40 different Doctrines can be unlocked in Cult of the Lamb. Each one has different purposes that help players in maintaining their cult. Some will make it so that it is easier for the cult leader to have a stronger force in their society. Others will make it so that the cult leader is more of a saintly figure that looks out for their people. No matter which side the player chooses, though, some Doctrines are just better.
This list is meant to share with players what are the best Doctrines to unlock for the cult. Some will be better for the early game, some for the late game, and the best for both.
10 10/10 Afterlife: Belief in Sacrifice
Players will have their cult Members gain the Belief in Sacrifice trait from the Afterlife Doctrine skill tree. This is a great skill to unlock as it is one of the first tiers in its skill tree. The great thing about this trait is that it helps players be able to deal with dissenting cult members. It lets players sacrifice them while also building up plus 20 faith in a player's cult. It's a great get-out-of-jail-free card.
The one thing this trait doesn't specify is that cult members who are against sacrifice will still be against it. This can make other cult members lose loyalty and cause them to dissent.
9 9/10 Law And Order: Wedding
Wedding is in the second tier of the Law and Order Doctrine skill tree. Unlocking the wedding capability will allow players to marry one of their followers. This also allows players to get plus 30 faith for their cult. The great thing about the wedding is that it can give players a little faith boost early on in the game so that their cult doesn't dismantle itself.
This trait is also funny to witness. Players can marry multiple cult members by doing the ritual multiple times. The more people a player marries, the more jealous their other partners will become. It adds a little more pizazz to the game but can also be difficult to maintain.
8 8/10 Sustenance: Grass Eater Trait
The Grass Eater trait in the Sustenance Doctrine tree allows for players to make cult members eat grass. Cult members can already eat grass as the game progresses, but this makes them not gain negative traits that could make cultists sick from eating the grass.
This is a really good trait to have for the early game as it'll keep cult members from starving. One thing that the game does not tell players is that if all they feed their cult members is grass, some will become resentful. The resentment will cause their loyalty to go down which will lead to them dissenting.
7 7/10 Work And Worship: Holy Day
Holy day allows players to let their cult take a day off. Having a player's cult take the day off will have the player gain plus 80 faith in their cult. This is a great safety net for players to have as it allows for them to go off on adventures--and if they come back and their Cult is starting to lose faith, then they can instantly rekindle their cult's faith by using this ability.
The main problem that arises with this ability--other than cult members not collecting resources for a day--is that players will not get it until the late game since it is the fourth tier in the Work and Worship Doctrine tree. However, this is the most useful during the late game stages of the Cult of the Lamb.
6 6/10 Afterlife: Grieve The Fallen
Grieve the Fallen lets players be able to build graves for their dead. This ability is nice as it allows for followers to grieve other fallen followers. It's cute to watch other cultists mourn for cultists that they had formed relationships with. Every time a follower grieves at a grave, this allows for players to gain a plus 2 faith increase for their cult.
The negative of this trait is that it is the last unlock for the Afterlife Doctrine skill tree. This means that players can't use it until the end game. It is very useful for maintaining faith within one's cult--especially if a player is trying to go for a more saintly cult leader route. Keep in mind: it's only really useful if players are having cultists naturally die.
5 5/10 Law And Order: Loyalty Enforcer
The Loyalty Enforcer trait allows players to perform a ritual at their alter that makes it so that players can appoint one of their cult members to the Loyalty Enforcer position. This will make it so that cult member patrols the cult and raises their loyalty. There is no other ritual that can be unlocked like it, so it helps that players can gain a second pair of eyes on their cult.
This Doctrine does not unlock until the fourth tier, so it is a late-game Doctrine. Fortunately, it shouldn't be needed until the late game if players run their cult right. Using this also drops faith by 15, so players should keep this in mind.
4 4/10 Possessions: Alms For The Poor
Alms for the Poor allows players to be able to give their cult members some gold. It costs 50 gold to do the ritual which is not a lot. This ritual will increase the loyalty of followers as well as give the player plus 10 in their faith. It's a great tool as it offers the ability for players to be able to gain loyalty.
This is a ritual that is closer to the end game as it requires the third tier of Possessions to unlock. It must be kept in mind that this ability will work best in conjunction with other abilities. It also works best for players who know how to manage their coins.
3 3/10 Possessions: Belief In Materialism Trait
Belief in Materialism is a second-tier trait that lets players gain the Materialistic trait. This trait makes it so that any time the building quarters of any of the cult members are upgraded, the cult's faith increases. This is in the second tier of the Possessions traits and is something that players will want to get early on in the run.
Upgrading housing for the cult members makes the cult happier and allows for fewer deaths in the cult. Players will already be upgrading living quarters for that reason. All in all, this is one of the easiest traits to capitalize on.
2 2/10 Feasting Ritual
Feasting Ritual is by far the best early game ritual to unlock. This ritual is in the first tier of the Sustenance tree. It will save the player a lot of future stress in running their cult. This is because the ritual allows followers to get a refill in their hunger as well as plus 25 faith.
It serves as a good safety net for food as this is one of the hardest parts to take care of in a player's cult until the end game. This ritual is also up fairly often, so players will have the opportunity to use it most of the time.
1 1/10 Work And Worship: Faithful Trait
The Faithful trait in the Work and Worship Doctrine makes it so that all cult members will generate a player 15 percent more devotion. This is a huge game changer as it allows players to unlock buildings 15 percent faster. If the correct buildings are created, this can be escalated even higher.
The best part about this trait is that it's useful even in the late game. It will allow players to farm devotion quickly. The quickness of this will give players the ability to try out more building types before completing the game.