Cleric without a clergy

[Kaladhan]

I've decided that for my next DnD campaign, I'll run a homebrew setting that has been in my head for many years. It was actually something that I co-created for a larp campaign. The larp didn't happen so I got stuck with an incredible setting in my head that I couldn't get rid of.

Most of the known world was ruled by an oppressive and excessive theocratic empire. That empire fell when the gods stopped speaking to the world and it's denizens. That incident is call the Great Silence. It's easy to believe when you can actually see, touch and feel the god's presence. But once they left, they created a void that was replaced by false prophets and funky cults.

800 years later, the old gods are forgotten.

One of my player asked to play a cleric of one of the old gods. We talked about it and both thought it would be could to discover in-game the full extent of his religion.

Since then, I had a brain fart. How do you gradually reveal the god's meaning, philosophies and practices? I'm not sure how to do that in-game. I'm accustomed to big and well organized clergies. It would be simple to give the character a mentor, but I want something more instrospective.

If you have suggestions, please send them.

 

[Hjorimir]

Have the god "speak" (through dreams, omens, signs) in a manner that suggests a course of action without explaining why. Religion comes down to faith...faith that you're on the right path and the hope that you're in alignment with your god's wishes. Let the player try to determine what the god's particular goals or motivations are over time. It would be especially nice if the actions seem to point to one thing but are truely designed with another end in mind.

As an example, maybe the god pushes his cleric to steal an old artifcat from a noble's private art collection. At first, the cleric may think that this enigmatic god is a god of thieves, but the truth is that the artifact is an ancient reliquary that will be needed to hallow an ancient tomb to trap the vampire lord who is even now moving against the city. Later, once the cleric is much more able, the god may push the cleric to return to the tomb - which actually opens into a spacious lair (have fun) - to destroy the vampire lord.

Keep the player(s) guessing. When they give themselves over to the will of the god things seem to work out just a little bit better, but when they fight the god's wishes things just seem to go against them...as god's work in mysterious ways.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

The God tells him, every so ofter the god turns up and tell the character a story or talks about some problem or sends the character on a quest. Think Moses and the burning bush or Aslan's various appearences in Narnia.

The stories are parables and the quests reveal some life lessons. The god often questions the character about what was learned by the character in his recent adventures.

 

[Kaladhan]

I like how you think Hjorimir. I was thinking about the character worshipping the Raven Queen. With your suggestion, I could add sightings to ravens. For some reason, I'm having The Crow flashbacks.

I think that this can satisfy me for the first few levels, but I will probably need to eventually add more information. Direct information.

ardoughter : I would rather not have the god spoke directly to the character. It's not a bad idea, it's just that I used that a lot in my last campaign and I want to go in another direction.

 

[Hjorimir]

I like how you think Hjorimir. I was thinking about the character worshipping the Raven Queen. With your suggestion, I could add sightings to ravens. For some reason, I'm having The Crow flashbacks.

I think that this can satisfy me for the first few levels, but I will probably need to eventually add more information. Direct information.

ardoughter : I would rather not have the god spoke directly to the character. It's not a bad idea, it's just that I used that a lot in my last campaign and I want to go in another direction.

Write some "scripture" of the god's teachings. Hide some direct information in there and let the cleric make of it what he or she will. Maybe long dead monks scrawled writings on the walls of an ancient, abandoned shrine of the god (Raven Queen) laying down a little prophecy. You could really fire up a huge quest right there. Personally, I'd make a lot of people question this so-called cleric and challenge the return of the Raven Quenn. I'd even sprinkle in some prejudice and discrimination against the cleric by the secular powers that be (as they wouldn't really welcome the idea of a power-share with a returning god).

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Well, if you do not want the character having conversation with his god but still get direct information then the recovered scripture route proposed by Hjorimir is a way to go.
Another would be meetings with the god but not obvious at the time or perhaps ever. Thinking here of Paladine's interventions as Fizban in the Dragonlance novels.
Another, option would be otherworldy exeriences and deja vu experiences.
The character is in an old abandoned ruin or uncertain origin and has a waking vision of some ritual or ceremony that the character recognises as pertaining to his diety and it revels a secret compartment with old ritual objects/scripture.

 

[Hjorimir]

Another, option would be otherworldy exeriences and deja vu experiences.
The character is in an old abandoned ruin or uncertain origin and has a waking vision of some ritual or ceremony that the character recognises as pertaining to his diety and it revels a secret compartment with old ritual objects/scripture.

You might even make a ritual for the cleric to unlock visions from locations keyed to his or her god.

Speaking of rituals, take one of those long dead monks and apply Speak With Dead and have yourself a nice little Skill Challenge and spill some information in the process.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Have you read Sephulchrave II's storyhour?

He has some excellent ideas that explore some very similar territory (paladin of established religion gradually realises that there is 'another way' and ends up becoming a heretic to his old religion in order to revive the true way of god).

That is a poor one sentence summary of an epic story in more ways than one, but it could prove really helpful to you.

Cheers

 

[RabidBob]

Have you read Sephulchrave II's storyhour?

He has some excellent ideas that explore some very similar territory (paladin of established religion gradually realises that there is 'another way' and ends up becoming a heretic to his old religion in order to revive the true way of god).

That is a poor one sentence summary of an epic story in more ways than one, but it could prove really helpful to you.

Cheers

Yes, this story hour was utterly amazing. I'm really disappointed it cut off suddenly towards the end.

 

[Engilbrand]

A different spin: Check out the Indie RPG "Dogs in the Vineyard". Basically, the players are God's Watchdogs. They go through the area fixing things and bringing people back to the path of righteousness. It's a ton of fun. The interesting thing, though, is that the religion that you spread and defend isn't written out. Anywhere. You create the doctrine as you go. When you get Dogs with different ideas, the RP turns into creating the "correct" interpretation.
Why am I bringing this up? Do this with the player. Tell him to tell you what his god believes as things come up. It doesn't need to be one from the PHB. Allow him to find his way to his own made-up god who grants him power.
How does his god feel about infidelity? Individual rights? Poverty? Let him come up with everything. You'll probably be surprised, and he'll have a ton of fun.