These world building prompts come from 3000 World Building Prompts, which you can get at Amazon. This section is focused on creating gods.
- Do you want or need gods in the setting?
- Are the gods real or imagined?
- How many gods are there?
- Are the gods part of a pantheon, like a family?
- Are the gods equally powerful?
- If not, how many tiers of power are there?
- What is the difference in power level between tiers?
- How many gods are in each tier?
- Which ones are in each tier?
- Do gods at different tiers have different rights and abilities?
- Can gods go up or down a tier?
- If so, what causes that to happen?
- Has it ever happened before?
- Are there are a set number of spots in a tier?
- If so, why is that?
- In order for someone to rise, must another fall?
- How is the falling deity chosen?
- Can they protest this?
- What is the result of a dispute?
- Who arbitrates the dispute?
- Is a ruling binding or customarily followed?
- Is one god considered the most powerful?
- If so, who and why?
- Has that always been the case?
- Is one god considered the leader?
- If so, who and why?
- Has that always been the case?
- How many pantheons of gods are there?
- Are they equal in the number of gods or power levels and abilities?
- Is one pantheon rising while another is falling?
- What is causing their respective trajectories?
- Is each god gender fluid or do they remain a specific gender?
- Do the gods ever appear as animals?
- If so, what is the rationale for their choice(s)?
- Do they appear as objects that others can use?
- Do they become more vulnerable in another form?
- Do the gods have astrological signs? What are they?
Mortality
- Are the gods able to reproduce?
- Are some able to reproduce and others aren’t?
- Which ones and why?
- Can the ability to reproduce be gained or lost? How?
- Has it happened before? With whom?
- How did this affect that deity and other gods?
- What impact did this have on religions involving that god?
- Can a god die?
- If what happens to their powers?
- Are they absorbed by other gods?
- Are they just lost?
- Does this impact the physical world directly, such as the god of storms losing control of weather?
- Can all the gods die?
- If so, does this precipitate the end of the world?
- Or the end of an age?
- Can they be reborn or resurrected?
- How and by whom?
- Can they be wounded?
- Do they naturally regenerate and at what speed?
- Can they be healed? How? By whom?
- Where did the gods come from?
- Were they themselves born of another being or the universe?
- Did they make the universe?
Relations
- Do the gods interact with mortals?
- If interacting with mortals is forbidden, what is the consequence to the deity?
- Is any god suffering that consequence right now?
- How are their followers affected by this?
- What are some common swears that invoke a god’s name?
- Can the gods have offspring with other gods?
- If so, are these other gods just as powerful or lesser?
- Can the gods have offspring with mortals?
- If so, what is the result?
- Can the gods have offspring with animals?
- If so, what is the result?
- What is the creation myth?
- Is there an end of times myth?
- What is going to cause the end of times?
- Are there famous stories of godly deeds or misdeeds?
- If so, what lesson does each teach?
- Are the stories about gods vs. gods or gods vs. a race?
- How do the gods shed light on mortals and what concerns those mortals have?
- Can a mortal become a god or a demi-god? How?
- Are all or any of the gods associated with a season?
- Are all or any of the gods associated with an element?
- Do atheists exist or does everyone believe/know the god(s) are real?
- If atheists exist, what do any existing gods think of this?
- Does science peacefully exist beside faith?
- Are you basing any deities on an Earth analogue?
- If using an analogue, what three changes can you make to have it appear different?
- Where do the gods live?
- Can mortals reach where the gods live?
- Must mortals be invited to where the gods live?
- What happens to a mortal who shows up where the gods live uninvited, unwanted, or unannounced?
- Have the gods invented any interesting places and what is unique about them?
- What role do gods play in the lives of non-gods?
A God
These prompts pertain to inventing a deity rather than general questions about gods.
- What power(s) does the god have?
- What is the god’s gender?
- Is the gender fluid or changeable?
- Does the god have an animal form and if so, what is it?
- What areas of concern does the deity have (love, war, etc.)?
- What are the god’s nicknames and titles?
- What is the god’s symbol?
- Is the god the patron of anyone and who?
- Is the god associated with a color?
- Is there a specific day or month they are associated with or which is important to them or their followers and why?
- Does the god have a specific item(s) associated with him or her? What properties does it have?
- Is the god the only one who can use, or properly use, their items?
- Has the god ever lost such an item and what was the result for the god and whoever found it?
- Is the god considered a relative of anyone and in what way (sister, etc.)?
- Does the god have any children?
- Are the god’s children gods, mortals, monsters, or a hybrid?
- What is the god’s relationship with offspring like?
- Does this god get involved with mortals beyond answering prayers?
- Does this god answer prayers?
- What makes this god not answer a specific prayer?
- Does this god require sacrifices?
- If so, what kind and how often?
- Is the god friendly or hostile?
- Is this god temperamental?
- How does the god behave?
- Is the god good, evil, neither, or neutral?
- Is the god or their followers feared?
- Is the god mature or immature (spiteful, jealous, etc.)?
- Where does this god live?
- What is this god’s home like?
- Is that home separate from the other gods and why?
- Are mortals able to visit this god and if so, how do they get there?
- Is the home guarded and by what?
- What is the god famous for?
- Are their followers famous and for what?
- Has the god created any lifeforms (species, animals, monsters)?
- Has the god invented any objects?
- Has the god created a place?
- What caused the god to exist?
- Does the god have parents?
- Does the god have siblings?
- Can this god be wounded?
- Can this god die?
- What kind of weapon or power can hurt or kill this god?
- Has it recovered from a wound or death, or is there still a sign of this?
- How old is the god?
- Has the god participated in any wars between deities or mortals and in what capacity?