Riddle/problem to solve

[Al'Kelhar]

Guys, I need your help. Specifically, I need a riddle or logic problem for the PCs to solve in my current adventure. The set-up is as follows:

PCs need to obtain the McGuffin for the BBEG who will, predictably, slay them and curse their bloodlines for centuries, etcetera, etcetera, if they don't. Said McGuffin is secreted in a cavity in the chest of one of 36 statues in alcoves equilaterally spaced around the outer wall of a large toroidal (donut-shaped) chamber. Every statue has a cavity in its chest; pick the wrong one and all exits from the chamber are barred, all 36 statues animate as stone golems, and a "whole can of whoop-ass" descends upon the PCs.

So I need a riddle or logic problem for the PCs to solve to identify the correct statue of the 36; preferably something which can be inscribed on the statues themselves. Any assistance in this regard really, terribly, greatly appreciated!

Many thanks, Al'Kelhar

 

[Li Shenron]

Would any math quiz with answer being a number between 1 and 36 do the job?

 

[Jeff Wilder]

Since there are 36 evenly-spaced statues, the thing that immediately springs to mind for me is a puzzle or riddle based on geometry, geography, or time (or, even better, all three). Each statue is 10 degrees from the next, see, and degrees are used in geometry, geography, and time (a degree is 60 minutes, for those who might not know).

So, and this is completely off the cuff and too simple, but could be polished up ...

Somehow they need to gain knowledge as to which which statue is the "starting point." (It could be a statue that effective says, "Start here.")

That statue might have an inscription that reads, "I sit at my lady love's right hand, one leg of an equal triumvirate." Meaning, "count 6 statues (60 degrees, 1/3 of an equilateral triangle) to this statue's left (he sits to her right hand)."

Then that statues would have a clue: "It took me 3 days less 2 hours, but I finally made the correct decision." That's 70 hours, which is 70 degrees, which is 7 statues. The correct decision is the "right" decision ... so count 7 statues to the right ... hey, I know it's a stretch, but given time you could make a great puzzle of this.

Each statue would be used once and only once. The final statue would be the correct one.

 

[Tuzenbach]

Are they numbered? If so, there could be a verbal riddle that somehow alludes to the words "square" and "root". These two words the characters should be able to connect into "square root". Then all they have to do is collect the McGuffin from statue #6. However, the trick is in the numbering and coming up with the riddle!

It would take longer, but you could always devise a sequence of symbols which stand for regular numerals but something the characters must decipher. That is, once they'd figure out that they had to go to statue #6, they'd then have to ascertain *which* one #6 is.

If you give me until the end of the day, I'm sure I can come up with a good riddle having "square root" as the answer.

 

[Li Shenron]

Check this excellent website:

http://www.dse.nl/~puzzle/index_us.html

choose a not-too difficult one, and change the text so that it fits your setting

 

[Pielorinho]

Think about it: what's the point of the puzzle?

If I'm a bad guy wanting to hide an item in such a room, I'm not going to have a handy riddle telling where the item is.

Oh, sure, there will be a riddle--but it'll point to the wrong place. And it'll be an easy riddle, since i want heroes to solve it and die, die die!

I'll keep the actual Big Artifact squirrelled away under some flour sacks in the kitchen.

But maybe that's just me .

Daniel

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

You may not have a riddle, per se, but have rumors about it that maybe are true or not true. For instance, maybe you can let the characters know that the statue where it is hidden was created by a dwarven or drow architect. Further, say that over the years that the other statues have been added. See if they remember thatthe archetict was an unusual or evil creature and have them look at the statutes to see which one depicts a human in the way that this creature would view it. Therefore, you do not have to resort to a riddle but you can give them a chance to figure out which one it is.

Just be prepared to have elaborate descriptions of the other ones so your elaborate description does not seem like the obvious choice.

Or you could have some legend about the real one that it had been carried form continent to continent over the years while the others were made right here and on the spot. The oldest one would be somewhat chipped and slightly damaged, making it a give away.

I guess the real question is do you the DM WANT them to find it and have a sense of accomplishment or do you WANT to spring the trap and later be able to say 'I gave you a fighting chance?'

 

[Ferret]

Do something like in the HP books, have the statues be all different, shapes sizes and colours. The riddle reads like: The giants tell know the truth of the children of the red.

Where the larger statues have things written on them that say things about the red statues, what is written is up to you but like that, and with 36 that could end up being a mighty challenging riddle.

 

[conanb]

This seems to me to be like a giant combination lock in my head. I see a room with 32 statues circled around it. I imagine a large stone marker in the center of the room with the actual riddle, and one statue in the room with the alpha marker. Now the guy who created the room would just know the numbers, say 4 right, 24 left, 6 right, 8 left. Each from the intervening statues. If you start at statue 1 go 4 statues to the right, 24 to the left, 6 back to the right, then 8 to the left. That would lead to statue 10.

Now the riddle would point to that but be easier or harder depending on how you wanted them to get each number:
From the alpha round the clock you go,
First a Tenday from a Fortnight,
Reverse the clock back all the hours of the day,
go with the clock the number of fingers on my right hand,
then reverse the clock one more time,
What's the final number?
Why the third from the second minus the fingers on your hand human!

Broken down I'd do this riddle like:
From the alpha round the clock you go,
First a Tenday from a Fortnight, (14-10 = 4)
Reverse the clock back all the hours of the day, (24 back the opposite direction)
go with the clock the number of fingers on my right hand, (This is a tricky one but have the statue at this point, statue number 12 if spaced around from 1 to 32 have only 6 fingers)
then reverse the clock one more time,
What's the final number?
Why the third from the second minus the fingers on your hand human! (24 is the second number in the chain, 6 is the third in the chain, and 10 is the number of fingers humans have so 24-6-10 = 8).

I hope that's not too complicated. But I do love good riddles, and when I stick them in my game, I do make them complicated.
-Alex P

 

[Terwox]

Put 36 pieces of paper into a hat.
Have one of them marked "You open the Statue's chest cavity, and pull out the McGuffin."
Have the rest labelled, "You open the Statue's chest cavity, and it punches you for d4 damage."
At least it doesn't take much brainpower. (And didn't, either!)

I apologize for the above post.