I have a campaign that has mystery and tons of secrets and codes, I want to add a merchant that sells a variety of stuff, but I also want him to sell hints on how to solve certain mysteries or how to solve certain aspects of puzzles. These hints would be encoded as well, but not to the extent of some other secrets. How would I keep the PCs from buying a hint for a future puzzle?
Maybe those hints aren't available until the players have reached that puzzle. Then the merchant has new wares in stock, some of which are hints for the puzzle and others that are just random to throw them off the scent.
Does the merchant know that the PCs are solving some puzzle in town or near-by? If so, are any of the backgrounds of the players conducive to say... have the merchant slip them a note? Maybe a pc needs to pass a perception/passive check to see a symbol of a local guild or faction agent hidden behind the shop counter?
There are a million ways to do this that don't involve straight-up selling secrets from merchants like a Witcher game, lol. Depending on the level of your PCs, a solid DC on a perception or investigation check of a merchants home or shop after-hours, or making friends with a local faction/guild can be a much more rewarding experience than just buying the answer. And hell, if you've got a party of a bunch of a-holes, maybe they intimidate the shop owner or murder them and there's a secret password to here or there. But, murder hobos need heavy consequences so as not to go out of control.
I think that's all of them that I use... Pick a decent cost, and remember that Flavor is Free!
A fortune teller is a good idea. I have run people who do seances, casting spells like speak with dead with a ouiji board or tarrot cards and used them as a reward for befriending their faction. Basically any divination or communication spell is good to have available and can be given to a local witch, hag or fortune teller. People who can cast these spells also make good quest rewards. Whether for rising up through a faction, rescuing them or doing them a favor in return for the spell.
My personal favorites are dream and modify memory. The ability to contact some one lost through a dream or awaken a lost memory for information is very flavorful but these spells are very high level and rarely taken by players.
The simple answer to the OP's question is "Don't sell it". The PCs will only ever have access to the things which you, the DM, orchestrator of the world, offer them.
Your opening question would read the same as:
"I have a shop selling really powerful magic weapons. How do I stop the players from buying one?"
Could be the shop keeper dosn't like them. Could be they need a permit from the town guard. Could be they simply cannot afford it. Could be every item in the shop is fake. Could be the shop just disappears one day. Could be that everything in the shop has already been sold.
So your shopkeep is selling whispers and clues. Could be he has never heard of these puzzles. Could be your players need to describe them to him, then he will have to contact his sources and get back to them, and then he outlines the price.
That's how I would make a whisper trader - rather than being omnipotent, they would be well connected. I'd have them charge the players a Finding Fee, along with a completion fee. One fee for the work, and one for the answer. Come back tomorrow once they've asked around, and they'll have a clue for you.
That way it also makes the DM's workload easier as they get some time to make the clues!
How would I keep the PCs from buying a hint for a future puzzle?
I draw this idea from Wheel of Time. I will avoid spoilers as I can.
In that series, there is a clue given to a group relatively early on. Most of the cast had no idea that it was important. Later in the series, one secondary character that had been introduced in the second book (out of 14) said that it related to an end game puzzle. That sounds cheap in my explanation, but it read well to me at the time. It may be a little bit of Deus Ex Machina, but the idea remains. The group had it all along, but they didn't really know HOW it applied until they knew much more about their goal.
Perhaps have a clue which is very vaguely connected to the first puzzle but doesn't quite fit - but nonetheless it works. EG (and this is off the top of my head) have it refer to water and have the first puzzle require them use a blue thing, so they think that was the clue. Then the final puzzle arrives and they have to do something with water, but they get no clues - because they already have one. Or, they get a lcue that says "The blue thing will be your friend" and thye realise that this clue and the first were mixed up.
I have a campaign that has mystery and tons of secrets and codes, I want to add a merchant that sells a variety of stuff, but I also want him to sell hints on how to solve certain mysteries or how to solve certain aspects of puzzles. These hints would be encoded as well, but not to the extent of some other secrets. How would I keep the PCs from buying a hint for a future puzzle?
The easiest way would be to not sell a hint to a future puzzle?
This is an unworkable idea.
Put a fortune teller in your town. They could be using various divination spells (at a cost) to provide hints.
There are lots of spells to pick from, but I like Augury, Divination, Commune, Contact Other Plane, Legend Lore.
I think that's all of them that I use... Pick a decent cost, and remember that Flavor is Free!
Maybe those hints aren't available until the players have reached that puzzle. Then the merchant has new wares in stock, some of which are hints for the puzzle and others that are just random to throw them off the scent.
Only spilt the party if you see something shiny.
Ariendela Sneakerson, Half-elf Rogue (8); Harmony Wolfsbane, Tiefling Bard (10); Agnomally, Gnomish Sorcerer (3); Breeze, Tabaxi Monk (8); Grace, Dragonborn Barbarian (7); DM, Homebrew- The Sequestered Lands/Underwater Explorers; Candlekeep
Does the merchant know that the PCs are solving some puzzle in town or near-by? If so, are any of the backgrounds of the players conducive to say... have the merchant slip them a note? Maybe a pc needs to pass a perception/passive check to see a symbol of a local guild or faction agent hidden behind the shop counter?
There are a million ways to do this that don't involve straight-up selling secrets from merchants like a Witcher game, lol. Depending on the level of your PCs, a solid DC on a perception or investigation check of a merchants home or shop after-hours, or making friends with a local faction/guild can be a much more rewarding experience than just buying the answer. And hell, if you've got a party of a bunch of a-holes, maybe they intimidate the shop owner or murder them and there's a secret password to here or there. But, murder hobos need heavy consequences so as not to go out of control.
A fortune teller is a good idea. I have run people who do seances, casting spells like speak with dead with a ouiji board or tarrot cards and used them as a reward for befriending their faction. Basically any divination or communication spell is good to have available and can be given to a local witch, hag or fortune teller. People who can cast these spells also make good quest rewards. Whether for rising up through a faction, rescuing them or doing them a favor in return for the spell.
My personal favorites are dream and modify memory. The ability to contact some one lost through a dream or awaken a lost memory for information is very flavorful but these spells are very high level and rarely taken by players.
No such thing as an unworkable idea.....just people who lack creativity.
As has been stated, have the merchant offer palm readings or something of the sort. Have the “readings” hint at or allude to the answer to the puzzle.
The simple answer to the OP's question is "Don't sell it". The PCs will only ever have access to the things which you, the DM, orchestrator of the world, offer them.
Your opening question would read the same as:
"I have a shop selling really powerful magic weapons. How do I stop the players from buying one?"
Could be the shop keeper dosn't like them. Could be they need a permit from the town guard. Could be they simply cannot afford it. Could be every item in the shop is fake. Could be the shop just disappears one day. Could be that everything in the shop has already been sold.
So your shopkeep is selling whispers and clues. Could be he has never heard of these puzzles. Could be your players need to describe them to him, then he will have to contact his sources and get back to them, and then he outlines the price.
That's how I would make a whisper trader - rather than being omnipotent, they would be well connected. I'd have them charge the players a Finding Fee, along with a completion fee. One fee for the work, and one for the answer. Come back tomorrow once they've asked around, and they'll have a clue for you.
That way it also makes the DM's workload easier as they get some time to make the clues!
Make your Artificer work with any other class with 174 Multiclassing Feats for your Artificer Multiclass Character!
DM's Guild Releases on This Thread Or check them all out on DMs Guild!
DrivethruRPG Releases on This Thread - latest release: My Character is a Werewolf: balanced rules for Lycanthropy!
I have started discussing/reviewing 3rd party D&D content on Substack - stay tuned for semi-regular posts!
I draw this idea from Wheel of Time. I will avoid spoilers as I can.
In that series, there is a clue given to a group relatively early on. Most of the cast had no idea that it was important. Later in the series, one secondary character that had been introduced in the second book (out of 14) said that it related to an end game puzzle. That sounds cheap in my explanation, but it read well to me at the time. It may be a little bit of Deus Ex Machina, but the idea remains. The group had it all along, but they didn't really know HOW it applied until they knew much more about their goal.
ooh, that's a good plan!
Perhaps have a clue which is very vaguely connected to the first puzzle but doesn't quite fit - but nonetheless it works. EG (and this is off the top of my head) have it refer to water and have the first puzzle require them use a blue thing, so they think that was the clue. Then the final puzzle arrives and they have to do something with water, but they get no clues - because they already have one. Or, they get a lcue that says "The blue thing will be your friend" and thye realise that this clue and the first were mixed up.
"The secret lies with Charlotte"
Make your Artificer work with any other class with 174 Multiclassing Feats for your Artificer Multiclass Character!
DM's Guild Releases on This Thread Or check them all out on DMs Guild!
DrivethruRPG Releases on This Thread - latest release: My Character is a Werewolf: balanced rules for Lycanthropy!
I have started discussing/reviewing 3rd party D&D content on Substack - stay tuned for semi-regular posts!