performs an action, you choose the skill that
sounds right for that action and roll it, treating the results as any other over-
come, create an advantage, attack, or defend action. (This is akin to skill modes
in the Fate System Toolkit and approaches in the Fate Accelerated System. You
dont need to read those books to use this idea, but they may help you make
your own Outsider skills.)
You should tell the players the names of these skills as the Outsider uses
them, which emphasizes their Outsider natures. If a name starts to seem dull,
reword it or change its meaning as play continues to heighten the unpredict-
ability of these beings.
Because of how Outsider skills work, they all have one pseudo-skill called Ev-
erything Else, which covers situations that their other Outsider skills dont cover.

Outsider Abilities
Skills and situations affect Outsiders differently. These differences are
reflected in Outsider Abilities, which are stunts specific to Outsiders. Those
common to many Outsiders are listed in the Outsider Abilities section (pg.
173), and many Outsiders have other or variant abilities. Note that these abili-
ties sometimes play fast and loose with Fate rules. You should interpret them
broadly to make them feel strange and difficult to know.

Weaknesses
Outsiders with this entry have limits to their actions in some situations.
If the part-time gods are exploiting a weakness (intentionally or by happen-
stance), treat Outsider skills in those situations as being three lower.

Equipment
Some Outsiders who are closer to human in nature may employ tools rath-
er than inherent implements. Typical items are listed with the Outsider and
include their base weapon ratings for ease of reference.

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 Discovering Weaknesses
Some Outsider weaknesses will be secrets to the part-time gods, just as
aspects normally are. For those, dont name the skills when you use them-
-just say what the outsider does. Part-time gods can attempt to discover
those skills the same way they would discover secret aspects (See Fate Core
System pg. 79). Notice would work for gauging skills that involve how an Out-
sider acts, Mythology covers skills tied to legends and stories, and so on.
These are overcome actions with difficulties ranging from Average to Great
or even higher, depending on how secretive you see the Outsider regarding
that weakness, or even in holding back its true strength.

Stress & Consequences

Unlike normal part-time gods, stress boxes and consequence slots are not de-
termined by skills, but are stated in the Outsiders writeup. Simple Outsiders have
a small stress track and usually just one mild consequence slot. More formidable
Outsiders have stress tracks and consequence slots based on their power level.

Pay Off
These are the abilities a Puck-Eater would get when eating some part of
the Outsider.

Other Notes
Often Outsiders can create a host of other effects. Those listed in this en-
try dont necessarily impact conflicts or affect part-time gods directly, but are
still worth mentioning so you can use them in the narrative.

Outsiders as Opposition
Because the classic Fate breakdown of NPCs doesnt quite apply with Out-
siders, this chapter uses some very different ideas on presenting opposition,
especially the weirder and less human the opposition becomes. See Fate Core
System pg. 213-221.
The Outsiders in this chapter have one or two aspects, usually three Outsider
skills, some special attacks and abilities as appropriate, and a single stress track.
You are encouraged to use this tactic for other NPCs you need to make on the fly.

Outsider Mobs
The Fate rules for mobs work great for a horde of lesser Outsiders. See Fate
Core System pg. 216. Given that these sorts of Outsiders could have stress tracks
that are more complicated than even good nameless NPCs, keep each stress
track separate to avoid confusion when tracking harm.

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Outsider Abilities
Outsiders abilities work much like stunts. The following are common
among Outsiders. Many Outsiders have other abilities listed with their entries.
Sometimes these refer to normal skills (such as Athletics or Physique) to com-
municate the sort of actions the stunt allows or modifies. Naturally, use the
skill equivalent for the specific Outsider.

AQUATIC
Some Outsiders have no problem moving or breathing in water. If they
have a problem moving or breathing on land, that is listed here.

AREA ATTACK
This action affects everyone in a given zone or other area. Those affect-
ed need to oppose separately against the Outsiders single action rollwhich
may be an attack or creating an advantage. (Compare to simultaneous attacks
below, which describes multiple, individual ways of assaulting part-time gods.)

ATTACKS
Most Outsiders have one or more forms of attack that are particularly
devastating to the part-time gods, such as ones with a weapon rating, those
that convey an advantage when successful rather than or in addition to stress,
and so on. Each attack is listed individually by name. Extensions of this ability
include area attacks, psychic assaults, simultaneous attacks, etc.
A few attacks are listed without additional rules, thus using the normal
skill situation, but do list some possible consequences that could be dealt. To
help you with ideas, these possible consequences are broken into samples for
mild, moderate, and severe.

ETHEREAL
The Outsider is incorporeal, which means that normal physical actions
cannot affect it. Most of the time such Outsiders are able to still physically
attackpart-time gods can defend against such attacks normally if the defense
involves getting out of the way or enduring pain rather than blocking a blow.
Likewise, material barriers cannot block the Outsider from moving between
zones. If not specified, the Outsider is always ethereal; any conditions or situa-
tions that cause it to become corporeal are listed in the ability.

FLIGHT
The Outsider can fly under its own power. It uses Athletics for maneuver-
ing and dodging. When possible, it uses Physique for grappling and lifting a
victim into the air, typically contested by the targets Physique or Fight.

INVISIBILITY
In addition to aspects such abilities convey, any that allow an Outsider to
be invisible require part-time gods to be able to perceive it to take any direct
action. Part-time gods can sense the presence of an invisible Outsider with

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their Spark Sense, but they are only visible to gods with Otherworldly Sight,
(pg. 77). A god can attempt to defend with Notice (in order to discover where
the Outsider is, such as hearing the Outsider moving) or Physique (to take the
blow), depending on the situation. Otherwise, part-time gods fighting against
an invisible Outsider are in for a quick death if they dont find a way to escape
or gain some advantage.

INVULNERABLE
The Outsider has a form of defense or immunity that renders some attacks
completely moot, specified in the Outsiders entry. Since such attacks automat-
ically fail, there isnt a defense roll and the Outsider cant succeed with style on
their defense. The same is true with overcome actions or creating an advantage
that involves using such means against the Outsider.

PSYCHIC ASSAULT
Some Outsiders can assault the mind and will. These are mental attacks,
defended against with Will. Typical consequences are listed with the Outsider.
Note that unless the Outsider takes out a part-time god, the part-time god still
has free will--consequences are related to mental control, supplying an exploit
it can use or that you can compel. Against human NPCs, these Outsiders abil-
ities should be treated as absolute or severe.

RESILIENCE
The Outsider has a form of defense that renders some forms of attack less
powerful, specified in the Outsiders entry. When it rolls a defend action against
such attacks, its defense increases by one or more, as specified in the Outsiders
entry. If there is a way to overcome or disable the resilience, that is also noted.

SIMULTANEOUS ATTACKS
Some Outsiders have ways of making multiple independent actions at
once. Essentially, that Outsiders action for that moment is assault with all of
my tentacles/limbs/etc. Roll for each action separately, which may be attacks,
creating advantages or any combination thereof. If two or more of these at-
tacks gang up on one part-time god, that qualifies as teamwork. See Fate Core
System pg. 174. Note that this is not the same as an Area Attack.

SPECIAL SENSES
Outsiders with some sort of significant sensory advantage do not receive
any bonus to situational awareness rolls, but do gain the benefits from their
senses via story logic. For instance, an Outsider that can see perfectly in the
dark denies others the option to invoke a situation aspect like Darkness, and
it may take actions based on such extrasensory knowledge.

TELEPORTATION
Outsiders capable of teleporting at will generally have a +3 with any de-
fensive action against those who cannot match its movements (those who can
teleport on occasion or with effort do not gain this advantage). If the telepor-

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tation range allows it to effectively move as fast as a vehicle, then the Outsider
also has this bonus in those situations. This can also be used to create an advan-
tage like Surprised as part of reappearingusing whichever Outsider skill best
represents guile or hunting, opposed by a part-time gods Notice skill.

UNUSUAL MOVEMENT
Some Outsiders have unusual forms of movement, which are listed with
the Outsider, along with special rules such movement conveys (if any).

Creating Gods
Gods as NPCs in Part-Time Gods of Fate can be built as you would a part-
time god, but you can break some rules. For some excellent advice, take a look at
pg. 220 of the Fate Core System. Beyond that advice, if you make a god who has
lost her bonds and gone fully divine, then you could use the skill system for
Outsiders and break the rules for a god concerning their spent refresh and the
power their Dominions provide. You can also give more refresh to a god who
is still balancing their divine and human lives. Bonds, and the care they give to
them, can help show some depth to those NPCs. This is a tool for creating an
adversary that fits into your game mechanically and narratively.

Format for NPCs in PTGoF

Below is the format for an NPC in Part-Time Gods of Fate, with an expla-
nation of the components that make them up :
Aspects: A simple description of the NPC, along with its motivations and traits.
Skills: Like part-time gods, an NPC has skills as well as ranks.
Stunts: An NPC can have stunts that expand on certain skills. Not all
NPCs have stunts.
Stress: Physical stress is the amount of physical punishment an NPC
can take. Mental stress shows how much mental trauma an NPC can take.
Spark: Divine NPCs may have fate points, usable by them to draw
upon divine power.
Fear: An NPC with a fear rating can shake a part-time gods resolve.
When starting a conflict with an Outsider that has a fear rating, the part-
time god must take a defend Will action against the NPCs fear rating. Fail-
ure deals mental stress and puts a boost of Frightened on the part-time god.
Some creatures have a split fear rating, such as 0/3. This means that while in
normal form, hiding in plain sight among mortals, the creatures have no fear
rating. When they take on their more hideous or awesome forms, however,
they strike fear into the hearts of mortal and god alike.
Example: The part-time gods are fighting a storm giant with a fear
rating of Great (+4). They must take a defend Will action against a passive
opposition of Great (+4). For each shift below four, the part-time god takes one
point of mental stress and gains a Frightened boost against them.

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 Example Antagonists
ANIMALS
Below are some of the major animal threats of the world. Animals like
house cats, mice, turtles or snakes have very little health to withstand blows, so
you can give them a single skill and an aspect, or just make them an aspect on
the scene. If they are an aspect on the scene, just use your common sense for
what they could do. Cats have agility to jump and scratch, snakes can deliver
venom and poison characters, and mice can get into the smallest openings.

Bear (Minion): Fear: 2

Bears are not only very large (up to ten feet tall), but also quite swift
despite their size, making them truly deadly beasts to encounter anywhere.
Throughout much of mythology, they are symbols of strength, wisdom, and
ferocity--especially in many of the Native American cultures. They can appear
in almost any terrain.
Aspects: Godless Killing Machine
Skills: Good (+3) Fight; Fair (+2) Athletics; Average (+1) Notice
Stunts
Maul: If a bear succeeds with style on a Fight attack, it gets one addi-
tional shift.
Stress: Physical 3, Mental 2
Other Notes: Bears have both jaws and claws with which to maul their targets.
Pretending to be dead will cause a bear to ignore the target, but this is a preemptive
move. If they are already in battle with the beast, theres no getting out of it.

Bird of Prey (Fodder)

A favored servant of many gods, birds of prey like ravens, vultures and
hawks can be quite dangerous in a battle. Despite their size, a single bird rarely
has the strength to put up a fight against a live human. Flocks of these animals,
however, can prove to be truly deadly. They are also proficient at scouting and
pecking at targets to distract them.
Aspects: Keen-eyed
Skills: Good (+3) Notice, Stealth; Average (+1) Fight
Stunts
Distracting: The bird of prey gains a +2 when creating an advantage to
cause a distraction to a target.
Stress: one box

Canine (Minion)
These four-legged friends of man come in several different breeds, sizes
and personalities. Wolves are wild, often found in cold or mountainous areas,
while domesticated dogs are bred to aid humans in their duties or just as com-
panions. Hunger or the protection of their territory can be strong motivators
for them, as well as the command of their owner.
Aspects: Loyal Attack Dog
Skills: Good (+3) Athletics; Fair (+2) Fight
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 Stunts
Grab & Hold: When a canine succeeds with style on an attack action,
they can reduce the shifts by one to create the aspect of Grabbed & Held
on the target of their attack.
Stress: Physical 2, Mental 1

Horses (Minion)
These regal animals have been the favored method of travel for centuries.
Likewise, there are stock horses for fieldwork, racing horses bred for speed
and even parade horses to be shown for their beauty. As most are domesticated
animals, they are often found in farms or racing areas, but wild horses still exist
in plains areas and are a welcome challenge for master horse-breakers.
Aspects: Ridable Beast of Burden
Skills: Good (+3) Physique; Fair (+2) Athletics, Fight
Stunts
Powerful Kick: When taking the attack action with Fight, a hit push-
es the target one zone.
Runner: When taking an overcome action to move extra zones with
Athletics, the horse moves an extra zone.
Stress: Physical 2, Mental 1

Large Cat (Minion): Fear: 1

From the roaring lions of Africa to the ferocious tigers of Asia, large cats
are feared worldwide. They can be found in several forests and jungles in the
wild, but they can be found in various zoos as well. Armed with deadly claws,
sharp fangs and a cunning instinct, these animals stalk their prey relentlessly
before striking, and gods taste just as good as any other human, if not better.
Aspects: Silent Hunter
Skills: Good (+3) Fight, Stealth; Fair (+2) Notice
Stunts
Pounce: When a large cat succeeds with style on an overcome Stealth
action, it gets a full aspect with two free invocations instead of a boost.
Tackle: When a large cat succeeds with style on an attack action and
reduces its shifts by one to create a boost, it can instead create an aspect
called Tackled.
Stress: Physical 2, Mental 2

Monkeys (Fodder)
These primates live in jungles and forests in almost every corner of the
world. They possess great acrobatic ability to climb trees, swing on vines and
retreat quickly when threatened. Some monkeys are larger than others, giving
them heightened wrestling ability as well. They are mostly peaceful outsiders,
so part-time gods need only worry about monkey attacks if the animal is hun-
gry, frightened or protecting their young.
Aspects: Agile Tree Climbers
Skills: Good (+3) Athletics; Fair (+2) Throw
Stress: one box
Other Notes: Monkeys are easily scared and more prone to retreat than
prolonged battle.
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MORTALS
Below are descriptions of the more mundane threats to a god in the mod-
ern world. While they do not have divine power, few of them are pushovers.
Defeating a single mortal should be little problem for a god, but some mortals
influence can be far-reaching. Also, when attacking in numbers, even regular
people can be a huge threat. Mobs have a reputation for a reason. Payoffs gained
from mortals can be found in the Puck-Eaters Section of Theologies on pg. 113.

Average People (Fodder or Minion)

There are six billion people in the world. Some of them are exceptional in
their chosen careers and go on to change the world. The vast majority, however,
are just everyday people trying to get by day to day. They are the shopkeepers,
bartenders, janitors and a million other occupations, but very few of them are
combat trained. Motivations vary depending upon the individual, so summing
up this group isnt easy. Money is always a good start though. Also, if rallied
to a banner, a large number of normal people can send even an army away in
defeat. See Fate Core System, pg.213: 220 to see how to create any kind of NPC. Here
are a couple of examples:

Custodian (Fodder)
Aspects: Keeper of the Keys
Skills: Average (+1) Notice
Stress: one box

Preacher (Fodder)
Aspects: Speaker of the Word of God
Skills: Fair (+2) Rapport; Average (+1) Empathy
Stress: one box

Construction Worker (Minion)

Aspects: Builder of Things
Skills: Fair (+2) Physique; Average (+1) Crafts
Stress: Physical 3, Mental 2

Cultist (Fodder)
Worshippers come in all shapes and sizes, but they are usually just average
people. When ones beliefs take over, however, a worshipper becomes a zealous
cultist bent on pleasing their master. They are easily manipulated if they truly
believe they are in service to their god. Cultists often congregate in hidden
places and have secret meetings to plan their next moves, becoming a terrible
enemy to an opposing god. They seldom attack alone, using the strength of
numbers to their advantage.

Average Cultist
Aspects: Total Allegiance to a Cause
Skills: Fair (+2) Fight, Will; Average (+1) Knowledge
Stress: one box
Other Notes: While most cultists simply believe themselves to be cho-

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sen, the lucky ones may occasionally be seen as worthy to their gods. In this
case, they may possess a lower-powered Relic.

Gangster (Minion)
Some of the most feared types of people in history, gangsters are business-
men at heart. They move into a town, establish several fronts for their criminal
activity, and then go on to buy off anyone who could stop them. Lots of gang
wars take place at any given time, and the gods can get sucked into them at
times when gunfire and explosions run rampant through their territory. Gang-
sters are motivated by money and power in mass quantities, which they have
no qualms about taking from another divine or not.

Average Gangster
Aspects: Remorseless Killer
Skills: Good (+3) Fight, Shoot; Fair (+2) Contacts, Resources
Stunts
Made Man: A gangster gets a +2 to overcome actions when using Con-
tacts.
Stress: Physical 2, Mental 2

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Inmate (Fodder)
These antagonists are severely mentally unstable, rising to the level of psy-
chosis. Some are schizophrenic, others are sociopathic and you might even
find more exotic mental issues like pyromania. In no uncertain terms, they are
simply unable to function as a normal person. Where crazy begins for these
inmates, homicidal tendencies usually follow. They have little in the way of
motivation: Inmates do what they want when they feel the urge, and it often
makes no logical sense. The most common motivation is to escape whatever
facility holds them.

Average Inmate
Aspects: The Power of Madness (or one reflecting their mental state)
Skills: Fair (+2) Will; Average (+1) Provoke
Stress: one box
Other Notes: Inmates have a rampant disregard for their own well-being.

Police Officer (Fodder)

These antagonists ostensibly exist to serve and protect the populace. They
attempt to bring peace from unrest and are not unlike the gods fighting against
chaos in their territory. This can make police officers a gods worst enemy, espe-
cially if they get a record. Some are muscular from working out and improving
hand-to-hand techniques, while others have a beer belly and focus on firearms
and expert driving to compensate for physical shortcomings. Constant rumors
of corruption surround the police and some of them are susceptible to bribing.
For the most part, however, they stand by their values and fight for justice.

Average Police Officer

Aspects: The Law is On My Side
Skills: Fair (+2) Shoot; Average (+1) Drive, Fight
Stunts
Aim: When using create an advantage to aim, any success is treated as
a success with style.
Take Down: The police officer gains a +2 when using create an advan-
tage to restrain a target.
Stress: one box

Thug (Fodder)
Sometimes intellectual antagonists need muscle to put their plans into ac-
tion, which is where Thugs come into play. Physical force is their bread and
butter, taking jobs as bouncers, bodyguards, gang members or a crime bosss
right hand man. They excel in both strength and speed, making them formi-
dable enemies in battle. They often lack the mental fortitude to do anything
besides taking orders, but motivations include money, revenge or just the need
to break some bones on occasion.

Average Thug
Aspects: Ive Got a Job to Do
Skills: Fair (+2) Fight; Average (+1) Shoot
Stress: one box

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TOUCHED
The Touched are those antagonists split between the worlds of the divine and
mundane, but who are not gods. They are slightly better than humans, many hav-
ing supernatural abilities, but their Spark is either still asleep or simply stagnant.

Champion (Touched)
Throughout history, the gods have chosen mortals to be their eyes and ears
on Earth. These mortals became the paragons of their gods Dominion, usually
as a tool during the God Wars. When mass numbers of followers went out of
fashion, Champions became the new way to call others to a gods banner. These
beings were given a Spark to fight against the Outsiders, and many went on to
inspire great legends of heroes and monsters. They were the Norse berserkers
and valkyries, South American amazon warriors, and other epic heroes. As the
gods could no longer make new gods, so too was their ability to create Cham-
pions eventually destroyed. Unlike other Touched, Champions are born with
their power, passed on by blood. Their Spark stays latent until they reach pu-
berty, where it lifts them to become superhuman. Champions are also stalked
and hunted by Outsiders and other minions of the Source, making them valu-
able allies if a god is willing to offer some semblance of protection.
Aspects: Paragon of a God, Unflinching in the Face of Danger
Skills: Great (+4) Fight, Physique; Good (+3) Athletics, Rapport, Will; Fair
(+2) Aegis, Stealth
Stunts
Empower: The Champion can spend a fate point to increase one of
their skills by +1 for a scene, breaking the column rules. This can only be
done to an individual skill once per scene.
Stress: Physical 3, Mental 3
Fate Points: 1
Other Notes: If a part-time god is bred for godhood and has siblings,
their brothers and sisters may end up as Champions. They may also have a
Relic at their disposal, usually one associated with the Dominion to which they
are linked.

God-Killers (Touched): Fear: 3

When the first god was killed by a mortal, his death gave birth to the
God-Killers, often regarded as the dark side of Champions. However, as the
Champions were gifted with power, God-Killers persistently stalked the gods
at every turn, killing them and stealing their Dominions to give to the god
they worship. This is the reason gods still fear these antagonists. God-Killers
were once organized into hunting parties, but modern God-Killers are prone
to solitary stalking. Gods often hide to avoid the God-Killers, but stealth often
proves futile. The God-Killers have a taste for divine power, and they stop at
nothing to find it. No one wakes up one day and suddenly wants to kill di-
vine beings. God-killers are bred from birth to be ready to take on the mantle
passed down through families truly dysfunctional families, of course.
Aspects: Killer of Gods, Unflinching in the Face of Danger
Skills: Great (+4) Fight, Physique, Shoot; Good (+3) Athletics, Intimida-
tion, Will; Fair (+2) Ruin, Stealth, Burglary

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 Stunts
Spark Sense: God-Killers can sense Spark within a mile of themselves.
Weapon Master: God-Killers gain a +2 when using their weapon of
choice to take attack actions.
Negation: God-Killers can spend a fate point to instantly negate any
manifestations directed toward them.
Soul Storage: God-Killers can take and hold the soul of any god that
dies near them. They can hold up to three such souls at a time.
Stress: Physical 3. Mental 3
Fate Points: 1
Payoff: When resisting manifestations directed against you, gain a +1
Other Notes: God-Killers are powered by Relics, of course, and the care-
ful identification and elimination of said Relics is key to defeating these nasty
enemies. They are also trained with a specific weapon.

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Hags (Touched): Fear: 2
Dark entities exist that can grant a human immense magical power. Hags
are sorceresses who have made pacts with these Outsiders, but it comes at
a price. One usually becomes a hag in order to ruin someone elses life, bar-
gaining for the tools with which to do it. Hags are the witches of the fairy
tales, capable of creating horrible poisons, haunting nightmares and ruining
someones luck. No matter how young the women who become hags are, their
body withers, they develop sores and cracked lips, their hair goes grey and their
teeth rot. They are often seen with a familiar of some sort as well, a black cat
or a raven specifically. They are seldom a physical threat to most gods, but their
nasty magic can prove to be quite devastating.
Aspects: Withered Sorceress
Skills: Good (+3) Rapport, Shaping, Will; Fair (+2) Empathy, Knowledge,
Mythology; Average (+1) Craft, Fight, Physique, Shoot
Stunts
Dreams: Hags can look into the minds of targets and root through their
dreams with a Shaping overcome action and something to connect them to
their prey. By spending a fate point, Hags can shape the dreams their prey have.
Familiar: The Hag has a Familiar (pg. 75).
Glamour: Although their real form is quite disgusting, Hags can put
on the face of a young, beautiful women with this power. This can be seen
through by seeing their reflections in a mirror.
Hex: Hags can use Shaping to create an advantage against their prey in
a negative manner.
Poison: With a touch, Hags may take a create an advantage action with
Shaping to poison their prey. If the prey fails, they gain the minor conse-
quence Poisoned. After a few moments the prey makes a Physique over-
come action against the Hags Shaping score. If that fails, the prey is taken
out by falling unconscious. This poison can be placed into food for ingestion
if the Hag chooses--red apples being a favorite.
Stress: Physical 3, Mental 4
Fate Points: 2
Payoff: Pick one of the Hags abilities.
Other Notes: Hags are weakened by concepts of purity and holiness.
They cannot take a step onto consecrated ground and virgins are immune to
their abilities. A splash of fresh water even acts as an acid to them, dealing two
physical stress when dowsed.

Seers(Touched)
Sometimes humans have run-ins with the divine that leave them changed
for life. They absorb a fraction of a Spark into their soul, but not enough to
give them any real power. Instead, they experience visions beyond even that of
a god. Of course, at first, theyll write their visions off as mere dreams (or night-
mares), until they realize their portents come true. Then they understand they
are not as crazy, and they might be able to use their gifts. Gods often seek out
Seers in hopes of keeping them on retainer. Having someone on payroll to read
omens and view the future is quite useful. Seers are not unlike regular people,
however, with their own personal motivations. The visions come as they please,
whether the mortal wants them or not, but convincing a Seer to repeat their
visions is not always easy.
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 Aspects: My Visions are the Future
Skills: Good (+3) Will; Fair (+2) Knowledge; Average (+1) Notice, Crafts, Fight
Stunts
Visions: By spending a fate point, the seer can see a specific vision of
an event.
Stress: Physical 2, Mental 4
Fate Points: 1
Payoff: The puck gains the Visions entitlement (pg. 80) for 24 hours. Oth-
er Notes: The Coming Storm has created many Seers, all of them seeing the
same vision for the future: Darkness engulfing the world. None of them can tell
exactly when this will happen, but all cower in fear of its approach.

Skin-Walkers (Touched)
Deep within Native American shamanism are legends of people with the
ability to take on the form of totem animals or other animals closely related
to their patron gods. Through blood, sweat and tears, Skin-Walkers achieve
a closeness to their gods few other worshippers ever could. This tradition
has passed on to modern Skin-Walkers as well, making them truly formida-
ble opponents. With lax hunting laws and the advances of skin preservation,
Skin-Walkers are known to have dozens of different animal forms at their dis-
posal, flying with the grace of a falcon one day and attacking an enemy with the
strength of a bear the next.
Aspects: Animal Shapechanger, Animal Instincts
Skills: Good (+3) Fight, Physique; Fair (+2) Athletics, Rapport; Average
(+1) Deceive, Shoot
Stunts
Shapechanger: By spending ten minutes in a ritual, the Skin-Walker
can transform into any animal of which they possess the skin. They can then
stay in this form indefinitely if they choose, but they lose their ability to
speak (and opposable thumbs) while transformed. The Skin-Walker takes
the better of the skills and stress tracks when changed. See the Animals sec-
tion for a small sample of the forms they could take. They also gain any Fear
rating the animal has.
Friend to Animals: The Skin-Walker can use Rapport, Empathy and
Provoke when dealing with animals, and gains +2 when doing so.
Stress: Physical 3, Mental 3
Fate Points: 1
Payoff: You can use Rapport, Empathy and Provoke when dealing with animals.

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OUTSIDERS
The Outsiders are those mythical and legendary beings outside of the gods
themselves. These antagonists have their own Spark that lends them immense
power. Some are bestial, while others possess a human intellect, making each one
unique. Outsiders are, by nature, loners--or at least wary of approaching others
outside their kind, but there are some who work directly with certain gods as well.

Cloak (Outsider): Fear: 5

Many legends surround cloaked beings from the Lands of the Dead, one of
the most famous being the Grim Reaper. While many think only a single enti-
ty exists with the duty to escort the dead to their final resting place, many of
these beings roam any place with living creatures. Whether called Yama in the
Hindu religion or Angels of Death in Christianity, Cloaks are agents in service
to whatever god of death rules the realm. They dont, however, reside on Earth
at any time. Instead, they enter through a portal, retrieve their required soul
with single-minded efficiency, and return just as quickly. If a god decides to get
in their way, they should be prepared to deal with a very powerful enemy.
Aspects: Retriever of Souls
Skills Legendary (+8) Touch of Death; Superb (+5) Flight of an Ill Wind;
Good (+3) Everything Else
Stunts
Flying
Invisibility
Teleportation: The Cloaks can create portals to and from the Lands
of the Dead, and for one fate point they can teleport anywhere within sight
with a thought.
Immortal: If killed on this plane, the Cloaks teleport automatically
back to their home realm. They must spend a day on that plane and can
afterward return to complete the task.
Weaknesses
Mortal in their own realm.
Can be tricked into playing games or contests with high stakes: usually,
but not always, a soul is the prize.
Stress: Physical 7, Mental 5
Consequences: 1 Mild, 1 Moderate, 1 Severe
Fate Points: 3
Payoff: The ability to open a portal to the Land of the Dead where the
Cloak usually resides, or the Puck-Eater may extend their own life by twenty
five years.

Djinn (Outsider): Fear: 3

Better known as Genies, the Djinni are born in fire and are perhaps some
of the most interesting Outsiders. Djinni are powerful beings with a human
form, capable of shapeshifting and other magnificent feats. During the God
Wars, the worst of their kind were captured and mystically sealed away in-
side brass lamps. Stories abound of mortals who happen upon these lamps, rub
them, and receive three wishes from the Djinn inside. The Djinni attempt to
make just about anything asked of them happen, but often in the worst pos-
sible way. With this happening only once every few decades or centuries, and
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their freedom being held by a leash to the brass lamp, Djinni are usually quite
insane. Their primary motivation for anything they do is to find a way to trick
their current master to set them free with one of their wishes.
Aspects: Insane Twister of Wishes, Seeking Escape
Skills: Epic (+7) Whatever my Master Wishes; Great (+4) Everything Else
Stunts
Shapechanger: Djinni can take the form of any other person or animal
with a thought.
Immortal: Djinni can only be killed if they are freed. Otherwise, their
form retreats back to their lamp and cannot be released for one year.
Weaknesses
Djinni are bound to the will of their master if they hold the item the
Djinni are bound to.
Djinni can be killed if they are freed from their bonded item.
Stress: Physical 3, Mental 5
Consequences: 1 Mild, 1 Moderate
Fate Points: 2
Payoff: +1 bonus to Beckon or the Beast Form entitlement.
Other Notes: If a Djinn is ever freed, its skill Epic (+7) Whatever my
Master Wishes becomes Epic (+7) Whatever I Wish, they gain three more
physical stress boxes, and they gain a severe consequence slot.

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Dwarf (Outsider)
Old German myths link the ancient Dwarves to the Norse pantheon who
venerated mining, blacksmithing, and crafting. They are often short, stout, and
quite muscular in stature, though they range in attractiveness like any other
person. During the God Wars, Dwarves were coveted by gods who wanted
large stockpiles of divine weapons, as the Dwarves were one of the few Out-
siders with the ability to create Relics. Many Dwarves were secreted away in
mountains, hidden so other gods couldnt steal them or persuade them to trade
sides. Several Dwarves stayed in those same mountains, though most have gone
out of their way to include themselves in the modern world. Dwarves ability to
craft just about anything has led to many of the most spectacular technological
advances in history, and they show no signs of stopping. Gods still seek their
wisdom and Relic crafting ability, especially with the Coming Storm approach-
ing. They always ask for something in return, however.
Aspects: The Supreme Crafter, Shrewd Bargainer
Skills: Fantastic (+6) Crafting and Inventing; Superb (+5) The Art of Negoti-
ation; Great (+4) Underground Mountain People; Mediocre (+0) Everything Else
Stunts
Relic Attuner: They have the ability to instantly attune to any Relic
with a touch and without a check.
Equipment: As Relic crafters, Dwarves are seldom found without at least
one or two Relics, ranging in Power anywhere from one to five, depending on
the situation.
Stress: Physical 4, Mental 3
Consequences: 1 Mild
Fate Points: 1
Payoff: Become slightly shorter and gain a +2 to any overcome and create
advantage check to create something, or when using Technology.
Other Notes: While a god may search for lost Relics or hope for one to
be gifted upon them spontaneously, Dwarves are the only beings left who can
actually make custom Relics (pg. 131). It takes approximately one or two weeks
per Relic level to produce, depending on the level of detail needed and how
artistic the item should be.

Flying Foxes (Outsider): Fear: 2

The legends of the Flying Fox have been rationalized as the aboriginals fear
of bats in the night. This Outsider, however, is far from imaginary. Flying Foxes
are the size of a regular fox, but they have large bat wings they use to soar swiftly
through the air. They are nocturnal Outsiders known for devouring livestock, so
they frequent areas near ranches and farms. Villagers embellished many of these
attacks, saying the Flying Foxes ate children and killed field workers, in order to
rally others to form hunting parties. They stopped losing their cattle, but this left
the Flying Foxes close to extinction today. Flying Foxes have an animal intelli-
gence and are unable to speak. This leads to feral behavior: Fighting over food or
in the defense of their offspring. Unless controlled by an outside source, they are
more likely to fly away than fight. They dont always get this choice, however, as
there are hunters that specifically seek their kind.
Aspects: Feral Winged Fox
Skills: Fantastic (+6) I Hear Everything; Great (+4) The Cunning and

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Quickness of a Fox in Flight; Good (+3) Everything Else
Stunts
Radar Sense: Their echolocation and superior hearing lets them pin-
point targets even in total darkness.
Stress: Physical 4, Mental 2
Consequences: 1 Mild, 1 Moderate
Fate Points: 1
Payoff: Wings (pg. 80) or +2 to Notice actions when hearing is involved.
Other Notes: They are hunted for their wings, which are used in many
rituals (+1 if sacrificed during a manifestation ritual), as well as for exotic pets
to gods that require status. Of course, the Flying Foxes are wild animals that
constantly try to escape captivity. Their young can fly after about six months
and reach maturity at one year.

Gorgons (Outsider) -Fear: 0/3

These Outsiders are dreadful women with the lower body, wide eyes and
sharpened fangs of a serpent, as well as hair comprised of venomous snakes.
The first Gorgon in history was Medusa, once a priestess of Athena. Her god-
dess transformed Medusa into this monstrous form after Poseidon raped her
in Athenas temple. Even though Poseidon was in the wrong, the gods were
immortal, so Athena took her anger out on her worshipper instead (yet another
example of the alien mindset of the old gods). Medusa was slain by Perseus, but
her head was taken and used as a weapon. Her body had enough blood for her
worshippers to recreate themselves in her image. This tradition continues to
this day, as the Gorgons seek out women who have been wronged or hurt by
men and offer them power. Their feared ability to turn someone to stone with
just a look makes them dangerous enemies, even for gods.
Aspects: Spiteful Towards Man, Cold-Blooded
Skills: Superb (+5) The Gorgons Gaze, My Snakes See and Fight for Me;
Great (+4) Slippery as a Snake, Snake-Tongued; Good (+3) Everything Else
Stunts
Stone Gaze: Gorgons can turn any mortal to stone by meeting their
eyes. If they try to turn someone divine to stone, the target can take a defend
action against the attack action of the Medusas Stone Gaze. Gorgons can
spend a fate point to turn off this ability for one scene.
Snake Hair: The snakes comprising the Gorgons hair see all around them
all the time. The hair can also attack, and if an attack action with the hair hits,
poison is delivered to the target. This is a minor consequence Poisoned.
Two Forms: Gorgons have a human form, which is quite striking, gain-
ing them a +2 to any actions involving social situations--and a snake form
which is quite terrifying.
Stress: Physical 5, Mental 4
Consequences: 1 Mild, 1 Moderate
Fate Points: 2
Payoff: Immunity to poison and the Gorgons Stone Gaze ability, or gain
the aspect The Lower Half of a Snake.
Other Notes: When in human form, Gorgons are known for being very
beautiful. More than one god has taken a Gorgon as a lover. Due to their nature,
however, one should be wary of getting on their bad side during a lovers quarrel.

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Hell Hound (Outsider): Fear: 3
The three-headed dogs that guard the doors to the Lands of the Dead are
quite real, with terrible claws and ripping fangs--and often a collar attached
to an even more fearsome owner. Hell Hounds are known for being owned by
gods of death, and their pups are sometimes given away to members of their
Pantheon as gifts, although not always well received. These Outsiders are vi-
cious, barely trainable, and particularly nasty to anyone who isnt a god. Even as
pups they are the size of fully mature dogs and very capable of ruining a gods
apartment. They are similar to snakes, however, in that they grow to fit their
environment. So a house-trained Hell Hound will stay (relatively) small, while
one in the wild can grow up to fifteen feet tall. Strangely, however, they are
instinctively protective of children.
While they lack the vocal chords needed to communicate using human
language, Hell Hounds fully understand any language spoken to them. They are
very aggressive and not above attacking someone, even without provocation.
Dont expect your deposit back.
Aspects: Touched by the Fires of Hell
Skills: Epic (+7) The Senses of a Three Headed Dog; Superb (+5) Savage
Guardian Beast; Great (+4) The Thickest of Hides; Fair (+2) Everything Else
Stunts
Invulnerable to Fire
Immune to Mind Control, but only if they already have an owner.
Stress: Physical 4, Mental 3
Consequences: 1 Mild
Fate Points: 1

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 Payoff: Immunity to fire damage, or gain a +1 on Provoke rolls to intimidate.
Other Notes: They can be knocked unconscious by ingesting one pound
of horsemeat. It lulls them to a deep sleep, where nothing short of piercing
their skin with a blade can wake them.

Hydras (Outsider): Fear: 3 (+ 1 per 3 heads)

One of only a few dragon beasts still in existence on earth, Hydras are
large reptilian monsters approximately twenty five feet tall. They are born with
a single head, but if that head is cut off (intentionally or not), two more grow
back in its place. The legendary nine-headed Hydra fought by Hercules is sus-
pected to be the strongest this breed of Outsider can become, though others
believe there are Hydras in alternate realms with many more heads than that.
A Hydra does eat humans for sustenance, but only needs to feed every two
to three months. Their normally defensive and reclusive nature is easily over-
looked the moment someone mentions a Hydra, however, as they are believed
to be bloodthirsty beasts. Due to their size, their diet is limited to more rural
people: Hikers who took the wrong path or whomever their wayward cultists
might bring to feed to the beasts. Even though they do not possess human
intelligence or speech, they are still worshipped worldwide.
Aspects: Multiheaded Hunter, Bestial Serpent
Skills: Superb (+5) The Heartiest of Beasts; Good (+3) Breather of Death;
Fair (+2) Everything Else
Stunts
Simultaneous Attack: Each head can take an action.
Breath Weapon: The Hydra can take an action to breath either poi-
sonous gas, fire, ice, or toxic smoke against everything in a zone. This can be
used to attack or create an advantage.
Where One is Cut Off, Two Grow Back: Cut the head off a Hy-
dra and two heads grow back after its next turn. Only cauterizing the neck
wounds can prevent this from happening.
Stress: Physical 6, Mental 3
Consequences: 1 Mild per head
Fate Points: 3
Payoff: Immunity to poison and automatically regenerating limbs cut off.
Other Notes: Hydras are unique Outsiders that become more powerful as
they battle. No one should take on a hydra alone: even Hercules had assistance.

Jikininki (Outsider): Fear: 0/3

The Sources power can create truly evil Outsiders, both monstrous and
passable as human. The Jikininki appear human, but few know this form is
stolen from the dead. Japanese mythology speaks of evil spirits of the dead who
were denied access to heaven by the gods. Instead of simply fading away, the Ji-
kininki took physical form and found feeding on the flesh of the recently dead
allowed them to keep their shape. The face of the corpse, however, is left un-
harmed so the Jikininki can wear it and seamlessly assume its previous identity.
On the surface, it may attempt to simply continue with the dead persons life.
Beneath the flesh mask, however, it is a vile Outsider made up of worms and
rotten flesh. They are strong warriors who can give even the most physically
gifted gods a run for their money. When living beside humans, they target the

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lives of rich and successful people, enjoying the fruits of someone elses labor
until their masquerade is revealed.
Aspects: I Am What I Eat
Skills: Fantastic (+6) I am a Warrior; Superb (+5) I Lie Like You Breathe;
Great (+4) Everything else
Stunts
Eater of the Dead: After someone has died, a Jikininki can devour the
body and steal the persons face. This process also shifts the Outsiders body
to match their dead victim. The body, however, cannot have been dead for
more than a week.
Beast Ward: This entitlement is always active. See pg. 74.
Weaknesses
The Jikininki cannot devour a body that has been embalmed or blessed
by a holy man.
A mask can last for up to a month, but begins to decay slightly over that
time. After a week, people they encounter may notice slight cracks in their
faade with a Fantastic (+6) Notice overcome action. Each week the difficul-
ty lowers by one until the faade breaks.
Stress: Physical 6, Mental 2
Consequences: 1 Mild, 1 Moderate, 1 Severe
Fate Points: 3
Payoff: The Beast Ward entitlement.

Manananggal (Outsider): Fear: 0/4

Horrible stories are passed around the Philippines about the Mananang-
gal, vicious Outsiders known to devour children. They can appear as human
until needing to feed, then they become a hideous monstrosity of long stringy
hair and leathery skin. Manananggal have impossibly long, hollow, flexible
tongues that they use to feed, inserting them into a pregnant womans navel
and sucking the fetal blood while she sleeps. They travel on foot primarily but
can also separate their torso from their lower body to sprout wings for travel by
air. Another form they may take is that of just their flying head with their en-
trails dangling behind them. They exist around the world today without anyone
realizing, often taking on jobs where they frequently interact with prospective
parents: Counselors, medical professionals, teachers, etc.
Aspects: Trusted Child Eater in your Midst, Horrific Creature of the Night
Skills: Great (+4) My Tongue is Deadly to Body and Mind; Fair (+2) Ev-
erything else
Stunts
Split Self: The Manananggal split themselves at the waist to allow for
flight. Their lower half is left unguarded. Anyone pouring salt on the lower
half makes reattachment impossible. The Manananggal isnt against hunting
down a new pair of legs, however. Some split themselves from their heads
and take a good part of their innards with them. Splitting costs the Ma-
nananggal two stress boxes from their maximum.
Flight: When split, the Manananggals top half can fly.
Feeding: The tongue of a Manananggal can extend an unlimited length.
Legends tell of this Outsider feeding by running their tongue through a
small crack in their targets house until it reaches their victims belly. Feeding
instantly clears all stress and consequences at the cost of an unborn child.

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 Tongue: If the Manananggal chooses to fight with their tongue as a
lashing weapon, it counts as Weapon:2. However, they have the option to
fight normally while feeding.
Weaknesses
Daylight Vulnerability: These Outsiders are vulnerable during the
day, as they cannot take their alternate form during the daylight hours. If
they cannot re-attach to their legs (or steal someone elses) before sunrise,
Manananggal wither and die.
Diet Necessity: They must feed on at least one fetus per month or
they will wither and die. Some are greedier than others.
Stress: Physical 4 , Mental 3
Consequences: 1 Mild, 1 Moderate, 1 Severe
Fate Points: 3
Payoff: Gain the Manananggals tongue and feeding abilities.

Minotaur (Outsider)
The first Minotaur was born from the coupling of the wife of King Minos
of Crete and a sacred bull, by the hand of Poseidons angry magic. It grew up
isolated inside a sprawling maze and eventually died a sad death at the hand of
Theseus, but that is not the end of the story. Poseidon started doing this same
thing to several other failed worshippers who did not have the wealth to create
ample jails for these beasts. Minotaurs became Outsiders of pure destruction
and were turned on several Pantheons during the God Wars as well. Modern
Minotaurs stick to collectives in secluded glens or mountain villages, keeping
the tale of the first Minotaur as a constant reminder of how important family
can be. They are fully capable of speech and intelligent thought, allowing them
to make deals for land and resources to keep them separated from mortals for
long periods. Their clearest motivation is protection of their own.
Aspects: The Unstoppable Juggernaut
Skills: Legendary (+8) Mythic Battering Ram; Epic (+7) As Strong as the
Legends Say; Average (+1) Everything Else
Stunts
Destroyer: Anything the Minotaur hits while running is given a severe
consequence that is related to being broken in some way. Being taken out in
this way is unpleasant.
Stress: Physical 6, Mental 3
Consequences: 1 Mild, 1 Moderate
Fate Points: 2
Payoff: Gain horns that act as natural weapons (Weapon:1) and a +2 in-
crease to Physique.
Other Notes: With the Coming Storm, many civilized Minotaurs are
turning into feral beasts when struck by a fresh dose of the Sources power.

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Ningyo (Outsider): Fear: 0/2
Japanese folklore speaks of an enchanting race of sea people, wearing
long robes that flow like crashing waves and crying tears of pearls. These are
the Ningyo. While above water, the Ningyo are impossibly beautiful men and
women who often achieve high stations, like business executives or philander-
ing millionaires (which some become after selling their pearly tears). While
in the water, however, they appear as a long fish, similar to a barracuda with a
human head instead of a fishs. The Ningyo are known for constructing small
collectives on the ocean floor. Their legends usually end with talking their hu-
man lovers into joining them underwater, where they drown and devour them.
They are sneaky and manipulative, and a god should be careful not to fall prey
to the same fate.
Aspects: Beautiful Manipulators, Aquatic Monsters
Skills: Fantastic (+6) Fins and Fangs; Superb (+5) Talk Themselves Into or
Out of Anything; Good (+3) Everything Else.
Stunts
Gift Waterbreathing: The Ningyo can grant someone the ability to
breath water for one hour.
Cry Pearls: They cry pearls that they often gift to those who assist
them.
Enchant: By spending one fate point, they can compel a target to do
one favor for them. They make an attack using their Superb (+5) skill. If they
fail, they can still ask the target for a small favor, if they pass a moderate
request. If they succeed with style, they can ask for pretty much anything,
even if it goes against the targets nature.
Weakness
At least once a week, they must submerge themselves in the ocean or
other body of saltwater or take a minor consequence of Dehydrated.
Stress: Physical 4, Mental 4
Consequences: 1 Mild, 1 Moderate.
Fate Points: 2
Payoff: Gain the Aquatic entitlement.
Other Notes: Ningyo stick close to coastal cities, so as to always have
access to the ocean.

Phoenix (Outsider): Fear: 4

A Phoenix is a rare breed of bird with gold and orange plumage, born
mostly to the Egyptian region (though it has appeared in the mythology of
several cultures). When necessary, the bird bursts into flames, burning with life
itself. It is gifted with human intelligence and speech, sought by many gods for
the wisdom of its one-thousand year lifespan. Phoenixes also never truly die.
Even if killed, it immolates and then springs from its own ashes a day later to
fly once again. This Outsider does not live on earth regularly, instead histori-
cally appearing in areas of dire need for restorative abilities. No one has seen a
Phoenix for over a hundred years, but they are expected to make an appearance
once more now that the Coming Storm has begun.
Aspects: Fiery Bird of Legend, I Must Save Those in Need
Skills: Fantastic (+6) Wise and Ancient Healer; Great (+4) Wings of Fire;
Good (+3) Everything Else

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 Stunts
Resurrection: Even the gods cannot resurrect as easily as a Phoenix,
the antithesis to the idea of death itself. This wise beast can resurrect any-
thing or anyone that has been dead for less than three days. They cannot be
forced to perform this act. It costs one fate point to bring a mortal back to
life and two fate points for a being with a Spark.
Fire Strike: In combat, Phoenixes can launch themselves as a spear of
pure flame by spending one fate point. They gain a +2 to their next attack
action and are considered Weapon:4. They are reluctant to use their power
for killing, however.
Stress: Physical 5, Mental 5
Consequences: 2 Mild, 1 Moderate, 1 Severe
Fate Points: 3
Payoff: Instantly clear all stress and consequences or gain the Healing
Hands entitlement (pg. 76).
Other Notes: The Fear a Phoenix exudes is more akin to Awe, filling the
onlooker with a feeling of wonder instead of dread.

Rakshasa (outsider): Fear: 4

An Outsider of Hindu infamy, the Rakshasa are much more than shape-
shifters--their skill with illusion and magic is unparalleled. Rakshasa appear as
humanoid cannibals who can shift their size at will, often with multiple heads
or arms, beast-like faces, and skin as black as soot. Unlike other Outsiders who
sought the destruction of the gods, Rakshasa served as an army under the Hin-
du Pantheon during the God Wars. Many retreated to hidden realms with their
godly masters eons ago, but a few stayed behind to guard the various portals
that could allow enemies to find them. Rakshasa have no problem blending
into mortal society, despite their tendency to enjoy drinking humans blood
while using their skulls as dishes. Even when disguised as humans they lead
very violent lives, taking occupations that allow them to spill as much blood
as possible.
Aspects: Bloodthirsty Killers
Skills: Superb (+5) Knows Many Fighting Forms, Use Any Weapon; Great
(+4) Frightening Speakers; Good (+3) Everything Else
Stunts
Illusionist: As masters of illusion, these outsiders can create any type
of illusion they wish by spending one fate point.
Shapeshifter: Rakshasa can take any form they choose. Some have
even forgotten their true shape. Their transformations are effortless, chang-
ing from animal to human to monster with a simple thought and spending
one fate point. Once changed, they can remain in that form indefinitely.
When they change, they gain an aspect associated with the change with two
invocations on it.
Stress: Physical 6, Mental 4
Consequences: 2 Mild, 2 Moderate, 1 Severe
Fate Points: 4
Payoff: Random physical change, such as Extra Arms (pg. 75), Natural
Weapon (pg. 77), or a knowledge-related aspect with two invokes on it to reflect
an additional heads knowledge. The GM chooses the change.

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Satyrs (Outsider): Fear: 2
The Satyrs, sometimes called Fauns, are half-human, half-goat Outsiders.
They were made famous by stories of the mischievous god of music Pan, who
played his flute throughout all of Greece. His tunes enraptured even the most
stoic of mortals, making them forget their everyday lives and give in to their
baser desires. Not built for direct combat, Satyrs were one of the first races to
hide during the God Wars, only showing their faces well after the hostilities
ended. Surviving to the modern day, they have grown accustomed to the re-
laxed lifestyle humans enjoy. Satyrs still enjoy music, hanging out in bars and
clubs, but most exist disguised as regular people (albeit slightly hairier).
Aspects: Mischevious Music Lover, Lecherous
Skills: Epic (+7) Musician and Performer; Superb (+5) Runner and Hider,
Smooth Operator. Fair (+1) Everything Else
Stunts
Pleasure Song: Any songs performed by Satyrs, whether sung or on an
instrument, are laced with the essence of their Spark. Those hearing their
songs give themselves over to pleasure, which has been known to cause riots
in some locations and orgies in others. Those who are divine can resist this
effect with a Good (+3) overcome action. Success makes them immune for
one full day. Failure causes the consequence Seeker of Pleasure for twenty
four hours or until some other way to remove the aspect is found.
Stress: Physical 3 , Mental 4
Consequences: 1 Mild, 1 Moderate
Fate Points: 1
Payoff: Gain +2 to any Rapport actions while performing music, or choose
to move an extra zone.
Other Notes: Legends speak of Satyrs wandering the land with eternal
erections, kidnapping human women to have their way with. While the former
is untrue, all Satyrs (male and female) are quite lecherous making the latter very
plausible.

Tengu (Outsider): Fear: 3

Leaping from Chinese to Japanese to Hindu mythology, the idea of the
Tengu warrior has spread throughout the world. Each flap of this humanoid
birds massive wings causes a crash of thunder, and they bring war with them.
During the God Wars, they were premiere combatants every god sought to
have fight for them, but the Tengu stuck mostly to the Asiatic countries during
their travels. The last Tengu were thought to have been destroyed right before
the God Wars officially ended, but they have shown themselves again with the
Coming Stormand they are not confined to a certain region this time. Ten-
gu fight anything before them--mortal, god, or outsider--and have no qualms
about whether they win or lose. They have a love of modern weapons, making
them that much more dangerous.
Aspects: Thunderous Warrior Birdmen, Collateral Damage is Ac-
ceptable
Skills: Superb (+5) Knows Many Fighting Forms, Can Use Any Weapon;
Great (+4) Quick Hands, Bird Eyes, Users of Modern Technology; Fair (+2) Ev-
erything Else

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 Stunts
Anger Aura: Tengu make their presence known wherever they are,
causing conflict and anger to influence their area, similar to a gods sphere
of influence on their territory. They are harbingers of war, after all. This puts
the Tensions Rising aspect in one of the slots on the territory sheet.
Awesome Leap: Their awesome leaps allow Tengu to move one zone
anytime they win an exchange where they used a defend action against an
attack or a create an advantage action that is physical in nature.
Stress: Physical 6 , Mental 3
Consequences: 2 Mild, 2 Moderate, 1 Severe
Fate Points: 2
Payoff: Wings (pg. 80) or +2 to attack actions with weapons.
Other Notes: Tengu do not take human form and make lots of noise,
including thunderous booms, as they flap their wings. Gods should pay special
attention to confront them away from bystanders, as these warriors have no
problem taking out innocents to win the battle.

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Unicorns (Outsider): Fear: 3
These Outsiders are symbols of peace and beauty in several cultures. Uni-
corns are highly intelligent and wise beings, sought by some for their incredible
kindness and healing abilities. Others, however, seek only to kill the Unicorns
and take their horn for magical rituals or to turn a quick profit. For this reason,
Unicorns seclude themselves in hidden forests and glens, or in other realms
that require hard-to-acquire sacrifices to reach. Unicorns often show them-
selves to those of pure body and spirit, including virgins, monks, small children,
or the mentally disabled.
Aspects: Symbol of Peace and Beauty, The Kindest Outsider
Skills: Fantastic (+6) The Fastest Equine; Superb (+5) Worldly Knowledge,
Oracle; Good (+3) Everything Else
Stunts
Healing Touch: By touching their horn to someone, Unicorns can heal
any consequence by spending a fate point.
Read Minds: Unicorns can use the Oracle manifestation to attempt to
read the mind of a target by spending a fate point.
Stress: Physical 4 , Mental 4
Consequences: 1 Mild, 1 Moderate, 1 Severe
Fate Points: 4
Payoff: Healing Hands Entitlement (pg. 76) or travel an extra zone when
moving.
Other Notes: The Fear a Unicorn exudes is more akin to Awe, luring the
onlooker into a feeling of wonder instead of filling them with dread.

PUCKS
Though many regard these vile Outsiders just as any other Outsider, Pucks
are truly in a class of their own. These tiny, bipedal beasts usually stand no tall-
er than two feet, but are known for crawling on all fours in order to appear as
animals most of the time. Pucks are able to vocalize simple phrases but gener-
ally dont stop to talk to anyone unless they are laughing maniacally or taunting
their prey. Even other Outsiders look down on them or attempt to destroy
them entirely, but Pucks possess a power that no other Outsider has: the ability
to take on Dominions. They can absorb a gods soul after causing their death
and then use it to spread misfortune the world round. Likewise, a god who kills
a Puck that happens to have a Dominion may have a chance to claim it as their
own. Pucks are agents of chaos through and through. Their goal is to cause as
much havoc and disorder as they can. To this end, they kill anything in their
way, incite riots and bring misery wherever they go. Pucks seemingly spring
into being from nowhere, but most agree they must come from a dimension
made for their kind. Some sects have spent centuries searching for this realm,
but the Sources ways have proven difficult to decipher. They exist slightly out
of phase with the mortal world, making them mostly invisible (though some-
times they can be spotted in a brief glimpse). This is a defense mechanism, as
they are much weaker physically than other Outsiders.

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Gnawers: Fear: 0/3
These Pucks are particularly cumbersome to society as a whole, keeping
to the cities where there is plenty to eat. Yes, Gnawers love to take bites out
of everything they encounter, but not eat anything entirely. While this may
seem meaningless, they have been responsible for destroying buildings and ve-
hicles by taking choice samples out of their structures. In general, they are
harmless-looking Outsiders with big eyes that can make any mortal melt from
cuteness. As soon as they open their mouths, however, they reveal their gaping
maw with rows of sharpened teeth.
Stunts: The bite of a Gnawer can go through anything, giving them the
aspect Bite Through Anything.

Goblins: Fear: 2
Goblins are the Pucks that a part-time god would encounter most fre-
quently. Goblins are known first and foremost for their love of pranks. They
live to toy with humans and laugh when the outcome is pure disaster. Of course,
their idea of a prank might include seeing what a bullet does to a childs heart
or how many people die when they cut a cranes cables on a construction site.
Goblins are in it for their own amusement, after all.
Stunts: Goblins have the ability to instantly construct elaborate contrap-
tions for traps or pranks with a +2 to the Craft create an advantage action.
These pranks are also pristinely hidden; the difficulty of any Notice overcome
actions to catch them before they go off is one higher. With this ability, they
are known for creating grand machines, only to have them explode as the final
punchline to their jokes.

Hiders: Fear: 2
Pucks are, as a rule, invisible. There is a breed, however, that can only hide
inside of things. Hiders are completely visible unless they have phased into
some sort of structure, such as a table, a wall, etc. This type of Puck is known
for eavesdropping on conversations to hear exactly what someone does not
want to happen. Then they make it their mission to bring the persons worst
fears to life. Of course, knocking on the surface four times knocks them out of
their phase, forcing them to run away and hide elsewhere.
Stunts: Hiders can phase through any material, so there is no type of
physical structure that can hold them, while they can make physical attacks
through solid materials. They have the aspect Phase Through Anything.

Possessors: Fear: 2
Possessors love to have fun with humans by invading their minds and
making them do horrible things they wouldnt normally. Unlike Ghosts that
jump inside of a humans body, a Possessor simply leaps on their victims head
and bites down hard to inject their mind-control toxin directly into the brain.
Their invisibility allows them to control the person for as long as they are en-
tertained. They are also the smallest of the Pucks at about a foot tall.
Stunts: They can take complete control of their target. Possessors can stay at-
tached for up to one day per fate point spent. If the target is divine, the target makes
a Will overcome action to resist against the Possessors highest manifestation skill.

199
Average Puck Template
Aspects: Creator of Chaos
Skills: Good (+3) Sneaky Acrobatic Troublemaker, One Manifestation;
Fair (+2) One Manifestation; Average (+1) Everything Else
Stunts: See Puck type above
Stress: Physical 3, Mental 2
Consequences: 1 Mild, 1 Moderate
Fate Points: 2
Payoff: Instead of gaining any particular ability, the Puck-Eater can double
the duration of other effects by ingesting Puck flesh immediately afterward.

SPIRITS
Spirits have been a constant force in legends and myths from every culture in
the world. They are, however, treated differently than other Outsiders. Some are
the product of the Sources meddling, but others are more about the mysticism
of the afterlife and the Spirit that remains after ones death. For the most part,
Spirits are invisible and intangible, unable to affect the physical world without
taking on a solid form. Each is based on a certain concept and has unique abili-
ties. Below are the types of Spirits that dwell alongside gods and mortals alike. As
spirits are incorporeal, they cannot be eaten by a Puck-Eater and give no Payoff.
200
Animals
These Spirits are totem animals, once worshipped by ancient tribes. Some-
times Animal Spirits are actually ghosts of dead pets, but they are most of-
ten guardian Spirits. As there is apparently no afterlife designated for animals,
these types of Spirits abound for those willing to pay attention.
Stunts
Manifest: For one fate point, Animal Spirits are known for manifesting to
fight beside the person they choose to protect (stats equal to mundane animals).
Grant Aspects: For one fate point, they can lend an aspect of their an-
imal type to a person, granting them aspects such as Dog Senses or Catlike
Grace for a scene.

Elementals
Some Spirits are connected to particular elements, being completely un-
able to affect the physical world without the help of said element. Earth Ele-
mentals may appear as walking mountains, while Fire Elementals may become
a face speaking from a campfire. These Spirits spring to life from the Spark
given by the Source and are known to guard certain environments.
Stunts
Manifest: For one fate point, they can manifest as beings of pure ele-
ments, but they are more likely to momentarily manipulate their root ele-
ment for their attacks. Water Elementals create whirlpools or Plant Elemen-
tals wrap their target in vines, for example.
Elemental Immunity: For one fate point Elementals may make a tar-
get immune to damage from their chosen element.

Emotionals
The Sources power creates all manner of Outsider. This type of Spirit is cre-
ated from a collective subconscious feeling the same emotion. A sports stadium
may create a Spirit of Excitement after a touchdown, while a funeral can create
a Spirit of Grief from nothing. From that moment on, the Spirit travels the land
and brings their emotional attunement with them. When the huge rush of emo-
tion dwindles, however, they leave a trail of emotionless victims behind them.
Stunts
Manifest: Emotional Spirits can take the form of a person who befits
that emotion (i.e. a saddened widow or a perky partier). For one fate point,
Spirits can put an aspect on the area with their emotion. When the emotion
fades, they can also spend one fate point to drain a target in the area of that
emotion entirely. Divine targets can make a Will overcome action to resist.
[Fair (+2) for Lesser Spirits, Good (+3) for Average Spirits, and Great (+4) for
Greater Spirits). This can leave a person unable to feel fear or happiness or
even pride. The taste of their emotion is very tantalizing for Emotionals.

Ghosts
The most common Spirits on Earth are the Ghosts of the dead. When
humans die, their spirits leave their bodies and are called by the Land of the
Dead they belong to based on the religion they followed in life. Ghosts often
encounter gods during this journey. If the Ghosts have refused the calling, they
may instead haunt an area. Some Ghosts have long since made their way to the

201
afterlife but might be called back to give guidance or blessings.
Stunts
Possession: Ghosts most often affect the world by possessing a mortal
host, but particularly skilled poltergeists can possess inanimate objects as
well. Spending one fate point allows them to instantly take over their targets
body. If the target is divine, the target may make a Will overcome action to
resist. [Fair (+2) for Lesser Spirits, Good (+3) for Average Spirits, and Great
(+4) for Greater Spirits].
Manifest: Ghosts may manifest momentarily to throw things or affect
the physical world for an instant before flickering back into incorporeality.

Muses
Certain Spirits represent ideas. Muses are known for seeking out mor-
tals who fall in line with their chosen idea (or who vehemently oppose it) and
forcing thoughts into their minds. The most famous muses inspire artists, the
Spirit feeding them vital inspiration to create their next work. Other Spirits,
like those that represent murder, can have much more gruesome effects. Muses
follow their chosen mortal for years, forcing more and more out of them until
they have nothing left to give or are of no further use to the Spirit.
Stunts
Compulsion: For one fate point, muses can make a mortal instantly feel
the compulsion for some sort of activity. How the individual reacts to this urge
varies by the target, but they will follow through eventually, especially if the
Spirit continues to pump more and more fate points into them. If they do take
physical form, they appear as the perfect embodiment of their concept. If the
target is divine, the target makes a Will overcome action to resist. [Fair (+2) for
Lesser Muses, Good (+3) for Average Muses and Great (+4) for Greater Muses]

Lesser Spirit: Fear: 2

Aspects: Incorporeal Menace
Skills: Fair (+2) Creating Discord; Average (+1) Everything Else
Stunts: See Spirit types above
Stress: Physical 2, Mental 2
Consequences: 1 Mild
Fate Points: 1

Average Spirit: Fear: 3

Aspects: Incorporeal Menace
Skills: Good (+3) Creating Discord; Fair (+2) Everything Else
Stunts: See Spirit types above
Stress: Physical 3, Mental 3
Consequences: 1 Mild, 1 Moderate
Fate Points: 2

Greater Spirit: Fear: 4

Aspects: Incorporeal Menace
Skills: Great (+4) Creating Discord; Fair (+2) Everything Else
Stunts: See Spirit types above
Stress: Physical 4, Mental 4
Consequences: 1 Mild, 1 Moderate, 1 Severe
Fate Points: 3

202
GIANTS
Most mythologies, regardless of culture, speak of beings who are larger and
stronger than ordinary humans. The generic term Giant is applied to all of the
following types of Outsiders, but each is unique in their approach to their exis-
tence. Giants generally range from fifteen to twenty feet tall and were once just
as powerful as the gods themselves, taking part in and winning many battles
during the God Wars. They are lovers of collections, hoarding away servants,
Relics and vast riches in their private lairs. Many stories of adventurers meeting
a gruesome fate in a dragons cave can actually be attributed to Giants defend-
ing their stockpiles. Each race of Giant has control over a certain Dominion
that comes naturally to their kind, but they cannot take on new Dominions no
matter how many gods they kill.

Cyclopes: Fear: 4
Thought to be the mutated children of gods, the Cyclopes of Olympia
were the best blacksmiths and architects of their era. Cyclopes are identified
by their single large eye, but many are amazed their vision is not affected in the
slightest. During the God Wars, the Cyclopes worked with several Pantheons,
supplying weapons and fortifying castles. In exchange, they received several
Relics to aid them in their lives endeavors. They live today in hidden enclaves
containing approximately a dozen Cyclopes at any time.
Dominion: Crafts

Fire Giants: Fear: 4

These large Outsiders are bringers of ruin and responsible for killing mil-
lions of mortals and gods alike. Fire Giants appear as beings of molten lava,
with still-burning flames brimming through cracks in their skin. During the
God Wars, they claimed dominance over large spans of land, challenging any
enemy to take it. It was about the fight, though; they werent actually interest-
ed in territory. Fire Giants are quick to anger and are known for battling each
other frequently in order to blow off steam. Today, they live in villages carved
underneath Earths volcanoes.
Dominion: Fire

Frost Giants: Fear: 3

Frost Giants are the smallest of the Giants, standing only twelve feet tall,
but they are often the vilest of all of Giants. Their hideous forms are blue
and frozen. Frost Giants use their cunning intellect to concoct sinister mach-
inations they use to control other Giants, gods and whole armies of mortals.
Even though they live in the deepest reaches of frozen tundra on earth, their
influence extends much farther. They are also the most open to making deals
that could save a drawn-out battle for another day. Frost Giants have more
worshippers than other Giants.
Dominion: Ice

203
Mountain Giants: Fear: 4
When someone talks about the average Giant (if there ever was such a
thing), it is the Mountain Giants to which they are referring. Legends state the
first Mountain Giant was carved out of stone and sprang to life as the Sources
Spark filled it with life. They stand as the tallest Giants, growing up to thirty
feet tall, and are extra tough. They took no sides during the God Wars, instead
wandering the land and challenging individual gods in order to test their met-
tle. Mountain Giants continue this tradition today.
Dominion: Earth

Oni: Fear: 5
Japanese Giants are known as Oni, huge demons with red skin and tusks
or horns, adorned in tiger skin robes. During the God Wars, they would switch
sides constantly, no one knowing exactly where their loyalty stood. In all hon-
esty, they have very little loyalty at all, even to each other. Where Oni go, chaos
follows. Even today, they come to Earth in random spots all around the world
via portal, just to destroy everything in their paths. Oni are seldom intelligent
or interested enough to have long term goals.
Dominion: Chaos

Storm Giants: Fear: 4

Some Giants came from above, riding on chariots made of lightning and
demanding worship. Storm Giants have skin as grey as storm clouds and hair as
white as hail. During the God Wars, Storm Giants were vigilant in their search
for Relics of all sorts. They take the stereotype of a Giants love for collecting
to a gross exaggeration, as they will give anything to gain more and more pow-
erful artifacts. Storm Giants live in cities high up in the clouds and create the
worst storms when they are angry.
Dominion: Weather

Average Giant Template

Aspects: Titan of a Bygone Age, Giant of (insert Dominion), A Need
to Collect
Skills: Fantastic (+6) A Giants Strength; Superb (+5) Master Manipulator
of (insert Dominion); Great (+4) A Warriors Skills; Good(+3) Everything Else
Stress: Physical 7, Mental 4
Consequences: 2 Mild, 2 Moderate, 1 Severe
Fate Points: 5
Payoff: Colossal Size Entitlement, pg. 74
Other Notes: Due to their size, Giants do not show themselves in the
open very often. It will be truly disastrous if they ever stop caring about such
things.

204
 Glossary
Bonds: People, groups and places important to a character. They are represented
by an aspect and a stress track. See pg. 81.
Bond Stress Track: The number of stress boxes that make up a bond, between
one and five. The more boxes in the bond stress track, the deeper the bond.
Concept: A short description for a character, such as traveling circus performer
or lady of the night.
Divine Hub: An important place of divine power for a character. A god will have
one or more of these in their Territory.
Dominion: The piece of the universe the god has control over, usually a noun or verb.
Entitlement: Natural divine abilities, like strength or telepathy, that are not nec-
essarily linked to the gods Dominion. See pg. 72.
Face: An NPC associated with a divine hub.
Fodder: A weak NPC used to represent the easiest of enemies. See pg. 170.
Impending Issue: Something that has become a problem for the player charac-
ters territory.
Jeopardy: A state in which a Bond has all of the boxes filled in its stress track.
Manifestation: Represents a gods ability to manipulate their Dominion in cer-
tain ways. See pg. 49.
Minion: A step up from Fodder, these NPCs are a bit tougher. See pg. 170.
Occupations: Some suggested Stunts and associated Skills to help you define the
human side of your character.
Omen: An in-game representation of an impending issue. Omens show the issues
in action.
Outsiders: Those mythical and legendary beings outside of the gods themselves.
See pg. 27.
Pantheon: The group of characters that claim a city as their territory. See pg. 24.
Pay Off: The benefits a Puck-Eater receives from eating part of another being or
creature.
Relic: A special artifact, infused with the Spark of divine power. See pg. 131.
Spark: Spark represents a characters Divine power. Mechanically, it is represent-
ed by Fate points.
Territory: The area the Pantheon has banded together to protect.
Theology: Secret societies of gods, each with their own outlook on godhood. See
pg. 87.
Touched: An NPC with Spark, unlike the weak Fodder and Minions. See pg. 170.
Worshippers: Groups of followers who actually worship a character as a god. See
pg. 128.

205
 Index
A G
All-Fathers/All-Mothers....25, Game Summary....4
Animals....178 Gear...44, 140
Aspects....40, 173 God Wars...13

B I
Becoming A God...19 Immortality...123
Bonds....41, 44, 82, 151, 155, 168 Impending Issues...38, 149
Building the Game....149 Inspirations...145

C M
Character Concepts...33 Manifestations...42, 50, 162, 169
Character Creation....40 -Aegis...56
Coming Storm...10, 17, -Beckon...58
-Journey...59
-Minion...60
-Oracle...62
D -Puppetry...64
Devouring Souls...123 -Ruin...66
Divine Extras...44 -Shaping...68
Divine Hubs...35, 126 Manifestation Modifiers...51
Divine Realms...29 Manifestation Resistance...53
Dominions....22, 44, 127 Manifestation Specialization....55
Milestones...150, 167
Minions...172
E Moods...144
Entitlements...43, 44, 73 Mortal Threats...180

F O
Fate Conventions....6 Occupations...70
Fate Points...44, 163 Omens...39
Fear... One Shots....158
Fodder...172 Outsiders....14, 27, 172, 187
-Cloaks...187
-Djinn...187
-Dwarves...189
-Flying Foxes...189
206
-Giants...205
-Gotgons...190 S
-Hell Hounds...191 Sense Spark....122
-Hydra...192 Setting Summary....3
-Jikininki...192 Skills....42, 47, 169
-Manananggal...193 -Mythology (New)...48
-Minotaurs...194 -Technology (New)...49
-Ningyo...196 Source...11, 12,
-Phoenix....196 Staying Human....31
-Pucks...28, 200 Struggles...146
-Rakshasa...197
-Satyrs...198
-Spirits...202 T
-Tengu...198 Territory...23, 34, 125
-Unicorns...100 Themes...143,
Outsider Abilities...175 Theologies...5, 16, 18, 41, 89
-Ascendants...18, 90
-Cult of the Saints...18, 94
P -Drifting Kingdoms...18, 98
-Masks of Jana...18, 102
Pantheons...24,
Pay off...174, -Order of Meskhenet...19, 106
Power Levels...122 -Phoenix Society....19, 110
Prayers... -Puck-Eaters...19, 114
-Warlocks Fate...19, 118
The Touched...172, 183
R
Relics...44, 133
Running the Game...159 W
What you need to play....5
Worshippers....26, 130

207
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209
 Part-Time Gods of Fate
Name Divine Aspect

Aspect Human Theology Aspect

Skills Manifestations
Rank Specialization
Superb (+5)
Aegis
Great (+4)
Beckon
Good (+3) Journey
Fair (+2) Refresh Minion
Average (+1) Oracle

Bonds Puppetry
Object Aspect 1 1 1 1 1 Ruin

Shaping

Stunts & Gear Stress & Consequences Entitlements & Divine Extras

1 2 3 4
Physical

Mental

2 Minor

4 Moderate

6 Severe
Part-Time Gods of Fate
Description
Background
Notes
 Part-Time Gods of Fate
Territory Name
Consequences

Issues

Omens 2

Locations

Name/ Aspect Name/ Aspect Name/ Aspect

Face/ Aspect Face/ Aspect Face/ Aspect

Creator Divine Hub? Creator Divine Hub? Creator Divine Hub?

Name/ Aspect Name/ Aspect Name/ Aspect

Face/ Aspect Face/ Aspect Face/ Aspect

Creator Divine Hub? Creator Divine Hub? Creator Divine Hub?

 Part-Time Gods of Fate
Name/ Aspect Name/ Aspect Name/ Aspect
Face/ Aspect Face/ Aspect Face/ Aspect
Creator Divine Hub? Creator Divine Hub? Creator Divine Hub?
Name/ Aspect Name/ Aspect Name/ Aspect
Face/ Aspect Face/ Aspect Face/ Aspect
Creator Divine Hub? Creator Divine Hub? Creator Divine Hub?
Name/ Aspect Name/ Aspect Name/ Aspect
Face/ Aspect Face/ Aspect Face/ Aspect
Creator Divine Hub? Creator Divine Hub? Creator Divine Hub?