Riddle/Puzzle Challenges Question

[specks]

Newbie here (long time player though)

I have always been fascinated by puzzles and riddles. I am grateful to the number of them posted on the message boards and the links that are provided to give players some interesting challenges non-combat wise.

I do have a question regarding something like this though:

How do you as GMs handle solving riddles and/or puzzles?

What house rule(s) do you use to succeed in solving these challenges?

Is it a simple intelligence and/or wisdom role? Is it something more complex?

What XP rewards do you give the PCs for solving on the first, second, third, etc... try? (What XP rewards in general do you give?)

I had something like this:

A simple riddle-solving example:

25% riddle understood: DC-10
50% riddle understood: DC-15
75% riddle understood: DC-20
100% riddle understood: DC-25

That’s just for a simple riddle (like the four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon and 3 at night—answer: man). But for more complex riddles and puzzles (<b>especially puzzles!</b>) I was hoping to get what your group does to solve these challenges.

Thanks all!

 

[emergent]

This maybe should be in the house rules forum, but I am not a good judge of these things. Anyway...

I never let my players just solve a riddle or a puzzle based on a roll. I make them actually solve the puzzle or figure out the riddle. It's more fun that way; I am lucky enough to have a player who is really into puzzles and such, so she likes it a lot. The other players participate in varrying degrees.

I suppose I would let the players make a check (Int, maybe a knowledge skill or the bardic knowledge ability) if they got really stuck. If they succeded, I would give them a clue. Maybe the answer to part of the riddle based on something they had head or seen before. Of course, rolling a 1 on such a check would lead to incorrect answers (mwahahaha).

Good luck and welcome to the boards!

 

[MarauderX]

This maybe should be in the house rules forum, but I am not a good judge of these things. Anyway...

I never let my players just solve a riddle or a puzzle based on a roll. I make them actually solve the puzzle or figure out the riddle. It's more fun that way; I am lucky enough to have a player who is really into puzzles and such, so she likes it a lot. The other players participate in varrying degrees.

I suppose I would let the players make a check (Int, maybe a knowledge skill or the bardic knowledge ability) if they got really stuck. If they succeded, I would give them a clue. Maybe the answer to part of the riddle based on something they had head or seen before. Of course, rolling a 1 on such a check would lead to incorrect answers (mwahahaha).

Good luck and welcome to the boards!

I do pretty much the same.

I let them roll to get some hints, such as solving a coded message, as the high INT PCs would be more adept at getting more of the letters correct on their own. After all, I like to keep the game moving and often give riddles or puzzles for the players to solve outside of the gaming sessions (like D&D homework?). Sometimes they don't have the chance to work on it, or can't get it, and I give them an additional hint at the next session, but I never make the next events hinge on the riddle/puzzle itself, but let the riddle/puzzle provide them a shortcut.

As far as XP, I am pretty giving in that area and whatever works for your campaign progress should work well. I don't penalize for having to give hints.

Welcome to the boards, and thanks for letting a brother post!