Create fantasy cults from the roots of reality to inject morally twisted delights into your game.
D&D cults have some entertaining details, to be sure. Chanting, robes, and funky daggers are fun for the whole family. But what we've always run into is that beyond this, they're simply another group of evildoers that must be stopped, most likely with a mace to the face. But when we take a look at real cult-like behavior, from the charismatic leaders to the psychological manipulation they use to induct the innocents of your world, they become a force to be reckoned with. Your party is going to need not only their most explosive abilities, but their most cunning words, their most deceitful tactics, and their heaviest moral choices. The real-world details in this episode come from the books Cultish by Amanda Montell and Cults Inside Out by Rick Alan Ross.
In The Strategy Stateroom we go through a complete approach you can take to building up your own cults.
Determine a theme and nefarious goal
This is usually what’s included in our existing cults. We’ve got a dragon cult that wants to summon a mega-powerful dragon. Whatever fits your game.
Create a Charismatic Leader
Cult leaders are typically likable and kind on the surface, but deeply manipulative and sociopathic underneath. We talk about the many tools of influence your cult leader might use.
Create some cultists
Adding a few cultists with differing opinions on the whole operation gives your players everything they need to take the game in whatever direction they want.
Design a culture
You can follow along with our free culture creator, detailed in Episode 60 - Worldbuilding with Culture Creation, but there are a few specifics we discuss that will make your cultish cultures pop, including their initiation tactics.
Focus on the Details
There are a few things you can add to make your cults truly stand out. Language is one of the biggest. Consider a few specific phrases your cults uses to distinguish themselves.
Then we put it all together and come up with a solid start for a cult in Travis’ fiend-filled campaign world. It’s called Children of the Steadfast Cathedral, and it’s led by a most charming devil.
As always, huge thanks to the support of our patrons for making this episode a reality.
Marley R., Garr the Pirate, Time Warp, Nico Y., Zach G., No Ma'am, Michelle T., Hentenius, Alan E., Matthew T., Felix R., Chris F., The Senate, Lucas D., Lyla G., The GM Tim, Nevermour, Thomas W., Tyler G., Ty N., Heavyarms, Erik R, Aldrost, Leprecan, and Will H-P.