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

[MerakSpielman]

In the (slightly) more difficult version of this puzzle, both the ropes burn for 1 hour, and you still need to measure 45 minutes.

Easy.

Spoiler

Light two ends of one rope and one end of the other. When the first rope finishes burning (in 30 minutes), light the other end of the other rope (it's now a 30-minute rope). It will finish burning in 15 minutes.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Can you guys figure out where to go?

Spoiler

Straight to a neat little room where they can interrogate the rogue - he's lying to them.

The juggler can't be truthful, because he says the drummers statement "I sometimes lie and sometimes tell the truth" is false - and because the juggler and the drummer already agreed on something, the drummer cannot always lie.

The jester cannot be truthful, because he says the piper always lies - the piper made a statement in the beginning that it could be either town, so if either town is right, the piper told the truth. The only person not to speak was the juggler, and we know he's not the truth teller, so it has to be someone else, therefore one of the towns must be right, so the piper is telling the truth and the jester is lying

The Bear lies right at the beginning, because he makes a patently untrue statement. The Drummer most certainly did say what he said...

The piper cannot be truthful, because he says the drummer is always truthful. This is a self-contradicting statement that cannot be true.

The drummer cannot be truthful because he says he sometimes lies and he sometimes tells the truth.

 

[Fieari]

No... no... not quite. This is a nasty little puzzle though, I'll admit I had to look up the answer myself. It requires some lawyer-esq thinking... look carefully at EXACTLY what is said...

You do have some elements thought out correctly though. Just not all of them.

 

[FireLance]

About the problem involving the Drummer, Piper, Jester, Juggler and Bear:

Spoiler

What Saeviomagy said, except that I interpret the Bear's statement "You say no such thing!" to be an expression of disapproval, rather than a blatantly obvious untruth. Hence, everyone else has lied at least once except for the Bear. Do what the Bear says.

 

[Tuzenbach]

I've five arms, six legs and a war face
Teeth inside, outside my head and a peace face
Thousands of eyes and ears and a justice face
A face for every occasion and another face



What am I?

C'mon, guys! No guesses?

 

[MerakSpielman]

Sorry, I really can't figure that one out. Is it possible to get another hint?

 

[Tuzenbach]

Sorry, I really can't figure that one out. Is it possible to get another hint?

Did you page through that chapter of "The Hobbit" yet? If so, tell me which riddle(s) there have anything to do with my own and we'll analyze it together.

 

[Pielorinho]

OoH! ooh! I know a good one!

Okay outside of this town, there are two roads, one which leads to paradise, the other leads to Hell. Once you start down a road you cannot turn back. The roads are each watched by one of two identical twin brothers (who cannot be told apart by any means). One brother always tells the truth. The other always lies. You can ask one brother one question, and that's it. What one question can you ask to find out which road is which?

Can I assume that they're very strict and rather intelligent about their rules of lying?

Then I ask them the question designed to cut through the nonsense on all of these "sometimes-lying-and-sometimes-telling-the-truth" riddles:

Spoiler

"If you were to answer the question, 'Does the right road lead to Hell?' as honestly as you're answering this question, would your answer be 'yes'?"

In order to understand it, let's suppose that the right road leads to Paradise.

If the person you're talking to answers your question honestly, then they would answer the question "Does the right road lead to hell?" honestly as well, and would answer "no." Therefore, their honest answer to your actual question is "no," they wouldn't say yes to the question, "Does the right road lead to hell?"

If the person you're talking to is lying, then they would answer the question, "Does the right road lead to hell?" as yes. HOWEVER, they're going to lie about what their answer to that question would be: they'll tell you that they would answer "no" to that question.

Got it? So ask them the question, rely on a double-negative to cancel out a lie, and trust the answer you get.

Cool, eh? Give your DM a headache with this the next time such a puzzle comes up .

Daniel

 

[Fieari]

About the problem involving the Drummer, Piper, Jester, Juggler and Bear:

Spoiler

What Saeviomagy said, except that I interpret the Bear's statement "You say no such thing!" to be an expression of disapproval, rather than a blatantly obvious untruth. Hence, everyone else has lied at least once except for the Bear. Do what the Bear says.

Spoiler

In fact, the drummer is under the curse, and the bear is the paladin. The drummer, wanting to let you guys know the truth but unable to do so, phrases his first statement in a way that the curse allows...

"I can tell you that you must take the road to the town of Tabor" which is a lie, because he CAN'T say that.

...and the paladin, honestly and trying to let you know the drummer is the liar, says, "You say no such thing" because such a statement would be a truth, and the drummer is cursed and cannot speak the truth.

As such, the answer is to take the road to Tabor, go to the Castle of Arc, and find the cook there.

Anyone up for finding out where

Spoiler

the cook

is going to tell them to go, so they don't have to bother going all the way to

Spoiler

the Castle of Arc

?

 

[MerakSpielman]

Did you page through that chapter of "The Hobbit" yet? If so, tell me which riddle(s) there have anything to do with my own and we'll analyze it together.

I don't have a copy on me.