DM Help - Trials

[tedcahill2]

I'm at a point in my game where the players will learn they are all reincarnations of heroes from 1000 years ago brought together by destiny to battle an ancient evil once more.

I have an idea for a small dungeon, which their past selves created, designed to test their future selves. It will culminate in a flashback where we will play out the final battle from 1000 years ago, each of them playing as their past self.

I am struggling to figure out what their trials should be. They should be small enough that I can contain all tasks and goals to a single dungeon (so no cross country traveling).

Literally all I have so far is some ideas for trial names, and I've been hoping the name will inspire a trial idea.

The trials are, Trust, Wit, Sacrifice, Faith, and ??? (couldn't think of a 5th name). I'm not married to the names, or even the number of trials to include.

My only idea so far is for the trial of trust, which requires one player to enter a magic circle and hold a lever. Upon pulling it they are encased in a sphere of water and the others will need to solve the puzzle (which I haven't figured out yet) before the person in the bubble suffocates. (It's the trial of trust because they will know about the bubble before it happens, so they will have to choose to trust their group to pass).

I would really appreciate some help with this, the game is tomorrow morning and I'm feeling the stress of under-prep.

[AnimeTheCat]

Well, to make your trials *seem* like cross country travel, you could just easily use illusions. You can even just make the DCs absurdly high (as if cast by some epic spellcaster or deity).

One easy way to do this would simply have a dungeon that surrounds a tower, the tower can be three stories tall. The surrounding rooms all only have two doors, one leading away from going deeper in, and one going deeper. I'm sure that's self explainatory. What will be important is stressing either a time limit at which point the trap resets or the chamber floods with poison gas etc.

An idea for the fifth chamber could be something about combat. Should probably be either the first or last challenge.

[Albions_Angel]

How many are in the group?

If it was me, I would have a trial that tests "each" member of group. A combat encounter for the martials, a precise order of counterspelling or spellcasting for the casters, locked doors and balance challenges for the rogue. But there are actually multiple ways to solve the challenges, with teamwork making each one faster. Maybe have a general time limit on the challenges that ends up knocking everyone out if they take too long to complete any one challenge (a "come back when you are higher level" type scenario).

I would culminate in the party fighting their past selves. Initially, it seems that each member has a counterpart (because they do), but the trick isnt for wizard to counter wizard and fighter to hold off fighter, but for the group to work together to win the battle. Maybe damage done by each modern counterpart is regenerated like a troll would, but when a party member deals damage, it stays, as though it was fire or acid?

[tedcahill2]

Thought for Trial of Faith:
You stand on the edge of a deep chasm. 100ft across lies another ledge with a pedestal on it. The chasm is filled with a noxious green gas (Fort DC 13 or take 1 damage and be sickened) and you can't see the bottom. In actuality the chasm is only 5 ft wide and 5 ft deep. A simple jump check will get you to the other side.

To basic?