D&D 5E Puzzles for beginers

[Flareanthia]

Hello everyone! This is actually the first thread I'm making on the site XD So, if it is in the wrong location or anything else is amiss, do inform me XD

Right, so the topic: I jumped into the deep end with Dungeons and Dragons and decided to run a campaign as a DM for my friends, and we are all pretty much learning the game for the first time together. I've been taking it slow, 10 sessions in and they are only now going to reach level 4, and for the most part things seem to be going fine! Except, I've only recently introduced them to any kind of puzzles, and my crew seems to be stomped.

I'm not really sure what to do about this, they are a group who is willing to diplomatically solve problems when the possibility exists, and the few dungeons that I put them through went without major issues, but even really simple puzzles (or what seem to be simple to me) generally got them kinda tangled up. Even secrets, like secret doors in caves are usually missed and the party has to double back to find things. Or traps, my crew ALWAYS sets off the first trap XD

So, to put it simply. How can I as the DM make it more apparent that there is more than what meets the eyes when it comes to the campaigns? Help my team to remember to check for traps, help them to become more proficient with riddles or puzzles. Are there any easy/beginner puzzles that you can suggest?

Any advice would be appreciated, and thanks a lot whenever you take the time to reply.

 

[Voort]

1. Secret doors should hide shortcuts & bonus treasure, not plot-vital stuff. If the party finds it, great. If not, no harm done.

2. Remember to apply passive perception. "There is an odd draft near the east wall...", etc.

3. "My crew always sets off the first trap." That's a feature, not a bug.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I've only recently introduced them to any kind of puzzles, and my crew seems to be stomped.

I'm not really sure what to do about this, they are a group who is willing to diplomatically solve problems when the possibility exists, and the few dungeons that I put them through went without major issues, but even really simple puzzles (or what seem to be simple to me) generally got them kinda tangled up. Even secrets, like secret doors in caves are usually missed and the party has to double back to find things. Or traps, my crew ALWAYS sets off the first trap

There's been many ways to approach D&D over the decades. The game's emphasis on puzzles, traps, & tricks is from its early days, when a big part of it was developing player skill. Yes, you leveled up your character as you played, but you were expected to figure stuff out yourself, and accumulate knowledge of the game and use that (some folks'll object to this, but, /even if there was no way your character would have gained that knowledge).

Over time, D&D introduced more and more mechanics to model the skill/knowledge/experience of the character rather than using that of the player. Taking advantage of that might help your group.

You can use the PCs' passive perception as a guide to what sorts of clues they might notice fore they set off a trap or wander past a secret door, or whatever. You could calculate and use a passive insight or even investigation the same way.

Typically, the DM lets players declare actions but you might want to prompt obvious actions, or even just call for checks to give them a broad hint that's something's up.

Or, you can just place deadlier traps and more important secret doors and more critically important puzzles until they get the idea they really need to remember to search for traps as they go and the like.

 

[akr71]

I try and telegraph traps based on the characters' passive perception scores similar to what [MENTION=6785649]Voort[/MENTION] described above. "You notice that there is wear pattern on the stairs" or "there are a number of footprints in the dust covering hallway, but they appear to be pressed tightly up against the wall" kinda thing. As a player, I hate traps that seem to have no rhyme or reason except to cause damage.

A well executed puzzle should be open-ended. I mean that there shouldn't be one single solution. Say the characters need to magically unlock a chest and the solution is to spell "key" by interacting with objects in the room. Maybe "unlock" or "open" should be close enough - it doesn't have to be the exact solution you came up with.

 

[Guest 6801328]

You might want to read The Angry DM on why Traps Suck. Some of the same arguments apply to puzzles.

 

[Quickleaf]

Hello everyone! This is actually the first thread I'm making on the site XD So, if it is in the wrong location or anything else is amiss, do inform me XD

Welcome to ENWorld

Right, so the topic: I jumped into the deep end with Dungeons and Dragons and decided to run a campaign as a DM for my friends, and we are all pretty much learning the game for the first time together. I've been taking it slow, 10 sessions in and they are only now going to reach level 4, and for the most part things seem to be going fine! Except, I've only recently introduced them to any kind of puzzles, and my crew seems to be stomped.

Regardless of how experienced a player is with D&D, puzzles may or may not be their cup of tea. One of the most important principles of DMing is "know your players" (DMG page 6 describes some player types - Problem Solvers are often the ones most drawn to puzzles/riddles).

I'm not really sure what to do about this, they are a group who is willing to diplomatically solve problems when the possibility exists, and the few dungeons that I put them through went without major issues, but even really simple puzzles (or what seem to be simple to me) generally got them kinda tangled up. Even secrets, like secret doors in caves are usually missed and the party has to double back to find things. Or traps, my crew ALWAYS sets off the first trap XD

What's an example of a "really simple puzzle" that your players were tangled up by?

So, to put it simply. How can I as the DM make it more apparent that there is more than what meets the eyes when it comes to the campaigns? Help my team to remember to check for traps, help them to become more proficient with riddles or puzzles. Are there any easy/beginner puzzles that you can suggest?

Here are some of the strategies I've picked up along the way for running traps/tricks/secret doors/puzzles:

• Put some thought into the trap/trick design. Why was it put here and by who? Were allies anticipated to be bypassing the trap on a regular basis? What clues foreshadow the trap's presence? Is it readily apparent that there's a trap and the challenge is in devising a creative solution, or is this meant to be a "gotcha" trap (and if it is meant to be a "gotcha" trap, have you properly foreshadowed the presence of such traps)? When the trap is encountered, what does it reveal about your dungeon or campaign world (e.g. a rolling boulder smashes a wall revealing a chamber of petroglyphs)? What's one creative way you can think of that the trap might be disarmed/circumvented besides a rogue using thieves' tool?
• In placing secret doors, consider who it's meant to be secret from and what it's meant to hide. Is the mechanism of opening the door the cliched hidden switch or is it more flavorful/complicated (e.g. a dwarven sliding stone secret door whose hydraulic sliding mechanism must be powered by firing up the steamworks or allying with the water elemental in area 14)? Also make sure that discovering a secret door isn't necessary to continue the adventure – secret doors should open up new options, shortcuts, treasures, and secrets, but never create a chokepoint in the story.
• Anytime you craft or borrow a puzzle for your game, make sure to integrate it into your story/dungeon; some players who sense that you're dropping in a puzzle just for your own pleasure as DM are really put off, whereas the same players facing a well integrated puzzle can be much more neutral or mildly interested. Also, is your puzzle solvable within 20-30 minutes of real time? If not, trim it down or simplify it. Is your puzzle highly visual? If so, consider making a handout for the players; a great example of this is the wheel codex decoder from the old Pool of Radiance computer game.

 

[Flareanthia]

Oh my gosh, first of all thanks for all the replies everybody, big help for real!

Vroot, so, it's normal for people to trip into the first spike trap? 'XD I did not think about using passive perception to give them hints! Awesome, side rooms or bonuses it is

akr71 so you're on the same page, awesome. Means I am on the right track with this then. I like the way you described the clues, and I TOTALLY did not think about having more than one puzzle solution! I love it, I'm definitely going to be doing that from now on! X)

Thanks for the link Elfcrusher! I will definitely check that out

Quickleaf, thank you for your warm welcome dude. x3 Yes! I did read the section in the DMG when it comes to this, I out-right asked my players what they like most about each game, and since then have gotten a bit of a feel for what kinda events each of them loves most. They got to try out one puzzle, and then when I asked for feedback they told me they were up for trying more, but I would like to model them in a way that they can realistically solve From what I remember of the puzzle I gave: It was a round plate, which could turn like a locker pad lock left and right, 4 symbols of weapons on the outside ring. There were the same 4 symbols elsewhere, and they quickly figured out that the weapons were the weapons they had on them in the party, they even quickly figured out the order the weapons were meant to go. What took forever was for them to realise what number of left or right turns they needed to go in. I knew the solution going in of course, but it seemed kinda odd. They got all but one of the requirements to answer the puzzle super soon

Quickleaf I liked all your suggestions! It seems y'all are way more experienced than me, and everything you guys are telling me I am honestly hearing for the first time. That wheel codex decoder looks insane!!! XD I can't even read it, lol, this decoder is too advanced for my level of "Game master" ;D

Thanks again everybody for taking the time! Any other suggestions are totally welcome too x3

 

[akr71]

As a player, I hate traps that seem to have no rhyme or reason except to cause damage.

I guess I should clarify a bit - what I find irksome is a trap that I have no chance to avoid. If I go blindly charging down a hallway, then sure - spring a trap on me. If I am taking some sort of precaution - even as simple as providing adequate lighting I expect to get a couple hints that there could be traps, especially if they are potentially leathal.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

I guess I should clarify a bit - what I find irksome is a trap that I have no chance to avoid. If I go blindly charging down a hallway, then sure - spring a trap on me. If I am taking some sort of precaution - even as simple as providing adequate lighting I expect to get a couple hints that there could be traps, especially if they are potentially leathal.

Even though one of my group's longest-running in-jokes came into being because of a trap being in a place it didn't make much sense to trap, and the characters failing to notice it even though they searched (I recall the DC being, as most were in 3.5, unreasonably high) - we completely agree with you here.

It is much more enjoyable to be able to actually engage with traps through finding hints of their presence and purpose and figuring out what to do about it, than it is to get the whole "I walk down the hall cautiously, lantern lighting my way" and "You get blasted with acid" thing happening.

 

[Quickleaf]

Quickleaf, thank you for your warm welcome dude. x3 Yes! I did read the section in the DMG when it comes to this, I out-right asked my players what they like most about each game, and since then have gotten a bit of a feel for what kinda events each of them loves most. They got to try out one puzzle, and then when I asked for feedback they told me they were up for trying more, but I would like to model them in a way that they can realistically solve From what I remember of the puzzle I gave: It was a round plate, which could turn like a locker pad lock left and right, 4 symbols of weapons on the outside ring. There were the same 4 symbols elsewhere, and they quickly figured out that the weapons were the weapons they had on them in the party, they even quickly figured out the order the weapons were meant to go. What took forever was for them to realise what number of left or right turns they needed to go in. I knew the solution going in of course, but it seemed kinda odd. They got all but one of the requirements to answer the puzzle super soon

This sounds like a case of you giving your players a clue that they didn't pick up on?

There's a DMing principle called the three clue rule (from the Alexandrian blog), which says: If you have a piece of information you want your players to get and pay attention to (regardless of the deductions they make from that info.), you need to provide that information in not one, but three ways. This prevents them from skipping over the clue since you've seeded it in three different areas, or with three different NPCs, or whatever. A bit of a joke that's funny cause it's true: The players will miss the first reference, misinterpret or downplay the second reference, and then pay attention at the third reference.