DIVINITY

FALL A solo journaling RPG about killing Gods

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 What Is This Game?
Divinity Fall is a solo journaling RPG with deck building
mechanics, about overthrowing oppressive Gods and
dismantling their structures of power. Players will use
prompts to worldbuild and generate scenarios; create pilots -
and their mechas; build decks that work narratively and
mechanically; manage resources; and roleplay as a beacon of
hope, on a journey to defeat terrible evils while trying their
best to survive.

This game was made in June 2020 for the “Attack and
Dethrone God Jam” hosted by Blue Golem Games on itch.io.
It is inspired by - and stands in support of - all the protests
happening around the world for racial equality and human
rights. Narratively, it takes inspiration from Neon Genesis
Evangelion and Mobile Suit Gundam 00.

This is a game about challenging structures of power and

dismantling systems of oppression - so, if it wasn’t clear yet,
fascists are not allowed. Racists, sexists, homophobes,
transphobes, or people who subscribe to any other sort of
bigotry or injustice against minorities: you’re not welcome
here, and we don’t want you playing any of our games.

To play Divinity Fall, you will need:

A six-sided die (or a dice rolling app)
A standard deck of cards (jokers removed)
Journaling Implements of choice
A printed A4 copy of the game Playmat is recommended

01
 How To Play?
The goal of each game session is to defeat a God and their
structures of power - both of which will be generated by
drawing cards from the deck and checking The Oracle to give
them meaning.

Every time a player uses their Slayer and their resources to

Oppose a card, they roll [1d6 + the Attribute that oriented
that action] - on a result of 6 or more, they remove the
targeted card from the game, effectively weakening that
aspect of God’s reign. Each God has Four Aspects [Power,
Hunger, Lies and Terror], and when at least one of those
becomes weak enough by having all its cards removed, the
God can be directly attacked and defeated.

Players will also draw cards to build a deck of Assets - special

abilities they can burn to modify their actions temporarily.

The steps of play are:

Starting a Campaign
Create a Pilot and Backstory
Create your Slayer
Setting Up The Game
Targeting A God
Assembling Structures
Encountering Assets
Confronting Gods
Ending A Campaign

02
 Starting A Campaign
Safety
This a game about generating and narrating situations of
oppression and prejudice - although it is aimed at fighting
them and destroying those responsible. The prompts are
vague enough to allow players to take their stories wherever
they feel safe - so please respect your boundaries while
playing! Your safety is what matters the most!
Setting The Tone
This is a game about going on an introspective journey to
fight Gods and governments. Although it can feel cathartic
and even like an adventure, this is not supposed to be a white
savior power fantasy. Instead, it is an invitation to think about
the structural powers that hurt so many. When you create the
setting, make sure to address how Gods are terrible and
deserve the punishment brought by your sword - and you’re
doing it by, for and with the people.
Create a Pilot and Backstory
Long has injustice reigned through the cosmos. Almost every
planet has a God, ruling it with iron fists. As you wander across
the stars, you will find many different people in need of help -
and you’re the only one who can. You may play as an
inexperienced fighter who has just found your Slayer, or as a
veteran wanderer who has killed many Gods before - but
before you embark on your journey, answer a few questions:

What did your character do before becoming the pilot of

the Slayer?
How were they brought into the conflict?
What are their methods for solving problems?
03
Looking at your Playmat (or journaling tool of choice), find
your Attributes:

COMBAT, your ability to fight and to cause damage.

SURVIVAL, your ability to improvise; to find and manage

resources.

INTELLECT, your ability to gather information; to make

plans and set them in motion.

PRESENCE, your ability to connect with people; to inspire

and to command.

Choose one Attribute to receive a +2 Bonus, two Attributes

to receive a +1 Bonus, and one Attribute to receive a +0
Bonus. Whenever you choose an Attribute to create a scene
of Opposition to a God, add its bonus to your roll.

How you allocate your Attribute Points should represent your

character’s backstory, weaknesses and strengths.

Since this is a solo RPG, the choice of which Attribute to

use falls only on you - feel free to always do what you’re good
at, but try to prioritize actions that fit the story The Oracle
will help you build!
Any time you use the Attribute with the +0 Bonus, draw
an Asset card after describing the result of the roll - to
represent an unexpected advantage secured by your bold
and unexpected choice.

04
Create your Slayer

You now stand before a behemoth that looks like a person -

you are the only one who can pilot it, and your fates are
intertwined. The Slayer is a symbol of hope for the oppressed,
and a feared sight for its enemies. How you choose to use its
outstanding capabilities is up to you: will you make it your
sword, for striking down your enemies; or an eye, patiently
scouting and waiting for the perfect moment to act? Will you
fight in the open, rallying rebels behind you and calling them to
action; or will you fight from the shadows, stealing resources
for your band of insurgents as your enemies whisper your
name in terror? Before you embark on your journey, answer a
few questions:

What is your Slayer’s origin? Is it a product of magic?

Science? Mystery?
When did your stories interlock? Did you help build it from
the scraps of previous Slayers? Did you find it dormant inside
a long forgotten cave?

Your Slayer mainly fills a narrative role: it is the thing that

enables you to fight Gods; and it shields you from harm.
During your journeys, whenever you fail on a roll, you will
take damage - to be split between the Slayer and yourself
according to where the damage was dealt (and by which card
suit). Failing to Oppose Hearts and Diamonds deals 1 Pilot
Damage; failing to Oppose Clubs and Swords deals 1 Slayer
Damage.

If you want to play a shorter (or a more challenging)

game, set your maximum Healths to 5. For the standard
game length and difficulty, set your maximum Healths to 10.
For a longer campaign where it’s easier to survive, set your
maximum Healths to 15.
05
 Setting Up The Game
Each of your game sessions will be made of an excursion to a
new planet. Before starting, remove the jokers from the deck,
then shuffle your cards.
You’ll draw cards to determine the context of your mission
and of your actions. Whenever you consult The Oracle, take a
moment to write down its meaning, as bullet points or as
prose. Keep track of everything! Having a quick reference of
the setting of each mission will greatly help when playing
through them!
Step 1: Targeting A God
Draw 1 card, then check The Oracle to discover who is the God
that commands over the current world. A God’s suit will
determine the Goal they want to achieve, and a God’s value
will determine their Motivation. Your goal as the pilot of the
Slayer is to defeat Gods by performing the [OPPOSE] Action -
but to target them, you must first disable their Structures of
Power.
Step 2: Assembling Structures
Gods have Four Structural Aspects, the four ways by which
they subjugate humanity: each represented by a card suit:
♥ Terror, how Gods spread fear to control humanity, the
tactics they employ to prevent the people from having the
courage to act
♦ Lies, what Gods use to manipulate humanity, how they
keep them misinformed - and regarding which subjects
♣ Hunger, a God’s nourishment, that which they feed on to
maintain their strength - usually forcefully taken from the
people
♠ Power, how a God enforces its will. Its military power,
weapons, almighty magics.
06
When Assembling Structures, draw cards and place them on
the Playmat according to their suits. Keep drawing until you
have at least one card for each suit. The number of cards on
each Structure column represents how strong that Aspect of
the God is, and the number of the first card drawn for each
suit represents by which Method that Structure is
maintained; what are systems that fuel that God’s reign.

Step 3: Encountering Assets

As you arrive on each planet, you’ll play through the Encounter

phase - your opportunity to meet the locals and assemble your
Assets before fighting the Gods.

Roll 1d6 - the number you roll is the number of Encounters

you can have on that planet.

For each encounter, draw 2 cards, then choose 1 of those

cards to keep and to take into battle, and 1 card to discard,
removing it from the game. Repeat the process until you’ve
roleplayed through as many Encounters as you rolled on the
Encounter roll. You may use the [ENCOUNTERS] Oracle to
give them meaning, but their main purpose is mechanical: the
cards you pick can be used to activate special abilities,
influencing your Oppose rolls. Whenever you activate a card,
move it to the discard pile.

07
Each suit represents a type of Asset, each one enabling a
different ability:

♥ CONTACTS: Your allies, sympathetic rebels, the people

you’re trying to save. Drawing a Contact card means you’re
not fighting alone. When you activate a Contact card, your
allies and support system prevent you from getting hurt.
Nullify all Pilot Health you would lose on a failed Oppose
Action.

♦ INTEL: Critical information about God, their agents and

their systems. Drawing an Intel card means you’ve made an
important discovery that can come in handy. When you
activate an Intel card before Opposing, your carefully crafted
plans allow you to achieve greater success. Roll 2 dice on
your next Oppose Action.

♣ RESOURCES: Items necessary for your survival and for the

effectiveness of the Slayer. Salvage, medicine, food, money,
magical fuel. Drawing a Resources card means you’re more
prepared to survive. When you activate a Resources card, you
spend your resources to protect the Slayer from harm. Nullify
all Slayer Health you would lose on a failed Oppose Action.

♠ WEAPONS: Your assets for bringing hell to the Gods. They

may be weapons in the literal sense, such as ginormous
swords and laser cannons; magic spells; or whatever else The
Oracle helps you create, such as an army of warrior animals.
Drawing a Weapon card means you’re ready to deal some
damage. When you activate a Weapon card before Opposing,
you employ your assets to overwhelm the enemy. Your
Oppose Roll affects the targeted card and the one behind it.
Use the same result for both. If your roll fails, take 4
Damage of the respective suit.

08
 Confronting Gods
After you’ve generated a God + its Structures of power and
built your deck of Assets, use them and your Attributes to
attack and dethrone Gods.

[OPPOSE] - Choose which Structure you want to Oppose,

and describe how you’re using your chosen Attribute to
Oppose it. Roll [1d6 + Attribute]. On a result of 6+, you’ve
defeated that card - remove it from the game. On a result of
5 or less, you’ve failed. Take the appropriate Damage, then
draw 1 new Asset card, representing what you’ve learned
from your failure.

Repeat this process until you’re ready to Oppose God directly.

To disable a Structure, you must succeed in performing

[OPPOSE] Actions until there are no more cards of its suit left.
Once one Structure is completely disabled, you open a breach
towards the God, allowing you to [OPPOSE] it directly to finish
the mission - but disabling more Structures will make the job
easier: when you [OPPOSE] a God, you choose Attributes to
act with but don’t add their value to the roll. Failing deals
Damage and allows you to draw a card as usual, and you can
keep Opposing a God until one of you falls - but the result
needed to succeed changes according to the number of
disabled Structures:

Disabled Structures / Successful Roll

1 6
2 5+
3 4+
4 3+
09
After a God is defeated, narrate your final battle and the
ramifications of your victory for that planet’s people. You
would love to stay and celebrate with them, maybe even help
them establish a new government - but other planets need
you, other Gods need to be defeated. Your life is one of
wandering endlessly - until you reach your unavoidable end.

When you target a God, you may feel overwhelmed by

their sheer power. If at any given time you feel like the
enemy you engaged is too much for you to handle, you may
attempt an [OPPOSE] roll against the God to try escaping the
planet. If you suceed, you are able to leave without facing
major consequences. If you fail, take 2 Damage on each of
your counters. Either way, describe how you escaped and the
consequences for the world you left behind. If you made any
progress in disabling its Structures before leaving, write how
you hope that can at least help the rebels fight another day -
and how much your decision to leave them will haunt you in
the future.

When a game session ends, you may use your annotations

as reference to write detailed accounts of your journeys, or
keep them brief as a quick reminder of what you’ve been
through.

To keep track of your journey, you should also write your

number of Successful Missions on the appropriate spot of
your Playmat, updating it with every new success. This way,
when you reach the end of your campaign, you'll be able to
look back at what you built - and compare your progress to
what you were able to achieve in different playthroughs.

10
 Ending A Campaign
The game can reach two possible endings: by death or by
retirement.
Fighting Gods is a difficult job, so both you and your Slayer will
be hurt in the process. Once either of your Healths is
completely depleted, the game is over.

Should a Slayer be destroyed, write a final entry on your

journal, describing your loss but also how you are able to
escape. How do you feel about losing the rebellion’s only
hope just for you to survive? How has the loss of the Slayer
affected you - and every planet that hoped to be liberated by
it? Will you take this as an opportunity to retire, or will you
search for a new Slayer to return to battle?
Should a Pilot be slain, write a final entry on your journal,
describing how you managed to save the Slayer in your last
moments. As you send it to a safe place, what are your final
thoughts? Was your journey worth it? Did you do enough?
Who do you hope will take up the fight in your place?
You may also simply decide to stop playing, retiring your
pilot. If you do, write a final entry, describing the end of your
journey. How did you come to that decision? What have you
accomplished, and what are your hopes for the galaxy?
Either way, you are free to continue your campaign by
following things up with new stories. Maybe your veteran
pilot finds a new Slayer; maybe your old beat up Slayer is now
piloted by a new hotshot Pilot. Maybe you want to play in a
vastly different setting, in which Slayers are magic wands
instead of mechas! The game is yours to do what you see fit.

There will always be powers to attack. There will always be

Gods to dethrone.

11
 god
oRACLEs

God’s Goal
♥ ♦ ♣ ♠
DESPAIR DECEIVE DEVOUR DESTROY
To maintain control To maintain control To maintain control To maintain control
through FEAR AND through LIES AND through STARVATION through POWER
SUBSERVIENCE MANIPULATION AND CONSUMPTION AND TRUCULENCE

God’s Motivation
A 2 3 4
Compliance Weakness Pride Envy

5 6 7 8
Prejudice Hatred Chaos Shame

9 10 j q
Greed Change Ambition Revenge

K
Order

12
 STRUCTURES
oRACLEs

Aspects
♥ ♦ ♣ ♠
TERROR LIES HUNGER POWER
How God spreads What God uses to God’s nourishment How God
FEAR to control MANIPULATE to FEED off of ENFORCES
humanity humanity humanity its will

Methods
A 2 3 4
Culture Economy Secrets Magic

5 6 7 8
Science Connections Legacy Knowledge

9 10 j q
Communication Nature Followers Society

K
Laws

13
 ENCOUNTERS
oRACLEs

Assets
♥ ♦ ♣ ♠
TERROR INTEL RESOURCES WEAPONS
Allies and partners Information and Survival Kicking
in war execution essentials God’s ass

Characteristics
A 2 3 4
Cautious Smart Unsettling Unpredictable

5 6 7 8
Reckless Mysterious Precise Powerful

9 10 j q
Convenient Troublesome Efficient Inspiring

K
Commanding

14
 Gods have caused too much harm - but now it’s
their turn to fall.

You are the pilot of the Slayer, a mech made of

ancient technology, cutting edge science and
unexplainable magic spells - and the only power
capable of standing up to the oppressive Gods
who rule the galaxy through lies, law, force and
fear.

Your mission is to fly from planet to planet,

making alliances and destroying structures of
power so you can finally help humanity break free
from those who control them. It is your goal, your
destiny and your responsibility to attack and
dethrone Gods.

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i Divinity Fall © 2020 Catscratcher Studio
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