The side quest to make the soldier a paladin could start from a temple. The side quest can be: an undead infested graveyard or find the missing ambassador. Recovering a magic item could be as well depending on the party level.
- Find lost scriptures - Commune with his/her god to write new scriptures - Perform a difficult Ritual/Ceremony - Have someone who is struggling with their faith seek the character for guidance - Perform an exorcism - Build a shrine - The god seeks the character in a dream, and tasks them with helping a particular person
They each enjoy having small side tasks to complete during the main adventure, typically to do with factions and alliances.
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Replies don't have to be directly related, have any of you done anything similar in the past? Done anything like this your players have enjoyed?
Cheers in advance.
I riddle my campaigns with these. I will have them led into a zone where three conflicting factions have plans for the same resource. These factions will have side quests of smaller problems they are experiencing that may or may not tie into gaining their favor. Sometimes I only have short sides of a family in need of aid, or a lost item needing return for reward.
My players enjoy the diversity in allowing them to choose what they prefer to do instead of following a linear quest line I may have established. Sure, not all side quests are engaged, but I can throw them back into the pool further down the campaign. I would definitely suggest including side quests as you progress.
Focus on the tenets of the deity he worships, then look at the cleric domains associated with that deity, make a side quest align with that. If it's the light domain, make him act as a guide on an escort mission that will bring acolytes or worshippers through a dangerous area to a holy site. If it is healing, make him find and stamp out the source of a disease in an urban setting (like troglodytes living in the sewers, which then cause rats to get infected with some troglodyte based disease, then the rats carry it up to people/pets on the surface. Use a disease like campylobacteriosis as the base).
The side quest to make the soldier a paladin could start from a temple. The side quest can be: an undead infested graveyard or find the missing ambassador. Recovering a magic item could be as well depending on the party level.
- Find lost scriptures
- Commune with his/her god to write new scriptures
- Perform a difficult Ritual/Ceremony
- Have someone who is struggling with their faith seek the character for guidance
- Perform an exorcism
- Build a shrine
- The god seeks the character in a dream, and tasks them with helping a particular person
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Make him earn/forge his holy emblem.
Focus on the tenets of the deity he worships, then look at the cleric domains associated with that deity, make a side quest align with that. If it's the light domain, make him act as a guide on an escort mission that will bring acolytes or worshippers through a dangerous area to a holy site. If it is healing, make him find and stamp out the source of a disease in an urban setting (like troglodytes living in the sewers, which then cause rats to get infected with some troglodyte based disease, then the rats carry it up to people/pets on the surface. Use a disease like campylobacteriosis as the base).
it could be worse, you could be on fire.
After looking into the PHB here are some other ideas based on the deity and domains:
if knowledge domain applies: have him delve deep to recover lost tomes or find an ancient library
If nature is relevant: have him clear out an infestation of blights that are contaminating a sacred spring, then confer a blessing on the spring
Tempest domain: make him find a group of rowdy non-believers. He can't kill any of them, just put the holy fear of his god into them.
Trickery domain: make him break an acolyte out of prison.
War domain: make him lead a small team of soldiers on a military mission. Like a small skirmish, but now he is in command.
Again, look at the domains associated with the deity he worships. That should give you guidance
it could be worse, you could be on fire.