I'm going to be running a very puzzle heavy adventure for the first time and I need some help for story ideas. I'm new to D and D so any help is really useful.
You might want to try to give a little more direction with what exactly you want help with. Saying you want any help at all may seem like you're being open minded, but it doesn't give the rest of us much direction to help you in. As such, I will now list several questions that might help you get more directed help if you can provide answers:
1. What do you mean be "puzzle heavy"? Are you wanting your players to have to use their heads, or simulate the characters using their heads?
2. Who is the Big Bad and what doe he want? More importantly, why do the PCs want to stop him? Or is there even a Big Bad? If not, then what is the overall goal?
A mad wizard seems an obvious choice for puzzle constructor, or a trickster deity. Maybe they are on another plane or powerful magic in the area means that the standard guardian monsters that bludgeon or vaporise intruders are ineffective, so obscuring the path with puzzles is a better way to allow access selectively. Something like harmful effects are magically turned back on the instigator, or are otherwise ineffective, or some other effect prevents creatures remaining in a location for a prolonged period of time. As for motive, maybe they just want to enjoy watching people squirm, or they are testing to find candidates to go on some great quest, or have a grudge against one or more of the party.
Hopefully that is enough to start a few ideas developing.
I am a DM that loves building one-shots around puzzles. In fact, I have an entire YouTube channel of Puzzle Ideas that you can take a look at and use in your game. About 50 videos in all, each one giving a full demonstration on how the puzzle works: D&D Puzzles on YouTube - Wally DM.
I have run a couple of one-shots on my channel, I will share the links for "Chamber of Tymora", but I also have one on my channel called "The Hag's Doll" if you want to take a look at it as well:
Our adventurers adventure through an abandoned, underground casino in search of a set of "lucky dice" that have been blessed by Tymora. These dice are what the adventurers need to take down a local goblin mob boss known as the "Gambling Goblin".
I'm going to be running a very puzzle heavy adventure for the first time and I need some help for story ideas. I'm new to D and D so any help is really useful.
You might want to try to give a little more direction with what exactly you want help with. Saying you want any help at all may seem like you're being open minded, but it doesn't give the rest of us much direction to help you in. As such, I will now list several questions that might help you get more directed help if you can provide answers:
1. What do you mean be "puzzle heavy"? Are you wanting your players to have to use their heads, or simulate the characters using their heads?
2. Who is the Big Bad and what doe he want? More importantly, why do the PCs want to stop him? Or is there even a Big Bad? If not, then what is the overall goal?
3. What puzzles do you have in mind?
A mad wizard seems an obvious choice for puzzle constructor, or a trickster deity. Maybe they are on another plane or powerful magic in the area means that the standard guardian monsters that bludgeon or vaporise intruders are ineffective, so obscuring the path with puzzles is a better way to allow access selectively. Something like harmful effects are magically turned back on the instigator, or are otherwise ineffective, or some other effect prevents creatures remaining in a location for a prolonged period of time.
As for motive, maybe they just want to enjoy watching people squirm, or they are testing to find candidates to go on some great quest, or have a grudge against one or more of the party.
Hopefully that is enough to start a few ideas developing.
I am a DM that loves building one-shots around puzzles. In fact, I have an entire YouTube channel of Puzzle Ideas that you can take a look at and use in your game. About 50 videos in all, each one giving a full demonstration on how the puzzle works: D&D Puzzles on YouTube - Wally DM.
I have run a couple of one-shots on my channel, I will share the links for "Chamber of Tymora", but I also have one on my channel called "The Hag's Doll" if you want to take a look at it as well:
Our adventurers adventure through an abandoned, underground casino in search of a set of "lucky dice" that have been blessed by Tymora. These dice are what the adventurers need to take down a local goblin mob boss known as the "Gambling Goblin".
Chamber of Tymora Puzzle:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75vwQ-ec1p4&t=373s
Chamber of Tymora One Shot:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCa_Re91dF0
Gambling Goblin Quest Idea:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dxps3DCwwg
Anyways, hope this helps inspire you to come up with a few good stories and puzzles for your game. Good luck!
I have a YouTube channel with 5th Edition D&D Puzzles, Character Creations, DM Tips and Quests ideas. Check it out!
Wally DM on YouTube