Adventure Idioms

[Burley]

I'm starting a new campaign and, as part of some fetch quest-y stuff, I'm looking to have the players hunt down magical reagents based on idioms.

So far I've got that they need to find "Beauty" and the correct ingredient will be a Beholder's Eye. And, something about absence making the heart grow fonder, like, they need to find the "Fondest Heart" and the solution is to show up with nothing (an absence).

Any other ideas?

Also, I'm using idiom wrong, right? These aren't idioms, but I can't thing of the correct word for the phrase.

[Saintheart]

Tell the players to bring you time, and let them satisfy it with a gold coin. Time is money.

The players must bring you hope, and you let them bring you an everfull mug; Hope springs eternal.

[Tzardok]

I'm starting a new campaign and, as part of some fetch quest-y stuff, I'm looking to have the players hunt down magical reagents based on idioms.

So far I've got that they need to find "Beauty" and the correct ingredient will be a Beholder's Eye. And, something about absence making the heart grow fonder, like, they need to find the "Fondest Heart" and the solution is to show up with nothing (an absence).

Any other ideas?

Also, I'm using idiom wrong, right? These aren't idioms, but I can't thing of the correct word for the phrase.

The term you're seaarching for is "saying" or "proverb".

Ask for a thousand word essay, receive a picture. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Ask for the weapon that defeats any sword, accept a quill. The pen is mightier than the sword.

Ask for a panacea, accept a joke. Laughter is the best medicine.

[RexDart]

I think "aphorism" (https://h-o-m-e.org/aphorism-vs-idiom/) is the more correct word for what you're looking for.

How about "Bring me the value of this picture," with reference to a particular painting or drawing. The quest item is a 1,000 word review of the work of art, description of what is depicted, etc. (EDIT: amusingly, Tzardok and I simultaneously suggested mirror images of the same aphorism.)


One of the Silver Age Green Lantern villain Black Hand's gimmicks was that he loved this sort of thing. (But note if you're looking for stories to use as inspiration that the character changed significantly circa 1990-2000 or thereabouts, becoming a darker and more "serious" character.)

[Telonius]

"A stitch in time saves nine." Quest to get a gizmo to repair a major timekeeping artifact on Mechanus.

"The devil's in the details." A series of cursed totems (fox tails) are having a diabolic effect on their owners.

"The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world." The royal nursemaid has somehow acquired the Hand of Vecna.

"Laughter is the best medicine." You can take this one from a real-world folktale: the story of Lau, from Blautopf in Germany. A mermaid, incapable of laughter, had been cursed to never have children until she laughed five times.

[Remuko]

"A stitch in time saves nine."

make this one even more fun, combine it with time is money and make it stitching money to save 9 (of something).

[Bohandas]

Add "a penny earned" by saving the penny and not adding it


The term you're seaarching for is "saying" or "proverb".

Ask for a thousand word essay, receive a picture. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Ask for the weapon that defeats any sword, accept a quill. The pen is mightier than the sword.

Ask for a panacea, accept a joke. Laughter is the best medicine.

Technically a lot of these are also idioms and/or metaphors

[Aa602213x1023]

"Bring me the head of death himself."

Solution: the head of a nail, based on "dead as a door nail"

[Telonius]

If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride / Don't look a gift horse in the mouth / Straight from the horse's mouth:

A young stableboy had just lost his job. As he went back to the stable to gather his things, he fervently wished he could undo this. A passing devil was able to "possess" the horse to grant his wishes (actually becoming small enough to fit in its mouth, making it appear as though the horse were talking). The former stableboy has now become dangerous and corrupt, but still gets his wishes from the horse (at a cost to his soul each time). The devil isn't particularly pleased with the accommodations, but if he's getting souls out of the bargain he's willing to put up with it.

[Quertus]

make this one even more fun, combine it with time is money and make it stitching money to save 9 (of something).

Hold on...

Time is Money
A Stitch in Time Saves 9
Cats have 9 Lives
Silence is Golden

So... by repairing a golden instrument... with stitches... so that it plays... it will summon a cat... who weighs the same as a duck... and is therefore a witch!

[Remuko]

Hold on...

Time is Money
A Stitch in Time Saves 9
Cats have 9 Lives
Silence is Golden

So... by repairing a golden instrument... with stitches... so that it plays... it will summon a cat... who weighs the same as a duck... and is therefore a witch!

and we burn her! burn the witch!

or build a bridge out of her

[Telonius]

"Burning the candle at both ends" - puzzle to unlock a magical door. Several sconces that have two-colored candles attached to them, each on a swivel. The sconces click at the horizontal and vertical positions - they can be set so that either color is facing up, or the candle is horizontal. Clue is: "Light scattered into pieces, the rainbow's bend will gives way to your straight path. When the light is brightest, your goal draws near." Solution: all sconces horizontal, doesn't matter which color is facing which direction. If all the candles are lit, the door opens.

[Quertus]

For any fire-based Magic, grab a couple of hairs from a guy named William. Place hairs perpendicular to one another at top of staff / tip of wand.

Door knobs should be good for Death Magic; coffee beans for animation. Apes are great for all kinds of magic. The most obvious is anything involving imitation, but if you can get something that dodges their attacks, or you just straight up transform it into a duck, you should have a good component for paralyzing spells.

[Telonius]

"Get your ducks in a row:"

Several rubber ducks are found strewn about a room. Placing them all in a row of pedestals will open the lock.

However, beware:

"You should know better than to pick up a duck in a dungeon."

Directly contacting any of the ducks will cause an Enervation effect. (Using a tool to move it is fine).

[SimonMoon6]

There's the saying that "idle hands are the devil's workshop". So, I once instructed PCs to find the devil's workshop, which was inside the idol's hands.

[Bohandas]

Regarding the penny saved I mentioned earlier, perhaps they might have to laugh all the way to the bank when they go to deposit it

[MornShine]

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it's able to enter through the magically protected ducky door.

Hindsight is 20/20— a puzzle or monster which can only be seen looking over one's shoulder. Or by deer.

Once is happenstance. Twice is a coincidence. Three times is enemy action. This one's really more of a quest structure tip, though.

Perfect is the enemy of Good. A quick and dirty solution for most of the gain, is better than the perfect solution. Or use it to foreshadow a 'perfect' NPC's betrayal...


Birds of a feather flock together, until the cat miniboss is kited over and deactivates the avian trap.

Don't shoot the messenger, even if they're overtly hostile. Seriously, just don't. They're a high-level Scout.

[Bohandas]

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it's able to enter through the magically protected ducky door.

If it weighs the same as a duck then it's made of wood and therefore a witch