Wanted to post about my new e-book, "Puzzles for Players", which contains templates and ideas to help GMs write player-engaging puzzle ideas into your game worlds. The book is PWYW, and if you do check it out I'd appreciate posting your honest review and discussion there.
a collection of templates to help you build puzzles into your game world
Designed for fantasy tabletop RPGs, these 20 puzzle templates provide GMs with concepts and starting points to introduce challenges that will engage players, no matter how high (or low) their characters’ levels may be. If you want more from puzzle solving than skill checks and dice rolls, these are for you.
Puzzles are categorized at three scales: encounter/room, module/dungeon, and campaign/world. This lets you know how much work you will have to do to integrate the puzzle idea into your game and how broadly the puzzle may impact your adventure.
Encounter/room scale puzzles require that players only figure out and solve a one-shot challenge. These can be easily dropped in to an existing dungeon or game night, perhaps an empty room on your map or a random encounter on the road, and will result in relatively small, quick payoffs.
Module/dungeon scale puzzles generally require solving parts in multiple rooms or floors, and then bringing them all together at some point. These may require extra work on your part to prepare; perhaps the final piece will be in the pocket of the 20th level mage located on the top floor!
Campaign/world scale puzzles are designed to be built in to your game world, with different parts taking place in different environments, city-states, or even planes of existence. These will generally involve extended efforts by players that may continue during much of a party’s or story’s lifespan, resulting in epic treasures, discoveries, and encounters that will enter the history books of your campaign.
Each template includes setting suggestions, examples terms to use with online image search tools to stimulate your own creative work, presentation and gameplay tips, and additional ideas to make this your unique gaming experience. Each also includes an example map and script to guide you in integrating the puzzle into your game quickly. You should feel free to update, change, or add-on whatever you like for your own campaigns.
Finally, remember to enjoy the game at least as much as your players do!
Today I published my second e-book on DMs Guild, "Puzzles for Players: Secret Writing". The book is PWYW, and if you do check it out I'd appreciate posting your honest review and discussion there. Hope you enjoy it!
a collection of ideas to help you build puzzling documents into your game world
Designed with fantasy tabletop RPGs in mind, this collection of creative secret writing methods will be a great addition to your toolkit. The purpose is to help you write in-game documents for your players that do not use codes, ciphers, or foreign languages.
Writing in this way will prevent PCs from using magic spells or skill checks to decode or translate the materials. Almost every puzzle is designed so that in-game spells will not produce the solution! As a result, players will be drawn further into personal engagement with your game world.
Each entry includes these points to using this in your game:
Description lays out the general concept and idea of the puzzle.
Presentation is a description of what the puzzle looks like to characters and players at first glance, including ideas for settings.
Pre-game construction describes the required steps for the GM to prepare the physical puzzle in advance of the play session.
Running this in game outlines what the GM will need to do during play to run this puzzle for the players. Many will require no work for you at all at game time.
If players try magic provides guidance for you if the characters cast language comprehension or code breaking spells on the puzzle. Most of these will resist the spell effects in any game system.
How players read/solve it describes how the document can be read or the solution for each secret writing method.
Variations presents some ideas on making the puzzle more or less difficult, changing the physical prop, or suggesting others ways to make it your own
Feel free to directly copy the illustrations provided, use them as inspiration for something more fitting to your setting, or create your own completely from the bottom up.
This e-book also has a black & white printable "edition" in the PDF file. For an easily readable physical copy, print the PDF file from pages 54-105. This will produce something you can easily bind and keep with you in your library.
And finally, remember to enjoy the game at least as much as your players do!
Wanted to post about my new e-book, "Puzzles for Players", which contains templates and ideas to help GMs write player-engaging puzzle ideas into your game worlds. The book is PWYW, and if you do check it out I'd appreciate posting your honest review and discussion there.
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/309898/Puzzles-for-Players
Here's the full blurb:
Puzzles for Players
a collection of templates to help you build puzzles into your game world
Designed for fantasy tabletop RPGs, these 20 puzzle templates provide GMs with concepts and starting points to introduce challenges that will engage players, no matter how high (or low) their characters’ levels may be. If you want more from puzzle solving than skill checks and dice rolls, these are for you.
Puzzles are categorized at three scales: encounter/room, module/dungeon, and campaign/world. This lets you know how much work you will have to do to integrate the puzzle idea into your game and how broadly the puzzle may impact your adventure.
Each template includes setting suggestions, examples terms to use with online image search tools to stimulate your own creative work, presentation and gameplay tips, and additional ideas to make this your unique gaming experience. Each also includes an example map and script to guide you in integrating the puzzle into your game quickly. You should feel free to update, change, or add-on whatever you like for your own campaigns.
Finally, remember to enjoy the game at least as much as your players do!
Thank you for playing!
Hello all,
Today I published my second e-book on DMs Guild, "Puzzles for Players: Secret Writing". The book is PWYW, and if you do check it out I'd appreciate posting your honest review and discussion there. Hope you enjoy it!
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/369239/Puzzles-for-Players-Secret-Writing
Here's the full blurb:
Puzzles for Players: Secret Writing
a collection of ideas to help you build puzzling documents into your game world
Designed with fantasy tabletop RPGs in mind, this collection of creative secret writing methods will be a great addition to your toolkit. The purpose is to help you write in-game documents for your players that do not use codes, ciphers, or foreign languages.
Writing in this way will prevent PCs from using magic spells or skill checks to decode or translate the materials. Almost every puzzle is designed so that in-game spells will not produce the solution! As a result, players will be drawn further into personal engagement with your game world.
Each entry includes these points to using this in your game:
Feel free to directly copy the illustrations provided, use them as inspiration for something more fitting to your setting, or create your own completely from the bottom up.
This e-book also has a black & white printable "edition" in the PDF file. For an easily readable physical copy, print the PDF file from pages 54-105. This will produce something you can easily bind and keep with you in your library.
And finally, remember to enjoy the game at least as much as your players do!
Thank you for playing!
haven't digested yet, but I love the covers
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
Cool stuff.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.