PDA

View Full Version : Riddle Help - is this riddle solvable



Highelf_Tear
2014-07-30, 03:47 PM
My group likes puzzles and riddles in the game, but I always have trouble creating good adventures around riddles that already exist. In addition they have already seen a lot of the riddles and puzzles that I find. So this time I am working on creating some of my own. The puzzles are easier for me, but I am working on a few riddles. I am not sure if this is solvable or not, so could you look it over and see if you can figure it out. Please let me know if you can't or if you can (if 99% of people can't get it, but only the 1% who can post, then I will assume it is more solvable than it is). Also if you think that I should change some of the wording. Thanks!

There they are, all huddled in the grass. The girls in midriffs, the boys in whole shirts. Each paired off except for one, who is the center of attention, too cool in all black. I charge forward, breaking them up, trying to get rid of all the girls or guys. Whenever I get near they all run away. When the pairs are all gone I focus my attention on the cool one in black, my work is not done until he too is gone. What am I?

Yora
2014-07-30, 03:53 PM
I don't immediately get it, and I don't have a clue what direction the solution might be in.
As a player, I would keep going and look around for other things. But I'm not a fan of riddles to begin with.

Kid Jake
2014-07-30, 04:43 PM
My group likes puzzles and riddles in the game, but I always have trouble creating good adventures around riddles that already exist. In addition they have already seen a lot of the riddles and puzzles that I find. So this time I am working on creating some of my own. The puzzles are easier for me, but I am working on a few riddles. I am not sure if this is solvable or not, so could you look it over and see if you can figure it out. Please let me know if you can't or if you can (if 99% of people can't get it, but only the 1% who can post, then I will assume it is more solvable than it is). Also if you think that I should change some of the wording. Thanks!

There they are, all huddled in the grass. The girls in midriffs, the boys in whole shirts. Each paired off except for one, who is the center of attention, too cool in all black. I charge forward, breaking them up, trying to get rid of all the girls or guys. Whenever I get near they all run away. When the pairs are all gone I focus my attention on the cool one in black, my work is not done until he too is gone. What am I?


My first instinct is that you're the sun and he's in the shade.

The_Werebear
2014-07-30, 04:51 PM
I'm not sure, but now I'm going to be thinking about it all evening.

I'll get back to you if I come up with something plausible.

veti
2014-07-30, 04:54 PM
Maturity?

(ten characters my ...)

Socksy
2014-07-30, 04:55 PM
My first instinct is that you're the sun and he's in the shade.

I'd run away too if the sun got near me!

My first guess was a snake or some sort of bug, but I think I'm being too literal. Yours is better.

DArva
2014-07-30, 05:02 PM
pool. took longer go post than solve. Bloody cell phones

Kid Jake
2014-07-30, 05:03 PM
I'd run away too if the sun got near me!

Heh, my interpretation was that as the sun shifts, those that can't fit in the direct shade keep moving to stay comfortable while the guy in the shade stays cool and lethargic as is his custom.

DonEsteban
2014-07-30, 05:09 PM
I thought flowers at first, but soon realized it must be a pool player or a queue.
You could say "when the pairs have all split up". That would be both more accurate and more poetic, I think. I liked it.

Kid Jake
2014-07-30, 05:59 PM
I thought flowers at first, but soon realized it must be a pool player or a queue.
You could say "when the pairs have all split up". That would be both more accurate and more poetic, I think. I liked it.

Nice. Makes a lot of sense.

Cowardly Griffo
2014-07-30, 06:08 PM
Nice. Makes a lot of sense.Yeah, I was thinking about it for a while when this was first posted earlier; never would've gotten that.

I think you're muddying the waters too much with the "guys and girls" and "too cool for school" angles. Generally, a good riddle will make you look back at every word and say ah-ha! when you hear the answer; a bad riddle makes you look back and go "well that was like a red herring smoothie."

Right now it's worded more like the latter. Assuming the answer given in spoilers above is the right one.

Highelf_Tear
2014-07-30, 06:19 PM
DArva and DonEsteban got it right (sorry don't know how to link to your names).


I thought flowers at first, but soon realized it must be a pool player or a queue.
You could say "when the pairs have all split up". That would be both more accurate and more poetic, I think. I liked it.

Thanks that does make more sense. Do you have any thoughts to help with what Cowardly Griffo said below?


I think you're muddying the waters too much with the "guys and girls" and "too cool for school" angles. Generally, a good riddle will make you look back at every word and say ah-ha! when you hear the answer; a bad riddle makes you look back and go "well that was like a red herring smoothie."

Right now it's worded more like the latter. Assuming the answer given in spoilers above is the right one.

I agree with this, I just didn't know how to word it any better to still give the same sort of hint, but so that it made more sense.

Thrudd
2014-07-30, 06:46 PM
Yeah, I was thinking about it for a while when this was first posted earlier; never would've gotten that.

I think you're muddying the waters too much with the "guys and girls" and "too cool for school" angles. Generally, a good riddle will make you look back at every word and say ah-ha! when you hear the answer; a bad riddle makes you look back and go "well that was like a red herring smoothie."

Right now it's worded more like the latter. Assuming the answer given in spoilers above is the right one.

I agree, you'd be better referencing the numbers, instead of arbitrarily assigning different genders. And bare midriffs doesn't exactly evoke the image you're going for, I think, in fact the opposite; it would imply there is color on top and bottom and nothing in between.

"Fifteen men, seven fully covered, seven covered only in the middle, and one all in black standing in the center. I charge forward with the thrust of a staff and they scatter. I must continue the attack until each one has disappeared, but the man in black must be saved for last! What am I?"

Pex
2014-07-30, 07:46 PM
My group likes puzzles and riddles in the game, but I always have trouble creating good adventures around riddles that already exist. In addition they have already seen a lot of the riddles and puzzles that I find. So this time I am working on creating some of my own. The puzzles are easier for me, but I am working on a few riddles. I am not sure if this is solvable or not, so could you look it over and see if you can figure it out. Please let me know if you can't or if you can (if 99% of people can't get it, but only the 1% who can post, then I will assume it is more solvable than it is). Also if you think that I should change some of the wording. Thanks!

There they are, all huddled in the grass. The girls in midriffs, the boys in whole shirts. Each paired off except for one, who is the center of attention, too cool in all black. I charge forward, breaking them up, trying to get rid of all the girls or guys. Whenever I get near they all run away. When the pairs are all gone I focus my attention on the cool one in black, my work is not done until he too is gone. What am I?

Billiard's Cue Ball

Cowardly Griffo
2014-07-30, 07:47 PM
Some other possibilities / phrases to work off of:

Field of Green
Ballroom
There are six exits, but I alone cannot leave

The last one is doubly good since it's an ambiguous phrasing and both interpretations work; the speaker/cueball is the only one who can't leave (until the end of the game), and while they can't leave alone they can leave with the man in black.

Segev
2014-07-30, 08:09 PM
There they are, all huddled in the grass. The girls in midriffs, the boys in whole shirts. Each paired off except for one, who is the center of attention, too cool in all black. I charge forward, breaking them up, trying to get rid of all the girls or guys. Whenever I get near they all run away. When the pairs are all gone I focus my attention on the cool one in black, my work is not done until he too is gone. What am I?

Without reading the rest of the thread, it wasn't until I got to the end of your riddle, but then I realized thatit is describing a game of pool/billiards, specifically 8-ball, and that "I" must therefore be the cue ball.

White Blade
2014-07-30, 08:11 PM
Yeah, I didn't get it. I found the answer interesting, though.

Segev
2014-07-30, 08:16 PM
Suggested alternate wording, particularly if it's for a D&D game:

8 beauties modestly dressed, 8 beauties dance with bellies bared. I charge amongst them like a beast, their pretty colors scattered as I chase them from the green meadow. All save the drow; I save her for last. What am I?

Sith_Happens
2014-07-30, 09:54 PM
Here's my answer before having read the replies:


There they are, all huddled in the grass. The girls in midriffs, the boys in whole shirts. Each paired off except for one, who is the center of attention, too cool in all black. I charge forward, breaking them up, trying to get rid of all the girls or guys. Whenever I get near they all run away. When the pairs are all gone I focus my attention on the cool one in black, my work is not done until he too is gone. What am I?

A Cleric fighting a necromancer with some weird kinks. The "girls and boys" are undead, and they're running from you because you Turned them.


Suggested alternate wording, particularly if it's for a D&D game:

8 beauties modestly dressed, 8 beauties dance with bellies bared. I charge amongst them like a beast, their pretty colors scattered as I chase them from the green meadow. All save the drow; I save her for last. What am I?

A total creeper and maybe rapist.:smalleek:

Another_Poet
2014-08-01, 01:48 AM
To the OP: I didn't immediately get it and doubt I would have. But I'm not the greatest riddle solver. Other gamers I know may well have guessed it.

Even when I saw the answer I was still a little confused. Really it's the cue ball not pool itself, that is the answer. Then it makes perfect sense.

You might consider cutting the "who is the center of attention" part, as re-reading the riddle it feels misleading/unnecessary.

Also note that a "midriff" is not something you wear. It's the part of the torso that's revealed when you have that kind of shirt on. You might consider "the girls with bare midriffs" instead for accuracy.

Avilan the Grey
2014-08-01, 02:10 AM
I would never be able to guess this, but then I have never paid attention to pool. :smallsmile:

PersonMan
2014-08-01, 11:36 AM
I didn't think of it, but I'd add that the context is important. In, say, a medieval fantasy game, for example, this riddle's answer would seem totally out of place to me.

Assuming it's a modern game, you could add clues via context or make it easier by having similar things pop up shortly before the players come across the riddle.

nedz
2014-08-01, 03:39 PM
I'm not normally very good at these but I got this one straight away. My main issue is verisimilitude — what sort of setting is this riddle for ? Would pool be a thing IC ?

Highelf_Tear
2014-08-01, 05:54 PM
I would like to thank everyone who helped out with this so far.


I'm not normally very good at these but I got this one straight away. My main issue is verisimilitude — what sort of setting is this riddle for ? Would pool be a thing IC ?

It is set in modern times. The game is going to be sort of based on the 1st resident evil (thus all of the puzzles). There is also a hint built into the game that will direct them:

to a rec. room, which will have a pool table in it.

Prince Raven
2014-08-02, 12:29 AM
You are the cue ball in pool/billiards.

LokiRagnarok
2014-08-02, 01:25 AM
As you also asked people to post who couldn't solve it, here I am ;)

I was too confused by the gender thing and the claim the one in black was "too cool" - in short, I had trouble looking past the anthropomorphisation.

prufock
2014-08-02, 07:47 AM
I got the billiards reference in about 10 seconds, so you are the cue ball. I'd give the riddle an A, maybe A- just because if you have no pool players in your group it might be more difficult. I like it. Caveat: make sure billiards/pool is an established game in your setting - wouldn't make sense for the answer to be a cue ball if the characters had never seen a game of pool.

Gavran
2014-08-02, 08:40 AM
As you also asked people to post who couldn't solve it, here I am ;)

I was too confused by the gender thing and the claim the one in black was "too cool" - in short, I had trouble looking past the anthropomorphisation.
Same.

And I'm about three feet from a pool table that I play on fairly regularly. :P

But mine's beige instead of green so that's why I didn't figure it out. Obviously.

Cheers
2014-08-02, 09:04 AM
Spoilered to prevent accidental hints to those still looking.

I also didn't find it untill I read the spoilers. I was thrown of by the usage of the word cool twice, thinking it significant (and maybe temperature related). In addition, with the words "Whenever I get near they all run away", I assumed an avoidance of contact rather than actual contact.

It also doesn't help we use different rules :)

KillianHawkeye
2014-08-02, 10:00 AM
I also could not think of it, for the same reasons as these two mentioned.


As you also asked people to post who couldn't solve it, here I am ;)

I was too confused by the gender thing and the claim the one in black was "too cool" - in short, I had trouble looking past the anthropomorphisation.


Spoilered to prevent accidental hints to those still looking.

I also didn't find it untill I read the spoilers. I was thrown of by the usage of the word cool twice, thinking it significant (and maybe temperature related). In addition, with the words "Whenever I get near they all run away", I assumed an avoidance of contact rather than actual contact.

It also doesn't help we use different rules :)

I've never been the best at riddles. Although in my defense, I am also quite sleepy at the moment. :smallwink:

Cikomyr
2014-08-04, 08:00 AM
The riddle can really end up pretty cool. There were some examples of it very well worded.

I just hope the players then realize one of the room in the dungeon has a pool table. They try to pick up the cue ball, but realize (somehow) its a Sphere of Annihilation, and the only way to handle it is with the pool cues.

Then they have to make trick shots to make the ball go up the stairs where thry need it to proceed, all the while hunted by skeletons.