Cult Creation System

[daxos232]

Okay I finally got around to working on this some more. Here is my second iteration of a cult creation system. This system is not designed for Glorantha, but as a generic system for any setting, or those playing without any established setting at all. The intention is to provide both Players and Game Masters with a simple and easy system to create usable cults quickly.

Any advice or suggestions are welcome, as this system is still a work in progress.

Feel free to get creative and use the system to make some cults and post them. I want to see if the system is flexible and allows a diverse variety of cults.

Creating Cults
Cults consist of seven elements, Runes, Common Magic, Advanced Magic, Myths, Skills, gifts and duties/geas.

Cult Points, or CP, are used to purchase more elements for your cult.

All cults begin with 5 free CP.

Runes
All cults begin with 1 Rune chosen by the creator; each additional Rune costs 1 CP, no cult may have more than 3 Runes.

Common Magic
Each common magic spell costs 1/2 of a CP.

Advanced Magic
A cult may only have one kind of Advanced Magic and its two associated skills. This choice does not cost CP. They may choose:
1. Divine Magic - Lore (Specific Theology) and Pact (Deity)
2. Sorcery Magic - Manipulation and Sorcery (Grimoire)
3. Spirit Magic - Spirit Binding and Spirit Walking

Divine Magic
A player that chooses Divine Magic may purchase Divine spells for 1 CP per spell. Cult rank does not affect the purchasing cost. All cults are assumed to already have the spells Consecrate and Excommunicate. For those that do not, they gain 2 CPs.

Spirit Magic
Each type of spirit costs 1 CP per spirit. For Nature spirits, you only need to buy the spirit once with 1 CP to have access to that spirit at any level of Intensity.

Sorcery Magic
Sorcery cults function somewhat differently. For every separate Grimoire that the cult has, it costs 2 CP. Each Grimoire is assumed to start with four Sorcery spells. To add more spells to a Grimoire, it costs 1 CP per spell. The rank each Grimoire is available is to be decided by the creator.

Myths
Each cult starts with one free Myth at 50% + 5D10%. Each Myth thereafter costs 1 CP. The second Myths begins at 40 + 4D10%, and the third at 30 +3D10%. The story, details, behaviors, and teachings of a Myth are up to the creator.

Skills
Each cult begins with 5 free skills of the creator’s choice. The two Advanced Magic skills that are chosen for the cult are already cult skills and do not take up 2 of the free skill choices. Each additional cult skill costs 1 CP per skill. It does not matter if the skill is common or advanced.

Gifts
Gifts are abilities or benefits, both mundane and magical, that are gained through dedicated service or completing Myths. All cults may grant the gift of Runic Affinity to the Runes they are associated with; this does not cost a CP. However additional gifts cost at least 1 CP, more powerful gifts may cost more.

Duties/Geas
All cult members are assumed to follow the basic duties outlined in the MRQ2 Core Rulebook, under Chapter 11: Cults on page 148. Taking additional duties/geas/taboos grants free CP, the amount of CP depending upon the severity of the restriction.
Some Examples of Duties/Geas


Never use a certain spirit – 2 CP
Never force or fight a spirit to make it obey you – 3 CP

Never use a (weapon) - 1 CP
Never use any weapon – 5 CP
Never kill any person (person/race) – 4 CP
Never harm anyone, in any way, at any time – 6 CP

Never harm anyone or anything on this holy day (day/event/holiday) – 1 CP
Never bathe – 1 CP
Never eat this animal (animal) – 1 CP
Never eat this kind of food (meat, fruit, vegetables, dairy, etc.) – 3 CP

Never wear metal armor – 3 CP
Never wear any kind of armor – 6 CP

Never tell a lie – 5 CP
Remain celibate your whole life – 5 CP

Always help (person/race) – 3 CP
Always kill on sight (person/race/cult) – 6 CP
Never speak to or help (person/race/cult) – 3 CP

Never flee from battle, but you may surrender – 3 CP
Never flee, never surrender – 6 CP

History and Detail
Feel free to elaborate on the history and practices of the cult.

 

[sdavies2720]

Thanks for posting this (and the previous systems). I'm working on the cults for my homebrew game, and will post comments as I come upon issues or questions.

But thanks for putting a system together that I can start from.

Steve

 

[Exubae]

Cool, but should all cult be created equal.
Shouldn't the ruling deities of a pantheon be of greater stature and a weak cult such as local divinity be of lesure power?
Wouldn't a sliding scale be more apt from say 10pt downward.

Myths also seems abit of an odd thing to quantify in such a manner, it seems odd to set a limit to the cults available myths, does this perclude uncovering other myths of the god?

 

[kurgan84]

there are rules for cults creation in "Guilds, Factions & Cults"

 

[cthulhudarren]

there are rules for cults creation in "Guilds, Factions & Cults"

That's for the old edition, no?

 

[cthulhudarren]

Thanks for posting this (and the previous systems). I'm working on the cults for my homebrew game, and will post comments as I come upon issues or questions.

But thanks for putting a system together that I can start from.

+1

Thanks!

 

[daxos232]

Thanks for posting this (and the previous systems). I'm working on the cults for my homebrew game, and will post comments as I come upon issues or questions. But thanks for putting a system together that I can start from.

I'm glad you like it and I hope it helps. Let me know how it works out. As to the "(and the previous systems)" are you referring to the Cultural Backgrounds and Professions creation systems? Those were done by Ryhopewood, and I myself am using them in my games, he did a great job on them.

there are rules for cults creation in "Guilds, Factions & Cults"

Thats true, although it is as cthulhudarren said, for MRQ1.

Cool, but should all cult be created equal.
Shouldn't the ruling deities of a pantheon be of greater stature and a weak cult such as local divinity be of lesure power?
Wouldn't a sliding scale be more apt from say 10pt downward.

Myths also seems abit of an odd thing to quantify in such a manner, it seems odd to set a limit to the cults available myths, does this perclude uncovering other myths of the god?

As to the equality of cults, I would recommend a method where you roll for more CP, like adding +1D6 free CP to the cults beginning 5 CP. Or you can just decide how many CP you start with yourself, its up to you.

The Myths was also something I pondered on a bit. What I posted was the best idea I had at the time, but if you have another that you prefer, by all means use it.

 

[gran_orco]

there are rules for cults creation in "Guilds, Factions & Cults"

That's for the old edition, no?

This set of rules are perfect for the new system. In fact, the rules are prepared for the second edition (there is Pact, and gifts, and compulsions...). I am using these rules for creating cults from scratch.
However, the house rules from daxos are very useful to create a cult faster.

 

[ryhopewood]

Cool, but should all cult be created equal.

Maybe or maybe not but in a game players either (a) want to see things are balanced or (b) understand how much Cult X is more powerful than Cult Y. Personally I'm happy that things are reasonably balanced for most purposes but will do whatever I want to suit the storyline. I think point (b) is the real value here - to understand how powerful something is relative to another thing is important for those not immersed in the mechanics of a system.

 

[Jujitsudave]

I'm going to try my hand at building a Rome setting during the collapse of the Empire and this will greatly come in handy. Thanks.

 

[daxos232]

If that book, "Guilds, Factions, and Cults" provides a list of geas, compulsions, and gifts, then I definitly am going to pick it up. That's the stuff I have the most trouble thinking up.

However, I'm pretty sure that it is for MRQ1, judging by the cover art and the preview.

 

[gran_orco]

If that book, "Guilds, Factions, and Cults" provides a list of geas, compulsions, and gifts, then I definitly am going to pick it up. That's the stuff I have the most trouble thinking up.

However, I'm pretty sure that it is for MRQ1, judging by the cover art and the preview.

Yes, it was the last book for RQ 1; but it is an advanced version of rq 2 cults, and it can be used entirely.