Virtuous quests to test paladins

[rounser]

I'm looking for suggestions on adventure ideas that serve to test the moral fibre of a paladin.

As examples, the computer games Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar and the gold box D&D game Champions of Krynn both feature quests which test virtue, and they did much to enrich the atmosphere and depth of each game.

In Ultima IV, the main character is required to behave virtuously in the world in order to successfully pray at each of the shrines (each of which represents a virtue such as honesty, valor, sacrifice, humility etc.) in order to eventually complete the game.

In Champions of Krynn, a Knight of Solamnia PC is tested in a dungeon tomb for bravery, lack of greed and selflessness.

In both cases, the tests were set up specifically for the purpose of testing a champion, as opposed to random moral dilemmas which the real world can present, so this is the sort of thing I have in mind. i.e. Suggestions on the hoops a true paladin might to need to jump through to live up to his alignment and code on such test quests, and the rewards, sacrifices or consequences which are appropriate for success...and....what entities or organisations might want to test champions in this way.

 

[hong]

Test of Compassion: enter into Dungeon Despise, and defeat the leader of the orcs therein.


Hong "believe it or not, this actually works" Ooi

 

[FireLance]

I've always felt that the real test of a person's character is not how he treats his friends, or even random strangers that he encounters, but how he treats his enemies.

If a paladin were to come across an evil humanoid (one that actually detects as evil, not a neutral example of his race), say a goblin or an orc, who was dying by the side of the road, would he stop to stabilize him and bring him to a place of safety? If the humanoid was hungry and thirsty, would he share his food and water? If the humanoid was targeted for lynching by an angry mob, would he try to protect him?

In my view, he should on all three counts. I demand very high standards of behaviour from paladins.

Anyway, I would not be too concerned about whether a test is intended or a random moral dilemma. In a world where the deities are active and involved, anything can be a test. The paladin's patron diety may use such events to teach him the true nature of Law and Good (he gets a dream lecture if he "fails" the test, for example). In my view, the best reward for such tests would be the redemption of the evil humanoid so that he becomes a valuable ally of the paladin.