DMing Puzzles: Not Too Easy, Not Too Hard, What's Just Right?

[AeroDm]

My take on puzzles is that they are (usually) there for the humans beings at the table, not the characters in the game. There is just little narrative defense for a puzzle in the game. As people have pointed out, why does this ancient wizard need a puzzle to remember his 5 digit code? I remember dozens of passwords and telephone numbers and the like without giving myself a puzzle to help ("To call your mother at her abode, you must first press her area code...").

Once you've accepted that, then engage them on their level. I always caution on being easier to solve than harder. They'll feel good no matter what if they solve it and they'll be annoyed no matter what if they can't solve it. It is a rare puzzle that someone fails to solve and when it is explained says, "Wow, that was a well made puzzle, GM. Thanks." I also try to make sure that the puzzle is not necessary for the game to progress or, ideally, can be solved between sessions. Giving out a cryptic that someone can work on at home outside the session is always fun and they feel good when they come back next session and reveal to everyone their success.

 

[Janx]

I think there's 2 basic concerns regarding puzzles in an RPG. Realistic integration into the game and blocking of game flow.

The former is over the issue of puzzles need to make sense in their usage within the game. Securing the door to your top secret lab with a complex Chess Game puzzle in front of it and a riddle above the door seems a bit overdone and actually insecure. You'd be better off installing a Masterwork Lock or a magical "password" door release and be done with it.

The latter issue is that placing a puzzle as a barrier to continuing progress towards the PCs goal means that if the players cannot solve the puzzle, they are completely blocked. Ideally, GMs should always avoid having chokepoint encounters/challenges with only one resolution and no means to bypass.

I think puzzle use within RPGs needs to be applied to where it actually makes sense.

• A book may be encrypted to hide its contents yet be readable by its author and his allies.
• A Wizard testing facility may deploy puzzles as part of the architecture (thus, a former wizard testing facility AKA dungeon may have some puzzles).
• Secret rooms/sections may be hidden and secured with a puzzle mechanism (and the answer embedded elsewhere in the form of the riddle/puzzle text) as a form of scholarly easter-egg by some secret organization to enter their "club-house". Flaunting this secret in open view, by hiding it within a puzzle raises their position over outsiders because they are smart enough to know the answer.
• a door that needs truly secure access will be locked or magic locked such that the spell can detect the correct person (posession of password, DNA, or token object) and most likely hidden. Drawing attention to it with a smarmy puzzle is the last thing you want happening in front of a Access Restricted door.