The Church: Building Holy Places in Your Game
They don't have to be just boring background places, they can be brought to life!
I was flipping through one of my old DM notebooks—one of the relics from my last foray into running a campaign entirely analog—and I stumbled on something interesting. Back when I was refining how settlements worked in my game, I developed a quick system for determining the kind of "Holy Place" a town or village might have. This can apply to ANY EDITION of your favorite fantasy game!
In most games, churches, shrines, and temples tend to be little more than a convenient healing station. A place where adventurers crawl back from the dungeon, bloody and broken, and toss a handful of gold at a priest to get their insides put back where they belong. But what if these places were more than that? What if they served as a gold sink, a hub for roleplay, and a growing part of the world alongside the players?
That’s where this system comes in—an evolving structure for holy sites, from humble roadside shrines to grand cathedrals with relics of immense power. Instead of just rolling up to a temple and assuming it’s some one-size-fits-all establishment, the size, influence, and power of a church are determined by the donations, its leadership, and the relics it houses.
The Stages
Breaking It Down
Stage – A quick reference for the DM to determine the church's level and influence in the town.
Name – What it’s called, from a simple shrine to a massive cathedral.
Donations (GP) – The standard range of expected donations for services, though the DM can adjust this at any time.
In Charge – Flavor text for the type of religious figure overseeing the place.
Level – The level of the person running the church, useful for divine spellcasting or NPC interactions.
Artifacts % – The likelihood that a significant holy artifact (blessed weapons, sacred tomes, relics of power) is kept here, maybe can be borrowed for a quest?
Sacred % – The odds that the place holds sacred texts, relics, or important religious documents. Adding some flavor, it also can serve as a plot hook if a thief steals them.
Donations Per Month – This is an optional mechanic for DMs who want to let churches grow over time based on the town’s prosperity or the players’ involvement.
Now obviously the bigger the stage, the more followers will be living and protecting the church. DM’s use your own discretion and logic here.
How to Use This in a Campaign
This system isn’t just about making churches feel more "real"—it’s about making them relevant to your game world. Maybe the players roll into town and find a struggling temple in need of funding. If they invest, the church grows, attracting more followers, more divine power, and possibly earning them favor with the faith.
Or perhaps the party needs to track down a powerful holy artifact. That 10% chance at a chapel might not cut it, but if they travel to the grand cathedral in the capital, there’s a 75% chance some ancient relic is enshrined there.
Even better, what if a player character—say, a cleric—becomes involved in building up a church from nothing? This system provides a built-in way for players to influence the religious and political landscape of a campaign setting.
I love systems that make the world feel alive, and this is one of those things I feel adds a nice touch. Instead of churches just being generic, one-stop healing stations, now they have depth, progression, and influence. If a DM wants to level up a temple over time, this makes it easy to track how much gold and influence it takes.
It also provides a solid reason for players to actually invest their hard-earned treasure outside of just buying better gear. Because let’s face it—gold piles up fast in some campaigns, and this is a great way to make sure players stay engaged with the world instead of just hoarding wealth like a dragon.
Would I use this in every game? Maybe not. But in a long-term campaign with a lot of town development and religious intrigue? Absolutely.
