If I have posted this in the wrong place, please let me know and I'll ask in another forum.
One of my players is a cleric of Shelyn. I've made a side quest based on her backstory that will lead her through the Trials of Shelyn. These trials should test her devotion to Shelyn and will reward her with an item that will help her in her quest. It seems I would have had quite a bit more ease coming up with Trials for most any other deity, but I'm hard pressed to find adequate trials related to Shelyn.
I ask for your help. I need help fixing my trial described below, as well as coming up with more related to Shelyn or her virtues of love, beauty, music, art, forgiveness and loss.
She will face these trials alone, but the rest of the party will be present and be able to help think through puzzles. They are there via a deity level casting of illusion magic similar to the dream spell. They cannot interact with the world she is in, but they can offer advice and roleplay conversations.
Can you please help me come up with some trials?
So far I have one and I am not sure it is that great. It is kinda lacking a lot of what makes a trial a trial. I read somewhere that good puzzles should not be dead ends. So they need to challenge a player while still not being impossible. My idea below can potentially turn to impossible depending on the actions chosen by the player. So thats not good. Here is what I have so far:
Art: A white room with no discernible walls or doors or source of light although it is very bright. The entrance behind her seals up and the door frame fades away to leave no trace. There is three paintings on easels and a single fireplace with a mantle on top. One painting shows Shelyn looking down from Nirvana on the people of Cheliax, another painting shows an inspiring utopic landscape reminiscent of Nirvana, the last one shows Zon Kuthon torturing mortals in painful ways and behind him a sea of mortals in pain, bleeding, chained up and being mutilated. There is no indication of what to do, no exits. This is the test of art. She is not supposed to destroy,deface or put any art in the fireplace, because followers of shelyn regard any art with respect and destroying art is a huge sin for them. The answer is all art is beautiful and all expression is beautiful. A follower of shelyn should see beauty in all art forms and appreciate it, respect it and never destroy it.
The obvious question is: If the solution is to do nothing, how does it end? The other issue is that it requires no kind of risk or sacrifice. Maybe a Perception check recognizes that a painting is incomplete, and requires the cleric to apply his or her own blood to finish it.
To cover Shelyn's other aspects, a matchmaking test would be appropriate (pick the ugliest person in town, and find someone to love them). A make-over as part of that challenge might also be appropriate.
The obvious question is: If the solution is to do nothing, how does it end? The other issue is that it requires no kind of risk or sacrifice. Maybe a Perception check recognizes that a painting is incomplete, and requires the cleric to apply his or her own blood to finish it.
To cover Shelyn's other aspects, a matchmaking test would be appropriate (pick the ugliest person in town, and find someone to love them). A make-over as part of that challenge might also be appropriate.
It seems I cant edit my post. But the solution is to put all paintings on the mantel to be featured prominantly, or to openly say that all paintings are equal.
I like your ideas! Thank you.
There should be a test of their ability to peacefully resolve a situation.
Perhaps a group of goblins fighting over a dog carcas. The dog is already dead. The test is two-fold: do not lead with the blade and try to find a way to peacefully resolve the situation.
Since the goddess is NG, provided it isn't a Paladin being tested you could have a test where they come across someone in the act of stealing some art. Have them find the thief stealing the work from a temple of Gorum. Make the painting of two rulers signing a peace treaty or something like that -- something that it should be obvious that Gorum would not like since it avoids battle. The answer would be allow the thief to go or even help them. Bonus points if the painting is replaced by one that Gorum would approve of.
I also like the match-maker idea.