Defeated by puzzle - campaign over: Here is the offending puzzle!

[Mark]

Do you think there might be some sort of replacement value that helps to discover the empty/blank spaces values? Something on the order of a circle being valued at one, because it is made of just one line, while the triangle is valued at three, and perhaps the double-arrow (or diamond with a bisecting, horizontal line) being valued at five?

 

[Abraxas]

Something on the order of a circle being valued at one, because it is made of just one line

I've already tried this and can't come up with a pattern. However, in a later post it was stated that the circles are circles with an x in them.

After looking at it again, I'm wondering if the DM didn't make up the whole thing with a pattern that is relatively easy to see when all the symbols are present and then just erased some without noting that he had taken so many that there is no clue to the pattern anymore.

Or I'm just daft, cause right now I can't come up with anything.

 

[rushlight]

I noticed that the symbols are grouped into three blocks of each symbol.

Going from left to right, the blocks have the following number of tiles:

Circle: 29, 19, 13
Arrow: 20, 30, 10
Triangle: 15, 21, 33

I thought perhaps there was a significance between the size of the blocks. Like the difference in the size of the Arrow blocks is 10, if you align them in acending order. Perhaps if you could figure out a pattern for the other two, you'd know how many of the blank tiles would be needed to fill in the pattern.

As an aside, (and as a DM) I can't imagine allowing a campaign that I'd worked a *year* on to be unravelled by a silly puzzle. That's just wasting a year of your (and your players!) lives. It also shows a severe lack of attention to the #1 rule - keep the game fun. I'd be pissed if a game I'd played in for a year ended this way.

 

[Mark]

Is this helpful?

 

[Romnipotent]

Hodgie, Flash MX... its a SWF file afterall... you can play with it allllll night, wont solve a thing I guess....

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

Its not one of the 'minefield game' screenshots is it?

Seriously though, if this rubbish ended a good campaign I'd have to drag the DM out the back and rub grass in his face.

Otoh, I think it might be a sign for a new DM to step up.

 

[Eosin the Red]

I would guess that it has to be a very poor graphical represntation of something (a map...a finger pointing downwards?).

On the OTH, I would likely have very strong words for the DM. Gaming is an outlet and many of us have limited time - this is an utter waste of that precious commody.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

Well, the DM evidently made a mistake, the players are taking it fine, and they're starting a new campaign. Sounds like he's not quite the stupid hobgoblin people are making him out to be, but just a guy who screwed up. This thread's been a scoche vitriolic for that offense.

 

[Algolei]

Assuming they are wrong, what is your pattern, Algolei?

I noticed that when you split the whole puzzle up into 9 squares of 5x5, the borders seemed to be mirror images (and where the blanks are of course).

That would have enabled us to fill in many of the blanks with the symbols they were supposed to be mirroring.

But the pattern fails in those two spots.

Perhaps we're looking at this in completely the wrong way. Maybe the blanks are supposed to hold completely different symbols. For example, there are what...35 empty spaces? Maybe you're supposed to put in a sentence instead. Something like "Fill in the proper symbols into the blanks." That's exactly 35 letters, isn't it? Bloody awful coincidence, don't you think?

 

[Steverooo]

I voted Impossible... Without even directions on what needs to be done, I think it is. You could hide out, somehow, and observe any "cultists" who came to get in, perhaps...

To me, it looks like a map of the Great Lakes/Lake Michigan area. Your "Dungeon" is under water, so it might be a map of the lake-bottom, as well. Who knows?

In any case, since the game is now over, methinks it matters not!