Gamifying Devotion

Monastic Orders for Clerics and Paladins

Author: Andrew Tyron

This article is from an issue of Gary’s Appendix, a periodical zine containing articles like this. While OSE compatable is on the label, the content is mostly system neutral. Issue 11 is coming to Kickstarter. You can back it CLICKING THIS LINK.

What Are Monastic Orders?

Clerics, paladins, and monks are characterized by devotion to ideals. Typically, these ideals are broadly defined by alignment, but a more granular approach can flesh out your game’s world and give your players more ways to engage with the fiction you create at the table.This is where monastic orders come in.

Monastic orders are factions within certain religions through which individuals exemplify their faith.These orders involve a way of life dedicated toward greater spirituality and devotion to deity, often through separation from the distractions of the world. This may include living in a cloistered space(like a monastery),eschewing certain behaviors or vices, or adhering to specific rules.

Common rules in real-world monastic orders include:

1. Simplicity of dress

2. Eating only plain foods

3. Living within a cloistered community with other monks

4. Prayer and meditation several times a day

5. Vows of poverty

6. Vows of celibacy

7. Vows of obedience

8. Solitary living

9. Refraining from consuming certain foods or substances

10. Vows of silence(typically only for limited periods of time)

11. Eschewing all material possessions

12. Performing charitable work

The level of strictness of different orders varies, even within specific religions. In addition, some faiths forbid monasticism, focusing on moderation rather than asceticism.

Multiple monastic orders frequently exist within the same faith. As such, it’s possible to have multiple orders with different vows who adhere to the same doctrine or deity.

Monastic Orders in RPG Settings

For fantasy RPG purposes, monastic orders are a great way to encourage more engagement with the game world. These orders also add flavor to your world by deepening lore and fleshing out the motivations of individual factions.

However, it’s important for them to be fun, which is achievable with small injections of both individual benefit and potential for mayhem. In other words, the order to which a player character belongs should provide some in-game benefit as well as complicate interactions with other PCs and NPCs.

Creating an Order

When creating an order, use the steps and tables below. This process assumes OSE or B/X, and it functions as a sort of world-building exercise. Use these steps as described or tweak them as you see fit.

1. Choose an Alignment and Deity

First, choose an alignment for the order from Lawful, Neutral, or Chaotic(assuming B/X, OSE, or similar games). Player characters will benefit most if they select orders that share their alignment, but some contrast between alignments is certain to create interesting roleplay opportunities.

The deity or religious sect the order belongs to will also inform the types of vows put in place. Either choose the deity at this point, or let that decision be informed by the results you generate in the following steps.

2. Generate Vows

Based on the alignment chosen for the order, roll 1d4 times on the corresponding table below. These rolls will generate vows that adherents must follow in order to gain the benefits of belonging to the order.

It is possible for duplicates to be rolled. In these cases, let the results stand. Multiple rolls of the same result indicate greater emphasis on that particular vow.

1d10 Lawful Vows

1. Vow of Nonviolence. May not harm living beings or condone the violent acts of others.

2. Vow of Poverty. All treasure gained must be donated to charitable causes.

3. Vow of Celibacy. No conjugal relations ever.

4. Vow of Silence. No speaking ever. Spellcasting is the sole exception.

5. Vow of Peace. May not eat any meat.

6. Vow of Sobriety. May not consume strong(alcoholic) drink.

7. Vow of Worship. Must pray several times per day at set times.

8. Vow of Charity. Must help anyone in need if at all possible, regardless of the cost.

9. Vow of Judgment. Must seek punishment against those who commit crimes against others.

10. Vow of Eradication. Must attempt to destroy the undead wherever they dwell, regardless of risk

1d10 Neutral Vows

1. Vow of Nonaggression. May not personally harm living beings.

2. Vow of Poverty. All treasure gained must be donated to charitable causes.

3. Vow of Silence. No speaking ever. Spellcasting is the sole exception.

4. Vow of Sobriety. May not consume strong drink.

5. Vow of Peace. May not eat meat.

6. Vow of the Hunter. May eat only meat.

7. Vow of Mindfulness. Must meditate or pray several times per day.

8. Vow of Mediation. Must step in to resolve any argument in a mutually amenable manner.

9. Vow of Survival. Lend no aid to the dying or ill. If they die, they die.

10. Vow of Retribution. Must seek vengeance against those who wrong you or others.

1d10 Chaotic Vows

1. Vow of Vengeance. Must seek harm against those who harm you, regardless of the risks.

2. Vow of Chance. All decisions are made by rolling dice.

3. Vow of Prosperity. Treasure you earn may only be spent to benefit yourself.

4. Vow of Passion. May never marry. No relationship is exclusive.

5. Vow of the Hunter. May only eat meat.

6. Vow of Discord. Make noise. Disrupt peaceful contemplation at every possible opportunity.

7. Vow of Iconoclasm. Destroy any icon or item of worship you find.

8. Vow of Mutilation. Foes are to be disfigured once felled.

9. Vow of Merriment. Beverages are to be consumed on sight. Sobriety must be avoided.

10. Vow of Liberation. Must depose law wherever it reigns by whatever means are necessary.

Multiples Significance to the Order
Duplicate. This is a major tenet. Severity is 1 higher than normal(see”Determine Penance” below).
Triplicate. This tenet is essential to the order. Severity of penance is 2 higher than normal.
Quadruplicate. This is the core defining feature of the order. Severity is 3 higher than normal.

3. Determine Advantages of Obedience

Rather than rely solely on punitive measures(loss of spellcasting, expulsion from the order, divine retribution, etc.) to enforce adherence to a monastic order, it helps to offer players positive results for observing their characters’ vows. These benefits largely entail in-world advantages that offer players additional means of gathering information, leveraging factions, or gaining resources to help them in their adventures.

Naturally, these benefits are forfeited upon breach of one’s vows or if the resources are abused in any way.

Choose a few items from the table below or roll 1d4 results randomly.

1d10 Monastic Benefit

1. Access to occult or rare knowledge, libraries, etc.

2. Access to a treasury with a stipend of 1d6 x 10gp per week.

3. Access to well-guarded sanctuaries where members and their companions may stay.

4. Access to loyal specialists who perform tasks at a discount(typically half price).

5. Access to loyal retainers who serve without a fee(normal upkeep still applies).

6. Favor of a certain faction or local leader.

7. Free access to monastery gardens/ farms(food) or breweries(drink).

8. Debts and travel expenses covered(up to 100 gp per month).

9. Access to a competent information network.

10. Access to animals or vehicles at reduced costs.

4. Determine Penance

Breaking one’s vows carries a range of possible consequences. Some orders may be lenient, giving only a slap on the wrist for most offences, while others may favor expulsion from the order or even-in very extreme cases-active hunting of ex-members. Penance and other punishments are usually determined by the head of the order(an abbot or bishop, depending on severity). Fulfilling one’s penance and righting wrongs is necessary to have all benefits reinstated.

The list below offers possible forms of penance in order of severity, beginning with the least severe first.Roll a d10 to determine the consequence randomly, or choose whatever you deem is most appropriate.

The level of severity is modified by how significant the specific broken vow is to the order (+0 to+3 with a maximum of 10). Modifications should also be made depending on how obstinate the offending character is.

1d10 Consequence

1. Repentance through confession. The breach is easily forgiven.

2. Extra prayers or meditation for 1d4 weeks.

3. Memorizing or transcribing scriptural passages related to the offence committed for 1d4 weeks.

4. Extra cleaning duties or other unpleasant labor for 1d4 weeks.

5. Teaching discourses related to the offence committed for 1d4 weeks.

6. A quest, pilgrimage, or voyage.

7. Self flagellation three times per day for 1d4 weeks.-2 Constitution during that time.

8. Expulsion from the monastery.

9. Excommunication and loss of all Cleric spellcasting/powers.

10. Active hunting by the order and loss of all Cleric spellcasting/powers.The sin is unforgivable.

5. Give It a Name and Flesh It Out

Finally, it’s time to give the order a name and flesh it out with more details. Many monastic orders are named after patron saints, while other names stem from the types of vows taken. Sometimes, the name is more or less a statement of holiness(or unholiness, depending).

When determining details of how this order fits into your game world, consider these questions:

• What are the reasons for these vows? Their benefits? Their forms of penance?

• Who founded the order? One individual? A group? Did it splinter off from another group?

• How long has this order been around?

• Does this order have any rival orders(including within the same faith)?

• Is this order at odds with other factions? Why?

• What other factions favor this order? Why?

• Are there particular doctrines this order focuses on more than others?

• Are there any doctrines this order disdains?

• What resources does the order have?

• How much contact do most members have with the outside world?

• Are members cloistered in monasteries, or are they solitary hermits?

The answers to these questions will help inspire details of this order’s role in your world as well as add flavor to their vows,ideals,etc.

Using Monastic Orders at the Table

The details generated above provide a wealth of tools for fleshing out your game. However, remember that the most important tenet of monastic orders(at least when used in RPGs) is that they generate fun!Use them to create tension and intrigue at your table and to support the creation of an engaging fiction with your players.