OK, so I'm planning this temple dungeon to get an artifact for a character of mine. (It makes more sense in context, but I don't have the space/time to explain.) Long story short, I need ideas for puzzles and traps, and maybe even a few random encounters. Anything helps!
The temple was made to hold an artifact called the Tome of Sealing (self-explanatory name is self-explanatory). However, the temple was lost to time, very few knowing of its existence, and so undead and other creatures have taken residence in the temple, acting as a natural security system in addition to the traps and puzzles.
Maybe traps and puzzles that have to do with opening/closing the way a book does? Crushing walls, bear traps, venus fly traps. Also consider traps that have to do with sealing/restraining, or gooey, gluey things. Green slime, tar, binding chains., and snares.
I quite like incorporating number puzzles in part as this works well for my online mic&discord based group, http://www.puzzles9.com/ has some good inspirations ie
you could have a wall in the temple with six holes in the wall were you can turn a dial to lock in a number... if its the wrong number jet of poison gas, chopped off hand, instant TPK ;) some were else in the temple you could find most of the code except for that one number were the paper is burned...
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“It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt, It lies behind stars and under hills, And empty holes it fills, It comes first and follows after, Ends life, kills laughter.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
All very nice ideas! I do realize that I'll mainly need puzzles, as the party is quite small. It's around four characters, all around level 15. And we're a Discord-based group, so I may just use those number puzzles JustinDarkness! Thanks so much!
Fonts, sacrifices, fires are all ceremonial elements. But a dry font and a sacrificial altar without the elements don't have the power to bring forth the energy of the temple. Maybe the players need to fill the font with water, fill the thurible with incense and light it and then place the sacrifice on the altar to cause the spirit or elemental forces to act in a manner that opens the next level for exploration? Maybe they need to find the vestments and put them on before reciting the incantation inscribed over the mantle? There are any number of combinations of uses of the religious goods that can be paired and used in the right order, and it gives the character with the high religion score something to roll for.
The temple was made to hold an artifact called the Tome of Sealing (self-explanatory name is self-explanatory). However, the temple was lost to time, very few knowing of its existence, and so undead and other creatures have taken residence in the temple, acting as a natural security system in addition to the traps and puzzles.
How about this puzzle... D&D Puzzles - The Door of Shadows The adventurers have found an upright door in the middle of a dark dungeon room. They may walk around it, through it, or go over it and nothing happens. Further exploration might be needed as they need to find some type of contraption to activate the door of shadows! Basically... the players will need to project a shadow of a door on the wall...
or this one is fun too... Door of the Stone Hand One of our adventurers will have to become the key to the dungeon in this puzzle. Should we draw for shortest straws? Exclaim "Not it"? Who will be the brave soul to raise their left hand and volunteer? In a nutshell... a door can only be opened with the imprint of a stone hand...
Anyways, plenty more ideas where those came from, you should be able to find something for your dungeon with no problem! Hope this helps!
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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!
How about a puzzle where stone bricks (with symbols) have to be pressed in a certain order, if its pressed in the wrong order, part of the floor breaks, get it wrong 5 times, you fall to your doom.
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OK, so I'm planning this temple dungeon to get an artifact for a character of mine. (It makes more sense in context, but I don't have the space/time to explain.) Long story short, I need ideas for puzzles and traps, and maybe even a few random encounters. Anything helps!
"You are a slave. Want emancipation?"
-Persona 5
Well, why does the temple exist in the first place, in universe? Who built it?
The temple was made to hold an artifact called the Tome of Sealing (self-explanatory name is self-explanatory). However, the temple was lost to time, very few knowing of its existence, and so undead and other creatures have taken residence in the temple, acting as a natural security system in addition to the traps and puzzles.
"You are a slave. Want emancipation?"
-Persona 5
Maybe traps and puzzles that have to do with opening/closing the way a book does? Crushing walls, bear traps, venus fly traps. Also consider traps that have to do with sealing/restraining, or gooey, gluey things. Green slime, tar, binding chains., and snares.
This is kinda vague. Maybe tell us the level of the party?
General trap ideas:
Tiles that teleport party members to another, part of the dungeon.
Hidden pit traps. The pit is full of poisonous snakes, crocodiles or piranhas.
Mimics that take the form of doors or bejeweled furniture.
Tiles that trigger spouts of flame, arrows fired from self-loading heavy crossbows, or the release of giant wasps/ owlbears/ displacer beasts.
I quite like incorporating number puzzles in part as this works well for my online mic&discord based group, http://www.puzzles9.com/ has some good inspirations
ie
you could have a wall in the temple with six holes in the wall were you can turn a dial to lock in a number... if its the wrong number jet of poison gas, chopped off hand, instant TPK ;) some were else in the temple you could find most of the code except for that one number were the paper is burned...
“It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt, It lies behind stars and under hills, And empty holes it fills, It comes first and follows after, Ends life, kills laughter.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
All very nice ideas! I do realize that I'll mainly need puzzles, as the party is quite small. It's around four characters, all around level 15. And we're a Discord-based group, so I may just use those number puzzles JustinDarkness! Thanks so much!
"You are a slave. Want emancipation?"
-Persona 5
Fonts, sacrifices, fires are all ceremonial elements. But a dry font and a sacrificial altar without the elements don't have the power to bring forth the energy of the temple. Maybe the players need to fill the font with water, fill the thurible with incense and light it and then place the sacrifice on the altar to cause the spirit or elemental forces to act in a manner that opens the next level for exploration? Maybe they need to find the vestments and put them on before reciting the incantation inscribed over the mantle? There are any number of combinations of uses of the religious goods that can be paired and used in the right order, and it gives the character with the high religion score something to roll for.
Have fun.
How about this puzzle... D&D Puzzles - The Door of Shadows
The adventurers have found an upright door in the middle of a dark dungeon room. They may walk around it, through it, or go over it and nothing happens. Further exploration might be needed as they need to find some type of contraption to activate the door of shadows!
Basically... the players will need to project a shadow of a door on the wall...
or this one is fun too... Door of the Stone Hand
One of our adventurers will have to become the key to the dungeon in this puzzle. Should we draw for shortest straws? Exclaim "Not it"? Who will be the brave soul to raise their left hand and volunteer?
In a nutshell... a door can only be opened with the imprint of a stone hand...
Anyways, plenty more ideas where those came from, you should be able to find something for your dungeon with no problem! Hope this helps!
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
How about a puzzle where stone bricks (with symbols) have to be pressed in a certain order, if its pressed in the wrong order, part of the floor breaks, get it wrong 5 times, you fall to your doom.