I wouldn't have got it. There are too many unknowns. I was thinking along the lines of the parrot giving a morse code clue.
With there being an attack every 3 attempts the characters will so just get frustrated and leave it. Probably after 8 attempt
While I would have figured the 3 stones were the main stones used, and the parrot was giving a signal of some kind, I wouldn't know any of the rest you were suggesting in the solution. Would have probably summoned something numerous times before lucking into the answer or saying "screw this" and attempting to find an alternate path (which should generally exist, or risk being too linear / railroading).
A reasonably realistic security measure doesn't involve having a bird screech hints for your password.
I've been in games where puzzles like this have failed in a couple of ways.
1) The players just don't get it, for a variety of reasons.
2) The GM messes up the logic or description of the puzzle in some way, making it impossible to solve.
I'm not saying it's necessarily bad to include these sorts of puzzles, but plan for those eventualities or you could end up with very frustrated players. There's nothing fun about beating your head on a puzzle for several hours. People don't like to feel stupid.
Keep in mind that the players' characters may very well be smarter or better with puzzles than they are, so providing clues based on skill checks may help with that.
Tweaking the scenario a bit, maybe there are tones that go off whenever they press the stones, and the local birds mimic those tones. They'll still need to try a few different combinations (and fight some monsters) in order to find the right stones for the right notes, but it's a bit more obvious than numbers that don't actually tie back to the clue in any meaningful way.
My solution? Speak with animals and just ask the parrot.
More seriously, I think this is very doable. It's a nice little puzzle, and I wouldn't expect it to take more than 5 minutes to solve.
If I was actually in the party you were doing this for, I probably would have gotten it after a couple of trial things to figure out how it worked. You should probably have some hints for if they got stuck though.
The hint about the number of digits is the least obvious, but I expect it would be much more so if it was something I was able to interact with. I'd assume it would be obvious that you needed a 4th stone press if you pressed only 3. If not, make it so.
The parrot squawking in the same pattern after each button press is misleading. If you wanted to provide more of a hint, it should squawk one fewer time after each button press.
There might be a few extra trials just where they figure out how the stones work, so you might want to consider that in the number of trials they get before monsters are summoned.
Consider allowing a (difficult) survival check to track old paths to get a hint.
Is your group into math, probability and logic? Because if so, then they should have fun with it.
A reasonably realistic security measure doesn't involve having a bird screech hints for your password.
I don't know if it's because it's late and I'm sleep deprived, but, that's hilarious. Also, PasswordParrot could totally be a thing. Kinda like web browsers that continually ask if they want to store your password for this site.
Possibly allow them to make a better Perception roll after a couple of failed attempts to see the middle number(s) have even less moss on, to give a hint if they are getting antsy?
Or possibly have the Caws a slightly different note for each number (i.e. A,G,G,E), realised on another Perc: Hearing check? And/or also tie a particular "caw note" to when they press any number (a bit like playing that old Mastermind peg game...)
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The big problems with this sort of logic puzzle are:
1) only use if your players actively enjoy this sort of thing;
2) it depends on the players' abilities not the characters' - choose a suitable skill for the characters to apply, to reveal hints/the answer/etc for when they either don't like the puzzle, or get stuck.
3) the answer often seems obvious to the GM who already knows it: this is not always the case for the players, who can get really frustrated and annoyed about not getting it while the GM smirks/gets fed up/declares 'How can you not get this? It's easy.' Which can lead to objects being thrown.
It is a bit arcane for my liking to be honest. I mean that in the sense of esoteric rather than magical. The parot seems like an odd addition.
Mensa Mind Maze books can sometimes contain some good puzzles of varying difficulty.
I like puzzles that give a varying outcome - rather than puzzles that punish you or allow you to try again repeatedly.
I like the puzzle but it's still a few clues away from being "good".
One of the biggest problems with creating puzzles, is as the creator we tend to think the answer obvious.
Any puzzle that requires guessing/trial error sits on bad/poorly designed, so this puzzle to me reads like it needs additional clues for it to truly work.
Maybe a few knowledge checks so players can further narrow options.
Discovering a parchment from one of the bad guys with a riddle or poem that helps work the middle or last digit?
I personally design my puzzles with multiple answers or success scenarios.
I agree with Gilarius, and I also was thinking morse code'ish type of puzzle instead of what you had in mind. To tie it back to the actual characters you've got to allow for skill or ability checks every so often too.
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Actually, I came in ready to gripe about "If its a puzzle lock that can be figured out from the clues on the lock itself, then its a pretty damned stupid locking mechanism", but honestly I think you did it right.
There is no built in "Smart people can figure out the password" based entirely on the way its built, and the only reason they could figure it out at all is because the badguys are too lazy to do proper upkeep on it. That and the blabbermouth parrot.
Pet peeve of mine when something is supposed to be locked and then whoever is doing the locking leaves they key out in plain sight for anyone that can spend a few minutes working out the clues. The entire idea of passphrases and the like were one of two things:
1) A test of enlightenment, where the question is a metaphysical one and the answer relies on the person answering it to have achieved a certain level of enlightenment in order to know the correct answer.
2) A test that weeds out anyone who doesn't know the correct answer from the start, like having a story that would be well known to the target audience you want to let in but no one else that has a wrong name in it, with the wrong name being the key. If you didn't know the story, you'd never figure out that was the key.
So yeah, I like this one. Its a passcode combination lock that does not do anything stupid like write the code down on the lock itself, and it even has an effective security system to stop people from brute force guessing. It is an effective lock.
Though one thing, the first thing that came to mind for me with "3 wrong guesses summons a monster" was "Make sure you don't give xp for defeating the summoned monster, else you just handed them a power leveling tool to abuse at their leisure."
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The "Caw! Caw-caw! Caw" clue is possibly too indirect, depending on how heavily it's stressed. (I mean, clever players will probably think, "this parrot must be significant or the GM wouldn't mention it", but they might then think, "it's probably an evil druid, let's kill it!" and then what are you going to do?)
Also, parrots don't just go "caw". Parrots imitate the sounds they here. If there was a "Bong!" sound every time a stone was pressed, the parrot could plausibly say, "Bong! Bong-bong! Bong!"
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I strongly advise against using it.
One of the basic principles of designing an effective adventure is you never put a single choke point into the adventure where things stop dead if you don't get past it. This is often formalized as the "rule of three," where you need to provide at least three potential ways to solve any puzzle.
You, er, didn't follow that rule. If someone doesn't think exactly as you do -- I'm pretty good with puzzles, but I admit that I went down the Morse Code rabbit hole as soon as you started mentioning signal timing -- the session stops.
And once you stop the session, you will not get it back that evening, and possibly not ever. If the group tries to solve the puzzle for three minutes straight and makes no headway, out come the cell phones and games of Candy Crush, everyone disappears to the kitchen for more cheetos, people start talking about other, unrelated things, and you might as well send them all home. In the worst case, they start talking about what campaign will start next week....
My experience with puzzles is that sometimes the players jump to the right answer in no time and it's no challenge. Other times the players circle around overthinking it, missing the obvious clues and going off on red herrings.
I would have the parrots in the area all do a strange call. "ding - ding ding - ding" Don't have it be right next to the trap. In fact have it be an encounter back.
Then when they encounter the lock, see if they figure it out. If the don't after two tries, give them an int check to remember the parrot.
Edymnion is part right. I'd give xp for the summoned monsters once. After that they'd be on their own. (That was if I still gave xp per encounter. I prefer dramatic levelling.)
I figured it out, woohoo! I am so smart! I am so smart! S-M-R-T! I mean S-M-A-R-T!
I like using logic puzzles as well, but like the others have said you've got to implement them very carefully. Often times in my experience is the biggest hindrance to using one is that it's not always completely clear to the players that their characters have actually stumbled into a logic puzzle. So if I'm going to use them I like to give the PCs a heads up that might require them to use their deductive reasoning, "The MacGuffin is located inside the tower of the Mad Wizard; while he is dead his tower has many traps and puzzles which guard his secrets from erstwhile plunderers."
Players tend to be much more willing to try to figure puzzles out when they know to expect them.
I like your basic concept just fine, and unlike some people I actually really like puzzles and riddles in my gaming. I think that just like players should get to solve tactical challenges, players participating in puzzles and similar things can really add to gaming an add enjoyment. Obviously people differ though, and knowing your group is important.
Additionally, as others have said, having more hints and ways to solve the thing should the initial hint fail, having more hints available is important.
I would make it clearer from the outset that 4 numbers are needed. I'm also not sure that the parrot makes a huge amount of sense, because it isn't clear what the parrot is mimicking.
I think if it were me, I would make sure they had some way, either earlier in the adventure, or right there, that they had the basic code, something like 7 - 0 - 0 - 3 (written on a scrap of paper or something) but when they got to the circle they need to activate, there aren't any numbers, just stones with pictures that seem random. Something like a horse, a sword, a helm, etc. Three of them being more used (perception to notice) still works, and with just that they could figure it out as you describe.
Then I would add the possibility of knowledge: history or perform: oratory or similar skills revealing an old children's poem or something similar where each number corresponded to one of the pictures. Something similar in concept to the twelve days of christmas. If they figure that out, they could get it right with no mistakes.
Then I'd have a if it takes to long another member of the bad group come up, who they can either seize to interrogate, speak with dead, simply hide and observe to get the code or, if they just kill him right off, perhaps actually has a the code in pictogram format on his person (horse - sword - sword - helm) so that they could be sure to get to the next step.
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I'm fairly good at puzzles and was stumped, primarily because I was looking for an answer, not a technique to guess. That is, I essentially got to the point the "Solution" calls for, but then would have held back, thinking there must be more information.
It might work better if the party *knew* they had to get a code, but failed to capture anyone who knew it. So they'd be more desperate.
I don't like these sorts of puzzles in my games because it creates a disconnect between character and player. Lets say this was in my mummy's mask campaign. I couldn't figure it out, but I feel like my 20 int alchemist could. On the flip side, the party barbarian has 8 int, but the player gets these sorts of puzzles amazingly fast.
I never but puzzles like this in a game as I don't find them interesting in real life so wasting my gaming time solving such puzzles is no fun. As a player I would either ask to make an int check if playing a highly intelligent puzzle solving wizard or do nothing and probably surf the internet if playing a character without any particular ability to solve the problem. I am reasonably certain that an in 20+ wizard can solve logic problems better than I can .
In the particular case in question I would after someone else solved the riddle think it was a totally stupid situation as why is there a parrot telling people how to get past the security , why has it not been gotten rid of ? It would be more realistic to find a written note of the password on someones desk than stored in a parrot which wonders around telling strangers and being an obvious security flaw. Maybe if the villain was the Riddler from Batman or some other narcissistic mad man
I didn't get it, but I like the concept. I'd suggest the following: try and make it more clear that the mimicking bird is a security beach - *not* part of the puzzle. He flies away if the party approaches him (because he's used to the wizard shooing him away.) When the PC's first approach, he flies in and looks at them curiously, tilting his head (he's waiting for them to push the buttons which he finds interesting.)
Tie in some skill checks to bail out frustrated players, and along with those checks, don't reveal everything off the bat. The stones, for instance - don't reveal that three are more worn unless the players *specifically* ask or they make an active perception check against an appropriate DC looking for clues. A Handle Animal check lets the players know that the parrot seems to be waiting for the party to do something. If the players either fumble around with the wrong combination or wait too long, only then does the parrot call out the sequence, and *definitely* imitating the sound of the presses.
You could even have the keys give off slightly different tones - something that maybe only someone trained in Performance might notice - and then with that knowledge, another Perception check reveals that the two middle tones from the parrot are clearly the same (though a Performance check reveals that the parrot is clearly off-key.)
Handle Animal checks made against the parrot when he repeats the sequence after the party fails reveals that the parrot seems annoyed. When the party pushes a correct key, a Handle Animal check reveals the parrot seems satisfied as he repeats the tone.
Only allow these checks after a few attempts have been made, to establish a baseline of the parrot's responses: certainly not until after at least one set of summoned monsters have been called (an event which causes the parrot to flee, only returning a few minutes after they've been dealt with - the party would have to decide to wait for the bird.)
Skill checks providing clues without giving away the answer is a nice way to keep things moving and draw the players toward an answer. Players also like feeling rewarded for their odd or infrequently-used skill choices.
Add a second pathway through the gate, like beating 3-4 consecutively harder summons.
Puzzles where the player (not the character) have to figure out something simply outright suck.
It takes you completely out of character. The guy with the 24 int wizard? He might not be able to figure out the riddle because he doesn't have such a high int score, but his character probably should.
Conversely, the character with the Big Stupid Fighter may be very intelligent, but his character should probably be unable to figure out the riddle at all.
Overall, my opinion on this sort of thing is don't. Unless you're going to make the riddle so obviously simple and easy or let characters use their ability scores to solve the riddle (which minimizes the point of the riddle in the first place) it's just bad design because it removes the purpose of having a character and forces you the player to do things that you character may or may not be capable of.
Bad game design.
I like the encounter.
Declare the behavior of the gate as follows:
Makes a tone on activation of a glyph. (Lights a glyph?)
Opens gate when three glyphs active (perhaps to bring in guards).
When gate closes, three tones are played in sequence.
So the parrot, watching (often?) people who know the combination go through, has got used to the correct three glyphs and the correct song.
What's significant about this set of behaviors is that someone using the gate never hears that the gate plays the 'shutdown song', and never hears the parrot(s?) mocking the song.
Now here come these goobers, making strange ugly song, and calling strange ugly people, and bringing chaos and nonsense. What's a bird to do?
Well, besides singing the right song, maybe the bird lands on the first glyph while singing that note?
Have less numbers, will be less frustrating for the brute force component of the puzzle