need themed puzzles (7 deadly sins)

[Gambitspades]

im making my players go through 7 puzzles. one standing for a deadly sin
(Wrath, sloth, envy, pride, lust, greed, gluttony)
i have greed. and i was wondering if yall can help me with some nice inspirationfor the puzzles

[Callin]

The Balance Beam Puzzle.

Crap ton of Gold and Gems and what not on one end. Someone on the other. The more they take the closer they are to salvation until they take too much and it tips back on them and kills them.

edit- To sweeten the pot and really test that greed, the farther down they get the cooler the stuff is. Maybe magic items or more expensive jewelry.

[TheIronGolem]

What's your goal with these puzzles? Is the solution intended to involve rejecting the sin in question, or embracing it? Or is it sufficient that the trappings of the puzzle fit the theme, independently of the logic or the solution?

[Gambitspades]

preferably they need to give in to the sin. or solve someone elses sin. but if a good one comes where they need to avoid the sin...that will work too

[TheIronGolem]

preferably they need to give in to the sin. or solve someone elses sin. but if a good one comes where they need to avoid the sin...that will work too

In that case, here's an idea for gluttony: A very well-stocked wine cellar, whose exit goes to an extremely long hallway with the goal/McGuffin at the far end. The floor of the hallway is rigged (mechanically or magically) to trigger some kind of deadly trap if it detects footsteps in any kind of consistent rhythm. Therefore, walking or running normally down the hallway will trigger the trap. The intended solution is to get hammered on the wine before you traverse the hallway, so that your drunken stumbling doesn't set off the trap. Oh, and as a bonus you'll still be blitzed when you get to the next area, at least if you don't come up with an alternate solution.

[Nibbens]

My main question is how mature is your group to be able to handle a puzzle about lust without turning it into a joke at the table? I know a few 30 year-olds who still would make a big joke of my serious puzzle if I even tried to include it.

Having said that, Ahem:

Pride: Illusions of a player's family in a cage hanging over X dangerous thing - the only way to save illusory family is to have one player spill the beans about the secret he's been keeping from the rest of the party because if he told it, it would make them look down at him etc etc etc. So something to that effect.

Pride2: Player X who loves Y thing has to sacrifice Y thing in order to save a comrade/other important thing.

Wrath: Perpetual XP Machine: The player gets to slay an endless supply of X undead that keep spawning for XP. However, the longer he slays them, the lower his wisdom goes. Turn it into a gain XP at a price and live with the consequences, etc etc. Or you may use another consequence, but yeah.

Gluttony: I like the concept of gluttony not necessarily in terms of food, but focus on material wealth, instead of spiritual. So, a PC must go into a sleeping dragon's cave to steal X worthless item, but not take any of the gold or Y horrible things happen.

[Pex]

Sloth

At some point during the series of puzzles but not finished the party is given the option of leaving. Not necessarily an offer by the owner of the complex, just a way out is fine. It's not an illusion. The party can Honest True end the current adventure and go on to something else, but the party knows they didn't finish the adventure because they didn't get the McGuffin. If the party leaves they failed the test Sloth for not persevering. Consequence can simply be not getting the McGuffin and never able to attempt to get it again to something that does affect the party, like a Curse.

[Flickerdart]

im making my players go through 7 puzzles. one standing for a deadly sin
(Wrath, sloth, envy, pride, lust, greed, gluttony)
i have greed. and i was wondering if yall can help me with some nice inspirationfor the puzzles

Lust, the least of the deadly sins, represents uncontrolled desire - often sexual, but not necessarily. In Inferno, lustful souls are blown about with winds to signify their lack of self-control, and in Purgatorio, lustful souls are purged by flame. The opposite of lust is Chastity - courtly love, cleanliness, honesty, sobriety, resistance to temptation and distractions. The puzzle could revolve around inaction - not pulling levers, not toggling switches, etc. Just a walkway leading to an open door. Alternatively, a character without lust would be willing to turn around and leave the adventure alone, whereas a character that lusts for adventure would charge into danger. Failing to abide by the puzzle results in ever-increasing wind blowing the PCs away. Alternatively, to encourage lust, you could punish the PCs by having new dangers appear between them and the goal every round. The PCs that lust for adventure will rush in early and suffer only slightly.

Gluttony is a sin of over-consumption and selfishness, especially when it forces the needy to go without. The punishment for gluttony is lying motionless in icy mud and rain, and it is purged by wandering beneath trees laden with fruit that is just out of reach. Gluttony is opposed by temperance - moderation, mindfulness of your surroundings and others, prudence, and the balance of interests. A gluttony puzzle could involve an NPC - the PCs seemingly need to give up a crucial clue to an NPC (for instance, they collected holy water from a fountain earlier in the dungeon, but a thirsty man asks for a drink, and it is obvious that he will drink it all). Failing to help the NPC should make it impossible to activate the entry point, as it somehow remains out of reach no matter how high the PCs climb. For a pro-gluttony puzzle, the PCs face a monster who is immune to their weapons and magic. Fortunately, a peasant village nearby has weapons of wood that can harm the monster - the puzzle involves figuring that out, and taking the weapons away from the peasants that need them.

Greed or avarice is also a sin of excess - seeking material good over spiritual good, whether through hoarding or crimes. The greedy are punished by being forced to joust by pushing heavy weights with their chests, and greed is purged by being bound to the ground. It is opposed by charity - self-sacrifice, love (though not emotional love), and kindness. This puzzle you already have covered.

Sloth is laziness, failure to develop physically and spiritually. It is the failure to do what must be done, and permitting evil to exist. The slothful are forced to engage in endless labour to purge the sin from them. (While they do not appear in Inferno, one could argue that Heresy is the theological equivalent - these sinners are trapped in flaming tombs that symbolize their souls). The opposed virtue is diligence, including zeal and integrity. The puzzle could involve the reverse of the Lust puzzle - either the PCs are beset by bonds the longer they tarry, or not acting is the solution.

Wrath or rage represents uncontrolled anger and hatred, and the consequences of unrighteous acts. Self-destructive behaviour is also wrathful. The wrathful get two circles in Inferno - those who possess Anger are forever drowned in the Styx, with active angry people clawing at the surface and passive angry people sullenly lying on the bottom of the river. The Violent are in three types. Those violent against others are drowned in a flaming river, and centaurs shoot arrows at those who try to escape. Those violent against themselves are transformed into bushes that are eaten by harpies. Those violent against deities or their nature are placed in a scorching desert where they must lie, sit, or wander depending on the crime. Wrath is purged by wandering about in acrid smoke that symbolizes how wrath clouds judgment. The opposed virtue is patience - enduring the unbearable, resolving conflicts peacefully, and showing forgiveness and mercy. The puzzle could involve another NPC, which the PCs must not kill (or must kill, if you want them to embrace the sins). The NPC's behaviour should be the opposite of what you want them to do - the NPC to be slain should act helpful, while an NPC that must be spared might attack them (and constantly regenerate). Alternatively, the PCs that you want to embrace Wrath must attack themselves or each other.

Envy is also insatiable desire - the envious covet a possession because they see another profit from it. Schadenfreude is also a manifestation of envy. Envy is purged by forcing the envious to wear drab grey cloaks and sewing their eyes shut. Some of the Treacherous may be considered envious - they are immersed fully into ice, save for their heads. The opposite of envy is charity, compassion, friendship, trust, and cheerfulness. The puzzle here could be the PCs witnessing a battle between a black-clad knight and a neutral or even good monster. The knight is heavily wounded, and has very good gear, but calls out to the PCs to aid him. The virtuous choice is to aid the knight; the sinful choice is to slay the knight (while the monster attacks the PCs too - the knight should be a lot less injured that it seems).

Pride is the greatest of the sins - the love of self perverted into hatred for everyone else. Prideful sinners disparage others' accomplishments and boast of their own. The prideful are the greatest traitors, who revolt against their liege lords; these are entirely encased in ice. Pride is purged by carrying heavy rocks upon the sinner's back. The associated virtue is Humility - modesty, selflessness, respect, sacrifice, and the performance of unglamorous tasks. Humility also includes keeping promises, refraining from despair, and courage in the face of fear. This puzzle could be a trick - it seems that the trials are over, and an NPC (that travelled with the party from a previous trial, or that is already there) loudly boasts to an audience that it was he who figured out the puzzles. The humble must refrain from speaking out, even as the members of the audience give them laurels and gifts to deliver them to the NPC. If you want the PCs to embrace pride, also pretend the trial is over. The audience asks which of the PCs was the one who solved the puzzles; the correct answer is "me."

[Gambitspades]

holy crap dude xD these are good. i might adjust them a little. but you've helped me immensely

[KrimsonNekros]

If you haven't seen it, the movie SE7EN, might help with providing some inspiration.