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View Full Version : DM Help Events that shift alignment from TN to NG/LGCG (Chauntea clergy)



Pinjata
2019-07-01, 06:26 AM
My players play TN PCs. Some of them want to go path of Paladin and Cleric and must thus switch to CG/NG/LG. Now, I want to present them with events, challenges for these guys that will make their transition meaningful. It must involve sacrifice. "Village is beset by goblin tribe of appropriate CR, go kill them" will not do. I'm scratching my head on how to tackle this.

For orientation: both PCs venerate Chauntea. The best idea I have so far is this: I was thinking a quest of PCs helping farmers harvesting their crops from the fields, since, due to recent plague, there is lack of work-able hands. Something, that detracts them from killing&looting for a session or two. An actual sacrifice.

What do you got for me, guys? :)

MoiMagnus
2019-07-01, 07:55 AM
Well, the easiest way to turn NG/LG/CG is just to stop doing bad stuff (giving back loot to their owner, trying to make fair deals rather than "the best deal for me", ...).
For a lot of players, remaining TN is actually harder than becoming NG. So this should not be a problem.

I'm not really convinced that you should put an arbitrary test for changing alignment.
However, as they want to change alignment in order to become Cleric/Paladin, it is very reasonable for Chauntea to want them to prove that they really changed, that they have true faith, and that their past sin can be forgiven.
Hence, I would advice for those "quest" to be more about "proving that you are in adequation with Chauntea's precepts (which include being good)" than "proving that you are good aligned".

Example:
The plains of [insert a name] are covered with farms and small villages. However, a strange disease is spreading. Men and plants are dying.
The truth is that the king/lord/merchant guild/... has poisoned the river/set up a curse/... because they want to get rid of all the farmers to build their new palace/guild hall/create an inflation of food prices/...
As soon as the PC start understanding what's happening, they receive an invitation to talk with the cupric (and they are arrested if they refuse to come). They are offered gold and influence to not only shup up, but also destroy every proof they found. If they refuse, they will be black-listed in the city/market/... as persona non grata, and possibly receive some unexpected deadly visits at the middle of the night. If they accept, they're clearly not worthy of Chauntea...

Lapak
2019-07-01, 09:30 AM
The essence of Good (in D&D) is to put the welfare of others above your own. But what that means for adventurers (who are already risking life and limb to get treasure and fame, which incidentally may help people) is harder to define.

So for definitively Good acts I like to give the players non-combat encounters with open-ended resolutions.

So, for example, *while on the way (and preferably close) to something on their own agenda,* they run into some travelers on the road in need. They were attacked by bandits, some are injured, they were robbed of food and supplies, and they are now a couple of days from the nearest safe place and a couple of weeks from their destination.

The players could do nothing. They could give the travelers food or supplies ranging from a pittance up to animals/vehicles. They could burn spell slots they might need at their nearby destination to heal, succor, or even transport the travelers. They could choose to delay their quest and escort them - to the nearest town, or the final destination.

The goal they are currently pursuing shouldn't be save-the-world level important, or it becomes easy to play what's-REALLY-important. And they should eventually feel the hit - spell slots burned will reveal themselves, but treasure given away shouldn't be made up and spending time on escort duty might mean their goal becomes harder or even impossible to reach. But if they consistently choose to help others even when it is inconvenient or dangerous to do, that will trigger an alignment shift.

Other possibilities:
- they have the opportunity to free weak/helpless prisoners while invading a stronghold. Do they do so? Do they free/arm/heal/protect them afterwards?

- some foes surrender to them mid-mission. Do they accept the surrender? Do they hold to the terms even when keeping the prisoners becomes a liability?

- they overthrow a cruel lord and claim his treasure. It is clear that the bulk of his wealth came from exploiting and squeezing his people, who are now without dire straights, but there is no clear provenance for any particular item or amount. Do they keep the wealth for themselves? Contribute some of it back to the community? All of it? And how?

Pleh
2019-07-01, 04:49 PM
Honestly, I think it's enough to do a ceremony. Have them sworn in under oath and have higher level clerics and paladins give them the simba treatment.

That's your event.

It's up to them to maintain the oath and conduct it requires.

zinycor
2019-07-01, 07:54 PM
Chauntea does seem like an easy God to serve for adventurers, make sure to feature farmers in your adventures and everything should be alright.

In my opinion testing your players would be a mistake, getting in the way of the game.

In my opinion the most important thing would be to think about how the possible quests may affect the farmlands. Ex: how does the evil necromancer king affect the local farmers and farmlands?

Ironheart
2019-07-01, 08:21 PM
I agree with Pleh. Particularly if they are seeking to get on Chauntea’s good side, having both PC’s abide by a set of tenets a la the Paladin’s oath is a good place to start. You can focus on aspects of Chauntea (she sounds like a god of the harvest- your idea sounds good to introduce that sort of commitment).

You can play a bit further on the bond that these players have with Chauntea by having different priests emphasizing different points of her doctrines, to unhealthy extremes, and leaving the players to try and resolve the conflict in the best way they can.

Other costs and sacrifices that the players have to go through would be that perhaps the temples require a tithe of sorts, but perhaps can only be payable in crops and foodstuffs that the temple will then distribute to those in need.

An important distinction you’ll need to make is what the difference between being a cleric and a paladin of the same goddess. Why is it that when one player asks for spells and the features related to one class, that the other player cannot do so? I think asking your players these sorts of questions will help them flesh out their decision to invest their levels and potential towards Chauntea rather than the classes they had before.