Critiques for a riddle in my game

[GrayIguana]

Let me know what you think of this riddle. This appears on a slab of rock hidden in a mountain ravine. The characters believe this riddle is the key to entering the hidden lair of a powerful mage.

Enter my ally but picture this well
A mistake in your knowledge could lead you to hell
See in your mind what you can’t with your eyes
Twin Throne of Disorder in the night with no skies

The riddle was left to give certain wizardly allies a clue as to how to reach this mages lair. The true means of entering the lair is by a teleport spell. I’m hoping that the references to “visualizing” the lair is enough.

The lair itself is deep under ground which is hinted at by it being “in the night with no skies.” Some research or NPCs will reveal that there was once a place called the Throne of Disorder which was destroyed. With a little more investigation, the characters can find a sketch of said room, and have a reasonable chance of teleporting accurately into the duplicate room (Twin Throne of Disorder). This room is then the entrance to the rest of the mage’s lair.

Let me know if you think this is too hard, too easy, or just plain lame. This is the first game I’ve designed myself in a long time. If I have time I’ll post how the game goes in the Story Hour.

 

[Crothian]

With the research clues I think it could be pretty good. It really depends if they think teleport. I believe it might be really easy to miss that.

 

[jgbrowning]

my first thought was scry the place... if successful that would lead to a probable teleport.

joe b.

 

[nameless]

Since the riddle doesn't do anything in and of itself, I think it's perfectly fair as written. As long as the group does any kind of research, they will probably find a reference to the Throne of Disorder. The only problem is if they don't want to teleport there, on account of missing it, or being wary of teleporting randomly like that. I'd say you should make a backup plan, possibly also something to do with the Throne of Disorder. Maybe a (formerly) captive fiend who knows how to find the wizard in question. That way the party can track down and deal with another challenge, but confirm the best method to enter the wizard's lair.

 

[reapersaurus]

If they can teleport, what's the point of riddles to keep them from going wherever they want to go?


Once they get teleport, the only way to stop them is basically with magic, right?

 

[Umbran]

If they can teleport, what's the point of riddles to keep them from going wherever they want to go?

If they can't teleport, what's the point in making it a task to get from point A to point B? Why bother with bandits on the road, or having a problem finding water? Or anything else?

Having teleport doesn't mean that travel ceases to be a challenge. It merely changes the type of challenge.

 

[GrayIguana]

Some Reasons to do this

The idea for creating a challenge in which the PCs must use teleport actually came from an article I read by Monte Cook. This is a group of 15th level PCs. MC's article regarded designing challenges for higher level characters, and that they should involve things that lower characters can not do. In this case I'm forcing them to use skills that they possess. Two of the PCs in this group are wizards, and their players are rather good at using their skills.

While a lower level mage could teleport himself and perhaps one other character, this would meet with possible failure as there are surely guardians on the other side. In this scenario, the two wizards should be able to bring the whole group along.

As another point, teleport does not allow you to go anywhere you want. You must have an accurate description of where you are going. I'm rather fond of sending PCs somewhere they did not intend to go if they have never been there, or if they have poor directions. Divination spells might help in this instead of researcing the local library, but how they research it is not important to me.

Now for the mages lair, the mage is supposedly long dead. He was a traitor to his kingdom, and no one had a clue as to where his lair was until now. This mountain ravine was a staging point for his allies to contact him. Magical devices would allow the mage to detect anyone who entered the ravine, and he could chose whether to meet them if they were not powerful arcane spell casters. His more powerful friends had only to read the enscription and the means to enter would be obvious to them. Over the years since the mages death, the wards of detection wore away, and only the enscription remains.

The lair itself is sealed away, deep under the earth. The walls of the complex contain materials to block teleportation and other travel, except for one outer room: the Twin Throne of Disorder.

I hope that make sense on why I'm using this riddle combined with teleport.