Discovering messages/notes/etc.

[LeshPhilling]

During a game, when players search the recently-deceased enemies/secret hideout/etc., sometimes they'll come across a note/message/etc. Usually it's some sort of order from higher-ups (kill the heros, meet here afterwards, etc.). I used to just give the players the message (in some appropriately cryptic font), but then I moved to cryptogram-like puzzles to decode. I've used cryptograms, numbered messages, etc. so many times, I'm trying to think of something new to give to my players. I was thinking of maybe writing the next discovered note in a code, but press hard on the paper. I would then give the paper underneath (so they have to do ye' ole' pencil rub trick to see the message). Granted, it'll only delay the players 15-20 seconds or so, but it might be worth the effort (if only for effect). What have others seen?

Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks.

 

[Umbran]

Give 'em the oldest problem in the book - bad, odd, or cryptic translation. If ti's written insome old, forgotten, or relatively unknown language where few are really fluent in it these days, gettign a good, unambiguous translation can be a pain. Get yourself a thesaurus and play games with synonyms and homonyms.

This means you can give them plain text, but have them have to wonder about what it really means

 

[Ds Da Man]

Also try to give them messages with holes cut out, that they must line up either A) strange card found on a baddie earlier, or B)two seperate message that have just missing spots on them, but when one is put on top the other, it forms a complete message!

 

[Crothian]

keep the message vague with no code. more like clues to a certain place and without important pieces of knowledge (which bad guys have, Pcs don't) you won't know where to go. This way the PCs will have to think but also pay attention to future things to try to figure it out.

 

[WaterRabbit]

If you really want to do something unique, try the Roman Legion code. Take a long skinny piece of paper. Wrap it around a stick. Write your message down the side of the stick and then unwrap the paper. If you don't have a stick of the proper diameter, it will be really hard to decipher.

 

[DungeonKeeperUK]

I got a collection of 3 notebooks I give to players at the start of my campaign. The are full of notes, comments, pictures adn clues. There are various leads the players can take from the books, there is an underlying messgae throughtout them and one fo ht emiddle books is missing, the underlying message relates to how I would like the campaing to go. But in the end its up the the PC's which direction they want to take, I keep the missing book from them for a while so I can write up a new one dependent on which direction they decide to take...

I alos use the old "ruined" message, ripping the corners off or staing it with tea so areas of the text smudge up...

 

[Shallown]

I usually Just write the message keeping in mind that the sender and sendee share knowledge the characters don't have. My players have about 8 messages right now that all lead to one event/place. They are just now getting it becuase the messages mention things in what, to them, is vague terms. I tend to leave out any proper names. that helps.

 

[Rel]

You could use a "book code". The players find a paper with a series of numbers on it. Somewhere, someone has a book and those numbers correspond to page numbers in the book. The numbers represent a letter from that page (often the first letter to appear on the page or the first letter of the first word in the first paragraph).

I will admit though that this is a bit anachronistic for D&D. It works best in a modern setting where two people in far different areas can go to the local book store and purchase identical copies of a book to use for this purpose.

 

[Hand of Evil]

I have used code - part one find decoder ring, part two find docs.

I have also burned docs, and IF the players find the ashes and paper or run and stomp the fire out, give them it in a bag.

I have torn and ate them. giving them to the players. They rushed into a room, the NPC grabs the docs and starts to eat them.

I have soaked them in water, bleach and lemon juice. I have spilled drink on them.

I have even left them out in the weather.

Oh, make copies of everything.

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I have also wrote on leather, wood, cloth, and such and done the same.