Cults and Brotherhoods

Ack! Cults! 

Cults and Brotherhoods are a really powerful tool in Mythras, but are often ignored, overlooked, or steered clear of due to being a bit intimidating. I'd like to help explain how I use them, and hopefully alleviate some of those fears. In later blog posts, I'll walk through some examples of creating cults and brotherhoods.

What's in a Name?

First off, lets clear something up. Cult, in this case, uses the fourth definition of cult, though the first applies as well. This is a problem for some, particularly Americans, because we use the secondary definition, which includes the creepy part. Let's start with which one we are using.

a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.

 and because I know it will need to happen, veneration means

to regard or treat with reverence; revere.

 Essentially, this is no more than a group of people with a common belief structure that holds them together. Call it an organization - it works just as well.

I Believe in... something

This belief structure doesn't have to be complex. It can be quite simple. Here are some examples of relatively simple belief structures

• Defense of our homes/city/country/forest
• Maintenance and completion of a bridge
• Learning Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
• Becoming rich through criminal enterprise
• Decipher the mysteries of the book of Ukazad the Eternal
• Delta is the best airline

The idea here is to have some core goal that is more advanced than "be personally better", though that can actually work with some further development. It is very common for players to not want to have to think about this because they tend to think of them in terms of lofty goals or worship of the divine. It really doesn't have to be that large. It doesn't even have to have a leader or person at the top.

Pulling Rank

Rank is just a way to distinguish who has the privilege to learn a certain thing or do a certain thing. Every organization has these. Some may be pretty flat, but structure is pretty common when privileges are involved. This is because they are often a limited resource or are dangerous. Even frequent fliers have this. Consider Delta's Sky Miles, they have Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Medallion status, and each level has privileges that the one before doesn't have.

Membership has its Privileges

I'm going to use the B word a lot in this part. Balance. Everyone is very concerned about balance. Are the characters balanced against each other? Is this cult out of balance? I have a secret to tell you - you are the GM. You get to control the entirety of creation. Many things can happen in the world to help balance things out. So, the truth is, they pretty much all are.

Balance isn't really the right way to think about it. Think about it from the perspective of the organization and risk to them. Does your work give junior folks a million dollars and tell them to go finish a project? No, they give it to someone proven. Does Delta give out free seats to just anyone? No, they do it for people who have spent A LOT of money with them. Similarly, sorcery schools may not give out Wrack to junior members because senior members don't know they are to be trusted yet. Martial arts schools have advanced techniques that require a good knowledge of the basics to go forward. Generals get to control armies, PFCs get fire teams.

Certain Terms and Conditions may apply

Restrictions are another one that players tend to dislike, and it's understandable. They don't know exactly where they are going yet, and putting those walls in place can feel pretty restricting. Here's the thing - its a restricting while they are part of the organization. If they don't want to do that anymore, have them find another with restrictions that are more in line with where their character is going. They may lose some benefits, or maybe not. Maybe the new organization has similar powers, but different restrictions.

They also don't have to be particularly restricting to the player. If the player has a problem with murdering innocents, putting them in a cult that requires sacrifice is going to be worthy of a discussion. They can be pretty light restrictions as well, and give some serious flavor. They are really there for defining flavor. Some examples of how they can be light and flavor

• I've never had a game where a Marrying taboo would come into play - not the kind of game my folks like - but it would have made several games a lot more interesting, as it would have identified certain organizations as "confirmed bachelors" or "vestal virgins". 
• A brotherhood that has a geas against using swords in battle is perfectly fine for a player who envisions his fighter using a spear and shield all the time. If it comes up, it's a dramatic scene where he has to choose between breaking his geas and heroically using his fists!
• An oath to protect a city while in it is practically required for the city guards, and is pretty light for characters who enter a city. With that oath, they may get some additional privileges, like wearing armor or carrying more than a knife. When they leave the city, that oath vanishes. When they return, they can renew it.