Backed into a Corner

[Ledzopolis]

DMing has always been fun and easy for me, everything seems to work out perfectly in my games and major problems quickly resolve themselves. I'm known for throwing out random puzzles or npcs with mysteries attached to them without knowing their purpose myself.

Usually everything works out and I make up an excuse or solution for their presence, but I've backed myself into a corner, literally. The party has come across a square stone bricked room, 20X20 ft room, and the only thing in it is a metal hook on the wall. Its supposed to contain a portal and the adventurers were expecting that...

I had some idea of what to do but the more I think about it and try to come up with a solution the less sense I make of it. I was thinking of having to hang a mirror on the wall and climb through it to get to the portal beyond, but why would they even think of that. I need some clues or something completely different that would be easier for them to figure out.

PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR SOLUTIONS!!

[Tadanori Oyama]

So the real problem is making sure that the characters have some sort of reason to poke at whatever you hang from the hook, or however the portal works.

I've found that any unusual detail tends to get players poking attention. Something visually suited might be the way to go.

For example, hang a painting from the hook: a lifesized painting of a pair of double doors.

[Voshkod]

It's not a hook; it's a switch that looks like a hook. Pull the hook, the portal opens.

[An Enemy Spy]

Have a chain on the end of the hook.

[Voshkod]

If they examine the hook carefully, tell them the top looks worn (or, alternatively, is free of dust), as it something had been hanging there for a long time. That should get them thinking about hanging something there.

[only1doug]

<snip>
Usually everything works out and I make up an excuse or solution for their presence, but I've backed myself into a corner, literally. The party has come across a square stone bricked room, 20X20 ft room, and the only thing in it is a metal hook on the wall. Its supposed to contain a portal and the adventurers were expecting that...

I had some idea of what to do but the more I think about it and try to come up with a solution the less sense I make of it. I was thinking of having to hang a mirror on the wall and climb through it to get to the portal beyond, but why would they even think of that. I need some clues or something completely different that would be easier for them to figure out.

PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR SOLUTIONS!!

all of the following clues are available in the room;

Close inspection (search check) reveals a faint outline on the wall, something large has normally hung from this hook.

Detect magic reveals strong transmutation and conjuration auras on the hook.

a spot or search check reveals some broken mirror glass on the floor, further investigation shows small pieces of guilt edged frame.

identify cast on the hook will reveal that it will somehow change a specific type of item hung from the hook into some form of portal.

[Calinero]

Well, making sure to go into a lot of detail about the hook would be a good idea. Perhaps instead of hoping that they will happen to have a mirror, the hook is simply a level that reveals a secret passageway leading to a more obvious portal. This could be hinted at by giving the hook some interesting characteristic, or simply spending more time describing it than anything else in the room. If you give it more attention than anything else, the players will focus on it.

One question, though: why should the players want to go into this random portal? How do they know that it is safe, or that it takes them anywhere they want to go?

[Lycan 01]

A watch.

There is a pocketwatch hanging from the hook.

If you rewind it, the wall will start to dissasemble as though its construction was being reversed, revealing/creating the portal.

[Ledzopolis]

all of the following clues are available in the room;

Close inspection (search check) reveals a faint outline on the wall, something large has normally hung from this hook.

Detect magic reveals strong transmutation and conjuration auras on the hook.

a spot or search check reveals some broken mirror glass on the floor, further investigation shows small pieces of guilt edged frame.

identify cast on the hook will reveal that it will somehow change a specific type of item hung from the hook into some form of portal.

Thanks thats beautiful, I love a good mystery.

[Keld Denar]

The wall is actually a lie. Its an illusion that covers a cubby that houses a gelatinous cube. The cube hangs out there waiting for the little bell to ring that signals that its feeding time. The cube then slides around the area, picking up garbage and dust and other debris. The "hook" that the players see is actually the remains of a broken candelabra that is sticking out of the cube through the illusionary wall. If the players grab ahold of the hook, the cube sense this and attempts to slurp up the PC holding it. Do some save or check to let go of it before getting drawn into the cube. The cube then slides out through the wall and proceeds to attempt to eat the party. After slaying the cube, the party explores behind the illusionary wall and finds some undigestable treasure and a portal. Yay!

[Ledzopolis]

If the players grab ahold of the hook, the cube sense this and attempts to slurp up the PC holding it. Do some save or check to let go of it before getting drawn into the cube. The cube then slides out through the wall and proceeds to attempt to eat the party.

Cruel and unusual, I like it.

A friend actually just suggested that I make the portal in that room to the Shadow Plane and the room is just an illusion but you can't get past the illusion unless there's no light. Also a possibility.

[Knaight]

A watch.

There is a pocketwatch hanging from the hook.

If you rewind it, the wall will start to dissasemble as though its construction was being reversed, revealing/creating the portal.

That is so awesome.

[Lycan 01]

Hurray! Somebody actually thought one of my ideas was awesome!


I just find the concept of small artifacts that can control time to be... cool.

[JMobius]

I just find the concept of small artifacts that can control time to be... cool.

That is a nifty idea, I might use it at some point. Reminds me a lot of The Lost Room.

[Mastikator]

The room is just an elaborate illusion trap. Now nothing is inexcusable, though I doubt you'd be able to get away with it more than once :P

[Daimbert]

DMing has always been fun and easy for me, everything seems to work out perfectly in my games and major problems quickly resolve themselves. I'm known for throwing out random puzzles or npcs with mysteries attached to them without knowing their purpose myself.

Usually everything works out and I make up an excuse or solution for their presence, but I've backed myself into a corner, literally. The party has come across a square stone bricked room, 20X20 ft room, and the only thing in it is a metal hook on the wall. Its supposed to contain a portal and the adventurers were expecting that...

I had some idea of what to do but the more I think about it and try to come up with a solution the less sense I make of it. I was thinking of having to hang a mirror on the wall and climb through it to get to the portal beyond, but why would they even think of that. I need some clues or something completely different that would be easier for them to figure out.

PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR SOLUTIONS!!

Are you completely -- pardon the pun -- attached to the hook being there?

If not, you can steal an idea from an old adventure game I played on my CoCo a long time ago: the wall contains a painting of a door. If you open it, the portal opens. All other magical cues still apply.

This came up in a game where you were trapped in an insane asylum, and had to get out. An inmate who thought he was Picasso painted these everywhere ... but one of them could be an exit. That was the only time I won that game.

[gnomas]

I like the idea about the double doors painting, especially if your players need such an obvious hint like mine sometimes do. are you player's the type who would actually think of, say, rewinding a watch or carefully investigating things?

[Ledzopolis]

Ok this will be my last post on my own thread, but I can't resist telling you about the rest of the dungeon. This is of course in the basement of an evil temple.

This dark cult found the heart of an ancient priestess, the founder of the cult who left behind her grimoire telling future generations how to bring her back if something should ever happen to her. The adventurers find out whats happening and go to stop them, a grim sight awaits them. Cultists in a mad frenzy, dancing in the temple and cutting themselves, bleeding into unholy symbols on the ground.

At the back of the temple is a great golden throne for their priestess and behind it is a strange circle. Its made out of five different precious materials, each representing a different plane, and by combining them and using acts of life and death the ritual is supposed to unlock a portal to a plane of infinite knowledge, an arcane feast if you will, something that humans aren't quite ready for.

After disrupting their doings, and after the priestess disappears they destroy the circle which was opening (stupid barbarian knocked it over onto the golden throne, then broke the circle sending 99% of the throne off into some random spot on this secret plane much to the chagrin of the rogue).

They go down to the basement and find several rooms each with a separate portal. My favorite room is an underground garden, with beautiful (and yes, assassin) vines, and flowing fountains with a shrine at the far end which made all of them enter and become trapped. *that was fun*

Another split into two long hallways full of traps and ending in a drop to a river a mile below. Across the way they see a cavern and through some investigation discover its a mirror showing a cavern on the wall that they're coming out of. I really scared them with a Manworm - look up Manworm, Brak the barbarian - A giant monster with claws a yard wide each. They decided to come back and kill it later.

The last room they'll discover will be a labyrinth with a basilisk or some such snake in it that had a belly lined with gems but is now long dead, leaving the exhausted adventurers, relieved and a little richer (a little compensation for the lost throne). What they don't know is the evil priestess has now occupied one of them... dun dun dun.

Alright I'm done now. btw, first time poster and I like rambling on XD

Just tell me when to shut up!

[only1doug]

Let us know which Hook Plot (bad puns are us) you use.

[BobVosh]

Hurray! Somebody actually thought one of my ideas was awesome!


I just find the concept of small artifacts that can control time to be... cool.

I saw it and thought "someone plays CoC."

[Hal]

Alternatively, the hook could just be a doorknob for a secret door that's been disguised as a, well, a hook. Just turn and open.

[Ledzopolis]

I like them all maybe I can combine them in a long line of puzzles followed by a disguised ooze. Or when someone enters the room he disappears and each player has a different sort of puzzle to work out when they enter the room. Time to get my secret note cards out!