Hi there, Spinachcat!
Is that religious or protection vs. undead?
It's both! In Viaticum, the game's setting, becoming an undead is a part of the natural cycle. When a human dies, their body becomes an empty shell for the next, artificial soul. Sometimes this "soul" is created by necromancers, but it's not the only or even the most common option. The magical power is extremely present in fogs, and whenever a fog covers a human corpse, it rises. At first it's not a huge danger, but with every fog and every human it kills, it becomes stronger and capable of more human-like functions. Such as making use of tools, comprehending its surroundings and so on.
And just like in the real world most religions encourage to keep the dead bodies away to keep humans safe from the multitude of diseases and scavengers, in Viaticum the most influential religions introduce obligatory cremation.
Murder...is fun.
I'm sure it can be in the safe environment of video games where nobody gets hurt, but I'm kind of bored of solving all problems through threats and violence. Have you ever played Pillars of Eternity? I like this game a lot, but there's this hilarious quest where you arrive to a village of maybe 40 people, and it turns out there's a dark cult hidden under the ground... Which also includes about 40-50 or more people. And you murder all of them in cold blood just to complete a side quest.
I kind of hate it. : P I'd love to see more RPGs where the violence is a part of the world and is seen as an impactful action, and not the source of entertainment kept away from the actual plot. I don't want the player to kill 25 packs of wolves for no reason at all. But finishing off a single pack that has a cool story behind it and is harassing the village in interesting ways? Now that's what I'm looking for. : P
What's the magic level? How supernatural is the setting? Does the Roadwarden cast spells?
One of the three classes you can choose from (Warrior, Mage, Scholar) involves low-power spells, such as healing fresh wounds or making artificial light.
I'd say the setting doesn't have a lot of extremely powerful sorcerers in it, but the magic is rather common - just not very advanced. Very few people can never learn how to cast spells - most people can, though they don't have real talent and develop only very simple spells during their lifetime, such as making sparks when they want to lit a fire.
Also, is it a Solo RPG? Or does your Roadwarden gain NPC allies?
I'm open to make some changes if I decide later on that it has value for the story or makes things more interesting, but I currently expect it to be a solo adventure. Gathering allies is crucial for you, but you don't gather a team.
And real time? Or turn based?
Definitely turn-based, though turns are kind of hidden.
Designed for mobile?
I currently develop for Windows - if the game turns out to be a success, I'll be happy to work on some mobile ports.
there should be trustworthy people for the Roadwarden to encounter, or even via their background, to believe are trustworthy from the get-go.
It's a fair statement, but in this case the PC enters a completely unfamiliar territory. A peninsula that for decades had pretty much no relationships with the closest city (which is a couple of days of dangerous journey away) and doesn't really want to give up its current semi-independent position. I'd say - by being a roadwarden, it's very easy for you to gather people's trust, at least to a point. But you shouldn't expect that everything you hear is honest. People are going to tell you as much as they need to make a good use of you. ; )
If there's anything else that comes to your mind, go ahead! I'm glad I caught your interest.