Creating a puzzle session

[Ghray]

Hey everyone! So I've been hankering at creating a D&D session built around a puzzle, or a series of small ones. However, I tend to be better at creating interesting encounters instead, but I want to mix it up a little.

A bit of background, the PC's are going to be heading into one of the most northern parts of the map to an ancient kings burial tomb. The PC's are tracking the main villain, an evil Cleric who lost his powers committing a heinous act but has somehow not only regained them, but has become more powerful more evil as a result.

Sooooooooo what the players are going to find out is that this kings tomb is not what it seems (as usual) and is instead the sight of not only the kings tomb, but the prison of an ancient (not so evil, sorta evil. If you really want to know more about this entity, I'll give the full story upon request) entity.

So going through this crypt, I want the puzzles to not only allow the players to advance but to hint at who & what this entity is. When the players reach the end of the crypt, they'll learn the truth + other plot stuff.

I've been thinking about for the past hour but only came up with a word puzzle. Anyone have any interesting puzzles or other fun ideas?

[legoguy4492]

Maybe each puzzle you complete earns you a few words, and if you piece the words together, you get the final puzzle; a riddle. Take or leave this idea, your choice =)

[LordBiBo]

Puzzles can be fun, but they generally require a lot of prep and props to keep them interesting. Some puzzles I have used in the past include:

chess puzzles (set up the board in the middle of the game and the players have to figure out how to win given the situation already in play)

music puzzles (a door opens up if the players play a certain series of notes on an instrument, sometimes I have the notes spell out things, but with the limited letters available it can be difficult)

Jigsaw puzzles (the players find pieces of stone tablet or sword or whatever as they defeat monsters and must put them together to find a key word or the pieces themselves form a key. I usually do this by writing on a piece of cardboard and cutting it up)

Riddles (perhaps a door has a magic mouth trigger that only opens when a riddle it speaks is solved, or some variation thereof)

[Ghray]

Hey I actually like that. Hmm I'll work on some interesting puzzles to build around that.