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Message: <blockquote data-quote="fuindordm" data-source="post: 1630397" data-attributes="member: 5435">What about a world where only those who made a pilgrimage to the holy site of a god could benefit from spells cast by that deity's clerics?Hong made a good point about the need for a pilgrimage to be fun for the players inand of itself.  One way to do that is to impose extra conditions on the PCs actions during the pilgrimage.  This will make the journey and its associated encounters more challenging than usual, because their options are limited.Guarding important NPCs while they go on a pilgrimage could also be a good motivating factor.Ground rules of pilgrimages:1) To benefit from a pilgrimage, you must declare it formally at the beginning of the journey. (To yourself, to a God, to your Mayor--to whom is a RP issue. To the DM it'sa useful marker.)  I would want to avoid having the players happen to end up at aholy site while pursuing other goals and then saying "while we're here, let's see if we can get a bonus!"2) Pilgrimages with an in-game benefit should encompass a suitable challenge either at the site of the pilgrimage or during the journey.  PCs who adopt additional restrictions or voluntarily make the journey more challenging for themselves will be more likely to receive an in-game benefit.For example:The most holy site of the faith of Mystra is a mountain lake that forms a natural source of magical energy.  Any charged item dipped in the lake (only once per item)will receive an additional charge.  Any non-charged item that duplicates a spell will have its next use of the spell empowered (if it causes damage) or extended (if it hasa duration).  In addition, baptism in this lake is considered a requirement for any persons wishing to enter the priesthood or patronage of Mystra.  Particulary holyindividuals have been known to receive other blessings on their first baptism, usually in the form of increased potency to one of their favored spells (+1 DC toone spell in their repertoire) or temporary spell resistance for seekers that are not spellcasters.A pilgrim seeking to enter the priesthood of Mystra  must make the journey in a state of mind open to the mysteries of the Weave and the universal presence of magic in the world.  They should refrain from the use of violence or brute forceto overcome any challenge they might meet on the way, and seek out omens toguide their path as they travel.  If they can cast spells already, the use of magic ispermitted but violence should still be avoided if possible.It's up to the GM to make up encounters on the road that would test the PCs resolve to follow the above conditions, and adjudicate their success.----------The Grand BaptismOn a similar note, here's a more difficult pilgrimage for a campaign with strong elemental themes.Many cultures baptise their children with water to purify their spirit.  Some warriorcultures also practise a baptism of fire to test the strength of their young adults.The dwarves alone baptise with earth, voluntarily burying themselves deep in thebedrock to better understand and identify with the most resistant of elements.  Baptism by air is a ritual unknown to all but the most esoteric researchers, a relicof the Golden Age civilization now lost to us.The PCs learn of this pilgrimage while exploring some ancient ruins, deciphering old scripts and obscure bas-relief dioramas carved into the walls of an inner chamber.  It seems there are four elemental sites of particular potency in the world, and one who completes a journey to each in order, and performs the proper ritual there, will be granted great power.  Each has a fierce guardian that must be defeated, and there are restrictions that must be respected at each one.  After baptizing themselves at all four sites, will they find their destinies forever altered?--Ben</blockquote>

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