Ooo, I love this kind of stuff. And for starters, I think it's awesome that you care enough to not only give this a lot of thought, but to seek other opinions online. That's a mark of a great GM.
So, back in 3rd ed, I had a player who chose to play a very non-combat-oriented rogue/monk acrobat. She was strongly focused towards climbing and balance and that sort of stuff, and I knew the player was really into puzzles, so I tried to set up the occasional challenge for her to sink her teeth into.
One actually became very memorable: the PCs found themselves stuck in a puzzle room with a floor made out of pillars that rose and fell every few rounds, seemingly randomly; the room was also slowly being flooded with increasing numbers of tiny undead (rats and other animals).
The acrobat noted that there were unique symbols on each floor tile, but due to the shifting nature of the floor she had to climb high to get a bird's eye view. Once she was there, she managed to work out the puzzle and gradually direct her teammates to stand in the right places to essentially shut the room "off". This required a lot of footwork and coordination for the players, as they were not only fighting off monsters, but blocking the view of any tiles they were standing on.
The fighting gave the more combat-oriented players something to do and a way to feel useful, as they were there to buy time for the acrobat to solve the puzzle - and she got to save the day. I think that was the most important, but challenging part: trying to find a way for everyone to be involved. I didn't want her to feel like she was in the spotlight for the sake of it, or that she was taking playtime away from the rest of the team, as that would just embarrass her.
The other hard part was designing the puzzles in a way such that they had to be solved by the player, not with dice rolls - while still incorporating some rolls (like climb and balance checks, etc). If it's purely a mental exercise, then you're not really playing D&D anymore; and if it's just about dice rolling, it may as well be combat.
I also had a different player in a different game who I knew liked riddles, and so I put in a plot line that involved solving a series of riddles, with each answer not only providing a clue to the greater mystery, but also giving directions to the next piece of the puzzle. I found that the riddles didn't have to be too hard for the player to be having a good time; people like to succeed.
Coming up with puzzles that are challenging without getting metagamey can be hard. Harder still for low int characters that shouldn't be able to reasonable contribute to especially difficult puzzles. I like the idea of challenging puzzles, but find actually implementing a puzzle that is the right level of challenging without being too easy or too hard and not having people acting out of character is difficult. Also if people do act in character theoretically they should be able to make an int check or wis check to figure it out, which also takes the fun out of puzzle. Bah! This is why I have a hard time with this!
Also keep in mind the raging barbarian with the adamantine weapon is going to comlpete the challenge by breaking down the wall between them and where they want to be.
Also keep in mind the raging barbarian with the adamantine weapon is going to comlpete the challenge by breaking down the wall between them and where they want to be.Oh thank goodness all my guys are still level 1.
That being said, what's the DC I'm looking for level 1 characters doing acrobatics and the like?
DC 10 for easy stuff, DC 15 at most for the hard stuff (at level 1).
Most skills actually have DCs for certain acitons in their description, and the GM screen does as well (I think its the same information). For example:
Acrobatics
(Dex; Armor Check Penalty)
You can keep your balance while traversing narrow or treacherous surfaces. You can also dive, flip, jump, and roll to avoid attacks and overcome obstacles.Check: You can use Acrobatics to move on narrow surfaces and uneven ground without falling. A successful check allows you to move at half speed across such surfaces—only one check is needed per round. Use the following table to determine the base DC, which is then modified by the Acrobatics skill modifiers noted below. While you are using Acrobatics in this way, you are considered flat-footed and lose your Dexterity bonus to your AC (if any). If you take damage while using Acrobatics, you must immediately make another Acrobatics check at the same DC to avoid falling or being knocked prone.
Surface Width Base Acrobatics DC
Greater than 3 feet wide 0*
1–3 feet wide 5*
7–11 inches wide 10
2–6 inches wide 15
Less than 2 inches wide 20
* No Acrobatics check is needed to move across these surfaces unless the modifiers to the surface (below) increase the DC to 10 or higher.In addition, you can move through a threatened square without provoking an attack of opportunity from an enemy by using Acrobatics. When moving in this way, you move at half speed. You can move at full speed by increasing the DC of the check by 10. You cannot use Acrobatics to move past foes if your speed is reduced due to carrying a medium or heavy load or wearing medium or heavy armor. If an ability allows you to move at full speed under such conditions, you can use Acrobatics to move past foes. You can use Acrobatics in this way while prone, but doing so requires a full-round action to move 5 feet, and the DC is increased by 5. If you attempt to move though an enemy's space and fail the check, you lose the move action and provoke an attack of opportunity.
Situation Base Acrobatics DC*
Move through a threatened area Opponent's Combat Maneuver Defense
Move through an enemy's space 5 + opponent's Combat Maneuver Defense
* This DC is used to avoid an attack of opportunity due to movement. This DC increases by 2 for each additional opponent avoided in 1 round.Long Jump Acrobatics DC
5 feet 5
10 feet 10
15 feet 15
20 feet 20
Greater than 20 feet +5 per 5 feetHigh Jump Acrobatics DC
1 foot 4
2 feet 8
3 feet 12
4 feet 16
Greater than 4 feet +4 per footFinally, you can use the Acrobatics skill to make jumps or to soften a fall. The base DC to make a jump is equal to the distance to be crossed (if horizontal) or four times the height to be reached (if vertical). These DCs double if you do not have at least 10 feet of space to get a running start. The only Acrobatics modifiers that apply are those concerning the surface you are jumping from. If you fail this check by 4 or less, you can attempt a DC 20 Reflex save to grab hold of the other side after having missed the jump. If you fail by 5 or more, you fail to make the jump and fall (or land prone, in the case of a vertical jump). Creatures with a base land speed above 30 feet receive a +4 racial bonus on Acrobatics checks made to jump for every 10 feet of their speed above 30 feet. Creatures with a base land speed below 30 feet receive a –4 racial bonus on Acrobatics checks made to jump for every 10 feet of their speed below 30 feet. No jump can allow you to exceed your maximum movement for the round. For a running jump, the result of your Acrobatics check indicates the distance traveled in the jump (and if the check fails, the distance at which you actually land and fall prone). Halve this result for a standing long jump to determine where you land.
When you deliberately fall any distance, even as a result of a missed jump, a DC 15 Acrobatics skill check allows you to ignore the first 10 feet fallen, although you still end up prone if you take damage from a fall. See the falling rules for further details.
Many conditions can affect your chances of success with Acrobatics checks. The following modifiers to target DCs apply to all Acrobatics skill checks. The modifiers stack with one another, but only the most severe modifier for any one condition applies.
Acrobatics Modifiers DC Modifier
Slightly obstructed (gravel, sand) +2
Severely obstructed (cavern, rubble) +5
Slightly slippery (wet) +2
Severely slippery (icy) +5
Slightly sloped (<45°) +2
Severely sloped (>45°) +5
Slightly unsteady (boat in rough water) +2
Moderately unsteady (boat in a storm) +5
Severely unsteady (earthquake) +10
Move at full speed on narrow or uneven surfaces +5*
My favorite puzzle I threw at my party was a version of Minesweeper.
They came upon a room with 5X5 squares similiar to Minesweeper. When they would step on a square it would present a number of tiles around them that had mines. If they stepped on a "mine" it would deal 1d6 electicical damage and teleport them back to the beginning. I gave them a handout with a layout of the room. Next thing I know the whole party is huddled around the handout trying to figure it out.
The whole dungeon was a 1st level module I found online. It was full of puzzles and riddles. The story behind it was a gold dragon's non lethal test that went wrong. He was lost and other creatures moved in and turned the dungeon much more hostile. I will try and find the full description and post it.
|
The final puzzle in Pathfinder Society Scenario #4–22: Halls of Dwarven Lore might be something to look at. The scenario is largely a dungeon crawl, but the very end contains a multiplayer communication puzzle which is the highlight, in my opinion. It's worth a look if you need inspiration, or just want to crib.