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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jhaelen" data-source="post: 3453103" data-attributes="member: 46713">Puzzles do and should have a place in a roleplaying game. However, as a DM you have to make extra sure there'll be enough hints to find a solution without having to resort to wild guessing or random experimentation.It's always a good idea to provide for a contingency plan, if none of the players can think of a solution. A puzzle that absolutely must be solved to continue or solve an adventure is rarely a good idea. They're better used to provide the adventurers with an additional 'bonus' or advantage.I've found that about ten hints per puzzle is a good number to strive for. This seems like a high number at first glance, but half of the hints will never be discovered and half of the rest will be ignored and/or misinterpreted. The remaining two or three hints must then be sufficient to arrive at a possible solution.And it's often required to just go with the flow: If the player's are completely on the wrong trail, but have used sound reasoning to arrive at their proposed solution, it's only fair to treat it just like one of the 'correct' solutions you had in mind. Improvisation is key!</blockquote>