Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 The_Stray Dec 16, 2014 19:55:12	I'm designing a dungeon, partly using the random generator tables in the back. One of the things I rolled is a "Trick: Suit of Armor, Asks three skill testing questions (if all three are answered correctly, a reward appears)."   I've decided I want to tie this in to one of the PCs, who is playing a Dragonborn Paladin (Vengance Pact). So the suit of armor is going to be the remains of a dragonborn paladin from the same order who was part of the force who assaulted this dungeon back in Ye Days Of Yore. I thought it might be neat to have the dragonborn ask some thought-provoking moral and ethical questions.   With that in mind, I wanted to get some ideas from you all about what sort of questions to ask. I'm thinking along the lines of questions that don't necessarily have clear-cut answers, no real right or wrong, questions that provoke thoughts about hypothetical situations. The paladin skeleton is looking to see if his heir is worthy of being given a reward, but is mostly looking to gauge our Paladin's reasoning more than come to any pat answer.   I know about the famous "Orc Babies" question, so while that is one that might be asked, I'd like to have a few other hypotheticals to ask. Thoughts?
#2 Chiisai_Usagi Dec 16, 2014 20:18:53	"Which is more important, mercy or justice?"   "A man steals bread to feed his family because he is not paid enough to afford it.  Is his action, good, lawful, both good and lawful, or neither good nor lawful?  What if it is a nation of men?  What if the nation of men can only steal from a neighboring nation?"
#3 Dark_Stryke Dec 16, 2014 21:30:03	The Ogre Battle series had a few interesting moral questions with no clear-cut answers. Paraphrasing a few... 1. A fire has broken out in your home, and you only have time to save one person. Do you save your lover, your child, or your best friend? 2. You have lost a hard-fought battle. Who is to blame? Your inadequate troops, your poor leadership, or the whims of fate? 3. Of all the crimes that people commit, which is most necessary? Deception, theft, or sacrifice? 4. All men have flaws. Which of yours would you remedy? 5. How do you define victory? Vanquishing your enemies, ending the conflict, or preserving your allies? 6. Who or what is most responsible for your success? Your skill and ability, the strength of your friends, or the grace of your god?   You could have the skeleton demand that your paladin explain his responses if the player merely picks one of the listed answers. Something along the lines of "Hmm, fascinating. Why do you think this?" Or "I see. But why are you so sure?"   Hope that helps!
#4 lawrencehoy Dec 16, 2014 22:29:01	Dark_Stryke wrote:
#5 OrwellianHaggis Dec 17, 2014 1:42:28	Q: what happens when the irresistible force meets the immovable object?   A: they surrender.
#6 BRJN Dec 17, 2014 6:10:00	- "What brought you to this place?" - "Show yourself a competent swordsman."  (Small bulls-eye appears on chest, moves to en garde position; fights through three rounds of combat then stops and signals Truce) - "Why are you worthy to carry this symbol (of the order of paladins)?" - After describing the situation of Anakin Skywalker and the Sand People (from Star Wars III):  "Must Anakin atone?  For what sin/crime?" - Another Les Miserables reference: "When should the Law cease to pursue / punish a lawbreaker?"  (A: When he repents.)  (Javert never understood this.) - "How can mortals know that an act is Good?"  (or Evil) - "Is there an inherently Good act?  An inherently Evil act?"   Keep in mind that posing a moral quandry - especially an insoluble one - does not make one a 'better Paladin'.  It can just frustrate / torment the player.  And don't use this as an excuse to expose the chip on YOUR shoulder about alignments, nature of good/evil, &c.  See also some of the Paladin Alignment threads for more discussion.
#7 Noon Dec 17, 2014 15:02:51	Instead of an NPC asking the questions, why not make the game world actually have these situations in it and then people play out how their PC reacts to it, as their answer to the question?   Side note: When everyone in the groups into it, that's what narrativism is (it's not about lots of narration!)
#8 Azzy1974 Dec 17, 2014 15:57:44	"What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?"
#9 pukunui Dec 17, 2014 17:25:24	Yeah, as a sort of foreshadowing, you could introduce an actual morally ambiguous situation and see how the paladin handles it. Then later, when the skeletal paladin asks a question that is of a related matter, the player can point to how their PC handled the actual situation. If I were the skeletal paladin, I'd probably take that as a much more meaningful answer than a mere theoretical one.   Noon wrote:
#10 Emerikol Dec 17, 2014 18:52:08	Which is better the existence of a great good and a great evil or the existence of neither?   Do the ends justify the means - always, sometimes, never?   What makes a being divine?   Does your God choose to do an objective good or is his/her actions good by definition?
#11 The_Stray Dec 17, 2014 20:49:23	Noon wrote:
#12 draegn Dec 18, 2014 7:11:29	Do you loot the dead, or leave them with  honor and bury them with their belongings?
#13 shpelley Dec 18, 2014 7:15:50	Emerikol wrote: