Church Structure for Clerics: Founding a Temple

[Gizzard]

I have a Cleric in my campaign who has come to a place where his god is not widely popular. He has been handing out healing and alms to serve his god; as a byproduct his god is suddenly much more interesting to the common folk than before.

For now crowds gather outside the small shrine at the time of service and then push forward to beg for blessings afterwards. Everyone is "taking" right now, but I imagine that people will also be inspired to "give"; I can see weathy patrons donating money; I can see people volunteering to provide lay-service for the shrine. Eventually, I can see a Temple being built and staffed.

So, how should this progress? How long and how much money; what do you see happening as the Temple is founded? How does a young Temple stay in business?

 

[ced1106]

Hate to take the roleplaying out the game, but you can reflect this in the Cleric's Cha-based skills. Instead of spending his time on other skills, he's spending his time becoming a member of the community, and thus improving his charisma-related skills. Likewise, the abstract "training costs" of going up a level are, in his situation, the costs of building his temple.

I'm tempted to suggest his PC is becoming multi-classed, with the second being the Expert class -- especially since he's not adventuring. Give him XP for his work, of course. (You gain LOTS of experience when you work towards becoming a member of the community!


Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^

ps. Drop me a line if you're going to Pacificon or the RPGnet days in the Oakland area! ced1106(at)aol(dot)com

 

[MerricB]

Lots of time and effort.

The question is, how detailed do you want to get?

I personally like the view taken by the Stronghold Builder's Guidebook, which abstracts it out to a certain extent. The two feats that seem appropriate here are Leadership (which will give him the loyal followers), and Landlord (which represents the aid he gets from the nobles and other patrons in setting up his church).

Once the physical structure is complete, then you can start running adventures based around the church - perhaps his followers get into trouble, or he comes under attack from a rival church. Little of this has been written about because it is only a small section of the RPG community that progresses to this point, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth investigating further!

As he goes on more adventures in the name of his deity, then he or she will get more folk following the church. Either make up your own rules, or use the Leadership feat for guidelines on the numbers.

Good luck - I've just got a monk building monastery in my campaign, and a thief setting up a thieves' guild. Hopefully, I may post some adventure ideas that are generated from that campaign.

Cheers!

 

[Dragongirl]

How about a quest to retrieve a holy artifact (doesnt have to have any powers) to house in the church. Many middle age churches aquired "bones and blood of saints" and of course the ever present splinter from THE cross. That could inscrease followers.

As the following gets bigger you will need bigger churches of course. Good RPing chances there, specially going up to a rich noble or merchant and trying to convince them to fund a new hall.

 

[Sir Edgar]

The priest should have to go out and seek donations. Perhaps even door to door. It all depends on how much time you want to spend on mundane issues like that.

 

[Nightfall]

Well if you're short on time, you could cast the true ritual "Build the Temple" Takes one full day but hey, it builds it fast AND saves you time and energy IF you don't want to RP it that much. Course the XP cost is pretty high AND it's a 7th level spell slot you're using... so it not cheap.

 

[Mr Fidgit]

you could cast the true ritual "Build the Temple" .

what's that out of, Nightfall?

 

[Griswold]

what's that out of, Nightfall?

that comes out of Relics and Rituals, from Sword and Sorcery Studios.

Gris.

 

[Nightfall]

what's that out of, Nightfall?

Relics and Rituals 1. It's a true ritual, meaning it more powerful than your average spell AND only clerics that know the ritual (AND ONLY CLERICS!!) can cast it.

 

[Mr Fidgit]

thanks, Gris!

{edit}

AND Nightfall!