I’ve been working on a thing between the various work I do on various other things, and guess what? It’s another TTRPG! Yeah, I just can’t help it. But to be fair, I’ve actually start working on this game around September of 2022, and I even playtested it couple of times. It worked all good and well, but it felt it was missing something. I don’t know. I even commissioned a cover but the talented Łukasz Piwiński, so I would be motivated to finish writing it, but things got in the way. Thankfully.
During my trip to Gen Con I played a game in development by my dear friend Steve Albertson, from Mad Dungeons podcast, and Epic Levels, which inspired me in a way that made everything click. We were playing this very cool and very well thought Horror Game with a well known mechanic used in a very singular way. That made me immediately start thinking into all the things I could explore with that mechanic, and in a few minutes, I wasn’t really at the game anymore. Fortunately/Unfortunately I was having idea, after idea on how to explore this, how this could work with Petty Gods, and I haven’t stepped writing since them. Notes, paragraphs, some fiction, some possibilities, planning, adventure ideas. Anyway. I am living through a phase of high inspiration and creativity, so I intend on taking advantage of it.
Petty Gods & Playthings is a game about small gods with great ambitions and the mortals entangled in their machinations. It’s a game I intend on exploring some new avenues in game design, exploring the limits of the magic circle and the limits of representation in the game. It is also a game that is heavily inspired by Fritz Leiber’s Lankhmar stories, and the marvelous world and humor of Terry Pratchet’s Discworld Series. There’s also touches of Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens, and a lot o other stuff. The point is, it’s a game I am exploring another passion of mine. Comedy. And, to complete the mix, it’s a game about gods, religions, beliefs, and the construction of these elements while playing. So it will explore some very interesting things.
I hope you stick with me while I post here on the blog the development of the game, and discover it with me as I create Petty Gods & Playthings!
Today, the Introduction! Or part of it!
You are a god… well, a Petty God. A being of immense power, otherworldly influence, divine wisdom, but an even godlier sense of ambition.
You want to exert control and influence over mortals and the worlds they call home. You want to leave your mark in the Mortal Realms. You want to be worshiped, respected, feared. You want champions to fight for you. You want to be more than any of these other Gods. They are not that great, honestly.
But you are still small compared to those other deities. And you can’t just intervene in the lives of the mortals you watch over. You can’t just alter reality to your own whim. There are rules. Ancient rules. God damn rules…
Rules set in place by the Greater Gods. Tyrants, megalomaniacs, egotistical entities who won’t share power, worship, and influence. So you work around these restrictions. Using, I mean, collaborating with mortals who you infuse with a Divine Spark, you expand your influence over the Mortal Realms. You promise them glory in exchange for occasional service. Of course you forget to mention the potential doom that might befall them thanks to this otherworldly deal… Oh, well. It’s just business, right? Nothing personal.
But, you know… You break the rules sometimes. If you are careful and discreet, the big shot Gods in their Godly Palaces won’t notice. Make sure to do your business at night. Gods cannot see in the dark. Well, most can’t. I think… Better be safe than sorry, right?
But if you are careless, and you reach for more than you should, their gaze will turn upon you, and their ire will be felt. You don’t want that. Believe me.
Anyway, I wish you good luck, Petty Good. I was once like you. You may not seem much right now in the grand scheme of things. But if you play your cards right, one day you might have astonishing cathedrals spread through all the Mortal Realms. Or not. Who knows, right? You might not play the game as well as I do…
Petty Gods & Playthings is a fantasy role playing game about ambitious gods, their machinations, and the mortals entangled in them.
One player assumes the role of the Overlord, the arbiter of the rules, the master of ceremonies, and the guide to the weird experience of playing Petty Gods vying for power and influence while using their Playthings in the Mortal Realms to accomplish their goals. The Overlord, like it happens in most other Tabletop Roleplaying Games, plays the role of all other characters and entities not controlled by the players. But in this game, they also have a special role. The Overlord is actually the Overlord of the dangerous and decadent City-State where these escapades take place. They are the representative of the Powers That Be, the authority in the city, and this includes the Greater Gods and their churches. Overlords, thus, are not really friends of the Petty Gods.
Talking about Petty Gods, that’s the role all other players will assume. As a Petty God, they will have influence over a small part of reality, their Domains, and will have a budding religion to spread their word. However, their power and, especially, their ambition is held back by ancient rules and pacts imposed by the Greater Gods. They say this is to safeguard reality and everything in it, but we all know it’s really a tool to keep the status quo.
Because of that, in the hopes of bypassing some of the rules and restrictions that bind them, each of these Petty Gods infused a mortal, who they call Playthings, with a minuscule part of their divinity. Now, forever changed because of this, these individuals cannot fit their mundane lives anymore, as they have dreams of glories they never imagined having before.
Every night, the Playthings leave their homes, or whatever hole they hide during the day, and seek their destiny. The shadows of the night provide an excellent cover from prying eyes, both mortal and godly. From dusk to dawn these people do whatever it takes to accomplish their goals, to fulfill their destiny, and to finally reach the glory they deserve. And if everything goes wrong, they can always try again the next night.
As nights pass and the Petty Gods cleverly use their Playthings to further their goals and slowly expand their faith, they will gather more and more Divine Spark. With that, players will be able to better challenge the rules of the Greater Gods, to recruit other Playthings, to influence reality, and can even gain a stronger foothold with their faith in the Mortal Realms.
Can these Petty Gods work their way through the Avenue of the Gods? Will they raise their small and unkept shrine until it becomes a grand cathedral right next to the Overlord Fortress at the center of the City-State? Well, they can if they play their cards well. If they don’t… Let’s just say no one will pray for them.
BTW! All of this is first draft stuff! A lot is subject to change (although I am very lazy to really work on everything again, but you know…). Stay tuned for more!
Sounds awesome !
I always wanted my children to play gods, but in an humorous way. I’m impatiently waiting for this game !
Great post! Petty Gods sounds like a really exciting and unique game. I’m looking forward to following its development!