Your Place in the Grand Scheme
Clerics, alignment, and religion -- and your campaign
Tom Little

The importance of clerics in AD&D 
game campaigns is often underestimated.  
In particular, clerics should bear the burden 
of establishing and maintaining the 
contending alignments that define the 
large-scale struggles in the game world.  
This role can be quite direct and tangible 
if the clerics act on the behalf of deities 
who have specific purposes and interests 
in the campaign.  So that clerics can operate 
in this capacity, the natures of alignment 
and religion must be established in 
the campaign, and the relationship of 
these two facets of the Game world to 
clerics as a class must be defined. 

It must be emphasized that the incorporation 
of specific religions and philosophies 
into a game will only be successful if 
all the players and the DM are comfortable 
with the idea, and if religion in the 
game is kept distinct from religion in 
reality.  Many people would feel offended 
(and rightly so) if their personal religious 
beliefs were trivialized by translation into 
game terms.  This article treates game religion 
in such a way as to minimuze this 
possibility.  However, respect for the feelings 
of each player in a gaming group is 
essential to a successful campaign and 
must always come 1st.  Should any player 
be offended by a group?s treatment of
religion in a game, that treatment should
be revised or discarded without argument.

Issues & answers
The first thing to do is to establish the
roles of Good, Evil, Law, Chaos, and all
deities within the game world. This is
ideally done by the DM with the players?
cooperation and contributions. Questions
that must be answered include these:

-- Are Good and Evil primal forces in the
universe, or are they merely ways of
classifying the behavior of individuals?

-- ?What is the cosmogony of the game
world? How did man and the other races
originate? Is there a multitude of deities,
or one, or none?

-- What is the relationship of the deities to
the physical universe? Are they its creators
or its products?

-- What is the relationship of the deities to
the individuals in the campaign? Do the
deities actively intervene in directing the
world? Do they communicate with individuals,
or do they only observe, making their
influences felt through the work of humans
and other creatures of the world?

Most published material in the AD&D
system that relates to these questions
suggests a world in which the forces of
Good and Evil (and Law and Chaos) are
primal, forming a metaphysical system in
which deities and characters alike are
obliged to act. Furthermore, the gods are
themselves inhabitants and actors in the
multiverse and are not its creators. They
intervene in worldly affairs on the rare
occasions when they have sufficient incentive,
inclination, or time to do so.

In a universe such as this, clerics serve
the wishes of their deities, explicit or
implied, and rarely consider the more
cosmological or theological issues. Deities
are likely to have goals similar to those of
characters, but on a grander scale. Details
of religious practice are probably of only
secondary concern to such deities, who
are no doubt preoccupied in power struggles
with their rivals, in which only persons
and artifacts of great power have
much significance. Under these circumstances,
the notes on alignment given in
the Player’s Handbook and the Dungeon
Master’s Guide are adequate for the purpose
of defining the approaches of the
rival deities and their followers.

Such a scenario establishes a specific
role for characters in general, and clerics
in particular, who effectively become the
henchmen of beings vastly more powerful
than themselves. The burden is on the DM
to determine the ?will of the gods? and to
allow this information to trickle down into
the campaign.

Other scenarios lead to quite different
roles for the players and DM. For example,
alignment might be given priority over the
wishes of the deities. High-level clerics
would have the responsibility for establishing
the philosophical codes characterizing
the various game alignments, and of
converting others to their own worldview.
In a variation of this, the deities
could disseminate philosophies to their
clerics. In either case, characters would be
obliged to follow moral principles rather
than the wishes of superior beings.

Another possibility is to allow religions
of a monotheistic sort, patterned after
Judeo-Christian faiths as they were practiced
in medieval times. If this scenario is
adopted, the supreme being of these religions
should not be brought into the game
in any direct way. Such a god would almost
certainly be regarded as an omnipotent
creator. The various ?deities? of the
game, if present at all, would be the angels,
demons, pagan gods, and other supernatural
beings encountered universally
in the religions of the Middle Ages. The
supreme being might communicate
through these lesser deities, but would
never appear as an actor in the game. This
not only reserves for the supreme being
an aura of proper dignity and reverence,
but is also the only practical thing to do in
games terms. (There is no sense in involving
a literally omnipotent being in any
game situation.) In this scenario, clerics
are again servants of a higher power.
However, the nature of this power means
that the clerics must take a more active
role in discovering their god?s will through
the study of scripture, prayer and meditation,
and so on. The lessers deities might
also play a role in providing the clerics
with guidance.

Yet another approach is to make the
campaign world one in which deities
never involve themselves in any unambiguous
way in the world or its history. The
gods? existence is an article of faith on the
part of their followers. In such a scenario,
high-level clerics believe that their deities
do communicate with them, grant spells,
etc., but there is no direct evidence obliging
others to accept these clerics? beliefs or
interpretations. Such a world will have
countless philosophies, some complex and
some simple. The origins of such a world
and its inhabitants, as well as its purpose,
are likely to be a mystery to the individuals
therein. Again, the cleric establishes
his own guidelines for conduct, based on
the tradition of his particular religion.

These possibilities do not begin to exhaust
the choices. The reason for describing
these few is that they give some idea of
the many different ways in which the
goals of clerics can be established. It gives
richness and stability to a campaign to set
it against a cosmic background. The clerics
must be the primary interpreters and
agents of the cosmic powers, whatever
those might be in a particular campaign.
On the small scale of adventuring, such
considerations can be avoided. However,
once the campaign has progressed to a
regional or global scale, the underlying
goals and purposes should be well understood,
and it is best if they are established
from the outset. Even on the small scale of
a single adventure, a character who has an
opinion regarding his place in the scheme
of things is much more interesting and
enjoyable than one who does not. It is one
more aspect of characterization, and one
that makes the cleric class in particular
come alive and become something more
than a walking first-aid kit.

Starting a church
If the places of humans and deities
within the campaign world are understood
and established, the role of religion in the
game can be developed. The description of
the ceremony spell in Unearthed Arcana is
inspirational in this regard. Establishment
of a congregation or church by a cleric
should not be dismissed as boring or irrelevant
to the progress of the game. It is
through the practice of the cleric?s religion
that such a character may extend his
belief system into the campaign. The cleric
has the opportunity not only to acquire a
few dedicated followers or henchmen, but
also to spread his alignment through an
area of the campaign world, making it a
place more to his liking and strengthening
his standing with respect to his deity and
alignment as well. Even a 3rd-level cleric is
allowed to preach and bring people into
his religion. This gives the cleric the possibility
for large-scale influence on the game
world at a much lower level than is possible
for characters of other classes.

DMs and players alike are encouraged to
investigate the many possibilities of bringing
religious practice into game terms. For
example, in a region where churchgoers
are accustomed to tithing, a preaching
cleric is likely to receive monetary donations
afterward. A system was devised for
my campaign in which church attendance
and tithing were determined by dice rolls,
keyed to the cleric?s charisma and recent
events.

Consider the possibility of bonuses to
morale and loyalty when henchmen share
the religion of the cleric who adventures
with them. Consider also the sanctuary
afforded a party of adventurers by a
church or temple of their own religion.
Perhaps some cultures or societies in the
milieu have a prohibition against harming
unarmed clerics or druids.

It goes without saying that these and
many other benefits accruing to clerics
will apply only when a cleric actually
devotes his attention (or at least part of it)
to the practice and contemplation of his
religion. He must study sacred writings,
establish places of worship, and provide
aid to those espousing his religion, as
appropriate to his level and the particulars
of his religion as determined by the player
and DM. Donations and tithes received
must be used to support the church, not
to line the character?s pockets (at least in
the case of good or lawful clerics).

What of the religion of nonclerical characters?
Many will certainly practice some
particular religion. A good way to establish
a character?s religion is to draw up a
table of the most popular religions in each
PC?s place of origin or residence. Each
religion will have a definite alignment
associated with it, though the followers of
the religion will generally have a range of
alignments. The table should give probabilities
(in terms of dice rolls) for a character
to belong each of the various religions.
Such a table could also include a probability
of the PC having no religion. (In wild
territory, many individuals may be unconcerned
with religious matters; they can be
atheistic, agnostic, or otherwise occupied
as suits the campaign.) If the character?s
alignment is already known, two or three
rolls may be made on the religion table,
with the player selecting the religion closest
to the PC?s alignment. (The process can
also be reversed, determining religion
first, then alignment.) Religion and alignment
need not match, as some individuals
may espouse religions that do not perfectly
suit their own outlook on life. A
cleric, of course, must always be of the
same alignment as his religion.

Are you good or bad?
The problem of alignment is an old and
complex one. If a player really wishes to
use his character?s alignment to guide him
in play, he may find the paragraphs pertaining
to alignment in the game rules to
be too general and difficult to apply. The
solution to this difficulty lies with the
gaming group and DM, who have the
authority to define specifically what is
meant by each alignment in the context of
the particular campaign.

There is another difficulty involved in
using alignment in role-playing. A chaotic
character may realize that acting on his
own behalf would destroy the group and
all its members. Is he playing out of character
by going along with the others? A
lawful character may feel compelled to
obey a senseless command, a good character
may have to kill to survive, and so on.
Many players feel that there is often a
conflict between ?playing in alignment?
and playing intelligently.

This dilemma is not a real dilemma. It
comes from considering the requirements
of alignment too superficially and not
integrating alignment with intelligence and
wisdom to produce a consistent character.

Intelligence dictates the degree to which
a character?s outlook (alignment) is rationalized.
An unintelligent chaotic merely
resents being bossed around, whereas an
intelligent chaotic consciously espouses
some philosophy, such as anarchism or
existentialism, that promotes the individual
over the group. These two chaotics
will act quite differently if given an order.
The unintelligent chaotic will resent any
order and will probably have to be physically
coerced if what is asked of him is in
any way difficult or dangerous. The intelligent
chaotic, on the other hand, will readily
obey any order that he considers to be
logical and in his own best interest. He
may resist authority that he believes to be
in error, although he is open to persuasion
if any one can convince him that he will
ultimately benefit from obedience. (He will
never consider obedience beneficial as an
end in itself, but as a means to personal
advancement he will accept it.)

The following notes summarize how
intelligence and alignment can affect a
PC?s personality:

Intelligence less than 8: The character?s
alignment is inarticulate and unrationalized
unrationalized.
He cannot give reasons for his behavior,
but he acts on his natural inclinations.
A neutral character of low
intelligence is easily swayed by circumstance
and peer pressure. A chaotic is
contrary, while a lawful is docile and
obedient. A good character is naturally
sympathetic and helpful toward anyone he
meets, while an evil character dislikes
everyone equally.

Intelligence 8-10: This character has at
least some rational justification for his
alignment tendencies. A good character
may quote the golden rule or appeal to the
authority of the prevailing culture. An evil
character may take a ?do unto others
before they do it to you? attitude. A lawful
PC will point to the stabilizing effects of
order, while a chaotic PC may condemn
law as a first step to slavery. A neutral PC
will be motivated by a simple kind of
relativism (?It takes all kinds.?). Characters
of average intelligence can persuaded
from their natural inclinations only with
some difficulty, force or threat often being
more effective than words.

Intelligence 11-14: A character in this
category belongs to some specific philosophical
school or holds some specific
religions doctrine. He will discuss his
principles and attempt to apply them
when an important decision arises. However,
he usually has a number of uncertainties
regarding the philosophy he holds
and is readily persuaded to take the most
sensible course of action when in doubt. A
chaotic would speak in terms of individual
rights and freedom, but a lawful character
would appeal to a principle such as the
divine right of kings. A good character will
seek the greatest good for the greatest
number and will have some interest in the
survival of good on the large scale, rather
than just an inclination toward generosity.
An evil character will see history as a
pattern of force and will measure success
by the injury done to opponents.

Intelligence 15-17: A highly intelligent
character will have a detailed personal
philosophy, often of his own devising. His
justifications for his actions will be well
reasoned and distinctive. Much of his life?s
goal consists of the creative realization of
his philosophy. Many such characters are
quite subtle, seeking to achieve some
grand design that is not obvious to others.
However, some find an intellectual challenge
in holding to a strict code of ethics at
all times. A good character of this latter
sort might go to great lengths to survive a
battle without taking another?s life or
shedding blood.

Intelligence 18 or higher: Such a genius
character is a philosopher with a detailed
moral system of his own devising (or at
least his own unique interpretation of an
existing system). Most such characters will
endeavor to become philosopher-kings,
found religions, or establish places of
learning from which to put forth their
ideas. They are looked upon as spokesmen
for their alignments.

If alignment play is to be taken seriously,
it is recommended that players whose
characters have an intelligence of 15 or
greater prepare outlines of each character
?s philosophy. This should be a oneparagraph
essay describing the character?s
belief system and world view. It should be
sufficiently detailed to serve as a guide to
making decisions during the course of the
game. The outline should be read by the
DM to determine whether it is consistent
with the character?s alignment. Characters
with an intelligence of 11 or more should
have some idea of the religion or culture
whose philosophy they espouse.

Wisdom also effects alignment play.
Wisdom determines the character?s ability
to view the world in proper perspective,
to recognize the large-scale consequences
of actions as well as the immediate consequences.
Wisdom is also a measure of
maturity, the ability to distinguish the
minor from the significant, and the possible
from the impossible. A wise character
knows where to apply his energies to
maximize the results obtained. The effect
of wisdom on alignment play is difficult to
state without reference to circumstance,
but here are some guidelines:

Wisdom less than 8: This PC will often
totally miss the point of whatever situation
he faces, acting according to his alignment
(with full rationalization in the case of
intelligent characters) as he sees it but
quite possibly making a decision he later
regrets. A chaotic PC might be told to be
silent; he resents the command and argues,
only to be attacked by an enemy
who traces the noise he makes.

Wisdom 8-13: This PC will tend to rely
on whatever intelligence he has when
making decisions, but he will recognize his
own fallibility and will listen to the advice
of others.

Wisdom 14 or higher: This PC will rarely
panic and always tends toward caution
and moderation. He may be the last to
speak in a discussion and will usually
recognize a decision of great importance
when one presents itself.

It is the perspective endowed by wisdom
that makes this attribute the prime requisite
of the cleric class. The wise character
is able to see his place in the larger
scheme of things more clearly, and he
wishes to become a participant in the
struggle between the forces of Good, Evil,
Law, and Chaos which transcends the
immediate concerns of day-to-day life. In
the author?s campaign world of Normara,
it is common knowledge that the prohibition
against clerics using edged weapons is
symbolic of their removal from the technology
of battle and their focus on the
larger issues of the world. Even evil clerics
respect and understand this important
point: Warfare is a means to a greater end,
serving the purposes of evil.

This brings up the issue of evil and
chaotic religions and clerics. In some campaign
worlds, these will not exist. However,
they are perfectly possible and often
desirable from the standpoint of the campaign
as a means of balance. It is even
possible to have an evil monotheism, in
which the universe is created for the
purpose of pain and destruction, and
every cleric?s mission is to glorify the
creator by deeds of evil (though it would
not be much fun to play in such a world).

Religions tend to be lawful, since clerics
act to carry out the plans of some deity or
cosmic principle and thus operate in an
obedient mode. However, chaos is also a
cosmic principle, and obedience to chaos is
chaotic, not lawful. To take another example
from the author?s Normara campaign,
the Heveri cult is a chaotic-good religion.
Each cleric of this religion chooses his own
deity, and there are no organized
churches. These clerics are forbidden to
establish strongholds, and all believe that
diversity in religious practice keeps the
cult vital and helps promote ultimate good.
These Heveri clerics wander the continents,
tutoring new acolytes in the philosophy
of the religion but leaving them free
to choose their own specific goals in accordance
with the deities they have
chosen.
 

A little time invested in fleshing out the
details of clerics, alignments, and religions
in the campaign world offers many rewards
in terms of the depth and richness
of the milieu and, more importantly, in
terms of interesting and three-dimensional
role-playing.


JANUARY 1990