Faith and religion are common parts of most fantasy RPG settings… and even non-fantasy ones! However, it can sometimes be tough to come up with all the ins and outs of an entire belief system, and to figure out both the big swings and the tiny minutiae so that nothing slips through the cracks, and the religion feels like an organic part of the world, and the lives of the faithful.

The following questions are for Game Masters and players alike, as a religion should have an impact on a personal level, as well as on the larger-scale of the world. It’s important to remember, though, that there are no right or wrong answers to these questions. Some of these questions may not even apply to a particular faith, or a particular character or culture. However, thinking about these things is part of the process of building the machinery of a social (and potentially magic) system, which is why it’s important to consider every aspect before moving on to the next question on the list.

Here are some sample results:

68. Are There Places Only The Devout Can Enter?
The rules regarding who is allowed into sacred places is one of those important rules mentioned in the question above. So, ask who is allowed to enter different places according to the faith, and why? Are those who aren’t part of the faith still allowed into the church, temple, or other gathering place, or are they excluded unless they have someone who stands for them as the host to invite them as a guest? Are there locations that only the clergy may enter? Are certain places off-limits except to acolytes and scholars? Are there places where all but the oracles and god-touched are allowed to enter, potentially with dire consequences?

69. Do People Have Special Names Within The Faith?
It’s far from uncommon for those who join a religion to create an identity for themselves within that special space, and one aspect of that can be taking on a new name that is used only within the faith. If that’s the case, ask how and why this happens. Does the faithful choose their own name? Is it given to them as part of their initiation into the religion? Has this always been a practice, or was it adopted during a period of religious persecution when the faithful had to keep their membership secret? If that’s the case, were the names paired with robes, masks and other trappings that concealed the members’ identities from one another even as they came together in community?

70. Do Travelers Respect The Local Gods?
When the faithful travel somewhere, and they interact with other communities and cultures outside their own, how do they comport themselves? Do they respect local gods and religions, acknowledging that they are guests in this other land? Do they stay apart from these other peoples and faiths, considering them unclean and beneath them? Are these other gods denounced as lies and falsehoods, as the true believer’s faith stands above all of the world, and everything outside their faith is false? This behavior might vary from one sect to another, or one community to another, but it is a way to shine a light on the attitudes and beliefs this faith might instill in people, and how they express those attitudes when they step out into the wider world.

Released: 19th September 2026 Pages: 29

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