Encounter: Any views on this puzzle combat?

[the Jester]

Jester, I was hoping the buckets would be big so that it wasn't easy to cart them around, much like in CTF games the carrier is penalized in someway. I'm not going to make them lose combat actions so I thought slow was harsh enough and represents carrying a huge liquid carrier.

Aha, gotcha. However, consider this- how can you swing a sword when carrying a giant 50lb bucket of blood? (Of course, you can just handwave this, but it sure is an interesting complication!)

 

[MarkB]

Thanks guys. Both really great points.

Mark, is there a better way you reckon I could phrase it? I've obviously read it so many times that it makes sense that he demands one gallon of each, that I can't fathom wanting to do anything else! So good catch. Although I think I might be ok with them getting it wrong once: there's a price you end up paying and it'll ramp up the panic "We thought we got it right!!"

How about: "HIS PRIDE DEMANDS A GIFT OF ONE GALLON OF BLOOD FOR EACH RACE. BUT BEWARE - WHILST AN INSUFFICIENT QUANTITY WILL DISPLEASE HIM, TOO GREAT AN OFFERING WILL AWAKEN HIS BLOOD LUST."

And let the players make of that what they will. I certainly wouldn't want to awaken his blood lust.

 

[RavenBlackthorne]

How about: "HIS PRIDE DEMANDS A GIFT OF ONE GALLON OF BLOOD FOR EACH RACE. BUT BEWARE - WHILST AN INSUFFICIENT QUANTITY WILL DISPLEASE HIM, TOO GREAT AN OFFERING WILL AWAKEN HIS BLOOD LUST."

And let the players make of that what they will. I certainly wouldn't want to awaken his blood lust.

Simply brilliant. Mind if I borrow it? If I could give you another XP, I would.

Jester, maybe I could hamper them more. I was worried that doing that would make it less fun, but perhaps not. Maybe the 3 gallon slows the bearer (could probably carry it one handed) but the 5 gallon slows them and only allows them to make move actions? It's actually quicker to solve the puzzle with the 5 but you have more options if you take the 3. Maybe a really good result on the Insight check we spoke about earlier would let the team in on the fact that the bigger bucket would be more difficult to carry?

Again fab work. This is getting more fun by the hour.

 

[the Jester]

How about: "HIS PRIDE DEMANDS A GIFT OF ONE GALLON OF BLOOD FOR EACH RACE. BUT BEWARE - WHILST AN INSUFFICIENT QUANTITY WILL DISPLEASE HIM, TOO GREAT AN OFFERING WILL AWAKEN HIS BLOOD LUST."

And let the players make of that what they will. I certainly wouldn't want to awaken his blood lust.

Brilliant.

Then you could have consequences for awakening the blood lust!

 

[OnlineDM]

This sounds like loads of fun! I'd love to play in this encounter. Heck, I'd want to pour in five gallons just to see what the awakened blood lust looked like!

 

[Bungo_Underhill]

So when are you going to be running this?

I'd love to see a write up!

 

[RavenBlackthorne]

I'm running it on Sun, if all goes well. I've never done a write up of a session before but maybe I'll take a recording and do it, since you've all been so nice.

I've got a 6th player joinung us, who comes irregularly, playing a warden, so I have less fear about ramping up the danger.

 

[blargney the second]

To avoid having the players get stumped by the puzzle, you might consider allowing them to use skills or ability checks to move along. (ie a DC 20 Int check lets them know that the first move is to pour 3 gallons of blood into the 5 gallon bucket.) It might be an idea to let the players know they only get to do that once.

Similarly, you could allow a high DC Athletics check to gain an extra square of movement or two while carrying buckets.

 

[MarkB]

To avoid having the players get stumped by the puzzle, you might consider allowing them to use skills or ability checks to move along. (ie a DC 20 Int check lets them know that the first move is to pour 3 gallons of blood into the 5 gallon bucket.) It might be an idea to let the players know they only get to do that once.

I think there are a couple of solutions to ending up with 4 gallons. The one I was thinking of didn't involve pouring from the small bucket to the large one at all.

[sblock]Step 1: Fill the 5 gallon bucket to the top, then pour from it to the 3 gallon bucket until it's full.

Step 2: Discard the 3 gallon bucket's contents back into the pool, then pour the remaining 2 gallons from the big bucket into the 3 gallon bucket.

Step 3: Re-fill the 5L bucket, then pour from it to the 3 gallon bucket until the latter is full. You now have 4 gallons in the 5 gallon bucket.[/sblock]

Doing it the other way round may be quicker.

 

[RavenBlackthorne]

There is definitely more than one way to solve the problem, which is one of the appealing things for this encounter and why I'd be tempted to let them sweat it out if they can't solve it straight away. I have a player in the group who is very much an observer and loves puzzles (one of the reasons I'm doing this, actually) and I think she'll relish trying to sort this out while the chaos spins around her.

Mark, your way is the quickest, I believe, whilst it is possible to do it with the 3 gallon bucket first and more often. Which brings some nice options if I make the 5 gallon bucket more hampering than the 3 gallon. Less steps with the 5, more options with the 3.

I'm really glad this is getting a great response and with so many great ideas.