hey CKs... We all have our favorite room we like to drop on players. I'm not a killer DM (CK / GM), so most of my rooms of that sort are risk / reward type. i.e. guess it right, and a chest appears in the room, guess it wrong and take damage.
One of my favorites involves a fire in the center of the room. When the party walks in, the door they used closes behind them then vanishes. There is a door opposite them that they can see through the flames. But when they walk around the fire, they can no longer see the door. Only by walking through the fire can they continue to 'see' the door and there by use it to leave. The fire causes no damage, but they don't know that until they take the plunge.
Post yours. Because I am writing a dungeon crawl for my next adventure and need some inspiration.
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Your Favorite Puzzle Room
A plaque on the door reads "Welcome guests. To continue, you must be courteous to your host." Upon opening, the room is fairly nondescript, except for the floor which is tiled and depicts a mural of the character responsible for the dungeon, usually a wizard of some sort. Each tile is colored ranging from red, yellow, orange, purple, green, tan (not brown as that will become apparent) and blue. The tiles are roughly one person wide. The floor itself is a trap -- step on one wrong tile, and firstly, one gets doused with tar; step again and ignition equals immolation. The correct path is to step Blue, Yellow, Orange, Blue... et cetera.
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serleran wrote:
A plaque on the door reads "Welcome guests. To continue, you must be courteous to your host." Upon opening, the room is fairly nondescript, except for the floor which is tiled and depicts a mural of the character responsible for the dungeon, usually a wizard of some sort. Each tile is colored ranging from red, yellow, orange, purple, green, tan (not brown as that will become apparent) and blue. The tiles are roughly one person wide. The floor itself is a trap -- step on one wrong tile, and firstly, one gets doused with tar; step again and ignition equals immolation. The correct path is to step Blue, Yellow, Orange, Blue... et cetera.
It took me a few seconds, but I finally got it. Nice.
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AGNKim wrote:
It took me a few seconds, but I finally got it. Nice.
you got it? Well, your mind works riddles better than mine! How does one know the right pattern is blue,yellow orange, blue? Jeesh, I'd die in your dungeons, Serleran!!
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Sir Dachda McKinty,
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Secret Skeleton
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Dachda
Blue, yellow, orange, blue (BYOB)
It took me a bit too. It helped that my CO was cheap for our sq picnic last week and stated BYOB many times ...
I've never been a huge fan of "trap" rooms as a player of as a DM, I'm too linear of a thinker. Just like chess I can't see around corners or dig out hidden clues easily.
That being said when I have used a puzzle room, it's usually based on a older riddle saga or myth, or even history. I've even printed out copies of ancient statues, renaissance artwork etc and given them to the players. Eventually the back story of the work will find it's way into the game. If the player was smart enough to "do their homework" they will have a solid hint for the puzzle (and a high INT/or INT prime might get them a reminder, - a fighter with a 6 INT ... SOL if they don't remember it on their own) Something like "Fear not Laocoon's bane" and the far wall is covered with busts of animal/bird/reptile heads. To open the locked door, pick the right head and stick your hand in the open mouth. The way to open the door is in the statue of a snakes mouth.
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Blue, yellow, orange, blue (BYOB)
It took me a bit too. It helped that my CO was cheap for our sq picnic last week and stated BYOB many times ...
I've never been a huge fan of "trap" rooms as a player of as a DM, I'm too linear of a thinker. Just like chess I can't see around corners or dig out hidden clues easily.
That being said when I have used a puzzle room, it's usually based on a older riddle saga or myth, or even history. I've even printed out copies of ancient statues, renaissance artwork etc and given them to the players. Eventually the back story of the work will find it's way into the game. If the player was smart enough to "do their homework" they will have a solid hint for the puzzle (and a high INT/or INT prime might get them a reminder, - a fighter with a 6 INT ... SOL if they don't remember it on their own) Something like "Fear not Laocoon's bane" and the far wall is covered with busts of animal/bird/reptile heads. To open the locked door, pick the right head and stick your hand in the open mouth. The way to open the door is in the statue of a snakes mouth.
_________________
"And so I am become a knight of the Kingdom of Dreams and Shadows!" - Mark Twain
Forgive all spelling errors.
Knight Errant & Humble C&C Society Contributor
C&C Society
"And so I am become a knight of the Kingdom of Dreams and Shadows!" - Mark Twain
Forgive all spelling errors.
Knight Errant & Humble C&C Society Contributor
C&C Society
Forgive all spelling errors.
Knight Errant & Humble C&C Society Contributor
C&C Society
dachda wrote:
you got it? Well, your mind works riddles better than mine! How does one know the right pattern is blue,yellow orange, blue? Jeesh, I'd die in your dungeons, Serleran!!
I'm sorry. Look at Blue Yellow Orange Blue, and then drop anything that is not the first letter and you get BYOB which is a traditional thing appended to a party invitation. A host would likely do such if he's inviting a lot of people, or does not know them well enough to provide what they'd enjoy... and so, the request is a courtesy, in a sense.
I wouldn't feel bad about not getting it. Many folks die in my dungeons and its usually because some obscure "trap" confuses them.
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I think the "Be nice to your guest" room is "BYO" .... or I didn't get it.
I was always fond of this one....
The room has a moat or is a bridge across a shallow pool of flammable oil.
There's a statue somewhere and it's either got valuble eyes, like of diamonds or is near an open chest of gp. Naturally, if the pc's bother the treasure the statue animates... but it's made of flint, so any metal weapon hits on it cast off sparks....
TOASTY!
(total disclosure... this, or something like it, might be from one of the old Grimtooth's books, I can't recall)
and
I always liked having a drawbridge thru the center, it's up of course, and the middle of the room is a 'bottomless' pit, acid, or something deleterious... maybe just a monster... and a conspicuous lever on the far side of the room. Who can resist a lever?
a) quick... run thru the pit (if it's just a monster)
b) slower... rogue has to climb sideways along the wall to get to the far side and flip the lever.
c) also slow, someones tries the grappling hook archery trick.
d) if available, a fly spell, or levitate and push self along wall
e) when the lever is flipped, the entry platform most of the pcs are on sinks into the hazard!
More on levers... I'd often have them do things elsewhere, like finding keys in the old Wolfenstein 3D game (which SO wasn't 3d, but whatever)
Hope that helps!
EDIT. P.S. (free plug) it's no joke, there are great ideas in Serl's Engineering Dungeons book.
I was always fond of this one....
The room has a moat or is a bridge across a shallow pool of flammable oil.
There's a statue somewhere and it's either got valuble eyes, like of diamonds or is near an open chest of gp. Naturally, if the pc's bother the treasure the statue animates... but it's made of flint, so any metal weapon hits on it cast off sparks....
TOASTY!
(total disclosure... this, or something like it, might be from one of the old Grimtooth's books, I can't recall)
and
I always liked having a drawbridge thru the center, it's up of course, and the middle of the room is a 'bottomless' pit, acid, or something deleterious... maybe just a monster... and a conspicuous lever on the far side of the room. Who can resist a lever?
a) quick... run thru the pit (if it's just a monster)
b) slower... rogue has to climb sideways along the wall to get to the far side and flip the lever.
c) also slow, someones tries the grappling hook archery trick.
d) if available, a fly spell, or levitate and push self along wall
e) when the lever is flipped, the entry platform most of the pcs are on sinks into the hazard!
More on levers... I'd often have them do things elsewhere, like finding keys in the old Wolfenstein 3D game (which SO wasn't 3d, but whatever)
Hope that helps!
EDIT. P.S. (free plug) it's no joke, there are great ideas in Serl's Engineering Dungeons book.
Bill D.
Author: Yarr! Rules-Light Pirate RPG
BD Games - www.playBDgames.com
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/browse.ph ... rs_id=5781
Author: Yarr! Rules-Light Pirate RPG
BD Games - www.playBDgames.com
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/browse.ph ... rs_id=5781
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CharlieRock
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Lord Dynel
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There was an awesome trap room in the supplement Riddle Rooms (by Cloud Kingdom Games) that consisted of three different colored keys and trying to figure out which key went to which door was a real headscratcher for my party.
The most dastardly room I myself devised (not saying it's a new idea, but I didn't borrow it )was a room that sealed upon entering. The room started to fill with water after that and the party frantically searched for sercet doors for a way out. There was a secret door...about 12' up one of the walls. It made for quite a harrowing scene.
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LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules
The most dastardly room I myself devised (not saying it's a new idea, but I didn't borrow it )was a room that sealed upon entering. The room started to fill with water after that and the party frantically searched for sercet doors for a way out. There was a secret door...about 12' up one of the walls. It made for quite a harrowing scene.
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LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules
Troll Lord wrote:
Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.
LD's C&C creations - CL Checker, a witch class, the half-ogre, skills, and 0-level rules
Troll Lord wrote:Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.
In the center of a circular room there is a pedestal. Upon the pedestal there is an unlocked cage. Within the cage are four square platforms, each slightly dipping toward the bottom (so they are more like plates or bowls.) The pedestal further has four ledges holding a silver vessel -- three of them contain something: wood chips, water, fine sand. At the base of the pedestal, an engraving in a foreign language which, when translated, relates the story of a diamond (or other treasure) which is contained within the pedestal, released only to those who are masters of the elements. Attempts to attack or damage the pedestal, the cage, or any part of it, including by magical means, is thwarted, unable to achieve results.
The secret is simple -- on the first bowl (inner platform) the players must place the wood chips. Above it, they place the water. The third bowl is left empty; the fourth contains the dirt. When the wood is ignited, it burns and boils the water, which in turn becomes steam which causes the dirt to begin to shift (as if blown by wind) and then fall, snuffing the fire. The cage then falls and the pedestal rotates slightly, revealing a small cache holding a bag -- what is in the bag is left to you.
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The secret is simple -- on the first bowl (inner platform) the players must place the wood chips. Above it, they place the water. The third bowl is left empty; the fourth contains the dirt. When the wood is ignited, it burns and boils the water, which in turn becomes steam which causes the dirt to begin to shift (as if blown by wind) and then fall, snuffing the fire. The cage then falls and the pedestal rotates slightly, revealing a small cache holding a bag -- what is in the bag is left to you.
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Go0gleplex
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I don't have one favorite per se, but I do enjoy rooms that use the player's own greed against them...or their own paranoia.
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The obvious will always trip you up FAR more than the obscure.
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The obvious will always trip you up FAR more than the obscure.
Baron Grignak Hammerhand of the Pacifica Provinces-
High Warden of the Castles & Crusades Society
"Rolling dice and killing characters since September 1976."
"Author of Wardogs! and Contributor to Iron Stars and Starmada-Admiralty ed."
"Certified crazy since 2009."
"Author of Wardogs! and Contributor to Iron Stars and Starmada-Admiralty ed."
"Certified crazy since 2009."
mordrene wrote:
sorry i killed your thread
Murderer.
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kim@trolllord.com
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@ Dagger: How can you tell it's a bot?
@ Kim: Did you use any of these yet? If so, how'd it go?
@ Kim: Did you use any of these yet? If so, how'd it go?
Bill D.
Author: Yarr! Rules-Light Pirate RPG
BD Games - www.playBDgames.com
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/browse.ph ... rs_id=5781
Author: Yarr! Rules-Light Pirate RPG
BD Games - www.playBDgames.com
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/browse.ph ... rs_id=5781
Relaxo wrote:
@ Kim: Did you use any of these yet? If so, how'd it go?
Not yet. The new campaign starts next weekend. I'll let you know.
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kim@trolllord.com
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