Adding a well-padded religious dimension to your game setting is a boon for players. In most fantasy parties you will find a clerical player - whether healer, druid or paladin type. In other time settings, religious orders and sects may wield considerable influence over societies and the political structure. Whatever game you are running, having a religious element will prove useful. Some things you might want to consider:
1. To what extent does religion play a part in everyday life? Is religious observance commonplace or considered an oddity? Do religious organizations hold political power? What are the social norms for observance or failing to observe religious protocol? Moving your players from a secular setting to a strictly observant theocratic setting, for example, will create significant RP opportunities and challenge your players to up their game.
2. To what extent do the gods exert their influence over your setting? Does religion fulfill a societal/spiritual purpose only or can prayers lead to direct interventions/results courtesy of the deities themselves? If the latter, are all the deities working together in harmony or are they in opposition to one another? Is the goal balance or supremacy? Deciding this will greatly influence the type of game you can run. It can provide plenty of plot material too!
3. Consider creating a creation back-story to explain the role religion now plays. How did the gods create the world and for what purpose? Has any one group been designated
guardian or
protector by the gods? It can be helpful to work religious sites into this back story, explaining why and how certain locations are considered powerful or sacred. This will enrich the experience of your players when they visit them.
There are plenty of religious pantheons available from game source material for you to draw on (to save time) but it can be rewarding to have a go at making up your own from scratch - giving you the flexibility to tailor it to your world and create plot opportunities to use later.
Happy Gaming,
Stolph (Ed)
