So I just started watching the show The Hallow and the pilot for Infinity Train and it inspired me to create a campaing where the players are traped in a diffrent reality. The plan is to have many different enviroments (Haunted forest, demonic jungle, underwater, ect,,) and the players jumping from one to the other and solving problems. My problem is I was never really good at making puzzles and I want some complex ones where they have to remember things from the other places, or use iteams they picked up along the way. I want them to have that "Wait, we could use the.." or "Maybe if we go back there we can..." and have it all kind of build on itself. I need help to come up with these puzzles, if you guys have any?
Now I haven't watched too much of the show but I think I can help here. The wonderful thing is you can run it just like any other D&D game, each dungeon is a room, all of those rooms exist in a larger dungeon. There are encounters, there is a plot, there are tasks to accomplish, all the normal things you find in a D&D game. The only thing that makes it different is the way you are presenting it.
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Goal: Get out of this crazy place or die/become permanently trapped. -This is the easy part, we figure out what the players are trying to accomplish, just like you would a puzzle.
Inciting incident: The players wake up in a strange place and, after interacting with some things, realize they have to get moving or they'll die. -This is the push the players need to get moving, and gives them a reason to follow along with the story.
How to make a puzzle in D&D like you've described:
Each of the different bio-domes would equate to a dungeon. In each dungeon they have a specific task to accomplish. While accomplishing said task they earn a reward to help them, and when the task is complete they can move on to a new dungeon.
Each dungeon has a mcguffin which will help them in a different dungeon. The mcguffin is not always readily understood as a tool for progression.
Travelling back and forth between each dungeon will have a hazard to over come, but it will become a moot point after acquiring the appropriate tools.
Some dungeons will have objects (buttons, levers, switches, etc.) which can be interacted with that will affect other dungeons and those interactions are not readily apparent.
Simple and effective approach to how the mechanics of the dungeon work. Now you have to set constraints, this is the part that makes it feel like a puzzle.
All ceilings, walls, and floors are unaffected by magical and physical manipulation, unless it's meant to help progress.
All inanimate objects in a dungeon do not cross over into another dungeon unless it's meant to help progress.
Each room has a timer, when the timer reaches 0 something happens to make the room become deadly (gas, closing walls, fire, etc).
After enough of the dungeon is "solved" a world event happens to make the entire "puzzle" dangerous and removing any back tracking.
A hidden command word for assistance when the players are stuck and need a prompt.
Anything else you may feel needs to be added as a constraint.
Now you have some rules about how the world works so that the players aren't going to bust down the walls and walk to the end. This allows the players agency in their actions, but keeps the world intact if they decide to just blow stuff up or use some shenanigans to bypass a dungeon.
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I hope this is helpful for what you were looking for, if not, I hope it helps inspire you to the answer you were looking for. Good luck and happy gaming!
There is also no shame in basing puzzles on those found in other media (video game in particular are usually a good source). In fact, a video by Markiplier I was watching last night was on Night Lights, a video game that entirely revolves around lights and darkness influencing the environment (found here). Watching let's play videos like this can be an excellent source of inspiration for puzzles you want to construct.
I think the D&D Puzzle videos on my YouTube Channel could probably help. Most of them are very similar to what you are wanting. Having to revisit areas or find things along the way to piece together a solution.
I now have over 40 puzzles on my channel... Each one provides a full demonstration and links to the props and printouts if needed. I'm sure you'll be able to find something you can use, reshape or repurpose to fit your game. Good luck!
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I have a YouTube channel with 5th Edition D&D Puzzles, Character Creations, DM Tips and Quests ideas. Check it out!
I don't often get to use them though for 2 reasons: I usually don't have the time or funds to generate them or purchase premade ones, and a point my players have brought up twice: we play fantasy games to accomplish the impossible. Players play characters that are capable of things that they themselves are not. Therefore, a character's ability to solve a puzzle should not be limited to the player's ability to solve it and vice versa anymore than the player's actual ability to perform pushups should affect how hard their character is able to punch a monster.
So I just started watching the show The Hallow and the pilot for Infinity Train and it inspired me to create a campaing where the players are traped in a diffrent reality. The plan is to have many different enviroments (Haunted forest, demonic jungle, underwater, ect,,) and the players jumping from one to the other and solving problems. My problem is I was never really good at making puzzles and I want some complex ones where they have to remember things from the other places, or use iteams they picked up along the way. I want them to have that "Wait, we could use the.." or "Maybe if we go back there we can..." and have it all kind of build on itself. I need help to come up with these puzzles, if you guys have any?
Now I haven't watched too much of the show but I think I can help here. The wonderful thing is you can run it just like any other D&D game, each dungeon is a room, all of those rooms exist in a larger dungeon. There are encounters, there is a plot, there are tasks to accomplish, all the normal things you find in a D&D game. The only thing that makes it different is the way you are presenting it.
---
Goal: Get out of this crazy place or die/become permanently trapped.
-This is the easy part, we figure out what the players are trying to accomplish, just like you would a puzzle.
Inciting incident: The players wake up in a strange place and, after interacting with some things, realize they have to get moving or they'll die.
-This is the push the players need to get moving, and gives them a reason to follow along with the story.
How to make a puzzle in D&D like you've described:
Simple and effective approach to how the mechanics of the dungeon work. Now you have to set constraints, this is the part that makes it feel like a puzzle.
Now you have some rules about how the world works so that the players aren't going to bust down the walls and walk to the end. This allows the players agency in their actions, but keeps the world intact if they decide to just blow stuff up or use some shenanigans to bypass a dungeon.
---
I hope this is helpful for what you were looking for, if not, I hope it helps inspire you to the answer you were looking for. Good luck and happy gaming!
There is also no shame in basing puzzles on those found in other media (video game in particular are usually a good source). In fact, a video by Markiplier I was watching last night was on Night Lights, a video game that entirely revolves around lights and darkness influencing the environment (found here). Watching let's play videos like this can be an excellent source of inspiration for puzzles you want to construct.
Ongoing Projects: The Mimic Book of Mimics :: SHARK WEEK
Completed Projects: The Trick-or-Treat Table
My Homebrews: Races :: Classes :: Spells :: Items :: Monsters
I think the D&D Puzzle videos on my YouTube Channel could probably help. Most of them are very similar to what you are wanting. Having to revisit areas or find things along the way to piece together a solution.
D&D Puzzles on YouTube for 5E - Wally DM
I now have over 40 puzzles on my channel... Each one provides a full demonstration and links to the props and printouts if needed. I'm sure you'll be able to find something you can use, reshape or repurpose to fit 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
I LOVE prop puzzles. Like... a lot.
I don't often get to use them though for 2 reasons: I usually don't have the time or funds to generate them or purchase premade ones, and a point my players have brought up twice: we play fantasy games to accomplish the impossible. Players play characters that are capable of things that they themselves are not. Therefore, a character's ability to solve a puzzle should not be limited to the player's ability to solve it and vice versa anymore than the player's actual ability to perform pushups should affect how hard their character is able to punch a monster.
Ongoing Projects: The Mimic Book of Mimics :: SHARK WEEK
Completed Projects: The Trick-or-Treat Table
My Homebrews: Races :: Classes :: Spells :: Items :: Monsters