Best...Puzzle...Ever....

[jmucchiello]

Second guy from the right will know which color (black)he has based on the fact that the guy behind him doesen't shout out that he has a black hat and that the guy in front of him is wearing a white hat.

One flaw, if they are buried up their necks and cannot turn their heads, how does the third guy know the guy behind is facing toward him? Turn the last man to face right and swap hats with the guy next to him. The next to last guy cannot be certain that the guy behind him is being quiet because the one behind him sees two different hats. He may be quiet because he can see no hats.

It's a silly puzzle, why bury 4 people up to their necks and then decided to give them a 50% (or better) chance to escape?

Sorry, now I'll really be quiet.

 

[Mouseferatu]

And the worst kind of puzzle is the word puzzle. Dungeon's challenge of champions V is full of puzzles that rely on English word spellings. My characters don't speak English. Letters in my languages don't look like English letters.

Right, Common isn't English. But we speak English to simulate speaking Common. We write handouts in English, assuming our players know that their characters are actually reading Common.

So why not assume that an English word puzzle is a representation of a different, yet similar, word puzzle in Common?

 

[BryonD]

NICE!!! Where'd you get it, though?

Thanks. But I'm afraid I can not be much help. I got it from you.

 

[Richards]

Originally posted by Mouseferatu:

Right, Common isn't English. But we speak English to simulate speaking Common. We write handouts in English, assuming our players know that their characters are actually reading Common.

So why not assume that an English word puzzle is a representation of a different, yet similar, word puzzle in Common?

That’s always been my reasoning. I’d hate to never get to use word puzzles because the Common tongue in a given game world is not English.

Johnathan

 

[sfgiants]

OK, this is cheap as I borrowed it from a tv show...but here goes: I had a room that had a door that had no key, was vastly thick etc (yes, I know magic can help here, but they were low level). All that was in the room was a pillar, hollowed out with a handle in the hollow. Once the handle was grasped the character had to answer a series of questions. The questions ranged from "who is the most trustworthy companion, to who is most likely to flee a battle, to who is the most likekly to cheat on their spouse" etc. The player must answer correctly unless they make a will save (compulsion effect).

Part B:

The character closest (if in doubt, random is good) is questioned by the pillar next. They must answer the same questions but are looking for the answers they feel the previous character would give. 75% success and the door opens.

The best part is hearing the answers about who they feel the coward in the group is etc

Worked for me.

 

[Saeviomagy]

I don't know if I'm right, but here's my guess after not thinking about it enough.

Spoiler

After zero trips around the circle, the survivors are #1, #2, #3, #4 #5, etc.
After one trip around the circle, the survivors are #2, #4, #6, #8, #10, etc.
After two trips around the circle, the survivors are #4, #8, #12, #16, #20, etc.
...

So, after n trips around the circle, the survivors are #2^n, and every multiple of that number (up to 1000, that is). Following that pattern, one would deduce that, eventually, the only numbers left would be 256, 512 and 768. Since 768 would been the last survivor of these, 256 would get knocked off, 512 would be spared, and then 768 would be killed. So my guess is that #512 is the last man standing.

Spoiler

Unfortunately the sequence breaks down.

Our numbers are halved each pass.
after the first pass, we've got 500 left (because we get 1, 2, up to 998, 1000) and the sequence starts again on the first survivor (number 2)
After the second pass, we've got 250 left, and the sequence starts again on the first survivor (number 4)
After the third pass, we've got 125 left, and the sequence starts again on the first survivor (number 8)
After the fourth pass, we've lost 1, 2, up to 124. 125 dies, and screws up the sequence by a number, so the sequence starts on the second guy alive (number 16 is skipped, number 32 dies,number 48 is skipped, number 64 dies,)
Next pass, 31 survive, but starting from the second guy on the list still (number 16 is skipped)
Next pass 15 survive, and the 31st guy is one of these and lives, so our sequence gets nailed again.
15 to 7, sequence is nailed
7 to 3, sequence is nailed
3 to 1, sequence is nailed

 

[Saeviomagy]

How about this one:

Four people are set for execution. They are buried in sand with only their heads above ground. They can't turn their head. Then there's a wall placed between the first and second person (as shown on the pic). Then someone places a hat on their head. They all know there are 2 white and 2 black hats. They will be killed in 60 seconds, unless one of them says outloud what color his own hat is. He cannot say anything else. They can't communicate between each other. They can't see the hat on their own head.

After a little while, one of them knows for sure what color his own hat is.

Took me 15 minutes to figure this one out...

I know how to do it.

Everyone shouts out "black". There are no penalties for guessing wrong built into the question.

In fact, by the wording on the question, it may be that if you attempt to shout black when your hat is white, you will be unable to, and therefore know that your hat is white - and you can then shout that out.

 

[MerakSpielman]

The switch-secret door bit:

Spoiler

Assuming that all the doors start closed, it's 1-3

See what I mean? I didn't have much time to test this. I wouldn't want a 2-lever answer. Ideally, it should use all the levers at least once. The combination I came up with was

Spoiler

2-1-4-3-4

. 'Course, the players ended up on a strict time limit (so no resting) and there was a horde of difficult-to-defeat undead guarding each switch. They didn't even spend time mapping out what each switch did. I believe they hit switch 2, mapped out the accessable areas, and determined which door broke the pattern - stone shape through, and they're on to the next level (where I put a rather simple teleportation puzzle made interesting only by the dozen or so ghouls teleporting through it at the same time).

 

[Trainz]

I know how to do it.

Everyone shouts out "black". There are no penalties for guessing wrong built into the question.

In fact, by the wording on the question, it may be that if you attempt to shout black when your hat is white, you will be unable to, and therefore know that your hat is white - and you can then shout that out.

I'm not DMing here... if you want to be a rules lawyer about it, go ahead.

Two guys already found the answer. Go look in the previous page.

 

[RithTheAwakener]

These are very good.
The whole Level / Doors thing is a cool concept. I'll have to work with that one.

If u have any others, post them please