Hi, just wanted to share this small puzzle I put in Cragmaw Castle when I ran my first campaign "the Lost mine of Phandelver" last year. I just like puzzles and thought this start campaign could use one :)
The puzzle is pretty simple and optional, so it dosnt have any greater impact if the group cant solve it (or just ignore it). Never tried to describe a puzzle in text, so hope its not to confusing :-D
Location: Cragmaw castle room 8 and 9 (The rooms for the old chapel)
Room 8 there are 4 Pictures / Stone Relief symbols on the south wall. These serve as the clue for solving the puzzle.
Symbol 1: A Scroll, Symbol 2: A Star, Symbol 3: A Sunrise, Symbol 4: A Coin
A cleric (if they play with the premade characters) or a character with proficiency in religion will automatically identify the 4 symbols as symbols for 4 gods and what they are gods of (see below). Other players would have to make a Religion check DC 12 (or whatever you choose).
Symbol 1: A Scroll = Oghma - God of Knowledge (Low position)
Symbol 2: A Star = Mystra - Goddess of magic (High position)
Symbol 3: Sunrise = Lathander - God of Dawn (High position)
Symbol 4: A Coin = Tymora - Goddess of Luck (Low position)
The symbols are positions so that symbol 2 and 3 are higher than 1 and 4. (This is the main clue for the puzzle)
When I did the puzzle I had 4 small papers with the symbols that I placed for the players:
Room 9 is the location of the puzzle itself.
Up against the wall at the north stands 4 small statues on pedestal's.
A statue of a Rogue, A Cleric A Bard and a Wizard
If a player investigate the statues they can see that they can be moved vertically
To solve the puzzle the players must move the statues up or down to match the up/down position of the holy symbols that has a "link" to that kind of class (see further below for more description) in room 8.
Solution:
Rogue: Down
Cleric: up
Bard: Down
Wizard: Up
The Reward:
If the players set all statues correct, a secret room will open when the last statue is set in place. You could just use the standard treasure for this room for reward.
Wrong Solution:
If the players set the statues in wrong order, a secret room will open when the last statue is set in place. However this room is empty.
Or - failure can trigger af trap that release a poison cloud in the room.
How the God symbols are "linked" to the classes of the statues:
Oghma - God of Knowledge Symbol: A Scroll Statue: Bard Lord of Knowledge, was the neutral greater power of bards, inspiration, invention, and knowledge in Faerûn.
Mystra - Goddess of magic Symbol: A Star Statue: Wizard The Mother of all Magic, was a greater deity and the second incarnation of the goddess of magic
Lathander - God of Dawn Symbol: Sunrise Statue: Cleric was a deity of creativity, dawn, renewal, birth, athletics, spring, self-perfection, vitality and youth. He favored those who dispelled the undead and blessed those who planted new life.
Tymora - Goddess of Luck Symbol: A Coin Statue: Rogue was the goddess of good fortune. She shone upon those who took risks
I love a good puzzle, and this is a great way of getting one into the LMoP! I like that it gives players the opportunity to role all sorts of checks. From religion, to history, to perception. Nice one!
My only (very personal) downside, is I use classes as meta-titles for the roles characters are taking. For example, I think a bard would introduce themselves as a 'singer of songs, teller of tales and wooer of women!' rather than 'I'm a bard.'
But aside from that personal quibble, this is really fun!
Hey i really like your puzzle and I would like to use it on my campaign aswell. By chance do you have the image as the link is broken in your post, I tried to generate one using AI (I'm not really good at drawing...) and I feel like if try to do some photoshop it would be a bit to obvious for my party (not good at it aswell). If not I will just describe to them and let them imagine symbols.
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Hi, just wanted to share this small puzzle I put in Cragmaw Castle when I ran my first campaign "the Lost mine of Phandelver" last year. I just like puzzles and thought this start campaign could use one :)
The puzzle is pretty simple and optional, so it dosnt have any greater impact if the group cant solve it (or just ignore it). Never tried to describe a puzzle in text, so hope its not to confusing :-D
Location: Cragmaw castle room 8 and 9 (The rooms for the old chapel)
Room 8 there are 4 Pictures / Stone Relief symbols on the south wall. These serve as the clue for solving the puzzle.
Symbol 1: A Scroll, Symbol 2: A Star, Symbol 3: A Sunrise, Symbol 4: A Coin
A cleric (if they play with the premade characters) or a character with proficiency in religion will automatically identify the 4 symbols as symbols for 4 gods and what they are gods of (see below). Other players would have to make a Religion check DC 12 (or whatever you choose).
Symbol 1: A Scroll = Oghma - God of Knowledge (Low position)
Symbol 2: A Star = Mystra - Goddess of magic (High position)
Symbol 3: Sunrise = Lathander - God of Dawn (High position)
Symbol 4: A Coin = Tymora - Goddess of Luck (Low position)
The symbols are positions so that symbol 2 and 3 are higher than 1 and 4. (This is the main clue for the puzzle)
When I did the puzzle I had 4 small papers with the symbols that I placed for the players:
Room 9 is the location of the puzzle itself.
Up against the wall at the north stands 4 small statues on pedestal's.
A statue of a Rogue, A Cleric A Bard and a Wizard
If a player investigate the statues they can see that they can be moved vertically
To solve the puzzle the players must move the statues up or down to match the up/down position of the holy symbols that has a "link" to that kind of class (see further below for more description) in room 8.
Solution:
The Reward:
If the players set all statues correct, a secret room will open when the last statue is set in place. You could just use the standard treasure for this room for reward.
Wrong Solution:
If the players set the statues in wrong order, a secret room will open when the last statue is set in place. However this room is empty.
Or - failure can trigger af trap that release a poison cloud in the room.
How the God symbols are "linked" to the classes of the statues:
Oghma - God of Knowledge
Symbol: A Scroll
Statue: Bard
Lord of Knowledge, was the neutral greater power of bards, inspiration, invention, and knowledge in Faerûn.
Mystra - Goddess of magic
Symbol: A Star
Statue: Wizard
The Mother of all Magic, was a greater deity and the second incarnation of the goddess of magic
Lathander - God of Dawn
Symbol: Sunrise
Statue: Cleric
was a deity of creativity, dawn, renewal, birth, athletics, spring, self-perfection, vitality and youth. He favored those who dispelled the undead and blessed those who planted new life.
Tymora - Goddess of Luck
Symbol: A Coin
Statue: Rogue
was the goddess of good fortune. She shone upon those who took risks
I love a good puzzle, and this is a great way of getting one into the LMoP! I like that it gives players the opportunity to role all sorts of checks. From religion, to history, to perception. Nice one!
My only (very personal) downside, is I use classes as meta-titles for the roles characters are taking. For example, I think a bard would introduce themselves as a 'singer of songs, teller of tales and wooer of women!' rather than 'I'm a bard.'
But aside from that personal quibble, this is really fun!
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Bardic_college
Hey i really like your puzzle and I would like to use it on my campaign aswell. By chance do you have the image as the link is broken in your post, I tried to generate one using AI (I'm not really good at drawing...) and I feel like if try to do some photoshop it would be a bit to obvious for my party (not good at it aswell). If not I will just describe to them and let them imagine symbols.