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[NecrosaroIII]

Hey folks, I'm currently working on a DND campaign. I want to start implementing more puzzles, so I figured I'd post them here to make sure they're not too obtruse.

Current puzzle I'm working on:

The party is infiltrating a party, disguised as servants. As part of their infiltration, they're tasked with setting a table and arranging seating. Here are the clues given:

"A likes to sit on the edge. They prefer to be next to F
B wants to be on the opposite end of the table away from A. Likes H
C wants to sit inbetween E and G
D hates C, likes G though
E wants to sit across from A, next to C
F would like to sit across from C, but next to H
G doesn't care where they sit. They're friends with everybody
H is friends with F and B"

What is the ideal placement?

 

[jason10mm]

And solving this does what...give them advantage to a wis or charisma based etiquette roll?

Otherwise roll for initiative, that sphinx is gonna get an axe upside it's head

 

[Maiden Voyage]

IDGAF

 

[Maiden Voyage]

I don’t game anymore friend

 

[eddie4]

 

[badblue]

The party is infiltrating a party, disguised as servants. As part of their infiltration, they're tasked with setting a table and arranging seating. Here are the clues given:

"A likes to sit on the edge. They prefer to be next to F
B wants to be on the opposite end of the table away from A. Likes H
C wants to sit inbetween E and G
D hates C, likes G though
E wants to sit across from A, next to C
F would like to sit across from C, but next to H
G doesn't care where they sit. They're friends with everybody
H is friends with F and B"

What is the ideal placement?

uhh... I roll to check INT.

 

[DrFigs]

man there's too many people to keep track of

 

[nbcjr]

this puzzle is impossible, you don't even mention how is the table, how can we solve? I was thinking it was a linear one (like the last supper), but then you mention sitting 'across from'...

 

[Rockondevil]

Thanks, I hate it more than this loaf of bread.

 

[dispensergoinup]

As a current DM, putting puzzles like this you gotta dangle a good reward for doing all this work. If they spend a ton of time figuring this out and one bad roll ruins the whole thing, is the mission over?

What's the result of a fail? Can it be partially completed? Will they be able to skill check their way into success? Could one the players just say fuck it and completely screw it up?

To be completely honest, if you have to ask if it's too much it probably is.

The way I do puzzles is bake some lore into it, and create like an Indiana Jones style thing where taking pieces of lore available to them and making a challenge out of that.

Not sure if that makes sense but so far they feel a larger sense of accomplishment when they find some useful info and use that to get some treasure or something (by completing lore-based puzzle)

Sorry I'm bad at describing things lmao.

But who knows? Maybe your players will love what you came up with! Try it out and see what happens and change it next time!

 

[just_some_nut]

Dunno your group but sounds like too much effort. People generally just wanna roll dice, not solve math/logic problems

 

[Esca]

Just between us guys, I take puzzles from games and modify them some lol
My mind isn't what it use to be

 

[Peter303]

Puzzle was good, took about a minute to solve.

 

[mitch1971]

When do we start the killing?

 

[Wildebeest]

Not too difficult, but unfortunately the advice for tailoring puzzles for modern DnD is don't ever use them. Strip them out. Hit yourself with a hammer to the face if you can't stop thinking about adding them. But I would suggest giving out a printout of the table and pieces of paper with the letters printed on, but replace the letters with real names.

Spoiler

A F H B
E C G D

 

[jason10mm]

On the broader sense of using "in world" puzzles for the characters/players to figure out, it's a real mixed bag. I used to come up with all sorts of riddles to solve a dungeon trap or whatnot and they were ALWAYS far too easy (to the point where the players thought...why bother?) or impossible to solve (to the point where the players though...why bother?). Same with physical code wheels or stuff (there were a few board games, Mansions of Madness IIRC and a space captain one, that had a bunch of these) to solve for time pressure or escape room type things. Personally it breaks immersion because of the difference between player and character. A smart player is then able to solve things their INT 6 character shouldn't, but a INT 18 scholar character ought to be able to know things the player wouldn't.

About the best 'non-dice rolling' game mechanic I've seen was using a Jenga tower. Everyone knows that game, and it really escalates tension as blocks are pulled. The candles being blown out for that fear game is cool as well, but highly situational.

 

[AJUMP23]

Just have them guess a number between 1 and 10.....and they always get it right no matter what they guess. D&D should be fun. It is fun to win.

 

[RJMacready73]

I thought DnD was all about killing goblins, getting loot and exploring dungeons, what's this Mensa IQ+200 level shite?

 

[Darkmakaimura]

I thought DnD was all about killing goblins, getting loot and exploring dungeons, what's this Mensa IQ+200 level shite?

One reason I love my old DM was because focused on story and mystery. There were plenty of fights but that wasn't the focus. He went well beyond combat and looting.

 

[I_D]

Hey folks, I'm currently working on a DND campaign. I want to start implementing more puzzles, so I figured I'd post them here to make sure they're not too obtruse.

Current puzzle I'm working on:

The party is infiltrating a party, disguised as servants. As part of their infiltration, they're tasked with setting a table and arranging seating. Here are the clues given:

"A likes to sit on the edge. They prefer to be next to F
B wants to be on the opposite end of the table away from A. Likes H
C wants to sit inbetween E and G
D hates C, likes G though
E wants to sit across from A, next to C
F would like to sit across from C, but next to H
G doesn't care where they sit. They're friends with everybody
H is friends with F and B"

What is the ideal placement?

I like the idea, and the think the puzzle is nicely solvable.
As you can see from many responses in this thread, though, quite a few people aren't as participatory as you might like them to be. Just be mindful of your audience.

I'm more concerned about the scenario itself. This seems more like something that would be vital for solving a treasure-door in a tomb, or something. Applying such a complex situation to something as simple as a dinner seating seems like it's a bit overly complicated.
To me, puzzles should be used sparingly, and with great reward as the payoff.

 

[Fuz]

I hate puzzles and riddles in RPGs. It's not the friggin' Settimana Enigmistica.

IDGAF

You don't GAF?

 

[PonyStation4]

Let's break down the clues and use them to determine the ideal placement for each person:

1. A likes to sit on the edge. They prefer to be next to F.This means A should be seated at one of the edges of the table and next to F.
2. B wants to be on the opposite end of the table away from A. Likes H.B should be seated at the opposite end of the table from A and next to H.
3. C wants to sit in between E and G.C should be seated between E and G.
4. D hates C, likes G though.D cannot sit next to C, but should be seated next to G.
5. E wants to sit across from A, next to C.E should be seated across from A and next to C.
6. F would like to sit across from C, but next to H.F should be seated across from C and next to H.
7. G doesn't care where they sit. They're friends with everybody.G can be placed anywhere.
8. H is friends with F and B.H should be seated next to both F and B.

Based on these clues, the ideal placement can be determined as follows:

D G C E
B H F A

Here's how the placements fulfill the given clues:

• A is at the edge and next to F.
• B is on the opposite end from A and next to H.
• C is between E and G.
• D is next to G (they like G, but not C).
• E is across from A and next to C.
• F is across from C and next to H.
• G can be placed anywhere (their preferences don't matter).
• H is next to both F and B.

-ChatGPT

 

[DrFigs]

How do you feel OP? Are you going to disregard people's responses? Update your puzzles? I need to know.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

DrFigs Haven't ran it yet. Was supposed to run it this week, but session got postponed.

Regarding puzzles. It's definitely not for everyone. But we've been playing for 10 years now, and so it's just something I want to try out. I realize it's not for everyone. But my players don't particularly like too much combat, so it's just something else for them to do in game.

The answer is:

A F H B
E C G D

Though I'd also take:

ECGD
AFHB

or

DGCE
BHFA

or

BHFA
DGCE

since the orientation isn't indicated.

 

[Nobody_Important]

When you are making puzzles for a campaign always make sure to adapt them to your audience and not yourself. It cool if you enjoy hard puzzles or brain benders, but make sure they do too.

It's supposed to be about fun in the end after all.

 

[DrFigs]

Plan B: you could just make them solve sudoku puzzles.

 

[AJUMP23]

Just take whatever answer they give you. They are there to have fun not have you kill them.

 

[PaddyOCanager]

Hey folks, I'm currently working on a DND campaign. I want to start implementing more puzzles, so I figured I'd post them here to make sure they're not too obtruse.

The answer is:

1. Mess up infiltration and have cover blown.
2. Initiate violence.
3. Profit.

 

[Trogdor1123]

It’s a circle table! Oh no!

 

[Trogdor1123]

Or…. A space marine shows up and murders them all for heresy.

 

[FunkMiller]

DnD session: ”My first is in second, but never in third! My fourth is in chicken, but never in bird! What am I, my little Wizard friends?”

40k session: “My Astartes just pulped your entire greenskin army into bloody chunks, you fucking heretic”.

I know which one I prefer.