Creating group of Religious Zealots

[gardens_of_gaia]

I am trying to create a group that challenges the crown of the ruling family through divinity and religion. Im still unsure if I will have a main NPC or just have the religion be the focal point.

In Game of Thrones(NO SPOILERS HERE), i believe season 5, they had a group of religious people challenge the way of life. I'm thinking something similiar.

Does anyone have any ideas? or other sources I can look at, or if this question has already been posted? Just looking fro guidance. Thanks in advanced.

[Final Hyena]

Is this group a challenge for the party, or is it an opposing faction scenario where the party supports one?

Anyway I would generally recommend there being a "notable NPC" within the group it helps characterise the group, it gives a person for the party to interact with and it creates a focal point for the rulers to target. Generally any large groups/movements have some kind of "leader" even the groups that support equality among all have some sort of structure whether it is official or not.

The example from GoT is a good one. You have a leader who fits his role very well in his devotion to the group and his intelligence allowing him to actually play the game against royalty! Any medieval setting will have a feeling of negativity from the low to upper classes and that's generally the best way to rally a cause against them.

Do you already have a religion in mind, if so could you detail it a bit?

[Knaight]

I'd recommend looking into the Knights Templar and Hospitaler, far more than the Sparrows from ASoIF. You can also look into the Papal States, along with any number of other examples from medieval history. It's full of them.

Outside of that, looking into the scholarly movements in immediately pre-Qin China is likely a good idea. Looking into the transition between the Rashidun, Ummayad, and Abassid dynasties could work well, as could looking a bit more recently in the region if you're down for a somewhat more intricate situation.

[gardens_of_gaia]

Is this group a challenge for the party, or is it an opposing faction scenario where the party supports one?

The group has heard of these religious people through rumors but have not been confronted by them. In our campaign i think its time for them to encounter each other. I'll leave it to my party if they want to join or wage war against.

Do you already have a religion in mind, if so could you detail it a bit?

Any religion would do, "we follow the religion extremely, we are the best religion any one who opposes it is unholy as we are the divine ones." That there regardless of religion if cause for conflict. Since we are following DnD 5e material i was looking at having it be extremists following Melora Goddess of Wilderness, Nature and the Sea. Have them be extreme anti humanoids/civilization pro nature, any war or pollution is sacrilegious etc etc.

[Trey Bright]

Are you going to give these npc's character levels? If you are, paladin and cleric are a given, but maybe also a monk? Also, now with XGtE out, the sorcerer, barbarian, and warlock now have the celestial bloodline, zealot primal path, and celestial patron respectively.

If you want specifics for the paladin, monk, and cleric, the path of devotion is the most holier then thou type of paladin. Honestly, any cleric will work, but ya might want to go to life or light domain. The radiant monk might be the best choice for a holy type character.