this post was submitted on 28 Jul 2024
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Why I don't use puzzles anymore (ttrpg.network)
submitted 2 years ago by TheUnluckyBard@ttrpg.network to c/rpgmemes@ttrpg.network
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[–] TacticsConsort@yiffit.net 27 points 2 years ago

On the contrary, puzzles can be half the fun, especially if your players are idiots

There is a Young Black Dragon in my world who was literally never meant to be a major issue for any players but currently has EIGHT player character deaths attributed to him, because the first (level 8) party TPKd when they tried to move deeper into his territory to ambush him after he stole one of their bags, and they all drowned in a bog (trying to help each other and the ones who went to help also getting into trouble). Then there was a oneshot where a second (level 5) party went to his lair to avenge the first one and they also TPK'd because he got a surprise round against them.

[–] mozz@mbin.grits.dev 24 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Also ITT: "You enter the room. A series of eight mirrors on the walls of the octagonal chamber, surround an elaborate fountain in the center of the room with an inscrip--"

"I break all the mirrors to see if anything is behind them."

"... ... fuck you."

[–] shneancy@lemmy.world 13 points 2 years ago (1 children)

"the mirrors seem to be made out of a material you've never seen before, they don't budge" < do the puzzle you fuck approach

"the mirrors seem to be enchanted in some way, hitting them doesn't do anything" < i hope at least the wizard will want to do the fucking puzzle approach

"ok you do that :) the building around you begins shaking, you can see debris falling off the ceiling. The tales of the legendary "cool axe for murder sprees and hitting random objects" hidden in this area will need to be forgotten if you want to live, roll how much damage you took running away." < breaking weird objects in weird places will get you fucking killed, aka. fuck around and find out approach

[–] mozz@mbin.grits.dev 6 points 2 years ago

Eh. I dislike the “dungeon only works the way I want it to” solution, like the mirrors are unbreakable because that’s not what I wanted you to do with them.

In the other hand, having the players suddenly finding themselves in a boss fight with what was imprisoned in the mirror prison as soon as there’s an existing mirror isn’t facing another intact mirror? And then if they start winning or run away and get back to town, they get a surprise as soon as they go near a mirror? Until they figure out what was the special property that kept the beast in place in the chamber, how it was tricked into it in the first place and how to repeat the process? Fuckin a man. I had planned that you have to have one party member watching in the mirror guiding someone else to find the alcove in the opposite wall that can only be seen through one of the mirrors, but I like this way better; let’s rock.

[–] DmMacniel@feddit.org 9 points 2 years ago

It's the Conan way.

[–] Jaderick@lemmy.world 15 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

It’s a rite of passage to waste an hour of game time on a puzzle involving a locked door and a “thinking outside of the box” solution.

[–] DmMacniel@feddit.org 7 points 2 years ago

Sure the door is locked, but not the wall surrounding/next to it.

[–] teft@lemmy.world 11 points 2 years ago

Isn't that how we solve every puzzle?

--the barbarian

[–] ummthatguy@lemmy.world 10 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Anyone with some real world context?

[–] teft@lemmy.world 17 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)
[–] ummthatguy@lemmy.world 13 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Thanks for the info. Couldn't imagine having to fend off a leopard.

"...he bare-handedly strangled a leopard to death after the animal attacked his family"

[–] teft@lemmy.world 10 points 2 years ago

Adrenaline is a hell of a drug.

[–] mozz@mbin.grits.dev 5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

If ever there were a self explanatory picture, this is it, I think 🙂

(I get you; knowing the guy's name or the area or etc would be nice. But I think the nature of what happened is abundantly clear.)

[–] ada@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 2 years ago

Not at all. It never occurred to me that this guy killed a leopard with his bare hands. I assumed he was a poacher or hunter, and something had gone badly wrong on his hunt.

[–] computergeek125@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Gonna be honest I did not figure that one out.

I assumed he was part of a hunting party and had been injured separately.

[–] mozz@mbin.grits.dev 1 points 2 years ago

It was clear to me from his facial expression that he had wound up in a hand to hand fight with the leopard and this was the result. You are right that IDK anything beyond that until someone provided the article yes.