puzzles are great
IF they are done right.
MY players like them but as long as they are in theme.
For example, here's a puzzles I did that they liked:
They came across an old wizard laboratory. There was information in torn up notes that I gave them, that said this room had access to gates to other chambers in the complex. The only notes they found were piecemail diaries/logs of the lab peopleand wizards working here before. From descriptions, shorthand notes (the way many people write lab notes in a hurry) and images, they had to piece together how to get the contraptions working (or they could do pure trial an error of course but with possible risks).
It took some time but they got it all...what happened next, they wished they hadn't solved it
Now note, some people here may like this, some may hate it. THe thing was, it was in theme, since to them, they said after, they liked it cause (probably due to most of them being science/engineering majors), they can see lab people doing quick notes that are hard to decipher, with only stuff like chemical formula's being obvious. Diagrams being sketches, etc. SO for them, it made it seem like a real magical laboratory.
There was nothing stupid like a sudoku there...it was more at an attempt to make a 'logical' puzzle.
A sudoku for example, I would use in an area like a twisted lich who likes to torture his victoms by making them go thru rat mazes with traps and puzzles, with high price of failure.
Something like the Joker.
Another puzzle I did was a tower that was themed after "SAW". People from the party got randomly captured if the party didn't notice certain traps, etc...and were put into chambers. The most memorable was based on the Crucifix in Saw 3 (where the black medical student got all his bones snapped). A player, the cleric, was in a contraption similar. The 'key' to open the locks were a combination of sorts. Positions on a giant grid. each step caused rotation at specific joints, which after 5 rotations caused that joint/area to snap. both legs, both arms, and neck were viced in this way. They had to look over the entire trap board and figure out, base don the combinations, which possible ways to go there were. There were 2 ways across actually that resulted in no limb breakage. THey were doing fine, bu thten one player thought he figured out a part and took a differnt way. Turned out ok for a couple moves, but then SNAP. Cleric's left leg snapped at the knees... then the right arm and finally left arm.
(we use a very brutal critical hit system and locational damage/healing..so stuff liek this isnothing new).
Another trap in the same tower, that the players was a sound based trap. The clue was a voice that told them to listen, earlier in that area...i gotta find the riddle/clue. The concept was in the trap, they are both blindfolded, arms tied with giant hair ropes (very high DC to break) and they are tied together. THey hear noises and a grinder moves into the room to crush them. However, if they are quiet they will hear where the click comes from so they know which side the grinder was moving towards them from. As well, after each strike, there was a noise of air as if passing through an openig, which would guide them to how to get out.
The problem, to do this trap, whichever 2 get stuck, the other players get to watch (they have fun!!!) hehe. these 2 are put into 2 rooms and can only yell across the floor of our house at each other. THey didn't shut up..trying to figure what to do...so it was..painful to say the least.
Finally, my other favourite one from there was the disintegration maze. Each wall is invisible..they can thus see the exitto the chamber...however, ther are piles of dust everywhere and half 'eaten' sticks. Concept..if they use the sticks they find that the 'invisible' barriers disintegrate automatically upon touch..person or items.
They found out hard way when someone tried running through!!! they have to map out the place methodically. Then what happens, spheres of annihilation start moving through the areas, but they move based on positions again, so the coordinates they can find on a dead body within the maze, partial..and use that to figure out where togo next, etc.
this type of puzzle, they don't figure it out..oh well. the theme was a person mapping his way through and he made an error...
THey enjoyed these...
Sanjay
IF they are done right.
MY players like them but as long as they are in theme.
For example, here's a puzzles I did that they liked:
They came across an old wizard laboratory. There was information in torn up notes that I gave them, that said this room had access to gates to other chambers in the complex. The only notes they found were piecemail diaries/logs of the lab peopleand wizards working here before. From descriptions, shorthand notes (the way many people write lab notes in a hurry) and images, they had to piece together how to get the contraptions working (or they could do pure trial an error of course but with possible risks).
It took some time but they got it all...what happened next, they wished they hadn't solved it
Now note, some people here may like this, some may hate it. THe thing was, it was in theme, since to them, they said after, they liked it cause (probably due to most of them being science/engineering majors), they can see lab people doing quick notes that are hard to decipher, with only stuff like chemical formula's being obvious. Diagrams being sketches, etc. SO for them, it made it seem like a real magical laboratory.
There was nothing stupid like a sudoku there...it was more at an attempt to make a 'logical' puzzle.
A sudoku for example, I would use in an area like a twisted lich who likes to torture his victoms by making them go thru rat mazes with traps and puzzles, with high price of failure.
Something like the Joker.
Another puzzle I did was a tower that was themed after "SAW". People from the party got randomly captured if the party didn't notice certain traps, etc...and were put into chambers. The most memorable was based on the Crucifix in Saw 3 (where the black medical student got all his bones snapped). A player, the cleric, was in a contraption similar. The 'key' to open the locks were a combination of sorts. Positions on a giant grid. each step caused rotation at specific joints, which after 5 rotations caused that joint/area to snap. both legs, both arms, and neck were viced in this way. They had to look over the entire trap board and figure out, base don the combinations, which possible ways to go there were. There were 2 ways across actually that resulted in no limb breakage. THey were doing fine, bu thten one player thought he figured out a part and took a differnt way. Turned out ok for a couple moves, but then SNAP. Cleric's left leg snapped at the knees... then the right arm and finally left arm.
(we use a very brutal critical hit system and locational damage/healing..so stuff liek this isnothing new).
Another trap in the same tower, that the players was a sound based trap. The clue was a voice that told them to listen, earlier in that area...i gotta find the riddle/clue. The concept was in the trap, they are both blindfolded, arms tied with giant hair ropes (very high DC to break) and they are tied together. THey hear noises and a grinder moves into the room to crush them. However, if they are quiet they will hear where the click comes from so they know which side the grinder was moving towards them from. As well, after each strike, there was a noise of air as if passing through an openig, which would guide them to how to get out.
The problem, to do this trap, whichever 2 get stuck, the other players get to watch (they have fun!!!) hehe. these 2 are put into 2 rooms and can only yell across the floor of our house at each other. THey didn't shut up..trying to figure what to do...so it was..painful to say the least.
Finally, my other favourite one from there was the disintegration maze. Each wall is invisible..they can thus see the exitto the chamber...however, ther are piles of dust everywhere and half 'eaten' sticks. Concept..if they use the sticks they find that the 'invisible' barriers disintegrate automatically upon touch..person or items.
They found out hard way when someone tried running through!!! they have to map out the place methodically. Then what happens, spheres of annihilation start moving through the areas, but they move based on positions again, so the coordinates they can find on a dead body within the maze, partial..and use that to figure out where togo next, etc.
this type of puzzle, they don't figure it out..oh well. the theme was a person mapping his way through and he made an error...
THey enjoyed these...
Sanjay
