I'm working on a treasure vault that holds an ancient relic.
The question is in regard to a specific area. The area is split by arches into four quarters, each representing an element: earth, air, water, and fire. Each quarter contains a puzzle that must be solved to obtain a key to the next room.
So let's get to the point-
Beyond the water arch sits a pile of pristine metal pipes, on the western wall there is a hole that is spewing water into a 5 ft. x 5 ft. square dug into the floor, and on the northern wall sits what was once an ornate fountain. In order to complete the puzzle, the pipes must be constructed to lead from the wall to the fountain.
The moment a player (or a few wishing to work together) passes the arch, the arch and the hole seal shut and the water begins to rise, if the puzzle isn’t completed in time, the challengers are washed through the arch and the puzzle resets, with the pipes shapes changing.
My question is, how do I run this part? It isn't supposed to take long, but I don't want it to feel underwhelming. I'm not happy about the washing out part, but mainly I'm not sure how to mechanically go about the whole thing?
If you expect them to lay the pipes in the correct order to complete the circuit, consider recessing the whole affair under a grid of force energy so that they can't physically interact with the pipes. Set the pipes on a device that allows them to turn in 90Deg iterations and giving them a number of levers (like 4) or a whole map of the pipe floor layout. If you want to test PC ability, use the levers and require a successively difficult Intelligence check to set the lever, and the corresponding pipe, in the correct position to direct water from inlet to fountain.
If you want to test player ability, make a map, cut it up scramble the bits make them put the puzzle together at the table with a timer running.
As for the reset, maybe don't let that happen until everyone inside the room begins Drowning/Suffocating. If you want this to be really fun (meaning fun for you, not the PCs), add Crocodiles that try to grapple and prevent the players from achieving the task.
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“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
In a face to face game give them this and tell them they need to do it in XX seconds.
It is face to fae, that honestly looks like not a bad idea!
Base the number of seconds on their dexterity score, so that in-game statistics come into it rather than just their physical dexterity! For added puzzle, have some pieces that need to be omitted, for whatever reason, so that they have to think about it each time!
I'm working on a treasure vault that holds an ancient relic.
The question is in regard to a specific area. The area is split by arches into four quarters, each representing an element: earth, air, water, and fire. Each quarter contains a puzzle that must be solved to obtain a key to the next room.
So let's get to the point-
Beyond the water arch sits a pile of pristine metal pipes, on the western wall there is a hole that is spewing water into a 5 ft. x 5 ft. square dug into the floor, and on the northern wall sits what was once an ornate fountain. In order to complete the puzzle, the pipes must be constructed to lead from the wall to the fountain.
The moment a player (or a few wishing to work together) passes the arch, the arch and the hole seal shut and the water begins to rise, if the puzzle isn’t completed in time, the challengers are washed through the arch and the puzzle resets, with the pipes shapes changing.
My question is, how do I run this part? It isn't supposed to take long, but I don't want it to feel underwhelming. I'm not happy about the washing out part, but mainly I'm not sure how to mechanically go about the whole thing?
If you expect them to lay the pipes in the correct order to complete the circuit, consider recessing the whole affair under a grid of force energy so that they can't physically interact with the pipes. Set the pipes on a device that allows them to turn in 90Deg iterations and giving them a number of levers (like 4) or a whole map of the pipe floor layout. If you want to test PC ability, use the levers and require a successively difficult Intelligence check to set the lever, and the corresponding pipe, in the correct position to direct water from inlet to fountain.
If you want to test player ability, make a map, cut it up scramble the bits make them put the puzzle together at the table with a timer running.
As for the reset, maybe don't let that happen until everyone inside the room begins Drowning/Suffocating. If you want this to be really fun (meaning fun for you, not the PCs), add Crocodiles that try to grapple and prevent the players from achieving the task.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
Is this a face to face game or online?
In a face to face game give them this and tell them they need to do it in XX seconds.
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-Ilyara Thundertale
It is face to fae, that honestly looks like not a bad idea!
Base the number of seconds on their dexterity score, so that in-game statistics come into it rather than just their physical dexterity! For added puzzle, have some pieces that need to be omitted, for whatever reason, so that they have to think about it each time!
Make your Artificer work with any other class with 174 Multiclassing Feats for your Artificer Multiclass Character!
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