Dice Goblin

In worldbuilding, I find that the weird and wonderful doesn’t always come ‘naturally’ to me; I can take a concept and give it a few spins to make it a bit more gonzo, but generally I gravitate more towards settings that reflect some real-life things (and perhaps tell us a little bit about that).

Image: Priest of Iroas MtG Art from Theros by Clint Cearley

I recently started playing Crusader Kings 3 (because I got it for my birthday, thanks Mykola), and what stood out to me is how it represents the church as a layer of authority paralel to/above nobility. The church allows you to fake certain claims, it ordains marriages and wars and it can be a real pain in the ass if rallied against you.

A thing we run into in TTRPGs, is that the ‘faith’ aspect of religion works a bit differently, as generally, gods and divine magic are objectively a thing. So, I started thinking; how would I implement a medieval-esque Catholic Church in a setting, that serves a similar function as it did in the past, while also integrating the unique aspects of ‘real’ divine magic?

Note that I’m not a historian; this is an attempt to capture the vibes of pop-culture interpretations of actual history. Secondly, I keep a lot of things purposefully generic, so that it can fit into more actual settings.

Arcane & Divine Magic

Let’s start with the distinction between arcane magic (wizards!) and divine magic (clerics!). I will implement a concept I’ve used before (because I really like it), and is also used in Block, Dodge, Parry:

“Magic” is nothing more than altering reality through force of will. Every sentient being has this ability to some degree.
Wizards use obscure study materials, artifacts and decades of study to ‘brute force’ this process. This allows them to wield magic to hinder and harm opponents, and alter the environment. In practice, due to the difficulty of study and wizards gate-keeping their means of power, only 1 in 10.000 becomes a magic-user.
Clerics use the power of the masses. Instead of one individual ‘hacking’ their brain to have the impact of the willpower of thousands, they literally use the focused willpower of thousands, in the form of religion. This shared basis of faith – literal thoughts and prayers – creates a fond of energy that those aligned to a faith can tap into. Divine magic allows one to heal and enhance oneself and allies.

This does a couple of things:

• It creates a system in which conversion, maintaining unity and harmony are built-in functions of any organized religion. You need bodies (and more importantly, minds) to use divine magic.
• It still allows for smaller cults and religions (and even strong-willed individuals) to wield divine magic, by stronger force of will.
• It allows for an aspect of faith and divinity: the fact that divine magic works like this, is probably understood to some level by members of the church, but the masses are likely to be (kept) unaware. But where does this shared ability to rewrite reality come from? And what about cases where an individual alters reality to a capacity far exceeding their training or belief? Is that divine intervention?
• An organized religion benefits from a united realm, but must also appease nobility and not push them too far; sanctioning claims on other lands serves as a tool to keep nobles complacent (and punish nobles that are out of line), but if care is not taken, it could spiral into a civil war and a religious schism.

The Church of Light

The main organized religion we’re imagining here I’m just going to call the “Church of Light”. It is structured as follows:

• The Prophet. 2000 years ago, through reasons now lost to time, a single individual first tapped into the fond of power of shared belief. They claim they had visions (which maybe they actually had?) and their scriptures of compassion and following the Light now form the basis of the Church.

“In the silence of the desert, when the sun had sunk beneath the horizon and darkness threatened to engulf the earth, the prophet knelt in prayer. It was then, in the deepest solitude of the night, that the Light descended upon him—not as a flame to burn, but as a warmth to fill his soul. It was neither voice nor vision, but a presence, a great and boundless radiance, and in its embrace, he knew he stood before the Divine. In that sacred moment, the prophet felt the weight of the world’s shadows and heard the unspoken cry of those lost in darkness. The Light spoke through him, not with words, but with a command that burned in his heart: ‘Go forth, and gather my children into the Light. For in unity, they shall find their strength, and in faith, they shall overcome the abyss.’ And so, the prophet rose, no longer a man of the earth, but the first servant of the Divine Light. He set forth to found the Church, to weave the faithful together as one, that the power of the Light might shield the world from all darkness that dared arise.”

• The High Pontiff. The highest rank within the church. Represents the will of the Light in the realm. Sits high upon their throne in the Holy City. Religious leader of the Empire.
• High Archbishops. A council of most powerful bishops under the Pontiff. Each oversee religious matters in a kingdom of the Empire. They also advise royalty, and inform them of the will of the Church.
• Bishops. Typically in charge of major cities, overseeing the temples within its sphere of influence. They advise and work closely with regional nobility.
• Clerics. Local leaders of individual temples. They oversee the day-to-day rituals, heal the sick, and manage spiritual well-being of the people.

Ok, nothing surprising yet! Let’s add some ambiguity to it all, and most importantly, a schism.

The Crisis

1000 years ago, hell opened up. Or at least: demons invaded, night lasted a year, the dead rose, a plague ravaged the land, any or all of the above. The Church was uniquely equipped to deal with this matter, channeling the faith of the masses against this threat. Mind you – other means might also have worked, it was just that the divine magic of the church was the most powerful thing available. Or maybe it was divine intervention and saying otherwise is heresy.

“And it came to pass that, in the wilderness of the desolate land, the prophet did fall upon his face, and in the stillness of the night, a great Light did descend upon him. And lo, his heart was filled with a fire that knew no end, and his eyes were opened to the realms beyond. In his sight there came a vision: a great darkness rising from the depths, and with it, legions of devils and abominations, to scourge the earth and consume the souls of the living. And the prophet cried aloud, ‘Who shall stand against this tide of ruin?’

And the Light did speak, though it uttered no words, and showed unto him a vision of the Church yet to come, a bastion of hope amidst the coming storm. He beheld the faithful, gathered as one, wielding the strength of their prayers, a mighty shield against the hosts of darkness. The prophet did weep, for he saw that the Light would make its dwelling among men, and through their unity, the powers of the abyss would be cast down.

Then the prophet rose, and he knew the path before him. ‘Go forth,’ the Light had spoken into his soul, ‘and forge a covenant with the peoples of the earth. For in the days to come, the Church shall be as a tower of flame, and by its hand shall the darkness be bound.’ And thus was the Church of Light born, that all men might stand as one in the face of the evils yet to come.”

Anyway, this event uplifted the Church from folksy cult to state religion, and embedded members of the clergy into every layer of society. It validated their beliefs, and the fear of another crisis granted the Church a strong grasp on their power. People, however, tend to forget. Time passed, until…

The Saint

Roughly 100 years ago, in a backwater province in a border kingdom of the Empire, a threat to the people arose. Maybe it was goblins, maybe it was orcs or mountain giants or visitors from beyond the stars or zombies or whatever. Thing is, the nobility of the border kingdom ignored the threat as it continued to fester.

A single individual rose up – a person of faith, of great belief. And wielding their faith as a sword, and inspiring those around them, they drove back the evil, but perished in the effort. This person the locals now revere as a Saint.

“And in the latter days, when the earth is divided and the hearts of men turn from the Light, there shall arise a great strife among the faithful. The people shall cry out for signs and wonders, and many shall seek the Light in places it hath not dwelt before. Beware, for in those days, the truth shall be shrouded in shadow, and the voices of the righteous shall be scattered.

Yet, lo, the Light shall not abandon those who seek it with pure hearts. For it is written: ‘The Light shall dwell where faith is true, and by the hands of the faithful shall it be made manifest.’ And in the day when the darkness stirs once more, there shall be those among the faithful who rise as beacons of hope, clothed in the Light’s favor, to stand against the coming storm.

But let the people be wary, for many shall claim the Light, and not all who bear its name shall be of its will. Only by the wisdom of the ancient words shall the path be revealed, and only through the unity of the faithful shall the true strength of the Light be known. Hold fast, then, to the teachings of old, for they shall be as a compass in the days of trial.

For in those days, the Light shall test its children, and the faithful shall be called to prove their devotion. Whether by the flame of tradition or by the flame anew, the Light shall burn bright in the hearts of those chosen to carry it forth.”

These events still ripple until this day. Each temple was not created equal. Some focused on distributing the healing to those most in need, some gave it explicitly to the poor, some held lotteries, and others only supported those who would pay the highest price.

For the common man, stories of the Crisis are just that: stories. In their eyes, the Church has grown lazy and complacent. But then the stories of the Saint reach their ears; did you hear, in that faraway backwater, someone wielded the very Light? The stories spread further, begin to grow. The stories start to turn into belief. And this belief syphons power – literally and figuratively – away from the Church.

The Schism

Now we have fertile grounds for various factions within the Church. Perhaps there is a major conclave that occurs only once a century, and that conclave is drawing near. No one has ever achieved sainthood, and it might set a dangerous precedent. I can imagine the following factions emerging:

Eradicationists (Radical Traditionalists)

This group believes the saint’s legacy is dangerous and heretical. They want to erase all mention of the saint and maintain the purity of the Church’s doctrine by any means necessary. They could be seen as zealots within the Church who hold no room for compromise.

Extreme as they might be, there is space for nuance even here; some Eradicationists simply want to cling to power, others fear another Crisis and believe that only a Church united would stand a chance.

Preservers (Moderate Traditionalists)

These are the traditionalists who want to maintain the status quo but through dialogue and subtle maneuvering rather than outright erasure. They believe that holding onto the Church’s existing structure is key, but they aren’t radical or violent about it. This could be the most diplomatic faction.

Reformers (Moderate Progressives)

These members see the saint as a potential asset to the Church. They are more willing to adapt the Church’s teachings and practices slightly to reflect the saint’s growing influence, hoping to channel this energy to bring people back to the faith without fully accepting sainthood as part of the doctrine. After all, the Light spoke to someone once (the Prophet), might it not again?

Progressivists (Liberal Progressives)

They believe the saint represents a positive evolution in the Church’s role and think the Church should be open to more sweeping changes. This faction is excited about what the saint symbolizes and sees it as a way to revitalize the faith and connect with the people in new, practical ways.

Sectarians (Radical Progressives)

This group believes the Church is fundamentally broken and should split. They feel that sainthood should be normalized and that the Church has ignored or erased past saints. To them, this is a chance to recognize a deeper history and allow for more regional, individualized forms of worship and sainthood.

Taking This Idea Further

So yeah, that’s the result of my brainstorm. This all could be the main focus of a campaign, or events happening in the background. It could be a Casus Belli for a civil war/mercenary campaign, or a setting of scheming and plotting in a minor noble house caught in the schism.

For every member of the Church of Light, the DM could even do a secret diceroll:

Roll	The member is a…
1	Eradicationist
2	Eradicationist, posing as a (roll again)
3-4	Preserver
5-6	Reformer
7-8	Progressivist
9	Sectarian, posing as a (roll again)
10	Sectarian

And here, have some campaign hooks:

1. The Lost Tome: The party is tasked with recovering an ancient tome detailing the first prophet’s visions, which could either validate or discredit the saint’s rise.
2. The Saint’s Relic: A powerful artifact once belonging to the saint has gone missing, and both supporters and detractors are racing to find it first.
3. The Heretic’s Trial: The party is hired to protect or expose a high-ranking cleric on trial for secretly supporting the saint’s canonization.
4. Wizards in the Shadows: An arcane cabal seeks to manipulate the growing schism, hoping to weaken the Church of Light and gain more control over the realm.
5. The Sick King’s Blessing: A king suffering from an incurable illness turns to both divine and arcane magic for a cure, and the party must decide which path to follow.
6. The Sectarian Uprising: Radical Sectarians begin stirring rebellion in a remote province, and the party is sent to either quell or join the movement.
7. The Forgotten Saints: A hidden sect claims that several saints from centuries past were erased by the Church. The party is hired to investigate the ruins of an old monastery for proof.
8. The Blessing of War: Two rival lords seek the Church’s blessing to wage war. The party must influence the Church’s decision, knowing it will have massive political ramifications.
9. The Demonic Cult: A secret cult aims to provoke a demonic invasion, believing the Church is too weak to stand against it. The party is drawn into their plot, either to stop or exploit it.
10. Healing the Masses: A poor village is being refused divine healing, and the party must confront the corrupt priest, uncovering a deeper political conspiracy.
11. A New Prophet: Rumors spread of a new figure receiving visions from the Light. The Church fears another schism, and the party is caught between protecting or silencing this new prophet.
12. The Archbishop’s Secret: A prominent bishop secretly harbors a powerful arcane artifact, and the party is hired to steal it—or protect it from rival factions.
13. Blessed Warriors: An army of blessed knights threatens a nearby kingdom, their zealotry driving them to claim lands “in the name of the Light.” The party must mediate or face the warriors in battle.
14. The Wizard’s Offer: A powerful archmage offers to teach one of the party members arcane magic, but the Church pressures them to refuse, causing internal party conflict.
15. The Pope’s Dying Wish: The aging pope sends the party on a secret mission to find proof that the saint was divinely chosen, in hopes of preserving the Church’s unity before his death.