I am looking for suggestions for roleplaying/puzzle ideas. My players have just reached the outskirts of a small village, that is a cult, just outside a small castle run by a frost giant Jarl. There is also a cave system with a npc that knows a secret way into the castle. I am looking for ideas on ways for the players to get inside the castle.
The three main ideas I have so far are:
1. Force their way in
2. Find the npc and have him show them the way
3. Pretending to be cultists/persuade the cult to give them an entry
I am looking for any suggestions that can help, or even way to flesh these out. I don’t want option 1 to be too hard, but I don’t want the other options especially option 3 to make it super easy.
4. Getting thrown into the tower's cellar for sneaking around the castle 5. Because there's an event and it's open to all / they are invited 6. Pretend to worship the Jarl and get recruited in his service 7. Dig a tunnel to the towers cellar 8. Persuade a giang flying animal to drop them off at one of the aeries over night 9. Sneak their way in 10. The castle is attacked and there's a big moment of opportunity 11. Bribe, persuade, poison, fool, distract the guards ........let them figure it out :)
Ice themed puzzles with what goal? I'm not big on including puzzles if there's no real purpose to it. Could be to obtain entry, you could hide hints with local NPC's they can encounter or rumors in the local tavern that guide them towards hints upon hints. But be cautious not to over complicate it, my experience is they don't get it. I once used a riddle "what runs around the city but never moves" - the right answer opened a magic sealed box, but it took them 2 full sessions to get it ... :D
... I once used a riddle "what runs around the city but never moves" - the right answer opened a magic sealed box, but it took them 2 full sessions to get it ... :D
Well depending on natural fortifications ie rivers or mountains I'd wager the answer was either MOAT, or WALL?
Depending on how you use alignments in your game, give them obstacles that challenge their alignments in which acting according to their alignment is likely to result in a setback for the larger obstacle, forcing the players to grapple with their motivations and rationalisation. Or it will lead to some creative problem solving as the players try to engage with the scenario without triggering the setback condition
E.G. They encounter a cage of starved people who look like they’re being prepared for a ritual. The cage is in a highly visible spot, and it is clear that the ritual is due to happen shortly. Good characters are going to want to save the people. Evil characters are, at least, not likely to want to have to face off against whatever is going to be summoned/powered up by the ritual. Neutral characters may be motivated by either option. What to do? Creep on, betraying core motivations? Or act and risk raising the alarm?
For numbers 2 & 3, or really most of these, you could use skill challenges which would allow all players to be involved without having to be good at persuasion or disguise. Maybe a medium or hard challenge depending on how generically difficult you think is to get into the castle. Skill Challenge difficulties:
Medium 4 or 5 successes before 3 failures
Hard 6 or 7 successes before 3 failures
Super Hard 8+ successes before 3 failures
I have a document on Skill Challenges I've put together if you need more detail, just DM me.
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4. Getting thrown into the tower's cellar for sneaking around the castle
5. Because there's an event and it's open to all / they are invited
6. Pretend to worship the Jarl and get recruited in his service
7. Dig a tunnel to the towers cellar
8. Persuade a giang flying animal to drop them off at one of the aeries over night
9. Sneak their way in
10. The castle is attacked and there's a big moment of opportunity
11. Bribe, persuade, poison, fool, distract the guards
........let them figure it out :)
Ice themed puzzles with what goal? I'm not big on including puzzles if there's no real purpose to it. Could be to obtain entry, you could hide hints with local NPC's they can encounter or rumors in the local tavern that guide them towards hints upon hints. But be cautious not to over complicate it, my experience is they don't get it. I once used a riddle "what runs around the city but never moves" - the right answer opened a magic sealed box, but it took them 2 full sessions to get it ... :D
Well depending on natural fortifications ie rivers or mountains I'd wager the answer was either MOAT, or WALL?
You would have been a good addition to the crew ;) it was WALL
Depending on how you use alignments in your game, give them obstacles that challenge their alignments in which acting according to their alignment is likely to result in a setback for the larger obstacle, forcing the players to grapple with their motivations and rationalisation. Or it will lead to some creative problem solving as the players try to engage with the scenario without triggering the setback condition
E.G. They encounter a cage of starved people who look like they’re being prepared for a ritual. The cage is in a highly visible spot, and it is clear that the ritual is due to happen shortly. Good characters are going to want to save the people. Evil characters are, at least, not likely to want to have to face off against whatever is going to be summoned/powered up by the ritual. Neutral characters may be motivated by either option. What to do? Creep on, betraying core motivations? Or act and risk raising the alarm?
For numbers 2 & 3, or really most of these, you could use skill challenges which would allow all players to be involved without having to be good at persuasion or disguise. Maybe a medium or hard challenge depending on how generically difficult you think is to get into the castle. Skill Challenge difficulties:
I have a document on Skill Challenges I've put together if you need more detail, just DM me.