Cracking the Combo

[RolandDeschain]

Details are always important, but to keep this short and sweet I'm gonna provide just a basic sketch to see if ya'll have any ideas.

Scenario: Our party(13th level) is on a demiplane with a permanent Confusion effect, there is a huge machine(artifact) with four levers that have to be set properly for us to escape(all other means are blocked). My character is a 13th level wizard, and the Vision spell he cast to end last session failed and can't be cast again.

The Confusion is causing the other party members(13th level Cleric, Gish-Tripper, Warblade, and Ranger/Scout) to each believe they know the correct combination so they keep throwing levers, while my wizard is trying to come up with a way to systematically test the machine for the proper combination. I don't have to worry about the Confusion because my wizard is immune(role-playing fluff), but let's just say math/logic isn't exactly my strongest area.

What would be the quickest way to test all the different combo's and/or are there any other spells(up to wizard 7) that would help?

Here's what we're looking at: Red lever, Green lever, Blue level. Settings 1, 2, and 3 for each lever. Then a white lever with only 2 settings.

Thoughts...

[ComaVision]

3x3x3x2=54 combinations lol

Fastest way would just be brute force testing:
1-1-1-1
1-1-1-2
1-1-2-1
1-1-2-2
1-1-3-1
1-1-3-2

And so on. Hopefully somebody can help you out with some other spells. Is Divination (the spell) a possibility?

[RolandDeschain]

Unfortunately the Cleric is fading in and out of usefulness due to the Confusion effect. He blasted our Warblade with a Finger of Death last session. If he gets a moment of clarity I will advise him to cast a Divination spell to see if it helps.

So there are 54 possible combinations? Yikes, it takes a full round to set the damn machine. If the DM chooses to bring in some baddies(he's hinted at such) we're screwed....

[ZamielVanWeber]

The problem is without clues brute forcing it is really your only option. I checked with other people and they agreed. You have to try everything.

[OldTrees1]

3x3x3x2=54 combinations lol

Fastest way would just be brute force testing:
1-1-1-1
1-1-1-2
1-1-2-1
1-1-2-2
1-1-3-1
1-1-3-2

And so on. Hopefully somebody can help you out with some other spells. Is Divination (the spell) a possibility?

This can be speed up by properly ordering the 54 combinations. Toggle the White lever exactly once after each combination
111, 112, 113, 123, 122, 121, 131, 132, 133,
233, 232, 231, 221, 222, 223, 213, 212, 211,
311, 312, 313, 323, 322, 321, 331, 332, 333
This Graycode sequence minimizes the lever switching needed to reach the right combination(which probably will minimize the unpleasant wrong combinations) because you only throw 54 levers(which equals the 54 combinations).

[RolandDeschain]

I think I love you a little bit OldTrees.

Thanks guys!!!

[OldTrees1]

I think I love you a little bit OldTrees.

Thanks guys!!!

See if your DM will accept a move action to change 1 setting. Then your high Int character can use the Graycode method(1 setting change per combo) to run through the combinations faster than normal(1 round per combo).

[MasterFu]

On the bright side, even a divination that only allows 2-3 yes or no questions could let you eliminate 75% of the invalid combinations.

[Telok]

Legend Lore ought to work pretty well, except of course the 1d4*10 minute casting time and your DM threatening you with random encounters.

Honestly when faced with a puzzle and no clues my instinct is to blow it up or set it on fire. Failing that, do you happen to have a portable hole and a bag of holding handy? It may be easier to get home from the Astral then from where you are now.

[Inevitability]

Try to 'feel' if a lever is in the correct position with a spellcraft check? If the DM accepts it, this could turn the situation into much easier game of mastermind.

That, or just sit back and wait. Even if the other players are randomly turning levers, there is a 1/54th chance of a random combination being right. They should get the correct position in like five minutes, tops. If any enemies do attack, just use some of the encounter-ending spells a wizard gets to prevent them from disturbing your typewriter monkeys valueable and useful allies.

[sleepyphoenixx]

You can use SM7 to summon a Movanic Deva (FF). It gets Divination 3/day as a SLA (among tons of others), so it should help to cut your stay shorter.

If you can get the cleric to cast Calm Emotions or Peaceful Serenity of Io (RotD) you could at least suppress the confusion while you work to find a solution.
There's also the Artaaglith Demon (Ghostwalk) from the SM6 list that casts as a 5th level cleric. It doesn't have a "typical spells prepared" list though so getting Calm Emotions is up to your DM.

[Amphetryon]

Please tell me the trap gives some sort of indication when one of the levers is in the right place, regardless of whether the others are correctly positioned or not. Otherwise, this is potentially a very tedious problem.

I assume that "I roll Disable Device" has been vetoed as a valid means of dealing with this particular, er, device?

[Novawurmson]

54 positions is a little suspicious to me, because that's a 52 card deck+2 jokers (especially if it's been hinted at that there are a few "very bad" scenarios). Have there been any hints about cards?

Red, green, blue could also be color combinations, as you can make all visible colors with RGB (with the white switch being a light on/off). Have there been any hints about colors?

Edit: Also, ask if Use Magic Device could help.

[RolandDeschain]

Thanks again guys, we got out of there last night. Turns out it was completely random. My wizard started working through the fifty four combos(rolling each time) and hit the right sequence on his 11th try. More interestingly, once he cracked the code, the machine offered to increase his intelligence by 4 in exchange for a -4 to his constitution. Once I figured out it was a permanent change to his base scores and not a bonus, he took the deal.