D&D 5E Riddles and Puzzles in Gaming and Dungeons and Dragons in particular.

[Baldurs_Underdark]

If the PC is dumb but the player is smart, can the PC solve the puzzle?

This.

I played a half-orc barbarian. Even if I knew the answer to a puzzle in real life, my character would only try to smash it up.
Telling the solution to a puzzle to a fellow player with a higher intelligence so they can solve it in character feels stupid, so I never do that.


But according to our DM, a surprising large number of puzzles can be solved with violence too.

 

[Bawylie]

I use them. I like them.

I’ve used word searches to decipher scrolls, mazes to pick locks, clue style logic puzzles for mysteries (seriously this is easy to set up and easy to play out), simon or memory for disarming traps.

I’ve used those wood puzzle blocks for crafting a magic item. I’ve used liars dice for duels & negotiations.

Heck I’ve used hangman and the picnic game for password stuff.

I try to keep it to 5-10 minutes, max. But some stuff I keep very short. Like “to pick this lock, complete this maze in fewer than 30 seconds plus your Dex (thieves tools) check.” That’s typically popular.

People who enjoy challenges or games tend to really engage with this stuff at my table. I had one player design their own maze for an arcane lock and turn the tables on me.

 

[KenNYC]

So if you do have them, set up alternate ways of solving them using character abilities or at least give hints based on checks if people are struggling.

Disagree completely. If you are setting up a way for character abilities to solve the puzzle--a die roll--then it really isn't any sort of a puzzle.

 

[Lanefan]

I should probably throw more puzzles and-or riddles into my game - I've got players who are good at (and seem to enjoy) solving them, and who also happen to be playing a fairly intelligent crew of PCs at the moment.

As a player I like solving puzzles and word games, which means I almost always try to create PCs who have reasonable Intelligence. Wisdom, on the other hand...

 

[Ovinomancer]

Disagree completely. If you are setting up a way for character abilities to solve the puzzle--a die roll--then it really isn't any sort of a puzzle.

Sorry, misclick on the laugh.

 

[Oofta]

Disagree completely. If you are setting up a way for character abilities to solve the puzzle--a die roll--then it really isn't any sort of a puzzle.

And if the player's PC has a 20 intelligence but the player is average intelligence? I wouldn't expect my player to bench press the couch they're sitting on every time I ask them to have their barbarian to make a strength check. Quite frequently I see really smart people play dumb characters and people that are average play geniuses. People like to pretend to be something they are not.

Which is one of the the problems I have with puzzles. We are not expected to be able to do anything our characters do ... except for puzzles. Then you have the people that are actually quite smart in real life playing dumb characters who don't want to contribute because they're playing their character.

In my completely and utterly unscientific observations, around 5% or less of people I've played with really enjoy puzzles and riddles on a regular basis. So just because you enjoy puzzles and riddles, don't assume anyone else does.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Suggestion: If a game is likely to involve puzzles, discourage players from creating characters who are much smarter or dumber than the player is in real life.

Another suggestion: if players get stuck, let them cast Guidance to get a hint.

 

[Blue]

From the blog:

The problem with puzzles is 1. they either get solved trivially or 2. they stop your game dead.

Ugh, that's a sign of poor puzzle design or placement.

Either a puzzle is for an "extra", like more loot, or it is integral to moving forward. If it must be solved to move forward, there needs to be a way to "fail forward" - to assess a meaningful penalty but allows forward movements in the place of just blocking any progress.

It's like if the entire adventure is contingent on finding the hidden trapdoor under the rug and no one does.

This is irrespective to (and often in addition) to what the blogger talks about in terms of rule of three for clues (always good advice) and the rest. There needs to be some mechanism that will penalize the characters appropriately but allow the plot to move forward even if the puzzle is never solved.

As for the case where the puzzle is not vital, that's not the case. In cases like that there should be some mechanism to encourage players not to stop play - say wandering monsters, guard patrols, outside time limits, etc. So that players can give it a shot, but not stay there and voluntarily not move forward just because they want what the puzzle guards - without a degree of risk.

I mentioned player there - and that's because puzzles are usually something that tests the players ingenuity. One point I'd like to add to the original post in terms of making them solvable is that it's the character in world. In order to bring in the character, the puzzle designer should also have clues ready based on what the characters can do. Certain ability or skills might reveal clues, spells as well. Don't worry that these make make it easy - the puzzle may be easy to genius character yet the players are just missing the obvious connection.

 

[Blue]

Disagree completely. If you are setting up a way for character abilities to solve the puzzle--a die roll--then it really isn't any sort of a puzzle.

Disagree with that completely - the characters are the ones solving it. If the character abilities aren't helpful, then you're not playing an RPG.

 

[KenNYC]

Disagree with that completely - the characters are the ones solving it. If the character abilities aren't helpful, then you're not playing an RPG.

I disagree completely with that. Just the opposite in fact, you trying your best to solve a puzzle or thinking or speaking on behalf of your character without the roll of a die, is truly roleplaying. You are being your character, not just consulting a piece of paper looking for a stat. You are finally playing an RPG.