Puzzles and Riddles

[Clavicus Eden]

I'm a fairly experienced GM working on a Dark Heresy 2nd edition game.

The setting is a futuristic Venice like city in which the players have to hunt down an assassin before he kills his target, the assassin in mind is going to be taunting the players throughout through the form of letters. I want to incorporate riddles into these letters that the group have to solve to catch the assassin quickly, a failure to do so may result in negative consequences down the line. I'd also like to include puzzles involving chemistry and possibly logic puzzles?

Any help would be fantastic :smallsmile:

[Surpriser]

If the assassin is actually clever and not just a clichéd, masked, singing villain that will have your players groan when they first encounter him, the riddles in the letters will both taunt the players AND distract them from the real clues.

For example, the first letters contain hints about the next assassinations, of course in such a way that the correct solution will become obvious only after the fact.
Then, once your players are used to these letters being a mixture of boasting and taunting, while at the same time getting closer and closer to the assassin, they will get another letter. This time, apparently by luck, they get the deciding clue to the riddle before the murder occurs and have a chance to actually prevent it!
Except that the whole thing is a trap, sending them off in a completely wrong direction and possibly framing them for something or destroying evidence.
Make sure to include a very obvious "Your assassin is in another castle" moment when they realize they were tricked.

And THIS is the moment when the assassin makes a mistake that allows the players to actually catch him. Because then it will be personal. I would recommend not using a riddle for this one, or including the clue beside the riddle, as something the assassin forgot about or did not deem important.