See this page for a reference of the usual ranks of gods in D&D
Main gods
The main gods of Zarthuga are what are called “Lesser deities” in the usual ranking:
- They have a form, somewhere among the planes, that can be slain by a powerful enough being. This kills them, or decimates them to a point where they cannot return on their own.
- They can power Clerics
- They usually do meddle a little with mortal affairs, but are not omnipresent, they must “gather” information like most mortals, and some gods do not bother interfering, unless something concerns them directly, usually concentrating on the followers contacting them directly.
Demi-gods
Demi-gods can start as any mortal intelligent being. An elf, a goblin, an elemental. Through followers and personality-worship, they can grow in power. At some point they gain access to the Godspeak, and are considered demi-gods. There is still a lot of variance in power among demi-gods. Some of them might gain powers that are not that useful, some have broader access to the Godspeak, some are bound in some ways that make them not as free.
Maybe a demi-god could ascend to full godhood, but it has not happened in Zarthuga yet.
Unlike in D&D:
- Demi-gods must not be the offspring of a deity and a mortal.
- Their power level is somewhere between Quasi-deity and Lesser Deity in D&D
- They can power Clerics, but more often they have selected Paladins or Warlocks working for them, gaining power from them. They do not have an official “clergy”, and most do not have many holy sites dedicated to them, like the Church of Sol has.