It’s easy to present a situation where the party must solve a puzzle to advance the plot. This creates a clear issue, however: what happens if they can’t solve it?
Instead, it’s fun to use puzzles to give the party extra bonuses. For example, solving a puzzle may:
- Unlock a treasure chest
- Free an ally or activate a construct that will fight alongside the party (like in Fallout)
- Set off a trap to hurt the enemies in the next room
- Open a secret passage, allowing the characters to bypass certain dangers or escape a dungeon unharmed
- Provide some useful information about an enemy or their plans
- Reveal secret information about the world
By clearly telegraphing the reward (e.g. describing the puzzle as right on the treasure chest), the players become excited about the potential reward and can make an informed decision on how much time to spend on the puzzle. After all, a puzzle is a lot more fun when the players are choosing to engage with it rather than having it forced on them.
Let us know any other fun ways you've used puzzles!
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