riddle quickie

[Quickleaf]

I am the finder of hidden treasure,
But I am also the assassin’s gold.
I am the product when twins couple,
But I am also the lover left behind.
What am I?

EDIT: CONTEXT: PCs have to make their way through Thieves' Maze to prove themselves to guildmaster. The door is a 10 foot high door on the otherside of a ten foot long spiked pit. The door has 9 panels (3x3), each with a different engraving of a famous thief.

 

[Aberzanzorax]

Is it an "X" or the center of an "X"?

I am the finder of hidden treasure, (x marks the spot)
But I am also the assassin’s gold. (center of crosshairs/middle of a target)
I am the product when twins couple, (two lines crossing)
But I am also the lover left behind. (X can mean either kiss or hug, I forget)


Longshot, I know, but maybe?

If I was confident, pressing the center of the pictures would be the way to go.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Good thinking, Aber.

The last line, But I am also the lover left behind., probably means "ex", as in "ex-girlfriend / ex-boyfriend", if your earlier deductions hold (which I think they do).

I'd try to press the 5 portraits that form the "X".

AR

 

[Mark]

Is it an "X" or the center of an "X"?

Well, Quickleaf, is it?

 

[Aberzanzorax]

Altamont Ravenard, good thinking regarding "ex"

That last line was the weakest of my interpretations, and I think you're a LOT more on target.

The assassin's gold is the other one. Usually crosshairs are a + rather than an X. The other (somewhat silly) idea regarding X fitting there was x-eyes... like dead cartoon guys.

What do others guess about the asassin's gold? Does x fit? If so, in a better way than I guessed?

 

[Quickleaf]

Is it an "X" or the center of an "X"?

Quick on the draw! It's an X for all of the reasons you were thinking, though for the "but i am also the assassin's gold" I was thinking of X-ing a name off a hit list. Your interpretation works too!

I'd try to press the 5 portraits that form the "X".

You got it!

The rogue smiles at his companions scratching their heads. "X marks the spot." Begrudingly acknowledging the rogue's superiors puzzling skill (this time), the wizard launches presses the upper left panel with mage hand, causing it to spin around. She is soon followed by the ranger's arrow to the upper right, a blast of holy light from the paladin's sword to the lower left, and the warlock's familiar struggling against the lower right. Casually tossing a dagger, the rogue hits the dead center of the center panel. With a grinding lurch, the door drops down, bridging the spiked pit. There is no turning back now.


So, is this a good easy riddle for a thieves' guild puzzle?

 

[Aberzanzorax]

I found it good, but not too easy. It took me a while to think on this before I came up with the answer (it wasn't a "snap" answer).

I'd be happy if this was in an adventure I played, though.

 

[Mark]

It's a good in-game riddle that has multiple avenues/clues toward success.

 

[Quickleaf]

I'm considering increasing the complexity and consequences to make this into a full-fledged encounter.

Complexity-wise, I want to have the order they hit the squares in matter, and this relates to the order of a thief operation/sting. Each image on the board might have a caption with the associated nickname of the famous thief.

I think the squares will be something like:

Light Fingers (thievery - pick pocket)
Silver Tongue (bluff)
Safe Cracker (thievery - open lock)
Assassin (backstab, stealth - hide in shadows)
Alley Footpad (streetwise, stealth - move silently and step softly)
Acrobat Thief (acrobatics)
Racketeer (intimidate, streetwise)
Escape Artist (dungeoneering, acrobatics - escape artist)
Guildmaster (insight, perception)


Consequence-wise I want each square to have an associated attack if struck in the wrong order. For example, the assassin square spins around and a dagger flies out from the other side at the PCs.

When I do finish this "Gate of Nine Thieves" puzzle, I'll post it as a pdf here and in my houserules thread. It'll provide a template for running puzzles as encounters in 4e.

 

[Aberzanzorax]

Cool!

One other thing I was thinking about when I read the riddle the first time.

I wondered if there was some number component to it.

The last two lines would be 4 and 1 as it is written.

twins couple=2x2
the lover left behind=alone=1