High Sands Campaign: Treasure Map Help

[moonfly7]

In an earlier thread I asked for help making a high seas style campaign but in a desert and on sand ships.
In this thread I'm capitalizing on the Buried Ship linked to a Magic Compass idea suggested there. Basically a former Pirate Kings Flagship is lost, buried in the Sands. The item required to find it was separated and scattered to the winds. By happenstance, each member of the party has 1 piece of it. I have 3-4 party kembers and want at least 5-6 pieces of the device to exist. Each piece on its own should be at least a minor magical item and when combined should allow them to find the ship, and grant a few other bonuses. Any ideas are welcome, thanks in advance!

[Sorinth]

I saw a puzzle that was part of an escape game that was basically 4 square pieces of a map and 3 or 4 numbered paths were draw on it. If you put the 4 pieces together to form a larger square you all the paths would lineup but even knowing the correct path gave the wrong answer. The trick was the squares had to actually overlap each other. There was a clue telling you how to overlap them properly which changed the paths and so give you the correct answer.

Sadly I don't have a picture of the map pieces but it's probably not too hard to create one. Here's an example of how it sort of worked. Lining up the maps without overlapping would produce the image below where the paths would cross, but when lined up so the two dots would overlap you would get a straight line and producing a different path.

__ __
.\ /.
__/\__

So your PCs could have the pieces of the map but then have to find the clue that would tell them the correct path number to take. And a clue to tell them how to overlap the maps.

[moonfly7]

I saw a puzzle that was part of an escape game that was basically 4 square pieces of a map and 3 or 4 numbered paths were draw on it. If you put the 4 pieces together to form a larger square you all the paths would lineup but even knowing the correct path gave the wrong answer. The trick was the squares had to actually overlap each other. There was a clue telling you how to overlap them properly which changed the paths and so give you the correct answer.

Sadly I don't have a picture of the map pieces but it's probably not too hard to create one. Here's an example of how it sort of worked. Lining up the maps without overlapping would produce the image below where the paths would cross, but when lined up so the two dots would overlap you would get a straight line and producing a different path.
__ __
.\ /.
__/\__

So your PCs could have the pieces of the map but then have to find the clue that would tell them the correct path number to take. And a clue to tell them how to overlap the maps.

Hmmmm. Interesting. I'm not going to be using anything as uniform as blocks(the only item I've figured out is a Scarab Necklace) but I could probably figure out how to do this.

[Sparky McDibben]

One, it might be useful to let holding a piece of the compass give you a general sense of the nearest piece you aren't holding's location. If you have 4 PCs and 6 pieces, give the other two items to two NPCs.

I'd make one of the NPCs a mid-level adventurer for a powerful faction. Cross them, and you've got a powerful faction gunning for you. But if you work with them, they might completely screw you over and you have no recourse. The other NPC I'd make a powerful monster or solo adventurer (think Boba Fett or a dragon). Now they've got these other two groups out for them, sending kill-teams to retrieve the compass pieces, keeping the pressure on, and making it from a McGuffin quest into a race against your enemies. You can also use the NPCs to propose alliances ("Help me get Lord Ormu's compass piece, and we'll split the find 50/50!"), backstab ("Sorry, it's not personal; just business."), and otherwise stymie your PCs.

Two, I'd use the "Minor Beneficial Properties" table from the DMG, but some other properties for a compass might be:


Always know which way is north, even underground
Spend an hour to know the general vector toward one item or person you have seen before for a period of 12 hours
Spend a bonus action to determine if something is an illusion (possibly skill-locked)


And many more!

[moonfly7]

One, it might be useful to let holding a piece of the compass give you a general sense of the nearest piece you aren't holding's location. If you have 4 PCs and 6 pieces, give the other two items to two NPCs.

I'd make one of the NPCs a mid-level adventurer for a powerful faction. Cross them, and you've got a powerful faction gunning for you. But if you work with them, they might completely screw you over and you have no recourse. The other NPC I'd make a powerful monster or solo adventurer (think Boba Fett or a dragon). Now they've got these other two groups out for them, sending kill-teams to retrieve the compass pieces, keeping the pressure on, and making it from a McGuffin quest into a race against your enemies. You can also use the NPCs to propose alliances ("Help me get Lord Ormu's compass piece, and we'll split the find 50/50!"), backstab ("Sorry, it's not personal; just business."), and otherwise stymie your PCs.

Two, I'd use the "Minor Beneficial Properties" table from the DMG, but some other properties for a compass might be:


Always know which way is north, even underground
Spend an hour to know the general vector toward one item or person you have seen before for a period of 12 hours
Spend a bonus action to determine if something is an illusion (possibly skill-locked)


And many more!

Yeah that's pretty much the plan for the pieces story wise. I've got 3 separate groups looking for them besides the party.
Love the minor properties idea though.