DM needs help...

[Muz]

So I'm in need of some brainstorming help for a campaign:

The situation: The party will soon likely need to go into a place where a powerful, evil being is trapped in order to rescue a champion/hero/good guy who was battling it when it was sealed up (and as such got sealed up with it). Basically they need to make their way inside and perform a few magical rituals off of prepared scrolls that will loosen the wards just enough to let the hero out. They have some of the needed rituals already, but one is in the hands of an evil cult (who created them all in the first place in order to release the evil being), and the last one has been destroyed. The cult is working on creating the final ritual.

Now I figure one possible option the PCs might try is to infiltrate the cult somehow and attempt to help them create the final ritual. I need to come up with something needed for the final ritual scroll's preparation that a good-aligned group would be willing to do. Then they can do that, have the cult create the final scroll, and steal it...or get it somehow, anyway.

You may be wondering just why these scrolls, designed to free the evil being, would be good to have at all. The PCs will be learning of a way to "twist" the completed ritual so that it does more of they want it to, but in doing so, each twisting will plunge them into some sort of test they have to deal with first, be that defeating some sort of creature or some other situation that will test their spirit/mettle/etc. I need ideas for those as well. One thing I was considering was having to defeat an evil version of themselves in combat (cliche, but fun).

I'm a little tired at the moment and likely not explaining this well, but if anyone DOES have ideas, I'm all ears. Brainstorming encouraged!

[randomhero00]

The problem with that is well, a ritual by an evil cult, would be evil. Have you thought about stealing the original scroll (used to put up the wards) and then having them do it in reverse? i.e. doing the opposite of whatever evil acts the original evil ritual did.

[zoobob9]

well, i am also a DM, and so this task seems easy.

Have the cult send a few members- like 5 at most- out to perform the ritual.

have your party follow them stealthaly until they are near the end of the ritual, then they kill all of the cult but since they got blood on the circle the good guy gets out too.

then the good guy and the party continue battle, almost killing the beast then it flys/teleports/runs away.

have the good guy thank them, giving them magic items or astral diamonds or something, and then while they are taking an extended rest the good guy gets coup de graced.

the party avenges the death, kills the monster(after leveling up) and BOOM you got yourself like 5 levels taken care of.

then have them finish off the cult and everybody is happy!

[Muz]

well, i am also a DM, and so this task seems easy.

Have the cult send a few members- like 5 at most- out to perform the ritual.

have your party follow them stealthaly until they are near the end of the ritual, then they kill all of the cult but since they got blood on the circle the good guy gets out too.

then the good guy and the party continue battle, almost killing the beast then it flys/teleports/runs away.

have the good guy thank them, giving them magic items or astral diamonds or something, and then while they are taking an extended rest the good guy gets coup de graced.

the party avenges the death, kills the monster(after leveling up) and BOOM you got yourself like 5 levels taken care of.

then have them finish off the cult and everybody is happy!

That...wasn't really what I was asking.

[Devils_Advocate]

The problem with that is well, a ritual by an evil cult, would be evil.

That doesn't follow at all. A ritual developed by an evil cult wouldn't have to e.g. require torturing small adorable animals, any more than knives made by an evil cult would have to e.g. magically compel their wielders to randomly slaughter people.

Fanatics of evil need not make only evil tools. They might! But they also might sometimes make ordinary tools to use for evil purposes.

[Swordgleam]

I have an idea for the tests. The spell is supposed to release the big bad, right? So maybe to keep the big bad in, they have to defeat an aspect of it at each step.

So let's say (since I have no idea what it is) that it was a powerful, ambitious evil wizard. They first have to defeat his cunning - some sort of puzzle. Then they twist the spell a bit more, and have to defeat his greed - a test of will. Then they have to defeat his mastery of magic - some sort of magical trial, or a straight-up combat. Maybe your party's arcanist even gets some free loot out of it.

[Drider]

Gathering materials for the ritual perhaps? Killing monsters and bringing them to the cult might be something a good character would be willing to do.

The heart of a red dragon, handful of chimera fur, manticore spine, etc.

loot a special magic gem from the tomb of some dead rogue.

Find rare plants, that only grow on another continent, in the middle of an exotic forest(I always look for a reason to include dinosaurs in campaigns)

steal a lich's spellbook(might have to be a bit high level for this one)

Essentially, they are like undercover cops. They don't want to take part in torture, but if they see it happen, theres nothing they can do right then, since gaining the freedom of the good guy is so important, while still stopping the big evil. The second they can though, they'd want to grab the scroll and take the cult down ASAP.
If you want to have a character dilemma, you can hear an order given to another group, to take out a small town, and have them choose to take down the group, saving the town but making themselves suspicious, or let the town die and secure the good guys freedom, Saving the town would make another town become a target though...only do this if you feel like a jerk that day though

[Volos]

The original ritual could call for some sort of sacrafice of an innocent, but one of the PCs could choose to sacrafice themself instead? Then whatever forces of devine good could bring him back being that he was so selfless? It could be an interesting story thing if you're idea of death is loose enough.

[Swordgleam]

The original ritual could call for some sort of sacrafice of an innocent, but one of the PCs could choose to sacrafice themself instead?

Something similar happened in my campaign, and the fighter still hasn't forgiven the paladin even though it was the cleric's fault. I suggest not giving PCs the chance to tie one of the party to an altar.

[ericgrau]

Here are some examples from King's Quest 6. Dunno if they help.

Make Rain: Kettle, tears, sacred water (rare), falling water. Combine waters in kettle. Speak incantation. Boil later when you want rain.

Charm Creature of the Night: Skull, hot embers, sulphur, a strand of hair from a pure hearted maiden (rare-ish). Combine ingredients in skull. Speak incantation in presence of Creature while holding skull.

Magic Paint: cup, swamp ooze, water from the river styx (rare), flying black horse feather (rare). Combine liquids in cup and stir with feather, color will drain from feather. Paint outline of desired object then speak incantation to make it come into being temporarily.

Maybe the ritual could involve cracking a hollow crystal sphere with a valuable macguffin object and speaking some words. Except the PCs need to switch an item or some of the words to free a hero instead.

[Muz]

Thanks for the ideas! I'm amused at the King's Quest suggestions, given that I'm actually somewhat adapting this little plot from Quest for Glory 4. (With the exception that Katrina wanted nothing to do with the Dark One and had another plot that the PCs foiled long ago, and a few other changes I won't bore you with here. )