Introduction: The Trial is an event you can run into during Act 3 of Slay the Spire 2. A figure called the Grand Arbiter hands you the role of "the Decider" and asks you to pass judgment on a defendant. You cannot refuse, and the case you get is random — so knowing the payoffs ahead of time lets you pick the verdict that actually helps your run.

Event Overview

You enter a building, pass under a golden archway, and the Grand Arbiter labels you the Decider for the day. There is no "reject" option — you must judge whoever is brought before you. Each defendant offers a Guilty or Innocent verdict, and each verdict carries its own reward and (often) a Curse.

The Three Defendants

Defendant	Guilty	Innocent
Merchant	Add Regret (Curse), gain 2 random Relics	Add Shame (Curse), upgrade 2 cards
Noble	Heal 10 HP	Add Regret (Curse), gain 300 Gold
Woman	Add Doubt (Curse), gain 2 card rewards	Add Doubt (Curse), transform 2 cards

Best Verdict for Each Case

• Merchant → Guilty. Two random Relics in Act 3 is an enormous power spike, easily worth a single Regret curse.
• Noble → Guilty. A clean 10 HP heal at zero Curse cost. The Innocent gold is nice but Regret rarely pays off this late.
• Woman → Guilty. Both verdicts add Doubt, so take the larger, more reliable return: 2 card rewards beats the randomness of transforming cards.

Why These Picks

By Act 3 your deck's direction is locked in, so effects that randomize your cards (like Transform 2 on the Woman) risk replacing good cards with junk. Relics, healing, and guaranteed card rewards are far more dependable. A single extra Curse is a minor tax compared to the swing those rewards provide heading into the late-game bosses.