Advice for RPing an evil Cleric

[VestigeArcanist]

Hey y'all

I've recently started up a new Character, an LE cleric of Wee Jas. This cleric took a strong liking to the undead, and with the next level up he is going into Master of Shrouds.

His goal is to spread his cult into this new medium sized town that he has entered, but he is starting off by himself (no followers yet) and his particular sect has been driven underground by established temples.

How would my cleric set up his religion and convert the members of the town?

[Strawberries]

Hmm. Off the top of my head?

1) Fear. That is a powerful motivator for converting people. Fear of some external real or imagined threat that your god may help prevent and/or counteract. Yeah, yours may not be the more palatable of religions...but look at what'll happen if people don't stick with you! Really, you and your god are the only one that can fix this. Get to the worship, people.

2) Bribery. Your religion brings advantages to the converts. Power and/or richness. Again, that could be the truth, or a bunch of lies. But as long as ambitious people believe it...you have your cult.

[Talakeal]

I have no idea how you actually recruit people into a cult, but I am sure you could find plenty of real world accounts online.

Evil gods are generally pretty easy to get people to worship. Just be generous with the miracles, and tell people about how honesty and self worth are priorities for your religion, rather than the hard work and devotion with little reward that good deities promote. Tell them they can get whatever they want and still end up in their god's good graces, and that all that stuff about demons torturing you in the lower places is just a lie perpetrated by the good clerics, which may well be true depending on the campaign.

[sengmeng]

When I did it, I was the "voice of reason" in the party, always looking out for us and our interests... really, I was advocating we do evil stuff and be selfish. The evil cleric, especially lawful evil, is the tempter, the organized schemer who wants to include others. Just figure out something vaguely evil (and don't forget selfish, selfish actions are attractive actions) and try to get lots of people involved.

[Sillycomic]

As lawful evil you should be looking at who are the most powerful people in town, and getting to know them.

The mayor? I'm sure a little money in his pocket will go a long way towards your cult getting together.

Is there a local temple already in town? Perhaps join as an acolyte wanting to "help" and slowly converting the church your way.

Have you thought about offering people cookies?

[FatJose]

As lawful evil you should be looking at who are the most powerful people in town, and getting to know them.

The mayor? I'm sure a little money in his pocket will go a long way towards your cult getting together.

Or the complete opposite, Help the sick, downtrodden and those that society let slip through the cracks. Promise them that they can have a better life...or unlife by following the tenants of said religion. Work your way up instead of down. The common day laborer has friends...maybe one of those friends is a butcher who has a cousin who owns a shoppe, who has a wife who has an aunt who's husband is in a guard. Religion is often very family focused, yeah? While you are evil, Wee Jas is LN. Focus on the lawful aspect. Not following literal laws, per se, but good strong values, ways of living(unliving) and the humanoid right to continue existing on this side if one chooses to. Life is short, why not extend it a little?

Bribing is good either way...THough, remember to sugarcoat it as something that "isnt" a bribe.

[Sillycomic]

The only problem with that is the the OP already said established temples have already driven his sect underground.

As soon as the temples find out he's trying to revive said cults in the town, he'll have all of those temples after him pretty harshly.

You could always make a dummy religion that offers riches and heavens and lots of cookies and candy. You can do all of those same things Jose was talking about, and then when you have devoted followers just slowly lead them towards the evilness of your own sect.

Or not.

A cult of a dummy religion means no one ever really knows you or Wee Jas is behind everything.

[Acanous]

Immortality.
People will pay a hell of a lot, and believe really stupid things, to escape their fear of death. You offer people a way to not have to deal with being tortured in the lower planes. Stay here, be undead.

Powerful, Evil people will very much be interested in you and Wee Jas. They don't wanna end up some devil's plaything.

I'd set up shop as a fortune teller. Use actual divination spells to find out things about people, and make some forebodeing prophecies for some wealthy, evil people (But try to keep it as accurate as possible, or they'll kill you) and offer them your services as a way out. In exchange for their help recruiting followers and possibly even driving out the other churches. This could even be mutually beneficial.

[Mutazoia]

Muhahahahahah

(ahem)

Ok...evil clerics....

Everybody has this image of evil that is, IMHO seriously flawed. Too many Hollywood slasher flix I think... A Lawful Evil cleric isn't going to be the sinister looking, menacing figure in the dark robe. He's going to be the nicest guy in town. He'll be your best friend and get you to damn yourself. Imagine your evil cleric as the used car salesman of the soul. (I've always liked James Wood's take on Hades in Disney's Hercules as an example of this.)

So what if your evil cult has been driven underground. Christianity was driven underground and look where it is today? Go watch Sherlock Holmes (2009) and see how mystical cults can exist even in a society that shuns them. If the rich and powerful see a way to get even more rich and powerful through your little secret society (never EVER call it a cult or religion) then they'll jump on the band wagon. If the poor and down-trodden can see a way out if the muck and get one over on the power's that be, they'll sign up with little hesitation. People who are lost and looking for answers in life are easy pickings for the would be cult leader. Just take a look at Manson (Chuck, not Mary).

You'll have to start small, of course, recruiting the poor, the homeless...people who feel that they've got the short, pointy end of the stick between nether-cheeks. Go slow...don't start the human sacrifices just yet. Let them talk to dearly departed ancestors and such...give them the smoke and mirrors before presenting them with the bill... Eventually you'll want to start getting the local government converted. There's always some minor functionary that thinks he's being singled out for all the horrible jobs, deliberately passed over for advancement because of some rich nobles son wanted a desk job. They're bitter, and resentful, and will do just about anything to get what they think they are owed. Help them get an advancement or two... bribery and a liberal application of poison, etc. The more power they want, the deeper into your new secret society the have to get. And always make sure you have something to hold over their head in case they have sudden attack of conscience.

The exact methods I leave up to you... I'm not penning a "how to start your own cult" book here on the forums.

[Delwugor]

Everybody has this image of evil that is, IMHO seriously flawed. Too many Hollywood slasher flix I think... A Lawful Evil cleric isn't going to be the sinister looking, menacing figure in the dark robe. He's going to be the nicest guy in town. He'll be your best friend and get you to damn yourself. Imagine your evil cleric as the used car salesman of the soul. (I've always liked James Wood's take on Hades in Disney's Hercules as an example of this.)

Mutazoia is wise in the ways of evil.
Also look at Palpatine's seduction of Anakin, great example of leading someone down the path without them realizing it.

But don't go after the poor directly, a different religion among the poor is a cult to be squashed by the powerful. Instead go after the middle and lower upper people with a grudge, think they deserve more or are idealistic dreamers. Merchants without influence in the city, bureaucratic that think they deserve a better position, the brick layer who didn't get the city job, those in minor positions of authority, those who want to see better government/religion/whatever.
Recruit them through their own desires, needs and hopes. Show them the power to obtain it. Mold them together quietly and in secret. Then let them continue on with the recruiting.
After a while this religion is not a cult of the poor to be squashed but movement among minor but needed people in the city. Can't just crush half of the middle class without grave consequences.

[Dr.Epic]

Just roleplay this character...

Spoiler

Show

...and replace science and technology with your character's religion and deity.

[Don Blake]

I'd advise picking up a book on cults and the strategies they use. Fascinating reading, if it's halfway decently written.

Anyways, some highlights- focus on generally sucessful/intelligent people who are in the midst of some sort of turmoil. The bright kid whose parents are always fighting, the single mom who just lost her son, the businessman whose market just disappeared.

Create a sense of obligation in them. Invite them to a free self-help seminar, orgy, whatever, once they're there and having a good time, invite them to a weekend long retreat. They figure this was pretty fun, and besides, they feel like they owe you a favor.

Break down their sense of self worth. Offer to ask their God about you, and tell them, repeatedly and with as many people as you can, that they're currently worthless, helpless, and doomed. You will of course, do everything you can to help them, but they have to be willing to accept that help.

Isolate them from friends and family.

Bypass their higher functions as much as possible. Chanting's quite helpful with this. Have them shout the fundamental tenets of your religion over and over again, in a group, preferably, until they sublimate it.

[Randel]

Also remember that you're in a world with magic in it.

Provide healing to people who listen to your tenants and are 'truly faithful' to your gods ideals. Note that most of the other churches will have adepts or maybe low-level clerics so they don't have unlimited healing. Churches would generally limit their healing to those who can pay or who have a good standing in their church. That means there is a limit on healing and depending on who's going without (the poor downtrodden farmer, the rich playboy who's been needing a few too many 'remove diseases' for his exploits, the low level adventurer hobo who hasn't found a cleric for his party, etc).

People like being healthy and you can make them healthy with magic. They'll come to you for healing and put up with your sermons to get it. Replace healing with any other sort of magic or undead-controlling ability and you've given folks a practical reason to be around you even if they don't want the spiritual guidance (yet).