DM - Is this puzzle/trap too tough?

[coggro]

Trying to decide if this puzzle/trap is too tough for PCs to figure out, or to really handle at all. Let me know if you think a group of 6th-10th level PCs would be able to think through this: it's more RP than saves and rolling, so keep that in mind as well.



Upon entering a room the characters see a column of light, in the center of which is a floating, motionless body. Upon investigating, they find that it is male and perfectly proportioned, with exactly symmetrical features. He appears to be comatose. His skin is a smooth white egg shell.

Upon touching his skin, it ripples away to reveal the muscle layer underneath. When the skin disappears, the ripples become invisible. He immediately wakes and screams at the top of his lungs, stopping for breath when necessary. Once the ripples stop, his skin becomes the egg shell again, and anything left inside that is inanimate is stuck.

Once the skin disappears, the muscle tissue can be cut with a motion of the fingers in the direction the incision is meant to be made. Bones break upon a poke. His screams escalate as they delve deeper into his innards. An object vital to their continuing is inside his heart.

The sternum is like a more powerful thunderstone, and upon its breaking, (if performed), his screams get loud enough to deal 1d4 sonic damage per round.

Any progress made when the ripples stop is permanent, but inorganic material stuck inside the "skin" is obliterated upon solidification. Blades and instruments have no effect on the body.

KEY POINTS:
Tickling his feet stops his screaming.
Stroking his spine undoes the last incision.
Turning his skull rolls the body on a vertical axis
Pushing his shoulders or feet rotates the body horizontally.
Giving him a smoke (cigarette, pipe) brings the item vital to their continuing out painessly, but kills the man.

His body contains major treasure. Some ideas include:

Eyes: Gems, Orbs
Bones: Scrollcases, Wands
Spine/Skull: Staff, sword, club
Pelvis: Immovable Rod
Stomach: Coin pouch
Sternum/ribs (uncracked): Enchanted Breastplate
1 L of blood: Once filtered, the sediment inside can be compacted into a Cure Moderate Wounds tile.

A lot of this information (not all) would have to be included in an inconspicuous manner earlier in the adventure (footnotes in a book, writing on a wall, dying whisper of a creature speaking a language the PCs can't or only one can).

Well?

 

[starwed]

If this were my group, we'd probably spend most of our time trying to save the guy. I mean, that seems the obvious solution to the puzzle, right?

Even if we knew that the item we needed was in his heart, we'd spend at least an hour arguing about whether it was ethical to retrieve it, given that it seemed to involve torturing/killing the guy.

If it's not supposed to be a moral dilemma as well as a puzzle, you might want to rework the basic set-up.

 

[coreygross]

What if instead of organic, he was entirely clockwork with liquid metal (mercury-like, not molten) as his innards? Do you think that would have the same ethical controversy or would you be able to delve into his body in that case?

 

[starwed]

If it's clearly some sort of non-sentient construct, it's not so much an issue.

 

[Kerrick]

If this were my group, we'd probably spend most of our time trying to save the guy. I mean, that seems the obvious solution to the puzzle, right?

Even if we knew that the item we needed was in his heart, we'd spend at least an hour arguing about whether it was ethical to retrieve it, given that it seemed to involve torturing/killing the guy.

If it's not supposed to be a moral dilemma as well as a puzzle, you might want to rework the basic set-up.

Same here. The guy is too human - most groups would balk at essentially torturing/ripping him apart to get whatever they need. Unless the PCs are evil (which I somehow doubt), this is going to be a very tough puzzle as written.

 

[Nimloth]

I agree, make it a construct or maybe an "undead" or golem-like organic thing, not a humanoid. However, sometimes players can be clueless.

I had a scenario/trap planned, to stop a "groundhog"-like day (a day that repeats over and over), the players have to get to a statue in the middle of a large rug. The rug would killed anyone walking on, attacking, flying or reaching over it. I told a gaming friend, who wasn't in the game, about the scenario and asked him what he would do? The 1st thing he said was "Can I roll up the rug?" The trick was simple, roll it up, and my friend got it right away so my players (who are usually pretty clever) should be able to get it. Nope. They literally spent an hour of game time trying every trick under the sun to bypass the rug. They all must have rolled 1's on their int rolls that day. Finally, the power gamer (if it isn't combat, he isn't happy) says, "I'll try to roll up the rug." We still laugh about it to this day.

My point, be prepared for the players to ignore the obvious and have a backup plan.

 

[NN]

Im thinking: "WHY does this puzzle exist?"

 

[Typhoonoftempest]

a very devious puzzle for the good adventurer.

though anywhere from a stupid and straight-forward puzzle for an evil adventurer to a provokative puzzle to a neutral one.

generally one to pick a fighter when I actually play, the breastplate is tempting :d

 

[robertliguori]

My characters (both the characters I tend to GM and the ones I play) would totally haul this guy out of the dungeon and sell him to a sage. He'd be a wonderful faux-sphere of annihilation; you could destroy evil artifacts and the like by putting them inside him.

If this plan was unfeasable, I'd just go for decapitation.

What's the point of this trap/riddle thing again?