Gods, Faiths, and Beliefs

Religion is an indispensable facet of most fantasy worlds, taking imagination into the inner depths of the soul and out into the vast reaches of the multiverse. Like culture and heritage, personal beliefs are a critical part of a character’s identity, and the religious landscape in which they find themselves is often riddled with the seeds of adventure. People’s fundamental beliefs, hopes, and fears often drive them to the dire straits which are the stuff of legend.

Using the modest toolbox in this section, Narrators can reinforce the themes of their campaign and build numinous encounters which allow the characters (and their players) to reflect on their innermost heart. This section is not a definitive study on how religion works in any campaign setting—it is a humble starting point in exploring the same questions which challenge even the greatest storytellers.

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Religion Types

All religions, both in real-life and fantasy, are extraordinarily complex. No religion is as simple as a list of gods in a pantheon and their respective departments. Even so, Narrators need not be scholars and a list of gods and ideologies is a fair start at creating a religiously rich and diverse setting.

Consider the various types of traditions. Some religions very clearly represent a single type—such as the religion of most druids, which is nature worship. Other religions are more complex and may be a hybrid of many types. Norse mythology, for example, might be thought of as a combination of nature worship, folk hero worship, and a cosmic warfare religion. Although that is a simplification, the point is that even briefly reflecting on a religion’s type can add profound depth to a setting's religious landscape.

It is also important to consider how the religion is organized. Is it a loose collection of spiritual beliefs held by a cultural or ethnic group? Is it a powerful movement with a centralized (or decentralized) authority base? Or does this belief system shun ideas like oversight and dogma, preferring congregations or individuals to make their own choices? These facets will likely be tied to how the faith uniquely lives out its type.

Ascended Hero Worship and Religions

People pass down tales of unbelievable and miraculous historical events through generations. These stories speak of folks of humble origin saving a family from drowning via astral projection, remaining loyal in the face of execution, or using one brilliant strategy after another to help the rebellion succeed. In time these legendary figures become revered not only in literature or art, but also in faiths, spirituality, and religions. 

Explanations for how folk heroes come to possess divine power can vary. Some say that they became a candidate in life (or possibly death), which is then confirmed by succeeding a series of challenges put before them. Another might say the supernatural powers they accumulated help them surpass their mortal limits. Lastly there is the theory that the collective belief of others in the individual leads to the god’s enlightenment or ascendancy. Some gods take their station long before the call of death, effectively becoming immortal, while others only take their stations after their passing from the corporeal realm.

Unlike those of pure divine or spiritual origin, a once-mortal deity has experienced the trials, tribulations, and vices of the mortal world. This can impact their view of mortal affairs and how they intervene when called upon to aid one, if they decide to do so at all. Some gods become so involved that they manifest via incarnation, or even reincarnation. Others, meanwhile, prefer to distance themselves from the complicated and intricate politics of people and relations.

When creating religions that are centered on the worship of folk heroes, in addition to brainstorming how they are worshiped and by whom, ask the following questions: what is this deity’s life story? What did they become known for? How did they subsequently become a deity? What led to people worshiping them? Was it miracles, visionary prophecies, or were they already on the divine pedestal in life? How did becoming a god affect who they are, how they act, and what they think?

Ascended Pantheon Examples

Centuries ago the Righteous Five went head to head against an evil lich overlord looking to conquer the world, sacrificing their lives to save all from the undead scourge. Each of the five is associated with a day of the week, with the sixth day associated with the final battle against their enemy, and the seventh and last day associated with the day they were laid to rest. Below are two of the gods described in detail:

Josfen the Harbinger, iconically represented as a human rogue, is the first of the five. As the sole survivor of an undead outbreak in the frontier lands, Josfen spent much of his life dedicated to seeking out rumors of the undead in order to eradicate them before they rise in unmanageable numbers. It is through his vigilance that signs of an undead legion were discovered. In modern times, common folk worship Josfen to ask for premonitions of an action they plan to take, or for him to grant them vigilance towards possible danger, while his temples continue the mission of rooting out undead wherever they rise.

Serafina the Silver-Tongued is one of the better documented gods out of the five, for she was a member of a major elven noble family in life. She is linked with the third day of the week. As the eldest child of a well-known diplomat, Serafina served as an emissary herself for a time before becoming a royal consort, then ascending to the throne as Queen Adeline III. Serafina is credited by many nations for settling the historical grudges of many nations to unite each under a single banner against the undead army. As a goddess she is associated with the art of speechcraft, rising in status and power, and the achievement of peace between groups. Many of her temples are built by aristocrats hoping such tributes will allow them to continue to prosper—these sacred places are often used to settle disputes with her clergy being trained in handling various legal or personal settlements.

Example Folk Heroes

• Margthran the Scholar: Dwarves, Invention, Knowledge, Magic, Research | Good
• Gurerdin the Goldcount: Accountability, Commerce, Currency, Numbers, Orcs | Good
• Sharlthiss the Redeemed: Death, Dragonborn, Morality, Redemption, Undead | Lawful

Nature Worship

People’s views of the wilderness have always been shaped by how much control they feel they have over it. If it cannot be dictated by will, it is doubted. If it cannot be predicted, it is regarded with vigilance. If it threatens the stability of society and life, it is revered—sometimes out of respect, sometimes out of fear. 

In time this leads to the worship of nature itself, which can gradually change and end up expressing fundamentally similar ideas that look very different from one another. For example, while one culture might worship nature via a god that is an anthropomorphized sky, another may worship the sky as an entity by itself. Both groups of worshipers may pray out of the same desire, such as mild and pleasant weather and plentiful harvests.

If nature worship makes an appearance in the campaign setting, consider the following questions: is nature worshiped as a single entity or as several entities? Does nature answer the call of its believers? If it does, how strong of a response is it and how does that manifest?

Nature Worship Example

The hardy Stoneworthy live in a region of the world where metal is scarce and believe that nature is a singular powerful entity named Ratuk, a being who bends all of reality. Each life and matter in existence (even those others call gods) is a part of Ratuk that has been discarded in its pursuit for perfection. Though death may temporarily unify a soul with Ratuk, if one has not undergone sufficient trials to perfect themselves, they will be discarded and born anew.

Perfection under Ratuk is defined as remaining clear-headed and in control of one’s thoughts, attitudes, and actions while experiencing intense emotions associated with the desire to survive. This can be the fear felt when starving while traveling through barren lands, or anger at getting injured while hunting a dangerous predator. That said many are all too aware of the perilous nature of such situations, and it is considered unwise to intentionally seek out such opportunities. Most believe that such chances can only be granted by the reality-warping Ratuk itself. To encounter hardships is seen as having Ratuk’s expectations placed upon one’s shoulders.

Those who have survived multiple such encounters become widely known as Wildspeakers. Often heavily wounded and permanently injured by their experiences, they are seen as those ready to rejoin the great Ratuk, though they have been tasked with remaining mortal to act as a way to communicate with the people. In many communities Wildspeakers are respected healers or diviners that interpret various weather events or anomalies as omens.

Cosmic Warfare Religions

These faiths believe in or are involved with a millennia-long spiritual struggle for control of the multiverse, worshiping one (or many) of the various interplanar entities and factions vying for domination. Amid this grand battle the mortal realms are often considered relatively safe zones—but in truth the Material Plane is the site of many spiritual proxy-battles. Nobody knows when a world might draw the attention of intergalactic forces better left forgotten.

The cosmological horror of cosmic war positions religion as a natural psychological defense. Even if time begins and ends with the gods at war, that is no reason to live with the fact in the center of one’s spiritual life. The psychological benefit of these faiths is that the faithful can devote their life to a god and that god’s laws, and in doing so live with a sense of security and integrity.

As for the gods, seemingly beneficent entities reveal themselves to mortals and provide for them—they may or may not ask for worship and undying loyalty in return. Some seekers of knowledge and power petition entities who never pretended to have the Material Plane’s best interest at heart. Other beings who have nothing to do with the cosmic war may misrepresent themselves to mortals with canny deceptions or seductive lies. And some deities keep cosmic war a secret from their followers, suppressing any revelations of their activities.

When thinking about a fantasy religion that might be this type, consider whether or not the religion’s main appeal is that supernatural forces are here to protect mortals and their world from other supernatural forces. If they are, what is this tradition’s history regarding cosmic war? Is the Material Plane born from the blood and bones of slain gods, or is it a precious speck of dust that deities deign to protect? What are the forces of destruction—fiends, elementals, undead, or something else? Are they banished, sealed, or barely kept at bay? How do all these things fit into the religion's moral norms? What is the reward for loyalty and obedience?

No matter the specifics of your campaign’s cosmology, consider how that aspect affects the religious life of everyday people. How do the stories of the origin, fate, and meaning of the multiverse play out in daily life? 

Philosophies

Some religions did not begin as beliefs but rather as philosophies meant to dictate how one should view life and existence, and the appropriate behaviors that should reflect such views. These philosophies may arise to explain or criticize various societal issues, and serve to point out solutions to solve or prevent such problems. The rules dictated by these philosophies can encompass various aspects of life, from laws by which a sovereign should govern to simple acts of compassion and charity.

In addition, philosophies often provide an explanation of the cosmology and existential purpose of the world to go in tandem with their rules. From explaining how souls can reincarnate or what purpose the world was created for, each philosophy defines how the world works and uses such definitions to dictate whether certain acts or ideas should be perceived as good or evil, natural or aberrant, proper or inappropriate.

Much like other belief systems, philosophies can become ritualized and ingrained into a culture. Over time it may look like any other religion in all but origin. Such processes often take centuries, if not longer, and often involve various societies interpreting the philosophy for their own benefit. For example, it’s not unusual for philosophies to be co-opted by rulers if it means that they will have better control over the populace.

When creating a philosophy which might appear in the world, consider the following: who is or are the primary philosophers, and what influenced them to form this school of thought? What effect did they want it to have on society? What is the philosophy’s central idea? What values does the philosophy hold as greatly important or good? What behaviors and thoughts are discouraged or criticized? How is a person judged in such a philosophy?

Philosophy Example

The Measure of the Oath originally began as a declaration of ethics meant for swearing in knights of a kingdom. Drew Markin wrote it during a time when the crown was rapidly switching hands every handful of years, realizing that with each new sovereign upon the throne, new knights would be inducted as favors. The lack of vetting process caused many abuses of power as the noble rank became bloated. His old lordship thus wrote the first of many documents, hoping these would serve as a standard that all knights would be held to. While he did not live to see it, an expanded and amended Measure of the Oath was formally adopted after a bloody civil war and did in fact serve to reign in the knights.

Despite royalty and nobility being a thing of the past in the republic that replaced said kingdom, the Measure of the Oath remains an important aspect of daily life. Many national religious holidays are annual rituals where one renews their oaths to society, themselves, and each other. Elected officials are sworn in with a declaration that is remarkably similar to the historical version of the Measure of the Oath. The most common method of farewell is saying, “maybe,” in reply to the question, “shall we meet again?” 

A common phenomenon observed in societies that practice the Measure of the Oath is in how casually people might promise something to a stranger, yet the same shall never be given, demanded, or expected from those held close. Apparently this behavior arose as the result of the Measure seeing the breaking of promises as abhorrent and despicable—thus the closer two people are the greater the expectation there is upon the oath. Many avoid the uncomfortable position of disrespecting one another by breaking an oath due to something they have no control over. Incidentally, the most obvious impact this has can be observed in how the republic does not practice or celebrate marriage, nor record or keep track of such relations in the sense that many other cultures do. If anything, there seems to be a distinct lack of it.

Atheism and Secularism

In some cultures the removal or divorce of faith and beliefs from daily life can be the most prevalent of societal norms. Sometimes this is actively achieved with the purging of religious materials, or the passive result of traditions that have fallen into the past. With the former there is often a reason behind such movements, ranging from a desire to remove past dogma that stifled the people to persecution in the name of control or politics. The reasons behind passive loss, however, can be much more elusive to pinpoint. Some say that high population density leading to the homogenization of cultures may be the cause, while others think that social stability means people have less of a need for faith, particularly those that placed trust into the supernatural and unknowing.

When creating an atheist culture, consider why this is the norm. Did the society start out atheist and remained so, or was there a prevalent religion before? What historical events might have led to the desire for lack of beliefs? What do people place faith in then with regards to hopes, wishes, and desires?

Humanism and Humanistic Faith

Humanism is the central concern with and for human beings (and other humanoids), but it isn’t so much a standalone philosophy as it is a sentiment found within a wide variety of religious and philosophical movements. In a word, humanism centers the wellbeing, autonomy, rationality, and moral judgment of humans (as well as dwarves, elves, and other heritages) over and against radical dependency on the gods. 

Some humanists simply don't define their religious life in terms of the gods—others actively view the gods with suspicion. What makes the gods the absolute arbiters of right and wrong? Isn’t worshiping gods to get something a practice of selfishness? Humanists interpret divine magic as the manifestation of a person’s clarity of heart, rather than direct intervention by a deity. A humanist might well grant that the gods exist, but whereas the pious will ask the gods, “what is your law?,” the humanists will ask, “how can we become a law unto ourselves?” 

Some folk strike a curious balance between devotion to a patron god and a central concern for humanity. They might say the gods are pleased when humanity practices their independence. On the other hand, a person might take no interest in deities, but that does not make them a humanist. Devotion to law, commerce, and knowledge all lose their humanist bent when policy, profit, or information are elevated above human dignity. 

The humanist tendency can take a culture by storm, and it can appear spontaneously even in stiflingly reverential environments. When creating a humanist culture, ask if humanist (or dwarvist, or elvist, and so on) is the term that they use for the ideology, or if the term is related to something more tangible—like art or science? How do pious factions respond to humanist sentiment? Do they see it as a legitimate interpretation of faith, or as a heresy? Are the secular and atheist factions humanist?

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Sample Gods and Pantheons

Every campaign varies in terms of what deities take center stage. To help accommodate this the following tables gloss the gods and religions referenced in this book, plus a sample pantheon for building and expanding upon. 

Each god or belief system has suggested aspects presented for convenience, but they are easily expanded or modified. Domains are a brief overview of the gods' theological symbols and areas of influence, but the specifics vary between believers, communities, and settings. Alignment represents a common moral disposition among that religion's believers, but not all worshipers fit that mold—and who can say what thoughts a god privately entertains. 

The sample gods are usable as presented, but they also work well combined. For example, the Dawnbringer and the Hunter strongly resemble Apollo and Artemis from Greek mythology. On the other hand, the god Thor from Norse mythology might be some combination of the Ravager, the Tempest, and others.