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Nettlekid
2012-12-21, 06:28 PM
Although many campaign sessions end up being more or less "go along with what you're meant to do until an encounter fills up the rest of the time," I always appreciate a DM who's capable of throwing a good puzzle or riddle at the party. What fun puzzles or riddles have you sent at your players, or had to figure out from your DMs? Share stories.

A riddle of mine as a DM, which I was quite proud of. The party was on the plane of Limbo, so they were used to dealing with elements.
"I am in Water, but not in Fire.
I am in Earth, but not in Water.
I am in Air, but not in Earth.
And I am how you can tell a Slaad from a Neraph.
What is this?"

Clue: It's one of those riddles in which you find one letter in the first word that's not in the next, and make a word out of them. Also, keep in mind the phrasing of the setup and the phrasing of the actual question.Answer: "The answer to the riddle is the answer to the riddle." From the clues you get T-H-I-S. The question is "What is 'this'?" 'This' is the answer to the riddle. So the answer to the riddle is "the answer to the riddle."

I was very pleased with this one. Most of the group was stumped, except one player who's quite clever but was playing a barbarian, and true to roleplaying form his character couldn't figure it out. Fortunately another player had to leave shortly after, so the clever player took control just long enough to "figure it out."

Premier
2012-12-21, 07:07 PM
Personally, I don't really like "linguistic" riddles where you have to find the missing letter, notice that the sentence refers to itself, or similar stuff - I just find these sorts of riddles unoriginal. I prefer ones which operates like riddles should, with metaphore, metonymy and the like. Like the ones in the Exeter Book (http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Anglo-Saxon_Riddles_of_the_Exeter_Book) (or, say, in The Hobbit).

lotusblossom13
2012-12-21, 09:30 PM
I DMed a one shot for 3.5 D&d with the basic plot being that the players were contestants on a gameshow. One of the challenges that they had to overcome was a logic/riddle challenges. I presented an option of two forks in a tunnel with two tests.

The first place had a stone room lit by candelabras and in the middle of the room there was a stone table. The table was inscribed with the following riddle-

My life can be measured in hours,
I serve by being devoured.
Thin, I am quick
Fat, I am slow
Wind is my foe.
To pass this challenge
You must place me below.

(the table had a small circular indentation)

The answer is a candle

In the other tunnel was a room filled with circular cakes. The task was quite simple for this one. How can you slice a cake into eight equal pieces with only three cuts?

the trick is to cut it twice through the top like a cross, then cut it once through the middle

This wound up being a fun and memorable event for all of my players

navar100
2012-12-21, 09:41 PM
The party needs answers from a Sage. He will only answer them if they can solve his riddle. He puts his hand in his pocket and asks: "What is in my pocket"?


his hand
Works better for the DM to roleplay this.

Nettlekid
2012-12-21, 10:13 PM
Hey Premier, thanks for posting just to let us know that you dislike the kind of thing I started the thread with. >_>

Those were some good ones, lotusblossom. I got the first one, but didn't think of the answer to cake one. It begs the question, how and why was there a room of cakes?

That's cute, navar. I like little tricks like that.

I haven't had a chance to use these yet, but plan to when next my campaign meets. I have one puzzle room, and then six questions which are more like D&D trivia than proper riddles. Since the group I play with has people who really crunch the books, I think they'll appreciate it.

The puzzle room is this. There are 11 raised tiles in the room. Each one has a peculiar effect when stepped on.
1: Stepper leaves a footprint on the tile, even though it's stone.
2: Cannot be depressed if wearing less than heavy armor.
3: Plays a single note, which changes each time.
4: Causes a Dancing Lights effect.
5: Turns red and buzzes if a non-Lawful Good steps on it, turns green and chimes if a Lawful Good steps on it.
6: Causes hair and nails to grow.
7: Heals 1 point of damage.
8: Flashes red for a moment, and causes the stepper to see red.
9: Tile is traced by arcane runes. If Read Magic is used on them, they are revealed to be runes for a scroll of Read Magic.
10: A concealed blade deals 1d4 points of damage.
11: Gently pushes the stepper off.

You need to step on the tiles in the right order. What do you do?
This is also a trivia-ish one. Each tile corresponds to a base class in the PHB. Step on them in alphabetical order! 8, 3, 7, 6, 2, 11, 5, 1, 10, 4, 9

And then later (or earlier, however they move through the maze) they'll get to the classic riddle-asking statue. I think they're in order from easiest to hardest. These are the trivia questions:

In the veins of my cousin run the blood of ancient beasts.
He sneers but I feel more at home partaking wine and feats.
We're both quite Charismatic, with a flair for the dramatic, but while he struts and waves his hands I'll fascinate the marching bands!
What am I?
Clue: A class. A bard! The cousin in question is a sorcerer.

My stomach spans a room or more, or less if master's cheap. But when you're wanting space in spades you'll find no better keep. Unlike my brother Triple-H you'll have to rummage 'round, but don't you fret that what's inside me never will be found! What am I?
Clue: An item. A bag of holding! Triple-H is Heward's Handy Haversack.

My eyes are too vivid, my color too deep. I lost my old body but my strong mind I keep. I once was a human, but my life turned the page. I forever seek knowledge, never dying of age. What am I?
Clue: A race. An Elan!

Of the many capable, devoted there are three. Three paths, six paths, five paths, each to guide to destiny. Only the latter, the user of five, can hope to master my art. But if he does, no lasting harm will shake his iron heart. What am I?
Clue: A maneuver.Iron Heart Surge! The three devoted are Crusader, Swordsage, and Warblade. Crusaders can use three schools, Swordsages six, and Warblades five.

So long you have time to act, you just might stay alive. No need to move, immediately speak and you'll survive. If you would fail for lack of speed and one more moment's all you need, fear not the daze that lies ahead and hope I'll stave off death instead. What am I?
Clue: A spell.Celerity! The clue is in "fear not the daze that lies ahead" instead of "fear not the days that lie ahead." It would be trickier spoken and not read.

I once knew three men of great intellect and power. Skilled in their art, they went on to do great things and their names are immortalized in countless tomes. The first was a man of weak stomach and will, for whom the difficult life of an adventurer proved too intense. He wished never to be without protection, shelter, and the comfort of a luxurious life. The second man was passionate. He gesticulated wildly, and often his hands said more than he did. The third was sinister, a man you'd rather not get too near. His habits of reaching out to those around and drawing them in with little hope of escape made him a dark figure indeed. Tell me, what were the names of these three men?
Clue: Notable figures.Mordenkainen, Bigby, and Evard. I don't actually know anything about them canonically, so I just suggested their personalities based on the spells named after them.

Wyntonian
2012-12-21, 10:20 PM
I still don't get the first one from that last post. Care to explain?

Nettlekid
2012-12-21, 10:30 PM
The tiles one?
In the order I listed, the tiles correspond to:
Ranger (Footprint relates to tracking)
Fighter (Known for heavy armor)
Bard (Musical, obviously)
Sorcerer (A flashy, showy magical effect)
Paladin (Only Lawful Good allowed!)
Druid (Turns you a bit more wild, and references shapechanging)
Cleric (The eternal heal-bot)
Barbarian (Got you seeing red, as in get angry)
Wizard (Magical, but of a written variety)
Rogue (Hidden blade for sneak attack)
Monk (Hard to hit, moves out of the way)

Granted, some are a lot easier to get than others (Paladin and Bard are a lot easier than maybe Monk or Druid) but once you get a few, you get the others. And then once you know what tile corresponds to what, step on them in alphabetical order (Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Wizard)

Deophaun
2012-12-21, 11:00 PM
It begs the question...
It does no such thing. It might raise the question, but there is no circular reasoning present in the puzzle.

Unfortunately, I'm pretty much the only person in my group that actually enjoys puzzles. So I've had to content myself with including mysteries, which are just logic puzzles with fancier wrappings. It's fun watching them stumble upon and then reject the correct answer over and over again.

navar100
2012-12-22, 12:26 AM
What looks like a bell, rings like a bell, and sounds like a bell?

a bell


What do you have that other people use?

your name


What do you lose when you stand?

your lap


What do men do standing up, women sitting down, and dogs with one leg raised?

shake hands


What is in a billiards table and a man's pants?

pockets

Premier
2012-12-22, 06:53 AM
Hey Premier, thanks for posting just to let us know that you dislike the kind of thing I started the thread with. >_>

So I guess the several dozen actual medieval riddles I linked to are chopped liver? :)

DontEatRawHagis
2012-12-22, 10:42 AM
This site has a lot of riddles I've never seen before:
http://dan.hersam.com/riddles.html