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<blockquote data-quote="Steverooo" data-source="post: 2678203" data-attributes="member: 9410">A bad start, IMHO.&nbsp; By having the Guardian announce &quot;Only a True Swordsman can defeat me.&quot;, it implies both that swords are the way, and that this is a test for a Fighter-type PC (which the PCs will conclude means high BAB and combat-prowess is required).&nbsp; Also, the &quot;nuking&quot; of PC abilities is generally bad design.&nbsp; It implies that the spellcasters are supposed to &quot;sit this one out&quot;.&nbsp; Is that what you really wanted?If not, move this to the &quot;Test of Wisdom&quot;, and try this on for size:You enter a room, as a metal sheet slides down to block the door behind you. No way out!&nbsp; There is a 10' bridge spanning a chasm.&nbsp; Immediately, any spellcaster knows that magic does not work here, due to an Anti-Magic effect.On the bridge stands a massive, towering behemoth with six arms, clad in black armor, with a terrible-looking sword.&nbsp; It's eyes glow red as it darkly announces: &quot;Not by magic, might, nor stealth may I be passed!&quot;The creature is CR 20.The solutions: There are many.&nbsp; Ask :Will you let me pass?&quot;, Sheathe your weapon and embrace the guardian, Shake his hand, Anything like that.&nbsp; If done so, the guardian nods, steps aside, and intones:&quot;Only Wisdom teaches that there are challenges where magic, might, and stealth will not win through.&nbsp; An Adventurer must often rely upon his own internal resources.&quot;&quot;Magic, might, nor stealth&quot; pretty much rules out all the PC classes (although some might think that &quot;Faith&quot; = Cleric, Druid, Paladin, or Ranger).&nbsp; Instead of setting up the PCs to think that this puzzle requires swords &amp; combat, this version implies that the obvious answers (Combat, Magic, and/or sneaking past) aren't going to work, this time!Also, notice that I changed your &quot;unbeatable opponent&quot; to a &quot;mere&quot; CR 20 critter...&nbsp; It is not unbeatable, but the PCs probably can't defeat it!&nbsp; (They may get creative and do something unexpected, though, like sic their pet Rust Monster on it, or trip it so that it falls off the bridge!) <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin&nbsp; &nbsp; :D"&nbsp; data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /></blockquote>

[QUOTE="Steverooo, post: 2678203, member: 9410"] A bad start, IMHO. By having the Guardian announce "Only a True Swordsman can defeat me.", it implies both that swords are the way, and that this is a test for a Fighter-type PC (which the PCs will conclude means high BAB and combat-prowess is required). Also, the "nuking" of PC abilities is generally bad design. It implies that the spellcasters are supposed to "sit this one out". Is that what you really wanted? If not, move this to the "Test of Wisdom", and try this on for size: [I]You enter a room, as a metal sheet slides down to block the door behind you. No way out! There is a 10' bridge spanning a chasm. Immediately, any spellcaster knows that magic does not work here, due to an Anti-Magic effect. On the bridge stands a massive, towering behemoth with six arms, clad in black armor, with a terrible-looking sword. It's eyes glow red as it darkly announces: "Not by magic, might, nor stealth may I be passed!" The creature is CR 20. The solutions: There are many. Ask :Will you let me pass?", Sheathe your weapon and embrace the guardian, Shake his hand, Anything like that. If done so, the guardian nods, steps aside, and intones: "Only Wisdom teaches that there are challenges where magic, might, and stealth will not win through. An Adventurer must often rely upon his own internal resources."[/I] "Magic, might, nor stealth" pretty much rules out all the PC classes (although some might think that "Faith" = Cleric, Druid, Paladin, or Ranger). Instead of setting up the PCs to think that this puzzle requires swords & combat, this version implies that the obvious answers (Combat, Magic, and/or sneaking past) aren't going to work, this time! Also, notice that I changed your "unbeatable opponent" to a "mere" CR 20 critter... It is not unbeatable, but the PCs probably can't defeat it! (They may get creative and do something unexpected, though, like sic their pet Rust Monster on it, or trip it so that it falls off the bridge!) :D [/QUOTE]

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