Many fantasy games include pantheons of deities. Gods of mythical origins and ultimate power. These entities can shape worlds and sculpt reality to their very whims.

I have friends who treat the deities in their games as infallible beings. What a deity wants or desires cannot be questioned or challenged, and the mere mortal PCs must comply with a deity’s desires. The only way to avoid destruction for disobeying a deity’s wishes is to gain the favor of another deity to protect the PCs. In other words, the PC can oppose the will of an evil deity if the PC serves a good deity. A PC can never oppose a deity of any type though if that PC is acting as an individual entity.

I find this to be far too limiting of an approach. While some myths portray the god(s) as indisputable sources of authority I prefer for deities to be incredibly powerful but debatable creatures. I want legendary conflicts where the mortal hero stood against a deity and actually prevailed in the conflict. Should these situations be rare? Yes! Should they be impossible? No! Whether the PC can win such conflicts through brawn or wit is debatable, but the PCs can oppose a god without the protection of another god.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and explain your stance on whether or not deities in game worlds should be unapproachable beings that mortals can never dare to challenge, or is it better to have even the gods themselves be beings that the mortal heroes of the realm can oppose?