Local Heresies
When running Outcast Silver Raiders, I found I wanted to make the world feel more real AND strange at the same time. Simultaneously, I began to do a bit of research into the medieval world (more than my interest in fantasy tabletop RPGs had already led me to do, that is) and in fact our world in general and came across a lot of information about religion at the time. One thing in particular that stuck out with me is the idea that there is no such thing as a "normal" Christian. Yes, even today we might be aware that Christianity is divided into sects and denominations and that in the past, many traditions were born out of local customs during conversion to Christianity itself, but even beyond that, people practice religion as it applies to them and think of it as the way everyone does. If this sounds at all odd or strange, well, good, that is the goal, but let's see if we can ground it in reality too.
A good example, I think, is a widespread belief and practice in the church grim, which involves burying a dog to oversee the welfare and protection of a church graveyard. In England, at least, this seems to have stemmed from the idea that the first person buried in a new churchyard would have their soul trapped and have to guard against the Devil. Firstly, this breaks the entire covenant of man with God, that he might be judged fit for Heaven or Hell when he dies (though depends on denomination whether they believe in particular judgement or just a final one). Second, it proposes that man alone can stand against the powers of the Devil, and not through the power of God but by his own spirit!
The point here is that religion is an active, ongoing thing, not a perfect, static collection of texts that never changes and is perfectly followed. It's an ongoing conversation with your neighbors about what connects and protects you, and despite our world being so global, it still is not a unified thing.
With all that being said, this is a fantasy game, and not everything here did or maybe even could really happen, and some are certainly more strange and unusual than others. The intention was not to turn every village or hamlet into a den of cultists and a hook for adventure, but to make each place feel a bit odd, so that it never quite feels like home. Some, of course, might still encourage your players to interrupt or put a stop to these heresies, or in other cases take part! Whether or not they work, in such cases, is entirely up to you.
For anyone hoping to use this for a more traditional, non-Earth fantasy game (or even one that just doesn't take place in a Christian country!) it'll take a bit more work to adjust. I'll most likely make a generic one at some point for my own use and post here, but I encourage you to customize it for your own table.
Below I will give an example of how I might use these tables to spark inspiration, rather than as a direction revelation of details.
Local Heresy Table
| d66 |
Local Heresy |
| 11 |
Additional god (roll on god table) |
| 12 |
Different Aspect of God (roll on god table) |
| 13 |
Local Saint (roll on saint table) |
| 14 |
Local Holiday (roll on holiday table) |
| 15 |
Sacrifice X to Y (roll on Sacrifice table) |
| 16 |
Sacrifice Y to X (roll on Sacrifice table) |
| 21 |
Unusual religious decoration (roll on charms and decorations table) |
| 22 |
Sacred animal (roll on animal table) |
| 23 |
Diabolical animal (roll on animal table) |
| 24 |
Charm (roll on charms and decorations table) |
| 25 |
Unusual Prayer |
| 26 |
Shibboleth |
| 31 |
Burn effigies |
| 32 |
Different rest day (roll a d6) |
| 33 |
Deviated depiction of God |
| 34 |
Job considered holy |
| 35 |
Role considered holy |
| 36 |
Locally permissible spell |
| 41 |
Sacred costumes (Use the table for god forms) |
| 42 |
Unusual sacred space |
| 43 |
Ancestor worship |
| 44 |
Sacred site |
| 45 |
Sacred bond |
| 46 |
Different religious leadership |
| 51 |
Sermons in a different language |
| 52 |
Unusual purification ritual |
| 53 |
Missing ubiquitous holy figure/part of the trinity |
| 54 |
Sacred immodesty |
| 55 |
One Sin and Virtue are swapped |
| 56 |
Put demons to housework |
| 61 |
Believe the end times are nigh |
| 62 |
Locally permissible to be named Jesus |
| 63 |
Believe the original sin is descendance from Cain |
| 64 |
Believe the Bible is entirely literal |
| 65 |
Believe the Bible is entirely metaphorical |
| 66 |
Believe that God is real but has forsaken humanity |
God Table
Either an additional deity or a different aspect of an existing one. Roll once and read across or roll twice and combine the results.
| d6 |
Form |
Domain |
| 1 |
Antlered/Horned |
Forest |
| 2 |
Female/Different Gender |
River/Body of Water |
| 3 |
Multi-Faced |
Truth |
| 4 |
Fanged |
Flesh |
| 5 |
Feathered |
Sky |
| 6 |
Dead |
The Afterlife |
Saint Table
A local Saint, not worshipped anywhere else. The table includes what a Saint is known for locally and what they are known for elsewhere. Either roll once and read across or roll twice and combine the results.
| d6 |
Known Locally For |
Known Elsewhere for |
| 1 |
Slaying a Demon |
Murder |
| 2 |
Returning a lost relic to the town |
Thievery |
| 3 |
Founding the town/building important building |
Conquest |
| 4 |
Healing the sick |
Witchcraft |
| 5 |
Martyrdom |
Heresy |
| 6 |
Ascending to Heaven |
This Saint is unknown elsewhere |
Charms and Decorations Table
Decorations are placed for all sorts of reasons and places. They should go over doorways, on mantles, and on walls, in places where you might expect crosses. Lucky horseshoes hung over doorways are a great example of a heresy.
It's possible to roll on this and read across, or roll twice and mix and match, but sometimes it's enough to roll once and replace something else.
Another good table for charms is the X column of the sacrifice table, though there is overlap.
| d6 |
Decoration |
Placement |
Worn |
| 1 |
Coin |
Offerings to a home altar |
Woven into hair |
| 2 |
Idol/Scripture |
On walls |
On clothing |
| 3 |
Weapons/Tools |
Above doorways |
Carried |
| 4 |
Amputation/Blood |
Under pillows |
It's the lack that is the charm |
| 5 |
Hair/Fur |
By the hearth |
As a ring |
| 6 |
Animal |
Outside/Garden/Boundary |
As an amulet |
Sacrifice Table
When using this table, either roll once and read across or roll twice and combine the results. For different results, try rolling on the decorations table as a stand in for either X or Y.
| d10 |
X |
Y |
| 1 |
Children |
Animals |
| 2 |
Animals |
Weapons |
| 3 |
Bones |
Caves |
| 4 |
Incense |
Altars |
| 5 |
Dice |
Fire |
| 6 |
Music |
Sky |
| 7 |
Food/Alcohol |
Forests |
| 8 |
Time |
Strangers |
| 9 |
Flowers |
Saints |
| 10 |
Valuables/Currency |
Birds |
Animal Tables
| d6 |
Type of Animal |
| 1 |
Livestock |
| 2 |
Companion |
| 3 |
Game |
| 4 |
Predator |
| 5 |
Unusual |
| 6 |
Individual, roll again |
Livestock Table
These are animals that are raised for meat, produce a material for food or industry, serve for labor, or more than one of the above.
| d8 |
Livestock |
| 1 |
Donkey |
| 2 |
Sheep |
| 3 |
Cattle |
| 4 |
Pig |
| 5 |
Fowl |
| 6 |
Goat |
| 7 |
Bee |
| 8 |
Horse |
Companion Table
These are animals that serve a specific purpose and the owner might usually have a strong connection to them.
| d4 |
Companion |
| 1 |
Hound |
| 2 |
Horse |
| 3 |
Hawk/Falcon |
| 4 |
Cat |
Horse Table
When rolling on the horse table, consider rolling a d3 and only use the upper or lower results, depending on whether it was for rolled for livestock or for hunting.
| d6 |
Horse |
| 1 |
Nag |
| 2 |
Workhorse |
| 3 |
Rounsey |
| 4 |
Palifrey |
| 5 |
Courser |
| 6 |
Destrier |
Game Table
These are animals hunted for food or sport or both.
| d12 |
Game |
| 1 |
Songbird |
| 2 |
Beaver |
| 3 |
Hare |
| 4 |
Hart |
| 5 |
Ermine |
| 6 |
Squirrel |
| 7 |
Boar |
| 8 |
Fish |
| 9 |
Poultry |
| 10 |
Otter |
| 11 |
Fox |
| 12 |
Unicorn |
Predator Table
These are creatures that might be perceived as directly harmful or threats to humans.
| d4 |
Predator |
| 1 |
Wolf |
| 2 |
Bear |
| 3 |
Lynx |
| 4 |
Adder |
Unusual Table
Unusual animals that don't quite fit into other categories
| d6 |
Unusual Animal |
| 1 |
Whale |
| 2 |
Vermin |
| 3 |
Snail/Slug |
| 4 |
Frog |
| 5 |
Badger |
| 6 |
Carrion Bird |
Vermin Table
Pests, things that cause problems
| d6 |
Vermin |
| 1 |
Rat |
| 2 |
Spider |
| 3 |
Wasp |
| 4 |
Fly |
| 5 |
Mouse |
| 6 |
Parasitic Worm |
Spell Table
When using this table, either roll once and read across or roll twice and combine the results.
For additional spell ideas, consider rolling on the sacrifice table for components or catalysts.
| d6 |
Spell Type |
Spell Component |
| 1 |
Hex |
Lead Tablet |
| 2 |
Protection |
Scripture |
| 3 |
Divination |
Bones |
| 4 |
Healing |
Herbs |
| 5 |
Love/Fertility |
Hair |
| 6 |
Luck |
Money |
Shibboleth Table
| d4 |
Shibboleth |
Example |
| 1 |
Different order of gesture |
Crossing oneself in reverse |
| 2 |
Different concluding word |
Replacing Amen with Let it be so |
| 3 |
Different accepted canon |
Andrew, not Peter, is the first apostle (or the other way around) |
| 4 |
Different greeting |
Greet with a kiss on the cheek |
Holiday Table
Roll a d12 to determine what month the festival is in. Roll on the table to determine what the festival is celebrating or honoring.
| d6 |
Subject of Holiday |
| 1 |
harvest fields |
| 2 |
local forest |
| 3 |
local body of water |
| 4 |
moon |
| 5 |
sun |
| 6 |
appeasement of evil |
Sins and Virtues Table
The seven deadly sins and their virtues have been included, paired, for your convenience. Blasphemy and Faith have been included as well, to round out the table and may produce a very strange and unique heresy.
| d8 |
Sin |
Virtue |
| 1 |
Pride |
Humility |
| 2 |
Greed |
Charity |
| 3 |
Lust |
Chastity |
| 4 |
Envy |
Kindness |
| 5 |
Gluttony |
Temperance |
| 6 |
Wrath |
Patience |
| 7 |
Sloth |
Diligence |
| 8 |
Blasphemy |
Faith |
Sacred Jobs and Roles Table
| d6 |
Job |
Role |
| 1 |
Farmer |
Family Member |
| 2 |
Soldier |
Youngest |
| 3 |
Carpenter |
Oldest |
| 4 |
Baker |
Initiate |
| 5 |
Merchant |
Outcast |
| 6 |
Thief |
Stranger |
Sacred Bond Table
| d6 |
Bond |
| 1 |
Twins |
| 2 |
Same sex pair |
| 3 |
With animal |
| 4 |
To church |
| 5 |
To authority |
| 6 |
To have no bonds at all |
Sacred Space/Site Table
| d6 |
Space |
Site |
| 1 |
Eaves |
Tree |
| 2 |
Stables |
Rock |
| 3 |
Doorways |
Body of water |
| 4 |
Gardens |
Grave |
| 5 |
Hearths |
Cave |
| 6 |
Beds |
Ruin |
Religious Leadership Table
| d6 |
Leadership Figure |
| 1 |
Different Pope |
| 2 |
King |
| 3 |
A local youth |
| 4 |
Sacred job is also religious leader |
| 5 |
Sacred role is also religious leader |
| 6 |
No leadership accepted, all are equal under God |
Sermon Language Table
You can pick just about any language for this, but if rolling helps, here are some neat ones. For a more reasonable table, replace 2, 3, and maybe 4 with the local language.
| d6 |
Language |
| 1 |
Locally spoken language |
| 2 |
French |
| 3 |
German |
| 4 |
Hebrew |
| 5 |
Greek |
| 6 |
Nothing is spoken at all |
Purification Ritual
Roll once and read across or roll twice and mix results.
| d6 |
Purification |
Method |
| 1 |
Moonlight |
Nudity |
| 2 |
Water |
Submersion |
| 3 |
Fire |
Dance |
| 4 |
Stone |
Screaming |
| 5 |
Weapon/Tool |
Sacrifice |
| 6 |
Blood |
Anoint |
Example case: I'm looking to create a local heresy for a small village or hamlet my players might run into while exploring the northern part of the map. I roll 2d6, one as the tens and the other as the ones, on the main table to discover what strange practices they might have out here. The result is a 2 and a 4, so I check the 24 row on the table: Charm. Decorations and sacrifices from the X column make for good charms, but I'll just use Decorations this time, though I could use flip a coin to pick or just go for the more unusual with the sacrifice table. I roll another 6, getting a result of Animals. Charms are worn, and the 6 row has "as an amulet", which to me says something either like a lucky rabbit's foot (which could also be relevant for "Amputation" and "as an amulet") or a figure of an animal worn for some purpose, but I personally prefer to roll another die to create a weirder result, especially if I'm prepping ahead of time. The second die is a 1, which is "woven into hair". I could do something really strange, like weaving insects into hair (maybe those stuck in sap or amber!) but I like rolling dice so I'll roll further on the animal table and see what I get. I roll a 6! So it's an individual animal, and I'll roll again to determine. I could have rolled a d5 but I roll a d6 and get 6 again (annoying) but maybe that'll be good for inspiration later. I roll again and get a 5, Unusual. On this table, I get a 4, Frog. Immediately I have weird ideas for this. What if what is being put into hair is frog eggs. Otherwise, my thought might be frog legs (good for strong legs yourself), but since it's an individual frog, I think that eggs makes more sense. I don't think "woven" in this case is as literal, so I think the charm might be crushing the eggs and rubbing the result into hair, then rinsing it out. One thing missing from a table like this is what benefit this would provide, but I don't think a random result would be as useful. In this case, I think of frog's croaking, which calls singing to mind, but that's not necessary something as helpful. Instead, it might be done as a charm for beauty or attracting someone in particular, since croaking is done with the purpose of mating for frogs. Hair is also generally a signifier of beauty, especially if you are able to take care of it and show it off. I'll also need to create a little more detail about this singular frog (immediately, I'm thinking it's a giant, and maybe has some other strange heretical practices involved with it), but I'm not worried about that right now.
To show how the same result can produce different heresies, I've given this example to another game master, and they suggested it as charm against pregnancy(!!!) due to crushing eggs, and the hair in this case being pubic hair. As well, they immediately thought of a mummified frog, and combining those two things together, I think that a desiccated, mummified frog that still produces eggs feels miraculous enough to inspire heresy! In both cases, do these frogs reproduce without a male? Inspiring a Virgin Mary parallel to really up the strange and miraculous factor.
If something particularly interesting strikes you about your own rolls, I'd love to hear it.
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