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

[Torm]

Are you a Mod?

Neither am I, and you're within your rights to keep it, of course - but it IS a bit odd that you would want to.

Unless you have some specific reason, like you're keeping it so you can add to it when the next version of SigVirus comes along.

 

[Mark]

Neither am I, and you're within your rights to keep it, of course - but it IS a bit odd that you would want to.

Unless you have some specific reason, like you're keeping it so you can add to it when the next version of SigVirus comes along.

Yup. I just didn't want to spend more time going into details. I figured he check it out, say to himself, "Oops", then fix it and be done with it. It's like when someone passes you in a crowded restaurant with toilet paper on their shoe. You briefly say, "Your shoe..." and leave it at that. But as long as Patrick chose to make a big thing out of it, what's with that anyway? Do you feel that is something that you purposefully want to keep in your sig? I hadn't realized that, if so, then more power to you, I suppose. If I was in your shoes, though, I think I'd just kick the TP off and quietly mumble a "thank you." But that might just be me.

If I was a mod, I'd have either emailed you about it or just fixed it for you.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Yup. I just didn't want to spend more time going into details. I figured he check it out, say to himself, "Oops", then fix it and be done with it.

Right. Which is why you posted "It's been a month, now. Fix your sig."

Not, "Hey - did you realize you're still suffering from the .sig virus?" Or, "Heh - haven't updated your .sig in a while, huh?"

Commands from non-mods about modsy stuff is pretty rude, as near as I can tell.

So, at the risk of carrying this little diversion from the real topic even farther off into the bushes ...

But as long as Patrick chose to make a big thing out of it, what's with that anyway? Do you feel that is something that you purposefully want to keep in your sig? I hadn't realized that, if so, then more power to you, I suppose.

I've left it there so far because it still continues to amuse me. I don't really have anything else to add to it, I don't have a favorite d20 publisher or story hour to pimp, my old one was just my screen name, it's still shorter than some others' .sigs, and, more importantly, I still enjoy it. Should any of the above conditions change, I'll change my .sig accordingly.

Neither am I, and you're within your rights to keep it, of course

"Torm, when someone asks you if you're a Mod, you say 'YES!'"


EDIT:

So, on that note, back to campaign-ending puzzles.

 

[Mark]

I've left it there so far because it still continues to amuse me.

Fine by me.

I don't really have anything else to add to it, I don't have a favorite d20 publisher or story hour to pimp,

I don't suppose I could talk you into... Nah. Bad timing.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

I don't suppose I could talk you into... Nah. Bad timing.

Bwahah!

Well done!

Actually, I just checked out what you've got on RPG Now ... Unfortunately, the demo version of the variant rules pack appears to be corrupted, so I can't in all honesty pimp that particular work ...

 

[William_2]

I haven't voted, as that seems to be a ticket to "Solve it then, smart mouth!". It does seem solvable, though. I'm assuming someone more patient than myself being involved.
I don't think a campaign ending with an unsolved riddle is necessarily worse than one that ends with everyone dead after failing in combat; depends on the overall nature of the campaign, I would think.
Below is a stab. It may not be right, but it has a certain easy logic. Without someone having the correct answer, and saying one is either right or wrong, I am not sure there is any resolution. I think this one is right, myself, and there is nothing that I can see is wrong with it, since the puzzle has no context.


C C C A A A A A A C C T T T T
C C C A A A A A A C C T T T T
C C C A A A A A C C C T T T T
C C C C A A A A C C T T T T C
C C C C A A A C C C T T T C C
C C C C A A C C C C T T T C C
C C C C A A C C C T T T C C C
A C C C A A C C C T T T C T C
A C C C T T T C C T T A A T C
A A T T T T C C C A A A A T C
A A A T T T C C C A A A A T C
A A A T T T C C A A A A A T T
A A A A T T T T T T T T T T T
A A A T T T T T T T T T T T T
A A A T T T T T T T T T T T T

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'm a Mensa candidate (just haven't applied- I have the scores)

I've tried magic squares, math equations, all the tricks I know for the past hour.

That there is a solution, I don't doubt, but its a tough enough puzzle that it has no place at the gaming table.

You're there, eating junk food and drinking sodas & possibly beer...

And this DM wants to push your minds THIS HARD?

My only solution so far: Kick your DM in the nards.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Got another possibilty as to the DM's behavior - he copied the puzzle from a book and either:
A: Knows the answer, but not why the answer works.
or
B: Knows the answer and now realizes that he screwed up the puzzle while copying it, so now that answer does not work.

In both cases pride prevents him from answering the players.

The Auld Grump

 

[Elephant]

-ahem-

Since you apparently missed it the first 37 times.

It ended the campaign.

There is no "coming back", there is no "some other day".

And if the GM is planning on using it again after this fiasco, then he does indeed deserve all the derision he's getting. Bad enough he made what is pretty close to the worst possible GMing mistake once; if he hasn't learned his lesson...

Well, at least he didn't get into a land war in Asia

 

[TheAuldGrump]

One thing I do when creating a mystery or puzzle in my game is to test it out on a message board first. (Not E.N.World - it is too big, and I am not a paid member, so no PMs to keep it secret from snooping players.) If I get at least one or two answers that are right, or at least in the ballpark then I use the mystery or puzzle. If not I rework the puzzle or add more clues.

It seems to work okay. One stumped the party, but they worked around it.

The Auld Grump