Trials of Purity

[Lawleepawpz]

So, I have plans to have a major artifact appear later in my game. In order to avoid spoils for any of my players who are on here, it will be holy in nature.

In particular, I want to have a series of trials to see if a character is worthy to retrieve it. It is not necessary in any way, and should as such be very difficult to pass. I could use help with figuring out exactly what the trials will be, though, as something like that is a bit outside my comfort zone (hence me trying to expand it)

Ideas? The system is 3.5, for anybody who can think of a book to point out (Pathfinder is used as well), but I am looking more for ideas and concepts than mechanics, as those are much, much easier for me.

[blacklight101]

Maybe something akin to The Rites of Pain, they are made to run between 2 lines of people armed with nonlethal weapons, but cannot fall or cry out or be rendered unconscious lest they be deemed impure. Challenges of the mind, basically a series of progressively harder riddles, potentially an 'unsolvable' one as well. Maybe even just make it arbitrary, do whatever you want and let them pass/ fail based on who roleplays better.

I could as well crib some from a game im playing right now, the Rites of Fire, Water, and Light. Fire is placing your hand in fire and passing a few fort saves to not make a sound; Water is to resist drowning, and light is to resist a massive electrical current to the brainbox (i.e. the electric chair) and not go into a coma.


Put in emotional stuff about their character's pasts too, make them deal with moral issues that fall under more "gray area" than the normal Good/Evil that happens in 3.5

[Broken Crown]

It seems the question is, what constitutes "worthiness" in the view of the Power(s) that imbued this artifact with holiness? What virtues would a potential retriever of the artifact need to exemplify? What vices would disqualify a person? If you've been running the campaign with these characters for a while, you probably already have an idea of which (if any) of them would qualify; the "tests" have already been passed or failed.

Unfortunately, this makes for an unsatisfying adventure from the characters' POV, since a predetermined outcome will look like DM fiat. Therefore, at least one of the virtues should be something that has not previously been put to the test in the campaign. Depending on the Power(s) behind the artifact, it could be anything from courage to generosity to cooking skill.

Spoiler: A popular trick in folk tales...

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... is to have a quest that can only be attempted once: If the quester turns back, nothing bad happens, but he or she fails, and the quester knows this ahead of time. Then, near the end of the quest, the quester must choose between helping an innocent person (which he or she can easily do, but will have to abandon the quest to do it), or continuing towards the goal. Typically, the innocent person's difficulty will be something that a reasonable person could ignore, or at least postpone assistance, in good conscience: Non-life-threatening thirst, for example.

Of course, the twist is that in choosing to selflessly help another, rather than selfishly seeking to achieve his own desires, the quester proves his worth, and thus succeeds at the quest after all. If the quester doesn't help the innocent person, then he is judged unworthy, fails the quest, and generally suffers a horrible fate into the bargain.

[Slipperychicken]

A list of virtues would help. Something like:

• Chastity/Temperance (Do not delay responsibilities for cheap amusements, carnal pursuits, nor fall for the devil's drink)
• Courage (Face down seemingly-impossible odds)
• Forgiveness (Show forgiveness to people who wrong you)
• Generosity (Make real sacrifices to help others)
• Honesty (Tell the truth, even when it hurts you)
• Humility (Do not gloat or demand reward. Be content with what life has given you)
• Mercy (Grant quarter to a defeated enemy. Do not end his life or cause undue suffering)
• Patience (Wait for an exceedingly long time to achieve something; never give up or try to reap the benefits early)
• Tranquility (Do not start hostility without need. Exhaust all other options before resorting to violence or unpleasantness.)

Also, here's a longer list of virtues which may suit your needs.

In particular, I want to have a series of trials to see if a character is worthy to retrieve it. It is not necessary in any way, and should as such be very difficult to pass. I could use help with figuring out exactly what the trials will be, though, as something like that is a bit outside my comfort zone (hence me trying to expand it)

Have the trials happen before the PC officially starts the quest, in the form of seemingly-random encounters. Roughly one encounter per virtue should be sufficient. If the PC exemplifies the virtues in all the encounters, then when they reach it, the quest-giver either provides some final, ultimate trial, or simply hands over the artifact while saying something like "You have already completed the trials".


EDIT: Perhaps, once the PC completes the last of the "trials", he receives an evaluation based on the results. Things like "When you gave up all your money in Sicktown to cure that woman's illness, you demonstrated true generosity", or "When you tortured, slew, and urinated on the goblin-chief despite his cries of surrender, and then gloated of your deeds, you proved a lack of mercy, tranquility, and humility. You shall not pass the tests or wield the relic, but you can still atone for your sins and save your soul".

[Zurvan]

This is all very Christianity holy.

Who is the god responsible for the major artifact?

Make the trials relate to his/her commandments.

[Jay R]

Don't tell them it's a test of purity. Have them stand on one foot for five minutes, while you roll dice. Tell each one privately that his or her foot touched the ground for a moment once, when the judge looked away. Then have the judge ask them if they succeeded.

Or have each one see that one of the others didn't quite succeed.

The test is whether they will tell the truth.

[Segev]

Yeah, in a pantheistic world, with multiple pantheons, even, what constitutes "worthiness" for a given holy artifact is going to vary greatly.

Tell us about the kind of person that is meant to wield it, and we can probably help you better design your trials. Tell your players not to read the thread; if any seem to have, obviously they failed that part of the trial! ;)

[Lawleepawpz]

Alright, I am fairly new and as such do not know the spoiler part, so I am just gonna go outright for it


It is a major artifact level Holy Avenger type weapon. In the past, a large group of level 17+ Paladins (I do not have many high level characters or things in my WIP setting, and am explaining why to the characters over time) went to retrieve it and died. The sword itself was forged by an ancient, and now dead, god in order to protect the world from the rising on an Elder Evil. His particular portfolio was that he was the god of sacrifice and valor in battle.

While it will have all of it's powers no matter who wields it (I dislike class specific things outside the actual Holy Avenger) it is an intelligent item in the hands of a Paladin, and even carries its own divine ranks (Which can not be given to the player, ever. At all.)

At the very least it will most likely disdain my parties sorcerer, who made a Faustian pact (Whole other story)

As for the type of person meant to wield it, that would be someone who realizes that their own life is meaningless if it would lead to the world being safer for those with no ability to defend themselves.

[Segev]

Click on the "quote" button to get a view on how this was done:

Spoiler

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The most straight-forward trials for valor in battle involve combat. I'd have a series of them, each more dangerous than the last. The final one should be a guardian of the sword itself who has a battle tactic that is unbeatable but leaves a chance to retrieve the sword after each time he kills somebody. Perhaps he takes time to suck out their soul or something, rendering them invalid targets for any sort of resurrection. The guardian pays close attention to the reasons given for the person fighting him. Their valor has already been proven. So now they must prove that they're willing to give up their own life to get that sword, and for the right reasons.

If they do, the guardian releases their soul back into their body, possibly with a spiffy new template to go with their right to wield the sacred sword.

[Lawleepawpz]

Click on the "quote" button to get a view on how this was done:

Spoiler

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The most straight-forward trials for valor in battle involve combat. I'd have a series of them, each more dangerous than the last. The final one should be a guardian of the sword itself who has a battle tactic that is unbeatable but leaves a chance to retrieve the sword after each time he kills somebody. Perhaps he takes time to suck out their soul or something, rendering them invalid targets for any sort of resurrection. The guardian pays close attention to the reasons given for the person fighting him. Their valor has already been proven. So now they must prove that they're willing to give up their own life to get that sword, and for the right reasons.

If they do, the guardian releases their soul back into their body, possibly with a spiffy new template to go with their right to wield the sacred sword.

Spoiler

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Like this?

I like this, and will most likely use it. It seems kind of like a final trial to me, however. I think a lesser angel would be good, perhaps a bound evil outsider.

So a final trial by combat, straightforward and nice. Though, having looked into symbolism with numbers, quite a few like the number 2, because duality-body-and-spirit thing.

Anybody have an idea to test their spirit? So far, only one of my characters would be considered entirely un-pure by the standards of Good (because, you know, he is undoubtedly evil).

Edit: Got the spoiler tag right. Thanks :)

[S@tanicoaldo]

In my opinion power need to have a price.

If it is the god of "sacrifice and valor in battle" make the sword only work in a battle against evil and the price to use it would be a sacrifice from the user.

Dunno it can be something drastic as his life or maybe a couple of levels.

[Ettina]

As for the type of person meant to wield it, that would be someone who realizes that their own life is meaningless if it would lead to the world being safer for those with no ability to defend themselves.

So what tests would indicate that?

[Slipperychicken]

So what tests would indicate that?

Probably tests where the PC is made to choose between self-sacrifice and allowing the defenseless to be harmed. If he gets through enough of those while choosing the "self-sacrifice" option, that should work.