An exercise in Church building [Archive] - Wizards Community

An exercise in Church building [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Divokej
01-16-08, 02:41 PM One of my characters is a prophet of a new religion. Most of the adventuring group now follows the religion and they're pretty busy with regular adventuring activities but they manage to find time to do some advocating a this new religion.

I have the opposition to the religion planned fairly well but I don't know how to handle their supporters. It isn't a problem now because there are only around 8 believers. But as this thing grows how am I going to handle it?
DragonStrife
01-16-08, 02:52 PM :plotting:
Every so often in a town have a follower fall down in front of the prophet, begging for forgiveness because they <insert some weird action involving TMI>. Or have rival religions preach at the party for their "sins". For a church, just have a few over egger followers build a beautiful, and huge church to the deity with a large <insert very expensive stone/mettle with too many sparking gems, etc. here> statue of the prophet.
Or make him heal some people.
Knute
01-16-08, 03:53 PM 8 Believers is not a church its a small bridge club.

I'd consider that to get the religion off to a good start the players are going to have to target an absent god's flock and convert, convert, convert.

Once they're stealing worshipers then you can give them a world of trouble.

K
wrecan
01-16-08, 04:01 PM Make them take the Leadership Feat.
Etarnon
01-17-08, 12:57 AM 2e Birthright campaign has rules for churches, expansions, and tithing.
JulesCARV
01-17-08, 01:13 AM I think more information about the religion would be useful. What are its tenets? What domains are its clerics likely to get? What's its alignment? Does it believe in spreading the faith through bloody jihads? Peaceful evangelism? Not proslytizing at all, but if someone wants to join, they're accepted? What's this new religion's status in society? Are they persecuted? Accepted? Too obscure to tell yet?
I_roll_ones
01-17-08, 01:45 AM Why do the other churches complain about this religion, and what are they doing about it?

Do they simply ignore the followers, and don't allow them into positions of power? Do they exile? Excommunicate? Kill?

And what is it that has them so upset? Behavior? Money? Or taking power away from their own god?

How does the party convert?
KyoMamoru
01-17-08, 01:58 AM Does the religion actually have a deity backing it? Kinda important in a world where religions -> Powers -> Clerics.
Derren S.
01-17-08, 05:05 AM The first question everyone will ask is where did this deity suddenly come from. You can be sure that many people will try to disprove the existence of this deity.

Also you need a spelled out dogma for this deity. Without guidelines of how to behave its hardly possible to have a church.
Getting worshipers will be a big problem. Why should Joe Commoner start worshiping this new god when the other gods worked fine so far? Also the old gods have shiny temples and clerics which channel to power of their deity. What does this new religion have? Is this deity even real or are those just 8 lunatics who don't know what they are talking to?
Wouldn't my previous god punish me when I start worshiping this god?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Divokej 01-16-08, 02:41 PM	One of my characters is a prophet of a new religion. Most of the adventuring group now follows the religion and they're pretty busy with regular adventuring activities but they manage to find time to do some advocating a this new religion. I have the opposition to the religion planned fairly well but I don't know how to handle their supporters. It isn't a problem now because there are only around 8 believers. But as this thing grows how am I going to handle it?
DragonStrife 01-16-08, 02:52 PM	:plotting: Every so often in a town have a follower fall down in front of the prophet, begging for forgiveness because they <insert some weird action involving TMI>. Or have rival religions preach at the party for their "sins". For a church, just have a few over egger followers build a beautiful, and huge church to the deity with a large <insert very expensive stone/mettle with too many sparking gems, etc. here> statue of the prophet. Or make him heal some people.
Knute 01-16-08, 03:53 PM	8 Believers is not a church its a small bridge club. I'd consider that to get the religion off to a good start the players are going to have to target an absent god's flock and convert, convert, convert. Once they're stealing worshipers then you can give them a world of trouble. K
wrecan 01-16-08, 04:01 PM	Make them take the Leadership Feat.
Etarnon 01-17-08, 12:57 AM	2e Birthright campaign has rules for churches, expansions, and tithing.
JulesCARV 01-17-08, 01:13 AM	I think more information about the religion would be useful. What are its tenets? What domains are its clerics likely to get? What's its alignment? Does it believe in spreading the faith through bloody jihads? Peaceful evangelism? Not proslytizing at all, but if someone wants to join, they're accepted? What's this new religion's status in society? Are they persecuted? Accepted? Too obscure to tell yet?
I_roll_ones 01-17-08, 01:45 AM	Why do the other churches complain about this religion, and what are they doing about it? Do they simply ignore the followers, and don't allow them into positions of power? Do they exile? Excommunicate? Kill? And what is it that has them so upset? Behavior? Money? Or taking power away from their own god? How does the party convert?
KyoMamoru 01-17-08, 01:58 AM	Does the religion actually have a deity backing it? Kinda important in a world where religions -> Powers -> Clerics.
Derren S. 01-17-08, 05:05 AM	The first question everyone will ask is where did this deity suddenly come from. You can be sure that many people will try to disprove the existence of this deity. Also you need a spelled out dogma for this deity. Without guidelines of how to behave its hardly possible to have a church. Getting worshipers will be a big problem. Why should Joe Commoner start worshiping this new god when the other gods worked fine so far? Also the old gods have shiny temples and clerics which channel to power of their deity. What does this new religion have? Is this deity even real or are those just 8 lunatics who don't know what they are talking to? Wouldn't my previous god punish me when I start worshiping this god?