Presenting: the Boy Band Method

Part One: The Gods

To get your gods, simply collect three to twenty or so deity bodies, as needed. They can be friends, siblings, rivals, or strangers. They all serve together as the pantheon, to create lore/albums, but each has a unique yet complementary aesthetic, domain, instrument, solo style, and personality.

Use a real band or just make one up.

Pick your genre. Hometown country. Nostalgic old-world. Hyped up rock. Experimental EDM. Whatever.

Pick your SCOPE. Internationally famous, with stadium shows? Locally famous with bar crawls? World tours? Something in between?

Pick your lore age. Is this a classic band? Brand new? Did some producer have the AUDACITY to try and replace the drummer 20 years ago and no one ever got over it? Are they still touring and having shows, or is it all fan-led nowadays?

Then get all the boys a domain and a Look. Mix and match. It doesn't matter. The old one who's the god of nostalgia. The pretty one who's romance domain. Anything.

Add some lore. Breakups, replacements, reunion tours. Fights or relationships between the performers. A little *texture*.

Power balancing: this does not need to be the ONLY pantheon. The whole group can be niche. Modify and adjust to fit needs.

Part Two: The Fans

No boy band, pantheon or otherwise, is complete without the fans.

Ever met a boy band fan?

They're obsessed, with a basis in love, not fear. Some know the entire discography. Most have opinions. Every last one has a favorite member, past and/or present. They worship the performances. They fear security. They have shrines and merch. They'll travel hundreds of miles - or not. Meeting their music boy in a Starbucks or a meet-and-greet could easily be mistaken for a religious experience.

Heretics don't like the new direction the band is taking - or they DO.

Atheists just don't like the music much.

People can be local priests with watch/listen parties.

People discuss their favorites. Listen to the albums slash read the scripture.

Pick a standard demographic. Not everyone has to be in it, but it helps set the vibe.

Part Three: The Actual Religion

Now... what does this band DO?

Do people play their music at parties? Funerals? Weddings? Do they PERFORM or do other people play the records?

Can fans sleep with the performers? Touch them? Talk to them? Or is there six layers of security?

Has this band saved a life with the will to live? Do people get together to share their stories, or compete to be the biggest fan?

Do people also know and care about the support staff? Real bands have producers, drummers, backups, understudies, spouses along for the ride, etc.

Throw in some holidays. Birthdays are good for a single member. Tour dates or band-related anniversaries for the whole group.

Instant. Pantheon. Music optional. Use the metaphor and run.

Part Four: Adapt to Setting

Decide the ACTUAL scope and powers. Do the gods actually do anything, or is there just a cult?

Apply relevant mechanics, rituals, and actual use needs.

This guide isn't for that.

Read your dungeon master's guide.

Just play! A functional pantheon base in just the pre-session scramble, ready to adapt as you go.

Examples:

Starting Band: the High Kings

• Nostalgic. Multi-generational; building off the lore of the Clancy Brothers. Old World, classic sound, considered to be between boring and emotionally evocative
• Typical follower: middle aged empty nest housewife of a heritage that finds them relatable
• Quick aesthetics: the old one, the pretty one, the bald one, the new member, the one with the VOICE
• Quick domains: nostalgia, romantic longing, Pride/bravery, loss, and pep/energy.
• Mix and match.
• Add the lore of a member that quit and was replaced.
• Mildly unpopular, but lots of lore and personality.

Starting Band: Saja Boys as imagined by someone who saw the movie ONCE

• Brand new. Addicting. Scary good. Sexy, young, exotic.
• Typical follower: teen girl
• Quick aesthetics: sexy lead, rebel punk, too much hair, the baby
• Quick domains: romance, greed, beauty, rebellion
• Mix and match
• Lore, minimal. Influence, HIGH.

FAQ:

Where did this come from?

I was sitting with a bunch of groupies in a Starbucks when things turned into "this is how this band saved my life emotionally" and said "hmm, seems like a potential religion" and then dragged that carcass home like a dead antelope to serve at the DND table

How far does it go?

Works from anything from an acoustic duo on a bar crawl to an international k-pop sensation. Use your imagination.

Cotton eye Joe?

[BANJO RIFF]