Faith no more?

Uncle Dunmore here. Hello! How are you? One thing I love thinking about is applying a small dose of reality to the fantasy TTRPG world. For example, in a world where prestidigitation exists, does anyone clean their clothes by hand? Interestingly, it could open up all kinds of follow up questions about who has access to magic etc. Marxism and Magic, anyone? It’s a small question but one that can have a profound impact on character and story. I also love that it’s a question each table needs to answer for their own world.

Which brings me to religion. The lazy google definition of faith (in a spiritual sense) is this: strong belief in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual conviction rather than proof.

That’s how we see it. God won’t reveal themselves because that would defeat the purpose of being faithful. Essentially, it’s a test so we search for implicit signs of God’s favour instead. But in the fantasy world (and I’m thinking specifically about clerics maybe here), there are proofs of the gods everywhere. They power the magic clerics and paladins, etc wield. That is coded specifically into the classes themselves.

Now this is interesting. What we have is a set of religions without faith. The people choosing to follow a certain deity (and there is a dizzying array of choices!) do so knowing that that god is real. How do people choose?

Is it a family tradition? Or based on a location?

Are they chosen by the god in question?

Do they choose from a catalogue?

Is it like supporting your local football team?

Can you swap allegiances?

What if you don’t like the magical service you’re receiving? Can you complain?

Do the faithful realise the consumer power they might potentially hold?

Without the need for true faith, can you become complacent in your adherence to a god? How does the god react?

How more or less bitterly are wars based on religious differences fought? Or do these conflicts even occur where there can’t be one true god?

Ultimately, these are fascinating questions that you get to decide at your table.

Take care,

Uncle D