Help creating a riddle.

[Blackfootdog]

I've come to a spot where I need your help, guys. In my current campaign, my players find a door(at the top of an anti-gravity well in a tower), and on the door, a plaque says, in common, "Please ring to enter." However, there isn't a bell, or anything other than the door, which has a small keyhole in it. Found in the same dungeon, or perhaps given by an npc or taken off an enemies body, is a gold ring. Inscribed on the ring is an instruction of some sort, and when the pcs please the ring, it turns into the small key needed to enter the door.

My problem is that I can't think of a good instruction to be carved on the ring. I don't want it to be too obvious or simple. This is supposed to be a stumper. So, please give me your thoughts on what the ring's instruction should be. Also, what do you think of my puzzle?

[Quirken]

I think this is a great idea :) The "Please ring to enter" thing is subtle enough not to be obvious, but obvious enough to be a groaner when they figure it out.

As far as how to please the ring... I can't think of anything not dirty right now.

Should probably be some sort of riddle that doesn't involve emotions - if you have something about being happy on there, the connection will be too obvious.

So, um... googling "evil riddles" gave me this, which might be useful. (Suppose the ring wants you to give an incorrect answer or not the best answer?)

http://monsterguide.wordpress.com/2010/02/08/evil-faeries-magic-riddles/


Evil faeries have an absolute fascination with magic riddles. It’s difficult to say precisely why, but it has something to do with crazed minds and the disjointed manner in which they think. They might ask you, “What stands on four legs in the morning, to during the day, and three at night?” You will answer ‘Man’, having heard that one back in grade school, but the actual correct answer will be a magical chair with regenerating legs that people like to kick a lot. You’ll then be turned into a sparrow that they keep permanently on a silver chain (as evil faeries are known to do.)

You could try learning the answer to every riddle known to man, but it probably won’t do much good. The puzzle that the two-headed ogre asks you will likely have no bearing to those classic conundrums, or make sense of any kind. Your best bet is to simply respond to his riddle in a completely authoritative fashion, cross your arms together, and nod smugly. He’ll assume that you must know what you’re talking about since you’re so sure of yourself, and allow you to continue on your journey wondering how you possibly managed to get the better of him.

So... on that line of reasoning, get a riddle they think they know the answer to, and come up with another answer?

Also, I found this link. Maybe you can use one of these: http://www.dndgamer.com/riddles2.htm

[The Antigamer]

lol at your dirty thoughts Quirken.

You could have the riddle be:

The strongest chains will not bind it
Ditch and rampart will not slow it down
A thousand soldiers cannot beat it
It can knock down trees with a single push

And the answer is blowing wind through the ring.

Or:

Today he is there to trip you up
And he will torture you tomorrow
Yet he is also there to ease the pain
When you are lost in grief and sorrow

The answer is alcohol, and they must drop the ring in some.

[Violet Octopus]

The ring, when worn, telepathically informs you that it is a "ring with three wishes". That should be enough of a red herring, even once the players give up trying to activate said wishes. Once the players figure out the true meaning of "please ring to enter", the ring says they fulfilled its first wish: for someone to solve its clever riddle. Its second and third wishes are silly things like giving it a polish, doing the chicken dance for its amusement, or additional riddles/puns like taking it out for a spin, i.e. spinning it on the ground.

Then let the party keep the ring as a rather chaotic intelligent item that can perform very minor wishing magic 1/day (like prestidigitation, but around the power of level 1 or 2 spells), in exchange for odd requests.

[Serpentine]

edit@^: I like that one, too.


I think it should just be a flat statement of something it "likes". It can be something a bit obscure or twisted or "impossible" - "middle finger of a beholder"* - or so simple the players might think there's a trick to it "I like left pinkie toes".
I mean... it's a ring. Not really much room for a very big, complicated riddle.

*Could be a play on the word "beholder", so someone just has to look at - "behold" - the ring as they put it on their middle finger, or maybe there's a weird mutant beholder around, or maybe they have to Polymorph a beholder into something with fingers first, or maybe something else.

[Grogmir]

Liking all these ideas - i'm stealing them as quick as you type.

I looked through the riddles section - one I liked for this was...

turn my head and you may go where you want.
I turn it again, you will stay till you rot.
I have no face, but I live or die
by my crooked teeth so who am I?

Answer: A Key

Which plays in well with the inital riddle.

[Amiel]

Nice idea :)

Here's some more;
No beginning. No end. I am a symbol of the world's cycles.
Answer:
A circlet/a ring

I have no colour, though there may be darkness within.
I have no weight and hold nothing, and if placed in a container it becomes all the lighter.
Answer:
A hole

[GNUsNotUnix]

How about the ring says, "Oppose me," and the solution is to wear it on one's thumb?

[Debihuman]

By itself, the ring isn't much of a clue. Perhaps the ring glows in the presence of the door or when the word, "door" is spoken. You could pick any word in the riddle that would cause the ring to glow, but it should be a significant word.

Getting the PCs to figure out how to turn the ring into a key is more difficult. Had you made it a raised signet ring like this one:
http://www.markdefrates.com/images/geborunerglg.jpg

Then all that you would need is an appropriate slot for it to fill.

However, you want it to turn into an actual key. That's trickier. See the riddle would have put in place by someone to whom the ring was significant (and probably what is behind the door is significant too).

This shouldn't be overwhelmingly difficult but you need to leave more clues.

It's like activating a magic item.

Perhaps the riddle is as simplistic as "When is a door not a door?" Ans. "When it's ajar" and then the door would open.

Debby

[AyeGill]

I think this is a great idea :) The "Please ring to enter" thing is subtle enough not to be obvious, but obvious enough to be a groaner when they figure it out.

As far as how to please the ring... I can't think of anything not dirty right now.

Should probably be some sort of riddle that doesn't involve emotions - if you have something about being happy on there, the connection will be too obvious.

So, um... googling "evil riddles" gave me this, which might be useful. (Suppose the ring wants you to give an incorrect answer or not the best answer?)

http://monsterguide.wordpress.com/2010/02/08/evil-faeries-magic-riddles/



So... on that line of reasoning, get a riddle they think they know the answer to, and come up with another answer?

Also, I found this link. Maybe you can use one of these: http://www.dndgamer.com/riddles2.htm

I really, really like the evil fey reasoning.
Maybe something like:
By dawn i walk on two legs
By day on none
By dusk i walk on three legs
By night on one
I thrive in the daylight

Basically, the player will probably try all sorts of weird interpretations of the text, maybe even try to make it walk on no legs with PaO. But the answer is actually just to cast daylight on the ring.

Meh, i'm too tired to come up with a proper riddle.

[Sipex]

This riddle should require that the players sing to the ring.

Because that would be hilarious.

Give the ring lyrics to a simple song that most people know (including your players). When they actually sing the song (not just read the lyrics) the ring is pleased.

[AugustNights]

What pleases rings?
The average ring would be pleased to be worn, as we are pleased to suit our purposes in life.
But the extraordinary are not pleased to fit their purpose, but to refit what purpose they're given.
So how does a ring change its purpose?
There are two rings to a man, so says the law of slots.
And rings are stronger than ion stones, because of those a man may have infinte.
But a necklace?
A humanoid may only wear one necklace.
Were I a ring, I'd aspire to be just such a thing.

[enigmatime]

Why don't you put the answer an the ring, so they have to figure out the riddle? As you may have guessed, I am currently reading the Hitchhiker's Guide books.

[Blackfootdog]

Antigamer, your wind riddle is great. Awesome ideas, everyone. Someone said that the riddle should be a flat statement, and I couldn't agree more. And I suppose a ring could aspire to be a necklace, very insightful. More ideas, guys!