Just watched Moana with my son. The idea of having a god or demigod mingle with the PCs has always been an alluring one since Deities and Demigods came out way back when. However, in practice it often turns out to be the most boring Mary Sue situation.
Moana shows that by giving the deity a strong personality, encounters with demigods can be entertaining and enlightening. Simple roll on the table below and roll with the results. Expand and modify as need be.
GOD'S PERSONALITY
Here is a short list of personalities for deities. Never come out and say "Oh he's a conniver" - let the personality emerge by your roleplaying.1 Megalomaniac
2 Smug Know-It-All
3 Conniver
4 Master Planner
5 Wise Watcher
6 Riddler
7 Average Joe
8 Out of Touch
Megalomaniac - Typical supervillain. The most boring result on this list, either reroll or hope the PCs realize they are better off running far away or even opposing this figure.
Smug Know-It-All / Narcissist - Maui from Moana. They find mortals cute, expect adoration, and get petulant (and deadly) of they don't get it, but can be flattered into great deeds.
Conniver - Hades from Hercules, Loki from the MCU. They'll always seem to help, but somehow end up smelling like a rose with the PCs serving as manure.
Master Planner - Think Odin in the Marvel movies, or Gandalf to a lesser extent. Helpful, but may seem to let terrible things happen to the PCs only to reappear and show how it was all for the greater good.
Wise Watcher - Thank Galadriel from Lord of the Rings. Usually stuck to one locale, gives wise counsel that just confirms what PCs already know.
Riddler - Think Dungeon Master from the old cartoons. Is partial towards the PCs, but never gives a straight answer, disappears and reappears without warning.
Average Joe - Think Thor from the MCU. Has awesome powers, but finds grabbing a pint or some ass just as important as saving the world.
BONUS - Some other personalities you might add are Horn Dog, Adrenalin Junkie, Goth, Amnesiac, and Cosmic Stoner. Feel free to post details of these or others in the comments.
SPECIAL POWERS
1. Never Surprised or Seduced - Deity can't be charmed or surprised, sees through all human tricks.2. What the DM Needs - Deity can produce what the DM needs to get to the players.
3. Can Trip - Deity can do any sort of minor magic, light candles by snapping fingers, open doors by telepathy, wonders why you can't.
4. Musical Vision - The deity can reveal a major plot or adventure point, but has to be sung and danced. Use this as an opportunity to bust out the ukulele and make your RPG into a LARP.
5. Protagonist Throw - Deity can grab a PC and throw them at any time, no rolls needed. Better not piss them off! You could be hurled out a window, or through a portal.
