Reverse riddle? What do you think?

[Jon_Dahl]

Usually what happens is that the players discover (or fail to discover) the solution to a riddle.
What I suggest is that the solution to the riddle is whatever the players think that they have discovered.

An example:
An NPC in my game who is known his prophecies could have the following dream:
In the second wind from the fourth direction
is the sixth place of the eight earth
And on the tenth hour of the twelfth day
there will be the first answer to the first question
The question by the NPC to PCs: "Where is this place? And what will you find there? And when?"

The PCs (the players) will work to find a solution and if the work itself is meaningful and provides a reasonable answer to the riddle (i.e. what, where and when), the PCs will find what they are looking for with the possibility of combat and adventure to boot.

What do you think about this approach?

[Gnaritas]

What i think will happen:

They find a solution, fitting, but farfetched. They hardly believe they got the right answer themselves. But they try it anyway, with lack of better options.
The answer appears to be correct, personally i would ask the DM at that point, "Was this really the answer to your riddle?"

What will you answer?

[Jon_Dahl]

What i think will happen:

They find a solution, fitting, but farfetched. They hardly believe they got the right answer themselves. But they try it anyway, with lack of better options.
The answer appears to be correct, personally i would ask the DM at that point, "Was this really the answer to your riddle?"

What will you answer?

I will most likely smile and ignore the question.

[BaronDoctor]

In essence something like the title quote from this (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AscendedFanon?from=Main.SureWhyNot) page.

[Jon_Dahl]

I take it from the silence that my idea is okay but it does not really provoke any reactions. Which is good.

[Crake]

I take it from the silence that my idea is okay but it does not really provoke any reactions. Which is good.

I'll be honest, I never really read the thread until today, because the title made me think it would be about something else. It's an interesting solution to the use of riddles, but it's not particularly new. In fact, when it comes to prophecies, this is about one of the only ways to REALLY do them, since neither you nor your players can actually see into the future.

[Jon_Dahl]

It's an interesting solution to the use of riddles, but it's not particularly new.

I have seen anything similar, not a single anecdote, not even a hint. But thank you for the feedback, I appreciate it. Thank you for your honesty.