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Malacode
2009-08-12, 08:25 AM
I'll be DMing a game for my regular group soon, and I want to break up the usual "Stab, Slash, Kill" gameplay. Here's the set up: Players, in a tomb/dungeon/whatever and they're trying to escape. The place is falling apart so they do have a time limit. In each room, I'd like there to be a puzzle of some form that will allow them to move on. Problem is, what would the puzzles be? Please, help! Anything you find/come up with that could be used for this would be greatly appreciated. It's pretty open, so all suggestions are welcome

Epinephrine
2009-08-12, 08:28 AM
Try this? (http://xkcd.com/246/) It's a variation on a classic :P

kamikasei
2009-08-12, 08:28 AM
Why are there puzzles? Are they puzzles IC, or just things the players OOC have to figure out?

Malacode
2009-08-12, 08:39 AM
It's all IC. I'm thinking that they're different types of locks on doors, or ways of getting through to the next area, where there is another problem to be solved. Riddles are too abstract for this purpose, I'd like them to be lateral thinking puzzles that you could theoretically build and solve.

Edit: I seem to remember a thread around here that had a few of these... There was one that involved a maze consisting of multiple real and illusory walls, some of which were invisible and some of which were in plain sight to create an incredibly annoying puzzle. Can anyone provide a link?

Irbis
2009-08-12, 08:54 AM
Place a door with "Say friend and enter" on it.

Then don't let it open when they say 'friend' - that would be too easy. Has it open when they say 'friend and enter'.

If you feel really vindictive, have it open only when they adhere to it literally and say 'friend enter' but that will cost you a new GM screen to replace one they will tear to shreds in fury :smalltongue:

Epinephrine
2009-08-12, 09:06 AM
Have a leap of faith? Illusionary wall across a pit, with an inverse antilife shell (anti-non-life?) so that thrown rocks and such bounce off, but a person's life-aura allows them and their gear through?

Illusionary things that block you physically, but only with your eyes open? And critters attacking for illusionary damage that disappears when you leave the area and can never actually hurt you with your eyes shut, but if you open your eyes it becomes real.

A hall filled with nasty statues that blast at anyone who approaches them - unless you walk through backwards? Accompanied by some saying about, "those who would face the wrath of the *foo*, prepare to die. If you wish to live, turn about now."

Malacode
2009-08-12, 09:08 AM
Say, those are perfect! Thanks a whole bunch, I'm definitely incorporating them.

AstralFire
2009-08-12, 09:10 AM
Make sure to force Reflex checks at a low-ish but still threatening DC regularly, or be knocked prone or fall into a pit because the place is destablizing. They do a lot for atmosphere!

Atelm
2009-08-12, 09:33 AM
You could have a room full of rotatable mirros (360 degree turn, or less) accompanied by a source of light or some such. The way further would open once the light would've been reflected on to some trigger through the mirrors. Incorporating useless mirrors that function the same as the rest, but aren't needed in solving the puzzle would be a nice addition.

Although showing where the "path" of the light is pointing at any given time might make this puzzle more work than its worth.

Malacode
2009-08-12, 09:33 AM
I just thought of something:
There's a room with a map of a maze carved into one wall, right? A lever opens the door to the next area, which is (Suprise suprise) that same maze. The catch is, only half the party gets through the door when it shuts again. The lever won't work anymore. Anything said in the room can be heard in the maze, but not the other way around. The people left in the room have to guide the people in the maze to the other side, where there is another lever that will teleport the other half of the party over. The OTHER catch: After half the party gets trapped in the maze, flesh eating insects start swarming out of every crevice. The people in the room don't know this, but the other group are probably scared half to death and running around like headless chooks.
I'm just wondering how to get this to work, logistically, as I actually want the players unaware of the things their characters don't know

Atelm
2009-08-12, 09:37 AM
I'm just wondering how to get this to work, logistically, as I actually want the players unaware of the things their characters don't know

You could hand the people who need to know notes about what is going on, or alternatively you could separate your players to two different rooms in RL, then swap back and forth between the two.

Malacode
2009-08-12, 09:40 AM
That could work well.... The two groups on other sides of the same door, IRL and in game, and one group can pass notes under the door. Awesome! Thanks

Bigbrother87
2009-08-12, 09:41 AM
You could hand the people who need to know notes about what is going on, or alternatively you could separate your players to two different rooms in RL, then swap back and forth between the two.

Use two rooms, and a baby monitor or something else that will simulate exactly the conditions you're putting them through in the maze. Team 2 in the maze can hear what Team 1 says, and Team 1 has the map. You're either moving between them, or just staying with Team 2 describing the insects...

Malacode
2009-08-12, 09:46 PM
I doubt I can get a hold of a baby monitor, but thanks for the suggestion. Anyone else have -any- ideas?

The New Bruceski
2009-08-12, 09:54 PM
Why does a collapsing dungeon have doors locked by puzzles? Isn't that like putting a padlock on the emergency exit of your building? Why can't they just run out the way they ran in? Convenient "random" structural damage?

ericgrau
2009-08-12, 10:03 PM
IMO the best puzzles aren't distinct from the dungeon. Instead it should be part of the dungeon. If the PC can't lob spells at it, break it, bypass it in an unintended way, have multiple ways of actually solving it, or otherwise do whatever they want, IMO it's a lousy puzzle. So if it's something general you found on the internet, and solving it is the only way to unlock the way forward, IMO it's a lousy puzzle. For good puzzles, a lot of the standard DMG traps are pretty good. There are 101 ways to beat them or get screwed, and search & disable device often only do so much, if anything. Otherwise tricky rooms with strategic layouts like arrow slits, ramps, revolving rooms, illusory everything, etc. are good too.

Malacode
2009-08-12, 10:07 PM
Bruceski: I was thinking that they're entering, not leaving. There's something in there that they need and a limited time with which to go and get it.

Ericgrau: That;s what I was thinking. That's why I'm trying to avoid riddles and all that. I'd like the puzzles to be inherent in the design of the place. Accidentally collapsed columns and rubble might form one, for example.

ericgrau
2009-08-12, 10:11 PM
Then 2e modules may also have some inspiration, besides the DMG traps. 1e/2e makes me think D&D was designed to put a smile on the face of sadistic DMs. On the traps I should clarify on disable device. If you read the general trap info it'll say how you gotta reach a certain part to disable the trap, and that there are also other ways to disable it. Just try to picture the trap in your head.

EDIT: Some old school gaming webcomics also have some ideas. For example there's an illusory enemy in a room, but when enter you step on a pressure plate making a portcullis drop in the front and back, and archers fire through arrow slits with illusory covers. So then you have strength DCs to lift a portcullis, will saves to recognize that the monster is illusory if you attack him, improved cover AC bonuses to the attackers (but they can still be attacked), arrow slit AC for aimed spells like fireball (see fireball description), search checks to notice pressure plate (if you don't charge in at the monster), disable device to jam the pressure plate. But then you still got the arrow slits. And then there's gotta be some kind of secret door for the archers to get back there. And secret doors may be a revolving wall with a hidden lever or lock or something. Etc. Just think of clever ways for the baddies to be total bastards, then think of how it all works, then that'll give you 100 ways the PCs can screw up their plans. Including ways you never thought of.

Signmaker
2009-08-12, 10:16 PM
Do me a favor, and let the VERY LAST puzzle room be a series of levers, buttons, and hand-sized statues that trigger traps when utilized. Meanwhile, the door to safety is unlocked.

Jothki
2009-08-12, 10:18 PM
Have a lever that when pulled, opens a hidden door in the previous room.

ritztastic
2009-08-12, 10:36 PM
Do me a favor, and let the VERY LAST puzzle room be a series of levers, buttons, and hand-sized statues that trigger traps when utilized. Meanwhile, the door to safety is unlocked.

That's dementedly awesome.
I like it.

Malacode
2009-08-13, 02:29 AM
Hehe, I'm -so- doing that. I can't wait to see their faces. Thanks everyone! These are all great, I'm sure I'll be using most of them

KillianHawkeye
2009-08-13, 07:29 AM
Have a room with a pressure plate in the middle of the floor. When stepped on, it causes the doors to seal and a spiked ceiling to begin slowly lowering from 20 ft. above. There's a lever in the room which pulls the ceiling back up to its starting height, but it begins lowering again right away. The doors can't be forced open because they're heavy and the mechanisms are behind the wall.

The trick? If nobody pulls the lever for some # of rounds in a row (let's say, 6 rounds for example), then the ceiling stops itself 5 ft. from the ground and the doors open. The group is only trapped there for as long as they keep trying to escape. :smallwink:

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Also, I'm sure there's a bunch of ways you could make an annoying puzzle using sliding doors that operate in groups so only certain pathways are open at a time. Ideally something that requires the group to split up because the switches that open the doors for one group are in a different area.