D&D 5E Riddle Me This

[the Jester]

How much do you like riddles in game? As a DM, do you (or would you, in 5e) use anything other than the players' own brainz to give them a hint or clue? If so, what?

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Riddles can be solved with an Intelligence check.

It's a role-playing game. I'm testing the characters, not the players.

 

[Nefzyflin]

How much do you like riddles in game? As a DM, do you (or would you, in 5e) use anything other than the players' own brainz to give them a hint or clue? If so, what?

I find riddles extremely fun. A couple sessions ago I sprung this one I found, on the pc's.

If you have it... You want to share it... If you share it... You no longer have it.

200 xp's if the pc's could figure it out with their non character brains. Divided by 4 pc's. They couldn't, so I allowed them each to make an Int check. Two of them passed a DC of 15 and so I gave them the answer, but cut the xp award in half to 100 for 25 xp each.

Love riddles.

Nef

 

[IchneumonWasp]

I've used real life wooden puzzles and small chess-like problems in games before that the players had to solve to open chests or magic doors and such. Usually it was quite fun, as long as it is relatively easy to solve. The problem I faced was that sometimes players just don't see a solution. This is especially a problem with riddles (I've only used them ones and it was a disaster, even though the riddle was quite straight forward). In stories or movies you often see character quickly solving riddles and it seems quite fun, but in real life solving riddles is a lot less fun and sometimes you just don't get it and it can take ages.

Of course you can always decide to let the players roll dice to see if they get it, but that really defeats the point somewhat. Therefore I don't really use riddles anymore, since I find it just pulls people out of the game.

 

[MechaPilot]

I use and enjoy riddles/puzzles, and I make the players try to puzzle them out. If a PC's race or background would help them with the puzzle/riddle I'll toss in an appropriate tip relatively quickly.

However, while I like to let the players figure these things out it's always important to me to remember to keep the game from getting bogged down. That's when I start allowing Int checks. If that doesn't work out then I rule that the PCs solve it over a period of time.

 

[Nefzyflin]

I've used real life wooden puzzles and small chess-like problems

This reminded me of a time years ago, when I met a guy in a local game store, who invited me over to his place for a one shot. He didn't know me very well. Not at all actually. Anyway I went over one night to play. We started off in a tavern ( don't we all ). While drinking and carousing in this tavern we met an NPC who wanted to make a 5gp wager, that we couldn't solve a puzzle he wanted to show us. We all agreed. So the DM pulls out a chess board and starts to set up a position. Before he even had his hands on the last chess piece, I gave him the answer ! His face literally turned white, and he had this WTF look. It was hilarious and we all laughed for minutes afterward. I had seen the solution in seconds.

I couldn't hold it in any longer and proceeded to tell him that I was a candidate chess master ( the lowest level master in chess ) and that I compete regularly.

Good times.

Nef

 

[dd.stevenson]

I use 'em, but I make sure to put some thought into the setup, and think long and hard first about whether I want something there that could potentially eat up a half hour or more of game time.

If I'm putting a puzzle in, it's not going to be solved with an intelligence check. But depending on how they decide to go about solving it I'll give good clues if a player asks a good question and passes an int check.

 

[KirayaTiDrekan]

I can't stand riddles and only use them if they are in a published adventure I'm using. I'm not sure why I have such a loathing for them...maybe because I'm bad at solving them myself.

 

[Lidgar]

Use them and enjoy them - but as others have said, should not bog down the game too much or be overly complicated.

Some of my favorite riddles involve solving geometric patterns to discover the sequence to open portals. Creating illustrations for these types of riddles (actually puzzles I guess) can be quite fun.

 

[Leatherhead]

I loathe riddles. Especially ones that come in modules. Riddles are highly sensitive to cultural context, which leads to "In-joke" situations, and immersion breaking exchanges. Puzzles are OK most of the time.

 

[Stalker0]

I generally hate riddles and puzzles in game myself.

 

[thalmin]

I enjoy but rarely include riddles in my games. But puzzles are often included. First I let the players work on it. If they are stumped I will usually allow INT checks. If they are still stumped, I don't solve it for them. That would be like having them face a monster, but if they can't kill it, me killing it for them!

I figure the players are there to play a game and tell a story, not just roll dice. Sometimes stories do not have happy endings, but those can be even more memorable.

 

[Uder]

I love riddles, but I rarely use them; riddles grind on some players' patience and I'm firmly against the idea of "make your save to solve the riddle." No intelligence checks here. When I use them I try to put the solution out there somewhere they can find through exploration or role-playing.

 

[Pickles JG]

I enjoy but rarely include riddles in my games. But puzzles are often included. First I let the players work on it. If they are stumped I will usually allow INT checks. If they are still stumped, I don't solve it for them. That would be like having them face a monster, but if they can't kill it, me killing it for them!

I figure the players are there to play a game and tell a story, not just roll dice. Sometimes stories do not have happy endings, but those can be even more memorable.

Puzzles are not games.

They are too often dead ends that are just a frustrating way to eat up half an hour. I reckon if they can be posed as background entertainment thing to be doing while you get on with the rest of the adventure rather than insurmountable blocks they should be fun. Riddles are just a subset of puzzle.

 

[the Jester]

Puzzles are not games.

Now that's a weird position to take... or is it? It strikes me as weird at first blush, but is Rubik's cube a game? It's certainly a puzzle. You 'play with it', but it's rather a one-person game. Huh. This is an interesting side trip down the rabbit hole.

They are too often dead ends that are just a frustrating way to eat up half an hour. I reckon if they can be posed as background entertainment thing to be doing while you get on with the rest of the adventure rather than insurmountable blocks they should be fun. Riddles are just a subset of puzzle.

See, I'm one of those guys who firmly believes that it's okay if the pcs don't find all the secret doors, miss some secret levels of the dungeon, etc. Lots of parties missed Thrommel back in ToEE in the 1e days. There are probably plenty of other examples of that kind of thing. I'm okay with "Damn it, we couldn't get through that adamantine door. We'll come back someday!", whether the pcs do or not.

 

[dd.stevenson]

Puzzles are not games.

That's a tendentious claim.

 

[MechaPilot]

See, I'm one of those guys who firmly believes that it's okay if the pcs don't find all the secret doors, miss some secret levels of the dungeon, etc. Lots of parties missed Thrommel back in ToEE in the 1e days. There are probably plenty of other examples of that kind of thing. I'm okay with "Damn it, we couldn't get through that adamantine door. We'll come back someday!", whether the pcs do or not.

This gal is okay with that as well. However, it has been my experience that players will try to keep going back to that riddle/puzzle during the same adventure (assuming they can even bring themselves to walk away from the riddle/puzzle in the first place) instead of just forgetting about it and moving on. If they do it once, okay, that's fine. But, when they keep coming back or never leave the puzzle, the game hits a snag that requires me to do something to get it moving again. The inability to move on is the only reason why I will rule that the PCs just finish the puzzle after a while.

 

[Nefzyflin]

The absolutely most difficult riddle of all ! The riddle that stands head over heels above the rest, not only in it's brilliance... But also in it's effectiveness, goes like this !

WHAT ! Is your favorite color?

Killed a very good man, that one did.

Nef

 

[ExploderWizard]

I enjoy puzzles & riddles but I like to keep them relative to what the characters have experienced or would have the means to find the answer for. This doesn't mean roll a die to bypass using their thinking caps. It means that if there is a riddle or puzzle, it will have meaning in the game world and the clues for solving it will be found there. No riddles based on obscure song lyrics from our world or anything like that.

Culturally neutral puzzles involving math or logic are fair game but anything requiring specific knowledge will be solvable by anyone who pays attention to the setting during play. A riddle might reference a secret symbol belonging to an evil cult that the PCs have seen or may see if they venture in certain places.

Such riddles and puzzles typically unlock bonus goodies or additional information that could be very useful elsewhere. I avoid placing them in situations that would bring the whole adventure to a standstill. The players can decide to work through such things or leave them and move on. That way, any time spent on solving the thing is completely a player decision and not something the PCs HAD to do in order to continue.

Besides, intra-party debates about how much time to spend on this stuff with threat of wandering monsters or the ticking clock of time sensitive operations provides quite a bit of DM entertainment.

 

[fjw70]

I don't really use riddles or puzzles. I prefer more of an action oriented style.

I like logic and math puzzles but as a personal experience and not a group activity.