[BECMI] Temples of Lawful and Neutral Clerics
by HåvardWhy do Clerics built temples?
THE BASICS
Lots of reasons of course. People need a place for their congregation to meet. This is a good way to recruit followers for your Immortal Patron and performing various services for the followers of the Immortal (baptisms, wedding ceremonies, funerals etc) is a way to honor your Patron and a chance to collect tithe.
CEMETERIES
Although its not canonical in Mystara, I rather like that there is a chance that dead not buried on holy ground will rise as undead. Desecrating a cemetery will also likely result in undead rising.
STRONGHOLDS
Temples are often part of a stronghold for a landowning Cleric and can be the basis of a dominion as Clerics can be feudal land owners. This is also a good way to attract followers (acolytes) who can help with your religious services and
RELICS
Temples are a good place to keep relics. Is it required for a Temple to have at least one relic in order to be fully recognized? Perhaps not all the relics are Immortal Level Artifacts, but they could also be magical (Clerical) or significant items used by fallen heroes who followed the same Immortal. Could there be a way that temples neutralize some of the more detrimental negative effects of an Artifact? Will keeping a relic or Artifact within a Temple make the Temple more powerful in some ways?
PROTECTION
Does a temple in itself offer some kind of protection against undead, demons, outer planar beings, enchanted creatures or even Immortals who oppose the patron of the Temple? How strong is that protection? What would it take to break it?
WORD OF RECALL
For this spell to work, the Cleric must have a permanent home or sanctuary defined that he can return to. It makes sense that this is his temple unless he decides upon another location (The RC also mentions a castle etc).
SUMMONING AND PETITIONING RITUALS
I like how Matt Colville's Strongholds and Followers (5E third party book) details Temples as places where it is easier to petition your patron for aid and where you can ask them to send you powerful creatures to help in your battles etc. Has anyone come up with rules for something like this in BECMI? Maybe these Champions of the Spheres of Integration can be used as creatures that can be summoned?
What are other ways Temples of Lawful and Neutral Clerics are used in your campaigns?
Any comments about the above?