Wondering if anyone has ever made use of a real-life mechanical puzzle for their game? For example, it might be pretty fun to actually solve a cryptex and open it up to find some "artifact" that is relevant to your current campaign and helps progress the story. I've heard of some people who have build small puzzle boxes for adventurers to open too. Any thoughts on this?
This sounds really awesome! Though I think something like this would really depend on your players, whether it would go well or not. Personality types and play style really counts for a lot here. But personally I think it sounds like a great, and fun idea!
I've got an old jewelry box where you have to slide certain pieces of wood out the right way and in the right order to find the key and they keyhole. If I ever run a campaign I'll see if I can use that in some way.
A stone slab that serves as a key to open some location, etc. Make the slab broken, give the pieces to the players (maybe not all the pieces, let them discover the last ones by themselves) and let them rebuild the original slab. The pieces can be drawn if playing online or cut in paper just like puzzle pieces.
I am actually designing a death trap dungeon around this concept. I've created a scenario where the players will have to solve real world logic puzzles and riddles to advance. Using things like the "trace a line without lifting or crossing the path" with rope bridges that burn after they cross. Have them come to a forked path and meet a truth teller and one who lies. Or having known mislabeled trapped treasure chests. Maybe even throw in the Monty Hall problem or the chicken/grain/fox (or some variant) river crossing. Perhaps the "lights out" puzzle. Heck, just throw a rubiks cube at them! There's a bunch of options.
I got a cryptex from a LARP project that ran on Kickstarter earlier this year, which I intend to use at some point in the future.
The biggest problem is the password cannot be changed, so it's going to have to be a one off use item. :(
Just don't let them know that it only has one option... you can probably use it twice if they don't know ahead of time that it cannot be changed.
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"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
I bought a really cool little puzzle from Barnes & Noble, had it be a special key that shut of a trap in the room. It worked, depending on how you spun it. Went over smashingly well. Players enjoyed it and I had a blast with it. I did continue the narrative, building up the tension of the flooding room, screams in the dark and the sort of thing and pre-game I had a small table with hints as to how they could open the puzzle so if they got stuck, and they did, they could roll a check and gain a hint. So yeah was real fun!
Been looking at some of the puzzles they have there right now and thinking of dropping another one in.
Wondering if anyone has ever made use of a real-life mechanical puzzle for their game? For example, it might be pretty fun to actually solve a cryptex and open it up to find some "artifact" that is relevant to your current campaign and helps progress the story. I've heard of some people who have build small puzzle boxes for adventurers to open too. Any thoughts on this?
This sounds really awesome! Though I think something like this would really depend on your players, whether it would go well or not. Personality types and play style really counts for a lot here. But personally I think it sounds like a great, and fun idea!
I've got an old jewelry box where you have to slide certain pieces of wood out the right way and in the right order to find the key and they keyhole. If I ever run a campaign I'll see if I can use that in some way.
A stone slab that serves as a key to open some location, etc. Make the slab broken, give the pieces to the players (maybe not all the pieces, let them discover the last ones by themselves) and let them rebuild the original slab. The pieces can be drawn if playing online or cut in paper just like puzzle pieces.
There are some nifty tutorials for some lego puzzle boxes on youtube that could be used in this manner.
I am actually designing a death trap dungeon around this concept. I've created a scenario where the players will have to solve real world logic puzzles and riddles to advance. Using things like the "trace a line without lifting or crossing the path" with rope bridges that burn after they cross. Have them come to a forked path and meet a truth teller and one who lies. Or having known mislabeled trapped treasure chests. Maybe even throw in the Monty Hall problem or the chicken/grain/fox (or some variant) river crossing. Perhaps the "lights out" puzzle. Heck, just throw a rubiks cube at them! There's a bunch of options.
I got a cryptex from a LARP project that ran on Kickstarter earlier this year, which I intend to use at some point in the future.
The biggest problem is the password cannot be changed, so it's going to have to be a one off use item. :(
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
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Game StoresI bought a really cool little puzzle from Barnes & Noble, had it be a special key that shut of a trap in the room. It worked, depending on how you spun it. Went over smashingly well. Players enjoyed it and I had a blast with it. I did continue the narrative, building up the tension of the flooding room, screams in the dark and the sort of thing and pre-game I had a small table with hints as to how they could open the puzzle so if they got stuck, and they did, they could roll a check and gain a hint. So yeah was real fun!
Been looking at some of the puzzles they have there right now and thinking of dropping another one in.
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