Characteristics of the Gods (CPrH)

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The DM can create as many gods for his pantheon as his imagination will allow him. He doesn't have to work up an extensive set of legends about every god; even in the real world, many gods of various mythologies were scarcely more than a name and an attribute. As his campaign continues, the DM can flesh out the descriptions of these gods to his heart's content.
Some of the traits which characterize the gods, and can be defined by the DM for each god or pantheon, include:
Immortality: Are the gods immortal? In most pantheons, the gods are certainly ageless; that is, they do not grow old. But in some, they are not just ageless, they also cannot be killed; regardless of how severely they might be wounded, with time they will always fully recover from injury. In others, the gods can be killed by sufficient force. For example, in the Greek myths, the gods are undying, while in the Norse myths the gods face eventual certain death at the battle of Ragnarok.
Indestructibility: As a further level of what was just described, some gods which are immortal are also described as indestructible. No force on heaven or Earth can hurt them (except by hurting their feelings, by betraying them). This is sometimes the trait of the greatest god of a pantheon, and is usually the trait of the only god of a monotheistic religion (one which believes in only one god).
Influence on the World: How much influence does the god have on the mortal world, the world of animals, the world of plants? With some gods, there is very little of such influence. A god whose attribute is the unchanging stars, for instance, might exert a little influence on the sailors who navigate by stars, but could have very little effect on anyone or anything else. On the other hand, gods relating to powerful human emotions or preoccupations (such as love, war, creativity, and so forth) might exert a great deal of influence on the world, especially if it is said that every application of his attribute requires the god's help or permission. For instance, if it requires the aid or permission of the god/goddess of childbirth for every human birth to take place, then that deity is exerting a profound effect on the world.
Interest in the World: Additionally, some gods are very interested in what goes on in the mortal world, while others are entirely disinterested. Naturally, those who are interested are more prone to meddle in mortal affairs than those who aren't. In fact, gods who are disinterested in the world might punish characters who are bold enough to call upon them.
Intentions Toward the World: Finally, there's the question of what the god's intentions are toward the world... especially toward the sentient races of the world. Some gods are content just to pursue their attributes and make sure they are properly worshipped and recognized. Others may have more far-reaching plans. This is especially true of evil gods, who wish to bring about the destruction of races, other gods, or the entire world; it is also true of ambitious gods, who wish to cast down the ruling gods, take their place, and reshape the world to their own liking.
Inhibitions: Some gods and pantheons had limitations placed upon them. These might have been limitations placed by some greater power of the universe, or merely enforced by the greatest of the gods. Often, these inhibitions dictate how much aid or hindrance the gods can offer to mortals, whether or not they can help their favorite men and beasts directly or indirectly, etc.
==Example==
As an example of how a familiar god matches these characteristics, let's look at the Greek goddess Aphrodite.
She was immortal, as were most or all of the Greek gods. She certainly was not indestructible, and was in fact once wounded in battle by the Argive hero Diomedes.
She had a very profound influence on the world, for it was she who put all varieties of the emotion of love in the breasts of man and beast. Even the other gods, with the exception of Hestia, Athena, and Artemis, were regularly affected by her power.
Her interest in the world was limited to a couple of areas: Making sure that all humankind respected her (which generally meant that all humans knew love at one time or another, and thus did not deny her); and making sure her special favorites, such as her mortal son Aeneas, survived and prospered. Other than that, she appeared to have no special intentions toward the world.
Aphrodite had a couple of inhibitions restricting her: First, she and all the Olympians were subject to a higher destiny, which not even Zeus could thwart. Second, physically, she and most other gods could be hurt or even defeated in battle by the mightiest Greek heroes. Third, the god-king Zeus obviously preferred for gods to help their favorites indirectly rather than by showing up in person. All these inhibitions affected the way Aphrodite and the other Olympians related to their favorite "player-characters."