Temple Descriptions for Each Deity

In Dungeons & Dragons, the gods can be constant figures. I've written before about my homebrew rules for gods, and they stand the chance to be major forces in your gameworld. But whether the gods are important figures in your game or not, temples are an everyday part of living in a D&D world. People within the world know that deities exist and can exert forces on the world, and they devote time and energy to the worship of these gods. The temples they build are perhaps the greatest display of how people commit to the gods. This list describes the standard design of each god's temples, and you can use its format to design temples for the deities in your campaign. Read on for the full list. 

The general thing to keep in mind when it comes to designing a deity's temple is two-part: who is the god, and how do common people interact with them? A temple design should take into account both ideas. My list below contains the 19 canon deities from D&D 3.5 (the gods who feature in my gameworld), but let's use an example from outside that selection by way of example. The Eastweald campaign initially featured a cleric/rogue who worshipped the Silver Flame. The Silver Flame is lawful good, associated with the domains of Good and Protection, and their favored weapon is a longbow. The Silver Flame speaks through a proxy, the Voice of the Silver Flame. We can use this information to create a temple for the Silver Flame.

For starters, the building should be orderly and structured, as the Silver Flame is aligned to law. There should be lots of regular angles and a sense of solidity. Let's say that the temple itself is shaped like a hexagon when viewed from above; that shape is evocative to me of structure and regularity. The Silver Flame considers Protection one of her domains, so at least part of the function of the temple should be to help good people. To reflect this, we'll have a sanctuary room where out-of-luck people can request help. The detail of the longbow could be ignored, but we might also use it to decorate the temple; the icon of the Silver Flame resembles an arrowhead, so we might have a stone longbow with a crystal arrowhead adorning the temple. Finally, we have the detail of the proxy; unlike other temples, where people come to worship in their own way, there will be a staff of clerics who work at a temple of the Silver Flame. There should be a speaker to interpret the Silver Flame's teachings, defenders of those seeking asylum, and a caretaker to keep the temple functional and clean. 

Of course, not all temples will be built the same way. That depends as much on the intention and resources of the temple builder as on the deity's characteristics. But by creating a framework for what a temple generally looks like, you can provide your players with the general description worked out for the temple and tweak the details depending on the specific temple. Just as architecture descriptions can spice up the game for your players, descriptions of temples can make inherently magical and remarkable places actually seem as legendary as they are. Let's move on to the temple descriptions:

Boccob

Temples of Boccob are exceedingly rare, and the deity is essentially uninvolved in the affairs of humanoids. A few temples exist, and they are quiet, small, secretive places. The only publicly known temple of Boccob exists in the city of Talon Gorge, where religious freedom is taken very seriously. Temples of Boccob are more often libraries of secret knowledge than actual temples of worship.

Corellon Larethian

Temples of Corellon Larethian are places of social integration, as elves of all classes and backgrounds come together to thank Larethian for the everyday blessings the elven god is believed to bestow. Small communities build their temples to Larethian in simple designs, often rectangular buildings just big enough to accommodate the community. Larger communities build their temples in crescent moon shapes, with the main temple area in the largest part of the building and supplemental rooms in the smaller edges of the building. Clerics of Corellon Larethian are often on-hand to provide healing and blessings to members of the church. The greatest temple of Corellon Larethian is in the elven capital of Mishara, and it is one of the most visited temples in the known world, as it serves as a pilgrimage for elves all over the continent.

Ehlonna

Temples of Ehlonna rarely appear in settlements, and when they do, only at the edge of the smallest towns. The temples themselves are usually built in circular shapes with windows all around the building. A few temples of Ehlonna have fine stained glass scenes in their windows, depicting nature and animals. Temples of Ehlonna never have assigned clerics; followers of Ehlonna are self-sustaining and turn to the god directly for help rather than using an intermediary. The floor of these temples classically has the emblem of Ehlonna carved in, and the temples are more often wood than stone. Wildlife around temples of Ehlonna tend to be more peaceful and stronger than normal creatures and plants.

Erythnul

Temples of Erythnul are kept secret at all costs. Only devoted followers of the god of slaughter learn the locations of these temples, for fear that protectors of the Good would discover and ransack the temples. Temples of Erythnul most often appear in mid-size to large cities, carefully disguised as abandoned buildings and shady businesses. Inside temples of Erythnul, there is nearly always a basin filled with blood; the blood slowly is consumed by Erythnul and must be replenished with fresh kills, and if the basin goes completely empty, the temple loses its tie to Erythnul. Temples of Erythnul take the form of twisting and turning buildings with snaking hallways that disorient even regular visitors. No one works at temples of Erythnul, and it is considered the joint duty of all parishioners to keep the temple at its best. The most frequently-visited temple of Erythnul is in the industrial city of Ringsdale, where the basin of blood has never been emptied in over 250 years.

Fharlanghn

Temples of Fharlanghn exist in major cities, but most lie on major and minor roads across the continent. Travelers can recognize these temples by the symbol of Fharlanghn depicted on the outside; the door of any temple of Fharlanghn bears the simple icon. The temples themselves are sometimes more akin to camps than buildings; Fharlanghn's temples are open air and have only basic architectural foundation. Outside each temple of Fharlanghn is a circular path which is meant to remind followers that every journey keeps going. Visitors to these temples often walk around this path when encountering the temple as a good luck charm, and it is considered bad taste to skip walking in the circle, even in a hurry. No one tends to temples of Fharlanghn, and it is the responsibility of any traveler who stops by to tend to the cleanliness and order of the temple.

Garl Glittergold

Temples of Garl Glittergold appear in major and minor cities where gnomes are plentiful; the largest is in Vestry, the gnomish capital, and it is among the most extravagant temples in the known world. Temples of Garl Glittergold are built of stone with significant gold inlays; the more gold, the finer the temple if considered. At least one gold cloud is standard in all temples of this deity. Moreso than most temples, those of Garl Glittergold take in funds from parishioners, mostly in the aim of providing public services to the less fortunate. A temple of Garl Glittergold generally has at least 3 people who work there: a healer, a public servant, and a community leader. The pentagonal buildings that form temples of Garl Glittergold are as much public service organizations as they are spiritual centers.

Gruumsh

Temples of Gruumsh are hard to find outside of the orcish homelands of Grob, where they appear commonly--though there is a Common Worship Charter allowing people freedom of religion, there is still concern about the evil orcish god's influence spreading. Temples of Gruumsh are built generally in round designs in stone, and the eye of Gruumsh is uniformly depicted on the floor of the temple. In the orcish lands, many temples of Gruumsh also function as armories, but this function is eliminated in other humanoid lands. Orcish temples of Gruumsh are worked by both a spiritual leader and a combat expert; in other lands, only the spiritual leader appears, but often quietly working in the role of combat expert as well. The greatest temple of Gruumsh appears on the island of Grob, and the combat expert for this temple is also the Ragnar (or prime leader) of the orcish people.

Heironeous

Temples of Heironeous were once among the most popular in the land, but over the last 300 years, people have become less concerned with fabled good-versus-evil and more concerned with day-to-day blessings, which are not the domain of Heironeous. The remaining temples of Heironeous are sites where only the most committed do-gooders congregate to work together on their goals. The temples themselves are usually two-story stone buildings; the first floor is a grand temple adorned with fine metalwork, and the second story serves as a home for the staff of the temple. The staff consists of both a spiritual leader and a philosopher; the spiritual leader tends to healing and questions of faith, while the philosopher is responsible for ensuring that the church changes with the times and reflects both current values and tradition. The greatest temple of Heironeous exists in Finiel, a half-elven city which has stood as a beacon of good values for generations.

Hextor

Temples of Hextor were once difficult to find when his brother Heironeous was more popular, but recent decades have seen a small surge in the popularity of Hextor. Temples of Hextor are kept somewhat secret to protect the identities of their evil members, but that is increasingly changing with time. A temple of Hextor is a small, square building with no windows and a steel door. Inside are chairs for public gatherings and a granite altar engraved with Hextor's holy symbol. These temples generally have one person working there: the cleric of Hextor is responsible for caretaking the building, community outreach to gain new members, conveying Hextor's wishes to the community, and any other tasks necessary for the prospering of the temple. The greatest temple of Hextor lies in the port city of Torga, where many government officials are secret worshippers of Hextor.

Kord

Temples of Kord are sites of celebration and competition more than traditional temples. The temples themselves are mid-size round buildings with the symbol of Kord etched into the floor, but only serious spiritual questions are considered inside; most of the temple's work happens in the street in front of the temple. Nearly all temples of Kord have enormous public squares where follower wrestle, share feats of strength, and discuss how to deal with public issues according to their code. A temple of Kord generally has one servant: their role combines caretaking and spiritual guidance with community outreach, as followers of Kord take a protective stance over their communities. The great temples of Kord are in Grob (the orcish capital) and Underhar (the dwarven capital); Grob's temple is the physically largest, and Underhar's temple has the most parishioners.

Moradin

Temples of Moradin are among the most architecturally unique in the world. While some modest temples constructed in small communities build the structure in common shapes, most temples of Moradin are built in the outline of Moradin's anvil. These temples generally have four rooms: a public worship area, an area for the poor to request assistance, quarters for the clerics, and a library of religious texts. The temples of Moradin are among the most heavily-staffed: there are generally at least three healers, two religious leaders, several caretakers, and an entire group of trainees for temple leadership. Temples of Moradin are highly integrated into their communities. Because of the large staff of temples of Moradin, collections for these temples are usually higher than most other temples.

Nerull

Temples of Nerull, once considered the most ghastly of all temples, have become increasingly popular in recent years. Public perception of the deity has changed from a malevolent reaper to a caretaker for a natural process, and so temples of Nerull have begun to appear in some communities with close relationships to nature. Because most of Nerull's temples are relatively new, their architecture is markedly different from other temples. Temples of Nerull are built like apartment buildings: there are several private rooms available to parishioners rather than a collective space for worship (due to the private nature of a relationship with Nerull). These temples are tended to only sparingly by a caretaker, who is responsible for keeping the temple clean for new visitors, and this caretaker often has another job to sustain themselves. The greatest temple of Nerull exists in the mid-size city of Such, where gnomish and halfling beliefs about death and nature have given rise to a population of Nerull followers.

Obad-hai

Temples of Obad-hai occasionally appear in cities as shrines for travelling nature enthusiasts, but most temple are located in the wild. City temples of Obad-hai are simple wooden buildings with a shrine inside, as well as a few plants to make the place more natural. But wilderness temples of Obad-hai are wild things; resembling oversized pagodas, these simple structures do not bear the holy symbol of Obad-hai as other temples adorn with symbols of the corresponding deity. Rather, they are partially curated and partially wild collections of plants. Travelers who arrive at these temples are invited to use the present plants for potions and salves if they wish, and it is common practice for visitors to plant a new plant or at least tend to those there. No one tends to temples of Obad-hai, although some dedicated followers check on the temples often. The greatest temple of Obad-hai resides just west of the gnomish capital, Vestry; in the heart of the greatest woods of the continent, this temple of Obad-hai stretches for nearly a mile and has been tended to by thousands.

Olidammara

Though temples of Olidammara do not have the evil reputation of other temples like Erythnul's, temples of Olidammara nonetheless remain secretive. Every major city, and quite a few minor ones, has a temple to Olidammara, though most residents in those cities do not know about it. A temple of Olidammara always appears as an unremarkable building, such as an abandoned shack or a nondescript house. Inside, however, will be a collection of masks in homage to Olidammara's holy symbol. No one works at temples of Olidammara; it is the responsibility of visitors to tend to the temple themselves. No dues are expected from visitors, but they do have the responsibility to work to keep the temple secret and functioning. Word of these temples spreads by word of mouth from rogue to rogue. The greatest temple of Olidammara lies in Curagon, the halfling capital, and this specific temple has an enormous mask formed from dozens of smaller masks.

Pelor

There are two distinct types of temples of Pelor: temples of Pelor, the sun god, and temples of the Dalton Church of Pelor, a violent reinterpretation of the deity.

Temples of Pelor vary more than most gods'. Small communities, especially farmers, build simple temples to Pelor in the hopes that he will smile on their agricultural work. Healers in small communities also worship Pelor, and these small temples always have a dedicated healer and spiritual guide. Larger cities' temples to Pelor are more concerned with the healing element of Pelor's powers, and they often have closer to three healers on hand. In fact, the most reliable way to receive healing in the world is to head to a temple of Pelor. Fine temples depict Pelor's holy symbol in gold on the wall of the temple, but simpler temples use brass or a similar metal. The greatest temple of Pelor exists in Talon Gorge, where it serves large communities of farmers and healers alike; this temple stretches for two city blocks and employs at least 5 healers at any given time.

Temples of the Dalton Church of Pelor exist only in settlements with large populations of the line of humans known as Daltoners; this generally means that the Daltoner capital (New Dalton) and nearby communities are the site of these intimidating temples. These temples are built to be huge and imposing, with a fierce and perhaps even cruel image of Pelor staring down from both the inside and outside of the temple. Daltoners pour as much wealth and status into their temples as possible, including making solid gold symbols of Pelor to decorate the temples with. Like other temples of Pelor, there are quite a number of people employed by a Dalton Church of Pelor temple: a Cardinal, several underlings and servants to the Cardinal, a small deployment of healers (who charge considerable amounts for their work), and a fleet of caretakers who keep the temple shining. Most temples of the Dalton Church of Pelor demand sacrifices on a daily basis (almost always a farm animal), and these temples have special areas for both holding the animals and sacrificing them.

St. Cuthbert

Temples of St. Cuthbert are simple affairs, and they have only recently become more common as the recently deified god has gained notoriety across the land. Most temples of St. Cuthbert are built of both wood and stone for a sturdy construction, and steel versions of his holy symbol hang from the walls of these temples. Only one person works at a temple of St. Cuthbert: a single devotee of the god works around the clock to perform all duties necessary to the temple. Healers who worship St. Cuthbert have been gaining increased popularity, and in some communities, temples of St. Cuthbert are used for healing as much as temples of Pelor. The greatest temple of St. Cuthbert exists in the city of Ringsdale, where residents have built a gaudy cathedral to the deity, who has chosen to avoid associating with the temple because he is uncomfortable with the extravagance of it.

Vecna

A temple of Vecna was once a relatively common sight, but as public cooperation has become an increasingly popular motivation for the people of Evanoch, the value of secrets has changed. The average temple of Vecna exists hidden within or just outside of major cities, but a good number of Vecna's followers simply create their own secret makeshift shrines to the god. When public temples do exist, they are sprawling buildings with unassuming appearances. Most often, a door will lead to a series of hallways or underground tunnels, and the building will look abandoned. But after searching the building's tunnels and hallways, followers of Vecna will discover a shrine with a symbol of Vecna, usually needlepointed or crocheted. The greatest temple of Vecna exists on the outskirts of the elven capital in a city called Cintan; there, an entire abandoned mine system houses a shrine to Vecna and a magical library of secrets reside, as well as a holy symbol formed by a preserved hand and eyeball.

Wee Jas

A temple of Wee Jas is hard to find. Evil gods' temples are elusive because they must be secret, but Wee Jas's temples are on the wane. Where once Wee Jas claimed as followers most who revere the life-death cycle, many of these followers now claim Nerull as their god. As a result, spellcasters are the most common among Wee Jas's followers, and they are known for keeping their religious lives secondary to their education in spellcasting. Nevertheless, temples of Wee Jas exist across the continent here and there, mostly outside of major cities. A temple of Wee Jas is built in a circle, with a large skylight placed at the center of the building. Etched into the floor is a clockface, and the skylight's sunlight functions as a timekeeper. Most temples of Wee Jas are unattended, although a few of the bigger temples get regular attention from dedicated followers. The greatest temple of Wee Jas is in Mishara, where it is a part of the great Misharan Library; people are able to research in the library and request help with anything else at the temple.

Yondalla

Temples of Yondalla are sites of joy; these wooden buildings resemble oversized houses, meant to make parishioners feel at home. Inside the temples, there is little to indicate that it is a temple at all--only the crest of Yondalla hanging from the wall gives it away. Otherwise, the temple is just a large living room, where parishioners come to socialize with their communities and work together to solve community issues. While the other racial deities generally frown on other races visiting their temples, Yondalla openly invites all people to take part in her bounty and maternalism. Generally, temples of Yondalla have one official working: an elder woman from the community who administers healing, advice, spiritual guidance, and whatever support she can. Temples of Yondalla are supported by donations from the community, but people are expected to contribute only as much as they can. The greatest temple of Yondalla is in Curagon, the halfling capital: this enormous round building can hold up to 200 people and was built to be large enough for non-halflings, who have to stoop down to enter most temples of Yondalla.

That's 20 different temple descriptions, all matched to the deities they represent. Now when my players enter a temple, I know exactly what they're walking into and can describe it in a way that makes the scene more detailed and memorable. These temple descriptions can be especially helpful if you have a character in your party who is particularly religious or is a cleric. And your homebrew gods can have unique temples with just a bit of work like what I've set down above. 

That's all for now. Coming soon: details on agriculture in your gameworld, how to design a one-shot from a movie, and how to create player character notes as an in-game document. Until next time, happy gaming!

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