I need puzzles and riddles on the 4 elements (Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water)

Madmaxneo · Feb 26, 2016

I am about to run a dungeon in my campaign that was built by dwarves with a penchant for riddles and puzzles. I am working on a theme of the elements where in various rooms the characters have to solve the riddles/puzzles and they each pertain in some way to the 4 elements. In the final puzzle/riddle the answer will be the 4 elements (I may use the 4 brothers riddle for this one). Now I have plenty of that point to water using ice, snow, river and a few others and I have a few ones with fire as the answer and one with a candle. I only have two with wind as the answer and one about earth with the answer of mountain (from The Hobbit). So I need more especially in the areas of wind and earth. I can use any you all provide but if possible I'd like the riddles to not exactly have the answer of the 4 elements but they hint at it, like ice, snow, or river for water and candle for fire. But I will use what I can.

Note that if they are unable to solve the riddle they will find another riddle in the same room that pertains to the same answer....

GMMichael · Feb 27, 2016

Well, this one was good enough for Luc Besson and delivered by the perfect woman:

"Fire burns, wind blows, rain falls."

I know. Not exactly rocket science. Nor complete. So...

You could hide four keys. One in a torch sconce. One in a drain. One in a window, and one...in a crumbly wall?

Madmaxneo · Feb 27, 2016

DMMike said:
Well, this one was good enough for Luc Besson and delivered by the perfect woman:

"Fire burns, wind blows, rain falls."

I know. Not exactly rocket science. Nor complete. So...

You could hide four keys. One in a torch sconce. One in a drain. One in a window, and one...in a crumbly wall?

That is good and gives me an idea.
When the characters enter the final room they will see a wall with 4 key holes in it with an inscription reading something like:
This far you have come, the 4 brothers you have met, use them once again, to reach the treasure within.
Though I am not entirely happy with the last line but it works.
In the room there would be things like the torch sconce, a well, a vase filled with dirt, and either an air vent or the key is simply hanging by a thin wire somewhere from the ceiling... Air is hard to do in a dungeon without making it to obvious....

The Grassy Gnoll · Feb 27, 2016

A series of locks.

Air/wind: the lock opens not when someone breathes on it, but when someone breathes in a gas instead. Perhaps they trigger what appears to be a trap, a cloud of gas. The room fills with it and then the great doors rumble open. Revealed beyond is a great chasm some 500' wide with an opening at the bottom 1000 feet below. The gas they inhaled works as a form of feather fall but only if it is released by singing - anything, but traditionally the dwarven coda (see below).

Earth: a sealed room that appears to be a storeroom. No visible exits. On one wall are placed in a rack: an axe, a sword, a spear, a shovel, a pick, a spear, a halberd, a large hammer, and a 10' pole. All can be removed bar the shovel, which when pulled on operates a lever, opening up the secret door behind the rack.

Fire: a smithy. In it, a forge, bellows, anvil, the usual stuff. Striking the anvil a hammer (maybe with the large hammer from the Earth room), will cause sparks which light up an otherwise unseen rune in the anvil. Pressing this rune once revealed causes the anvil to sink, revealing a tunnel below.

Water: a toilet, much like you'd expect in a working men's establishment. There are four urinals on each wall. Depositing liquid in the third one from the left on the right hand wall will cause the centre of the ceiling to descend like a spiral staircase. Those not stood at the other urinals need to dodge out of the way. Perception check might show more use on the magic urinal (or less; the dwarves use water. It's a fake toilet, and there are females who also need to come this way. But 'making water' will also work.

The coda they refer to is:
Breathe deep, down deep
Sing loud underground
Pick your weapon
Make us proud.
Down deep, skills to keep
Practice ever in your sleep
At end of day
Do what you must
Blood is thicker
In dwarves we trust.

Madmaxneo · Feb 27, 2016

The Grassy Gnoll said:
A series of locks.

Air/wind: the lock opens not when someone breathes on it, but when someone breathes in a gas instead. Perhaps they trigger what appears to be a trap, a cloud of gas. The room fills with it and then the great doors rumble open. Revealed beyond is a great chasm some 500' wide with an opening at the bottom 1000 feet below. The gas they inhaled works as a form of feather fall but only if it is released by singing - anything, but traditionally the dwarven coda (see below).

Earth: a sealed room that appears to be a storeroom. No visible exits. On one wall are placed in a rack: an axe, a sword, a spear, a shovel, a pick, a spear, a halberd, a large hammer, and a 10' pole. All can be removed bar the shovel, which when pulled on operates a lever, opening up the secret door behind the rack.

Fire: a smithy. In it, a forge, bellows, anvil, the usual stuff. Striking the anvil a hammer (maybe with the large hammer from the Earth room), will cause sparks which light up an otherwise unseen rune in the anvil. Pressing this rune once revealed causes the anvil to sink, revealing a tunnel below.

Water: a toilet, much like you'd expect in a working men's establishment. There are four urinals on each wall. Depositing liquid in the third one from the left on the right hand wall will cause the centre of the ceiling to descend like a spiral staircase. Those not stood at the other urinals need to dodge out of the way. Perception check might show more use on the magic urinal (or less; the dwarves use water. It's a fake toilet, and there are females who also need to come this way. But 'making water' will also work.

The coda they refer to is:
Breathe deep, down deep
Sing loud underground
Pick your weapon
Make us proud.
Down deep, skills to keep
Practice ever in your sleep
At end of day
Do what you must
Blood is thicker
In dwarves we trust.

Interesting and well thought out. I might be able to use this depending on if I alter either the dungeon or the answers some. I am using a premade map from "Heroic Maps" on RPGNow. I like the use of the lyric though the water clue in that is more cryptic than the others. But it might work.

Madmaxneo · Mar 3, 2016

I need riddles on earth (ground, dirt, rocks, etc).....
I did a google search and came up with nothing helpful.

Cadors · Jan 21, 2019

I have this riddle that I call The 4 winds.

In a room there are 4 small spheres, each of which needs to be "lit" and placed on the right spot around a circle on the ground. Each has a different way to be turned on but it is always "wind". The fire one need hot air, above a fire for exemple, the water one need vapor from boiling water or mist perhaps, the earth one needs dust blown by wind (using a tool is fine) and the air needs regular natural wind.

Imaculata · Jan 21, 2019

The earth riddle could simply be a challenge that takes place in a room that fills up with sand.

Madmaxneo · Jan 22, 2019

Cadors said:
I have this riddle that I call The 4 winds.

In a room there are 4 small spheres, each of which needs to be "lit" and placed on the right spot around a circle on the ground. Each has a different way to be turned on but it is always "wind". The fire one need hot air, above a fire for exemple, the water one need vapor from boiling water or mist perhaps, the earth one needs dust blown by wind (using a tool is fine) and the air needs regular natural wind.

Wow, it's been over two years since I last posted here...lol.

But that is a pretty good riddle, I like it. I am running a different game now but this gives me some ideas. Thank You!

I need puzzles and riddles on the 4 elements (Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water)

Madmaxneo

Explorer

GMMichael

Guide of Modos

Madmaxneo

Explorer

The Grassy Gnoll

Explorer

Madmaxneo

Explorer

Madmaxneo

Explorer

Cadors

First Post

Imaculata

Hero

Madmaxneo

Explorer

Similar Threads