Puzzle Doors

>>52250349
I pick the mystery box.

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Alright, first scenario:

>You, the PCs, have followed the Villainous Mage to his tower.
>He enters the front door and closes it behind him.
>You approach the door and hear him speak a Password on the other side.
>You open the door and find a small stone room, with two doors opposite the one you entered.
>Between the two doors, there appears to be a crude animated Face made out of the stone wall.
>The Face regards you as you enter and close the door behind you.
>The Face speaks:
>”Greetings, visitors. Speak the password while touching the handle of the correct door and you may then enter unharmed.”

What do you do?

>>52250399
I grab both handles and speak the password, hoping there's no electric current running between them.

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>>52250389
Who could resist the allure of the Mystery Box?

>>52250399
Speak the password while grabbing the handle of the door by which I entered.

>>52250424
I actually did not anticipate that response.
I probably should have.

I will provide the results of your action in a moment.

>>52250399
I guess try the door I entered through? Idk if it's because there isn't enough to go off of here or if I'm just uncreative but I have no idea where to start

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>>52250399
I bellow out "THE PASSWOD WHILE TOUCHING THE HANDLE OF THE CORRECT DOOR"!

>>52250424
>Holding both door handles, you speak the Password.
>The Face says, “That is the correct password.”
>The doors do not open automatically but appear unlocked.
>Do you open the left door, the right door, or both at the same time?

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>>52250526
>>The Face says, “That is not the correct password.”

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>>52250544
I bellow out "THE PASSWORD WHILE TOUCHING THE HANDLE OF THE CORRECT DOOR"!

>>52250529
Right door. If I should fall, one of my numerous siblings shall take my place.
Mind answering
>>52250455
and
>>52250498.

>>52250544
>>52250526

>>"but you think you are a clever little shit, don't you"

>>52250574
>Right door. If I should fall, one of my numerous siblings shall take my place.
>You open the right door and several gallons of mildly caustic acid falls into the room.
>Luckily, your extreme reflexes allow you to dodge much of the acid, but you take 1d4 damage for each splash that hits, plus another 1d4 per turn for the acid soaking into your boots.
>Mark the damage on your character sheet.

>>52250574
>Mind answering
>>52250498
>>52250455
I will shortly.

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>>52250629

>>52250638
So I heard my brother died to acid. Terrible way to die, really. We were never known for our constitution.
What's behind the left door?

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>>52250680
>You open the left door and dozens of Electric Caltrops fall into the room.
>Luckily, your extreme reflexes allow you to dodge many of them, but you take 1d4 damage for each one that hits.
>Mark the damage on your character sheet.
>...

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>>52250697
>The many Electric Caltrops that did not discharge into you when you opened the left door now mingle with the flood of acid from the right door.
>As the acid has penetrated your boots and the electric charge is conducted through the liquid, the electric damage of several dozen 1d4 strikes your character.
>Mark the damage on your character sheet.

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>>52250424
>I grab both handles and speak the password, hoping there's no electric current running between them.
Awfully prescient of you.

>>52250712
Good evening, you all. I apologize for the mess my brothers made in here.

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>>52250455
>Speak the password while grabbing the handle of the door by which I entered.
>>52250498
>I guess try the door I entered through?

>Having cleverly selected the correct door handle, the Face opens its mouth wider and wider until it is as large as a doorway.
>You have found the solution to the door and may enter unharmed.

So, my "clever" puzzle door lasted 4 minutes on /tg/.
Oh boy.

>>52250399
am I the only one that thought of touching the face and speaking the word? either the mouth or eye piece. spot check to search and if nothing, then the mouth.

>>52250732
No worries, they were good sports.
Care to try the rear entrance?

Today in a game the DM used something he got from Dragon Quest where a door wouldn't open normally because you were actually supposed to open it upwards instead of out/in.

>>52250761
Why not? I speak the password as I do.

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>>52250755
Clever, and correct about the entrance, but the handle of the entry door is the one that was enchanted to trigger the opening of the face.

>>52250749
We're fairly genre aware over here, and we did try almost every possible solution except the stupidly obvious ones.

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>>52250777
Alright, second scenario:
Admittedly, this one is less ambitious than the others.
And my first door got chewed through pretty quickly.
>Having chosen to enter through the back door in the cavern underneath the mage’s tower, you have discovered what seems to be a seldom, if ever, used route.
>Possibly an escape path for emergencies, it is just one large chamber.
>At point A is the cavern entrance that you entered through.
>At point C is a stone door marked with sigils and wards.
>At point B is a large, incredibly dark pool of water with a single wooden bridge crossing the pool.

What do you do?

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>>52250761
>Care to try the rear entrance?

>>52250802
Of course, this must be an illusion! I test the pool of water to see if it can be walked on and go across that way.

>>52250802
I knock on the walls on either side of the land I'm on, perhaps there is a secret door around the pool?

>>52250802
Fuck this gay magic shit. I take the bridge

>>52250802
>what do you do?
Throw rocks in the left water
Throw rocks on the bridge
Throw rocks in the right water
Throw rocks at the ceiling
Throw rocks at the floor
Throw rocks at the walls

Cast mage armour, and fly, then fly across the gap. Stone to flesh the door (for fun) then disintegrate. See what's behind, then teleport back to my tower and sleep, sending one of my clones to investigate.

>>52250812
I caught that as I typed.
Heh

>>52250829
>Of course, this must be an illusion! I test the pool of water to see if it can be walked on and go across that way.
>Moments after you touch the surface of the pool, skeletal arms shoot out of the murky depths and grasp at you!
>The skeletons clamber onto the shore and drag you into the pool, choking you on the disgusting water, trying to drown you as they tear your flesh apart.

>>52250855
>I knock on the walls on either side of the land I'm on, perhaps there is a secret door around the pool?
>Cleverly you search for secret doors and confirm there are none.
>You are near enough to the entrance that when Mage Tempus Corul IV is dragged under you can slip back out safely.

>>52250874
>Fuck this gay magic shit. I take the bridge
>The bridge seems well made and capable of bearing the weight of heavily laden carts.
>The water seems to have not worn the supports at all, although you cannot see more than an inch or so into the water.
>The bridge should bear your weight with no trouble, but it is only a small cart’s width wide.
>The length of the bridge is such that it would take you several rounds to cross it at a full run.

>>52250802
I poke the bridge with my ten foot pole to check if it's solid and stable.

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>>52250920
Ok, I get a surfboard-sized piece of wood or a good shield.

Time to go crowdsurfing.

>>52250920
Oh bugger, what happened here?
Skellingtons? Skellingtons kilt me dad. And me uncle. And me other uncle. Come to think of it, I can't think of an uncle that wasn't kilt by skellingtons.
>>52250927
Well, what are we waiting fer? Run like the dickens and beat in skellington heads if they tries to bite at me ankles.
>>52250939
This fella's got the right idear.

>Throw rocks on the bridge
>Throw rocks at the ceiling
>Throw rocks at the floor
>Throw rocks at the walls
>Nothing happens

>Throw rocks in the left water
>Throw rocks in the right water
>Moments after the rocks touch the surface of the pool, skeletal arms shoot out of the murky depths and grasp at you!

>You cast mage armour, and fly, then fly across the gap.
>There is a horrible splashing and clacking sound as dozens of skeletons rush out of the pool, swarming at your location, for the moment unable to reach you as you fly at maximum height a few feet above them.

>You cast Stone to Flesh the door (for fun) then Disintegrate.
>Your spells are repelled by several standard layers of magical defenses upon the door, much as you would place yourself.
>The skeletons, in their fervor to reach you, begin clambering over each other to reach you, gaining enough height to reach you.
>Their skeletal hands claw your robes.
>You teleport back to your tower and sleep, sending one of your clones to investigate.

>>52250878
See
>>52251004
Obviously.

>>52250927
Wooden bridge and tons of skellingtons? Reminds me of that one part of DS3
Time to run like hell I guess

>>52250349

Once upon a time, there was a powerful wizard, who developed an awesome spell "Sheet lightning", that flooded the area in front of the caster with lightning bolts, incinerating the mage's enemies.

Many were astounded by this display of arcane might, and hounded the poor mage mercilessly, asking him over and over again to demonstrate his spell so they could learn to duplicate it. He was so fed up with the constant irritations, that he hid in a dungeon and turned himself into a door to avoid the hordes of idiots asking for the proper formulas.

So of course, one day a hero comes blundering along, trying to figure out how to get to the other side of the door, and it starts insulting him, mocking him, and definitely not opening. It took some empathy and insight to get him to leave, namely by listening to his story and then threatening to pester him endlessly asking about the sheet lightning spell until he opened up.

>>52250950
>Well, what are we waiting fer? Run like the dickens and beat in skellington heads if they tries to bite at me ankles.
>Attempting to cross the bridge while the skeleton are attacking, the skeletons clamber onto the bridge and try to drag you into the pool.
>Bashing the skeltons as they swarm, you kill several but are quickly being overwhelmed.

>>52250939
>Ok, I get a surfboard-sized piece of wood or a good shield.
>Time to go crowdsurfing.
Thinking quickly, you use the "surfboard-sized piece of wood or a good shield" you happened to be holding and attempt to crowdsurf the crowd of skeletons.
>Unfortunately they grab the [item] as you attempt to surf and quickly drag you into the pool, choking you on the disgusting water, trying to drown you as they tear your flesh apart.
>You are soon another member of the skeletal rear guard along with Mage Tempus Corul IV.

>>52251071
I get my arse to the other side and try to put my 'ands on the warded door. It's like tag, I think. Unless this is another one of the 'go back the way you came' tricks.

>>52250874
>Fuck this gay magic shit. I take the bridge
>>52250927
>>52250950
>Run like the dickens
>>52251021
>Time to run like hell I guess

Alternatively:
>Upon safely fleeing the cavern and returning later, you find the cave as you first did, with no trace of the skeletons.
>You quickly run across the bridge and reach the other side after several rounds.
>No skeletons seem to have been disturbed.
>You are on the other shore and still a good distance from the magic door.

>>52251071
>You are soon another member of the skeletal rear guard along with Mage Tempus Corul IV.

Awesome! It's hard to get a steady job in this economy.

>>52251090
>I get my arse to the other side and try to put my 'ands on the warded door. It's like tag, I think.
>You barely reach the warded door and touch it, triggering a ward, the skeletons seize you.

>Unless this is another one of the 'go back the way you came' tricks.
>It seems that would have been wiser.

>>52251028
Solving the door by being just that big of a pest?
Groovy.
Also, Doors with Backstories. Who knew?

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>>52251104
>>You quickly run across the bridge and reach the other side after several rounds.
>>No skeletons seem to have been disturbed.

>>52251118
Shame. He never was the smartest of us, but I'd appreciate it if less magicians had their heads up their own ass when it came to traps.
Though I suppose traps being defeated by the least reasonable solution is a good enough security system. It certainly seems to work.
>>52251104
Okay, this thing is obviously trapped. Is there a secret door on this here side of the bridge?

>>52251155
>Okay, this thing is obviously trapped. Is there a secret door on this here side of the bridge?

>Using your superior thief skills, you are certain there is not secret door or lever.
>However, you detected a clear half circle around the door that is a classic Mage's Trap.
>Having learned about such trap magics from your brothers, you can tell that passing through the barrier would send a signal to somewhere close by.

>>52251202
>You know what, you just remembered you have with you a wand of greater dispel magic you "borrowed" from your brother.

>>52250399
My character, Kronk the Stronk, punches the face until it reveals the correct door and password. Failing that, he pummels down the door on the right.

>>52251202
Stupid Wizard Locks. Can't just do things the regular way.
>>52251215
Overthinking killed my brothers, so I'm going to be boring and use the wand. Watch as it ends up killing me.

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>>52251223
>My character, Kronk the Stronk, punches the face until it reveals the correct door and password.
>The door is deeply upset by your assault, but remains enchanted and impervious to physical harm.

>Failing that, he pummels down the door on the right.
>The door swing open upon the first mighty strike!
>>52250629
>>52250638

>>52251259
>Overthinking killed my brothers, so I'm going to be boring and use the wand.
>As you dispel the first layer of magical defenses upon the door, there is a horrible splashing and clacking sound as dozens of skeletons rush out of the pool, swarming at your location.
>As you prepare to use your formidable dexterity to dodge their attacks while continuing to dispel the many wards, you have a random thought:
>This door is obviously crafted by the whoever crafted the front door.

>>52251366
Oh, so I'm supposed to go back to the door I came from now? Well, I'll do that!
How is the mage in charge of this place supposed to get anything done? He has to play Musical Doors every time he wants to enter or leave.

>>52251393
>The way back out is blocked by many skeletons.
>You keep fighting and dodging, using the wand as often as possible.
>You fend off the dozens of skeletons with ease, being a superior adventurer with mad skillz.
>The warded door is eventually dispelled, but there is no telling how much advanced warning the mage has been given by the wards.

>You have found a solution to the door and may enter unharmed and have avoided becoming another member of the skeletal rear guard whose only purpose is to attack anyone molesting the Door or the Pool that does not utter the Password.

Yeah, the mage uses the same password on both doors, for reasons.
I suppose I should have revealed the need for a password with the thief search check.

Okay, this door was not that puzzle-like so I may have sold it wrong.
I liked the idea of just a simple door that can be handled in conventional means, but that any attempt by an unauthorized person would be met with a reasonably lethal, but simple force.
Also, I totally had this idea before I read Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince.
Yeah, that’s how long these ideas have gone sitting unused.

Next up is the REAL front door.

>>52251366
I walk across the bridge backwards, then piss on the door. If the skellies attack, I'll vigorously masturbate to make them/their controller uncomfortable since the fucker's probably made a drinking game of this, if not a new form of entertainment known as Jovial Castle Scrying, hosted by none other than the fool Robert of Saget

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Alright, third scenario:
This is what I designed in place of that first, Two-Door puzzle for the mage tower.

>You enter the front door of the Tower and step into a grand hall.
>Four pillars stand flanking the path towards a large double door in the back of the tiled hall.
>On either side of each pillar stands a simple clay sculpture of a robed figure, the sculpture is too simple to make out any recognizable features.
>There are two very large suits of armor standing on the left and right walls.
>There are three doors on the back wall a simple wooden door on the left and right, with a central door that is bolted closed with four seals and marked with four symbols.
>Upon the walls are some tapestries and a bear fur with a singed rear left paw.
>Upon each pillar is one of the symbols marked upon the door.

What do you do?

If you know you got the solution quickly, please spoiler it so others can guess.

>>52251519
Walk into the center of the four pillars. Hopefully I won't get murdered.

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>>52251519
What would my total noob players do?

Bicker. Then send Tito forward to open the central door. Tito, being a coward, would sneak along the left hand wall, touching nothing, until he reach the door.

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>>52251506
>I walk across the bridge backwards, then piss on the door. If the skellies attack, I'll vigorously masturbate to make them/their controller uncomfortable

>>52251519
I check the rear left wall for secret doors.

>>52251519
I check inside the helmets looking for any of the symbols on the pillars and doors, hoping that if it were that simple I switch the helmets to the proper suit that corresponds with the pillar nearest

>>52251562
>Walk into the center of the four pillars.
>>52251566
>Tito, being a coward, would sneak along the left hand wall, touching nothing, until he reach the door.
>As you step onto the tile floor, all four suits of armor begin to animate, lifting their swords as they approach you menacingly.

What do you do now?

>Tito is uncomfortably close to the left front suit of armor.

>Despite the Suits of Armor, do you continue toward the:

>>52251562
>center of the four pillars.

>>52251566
>door

>>52251572
>rear left wall

>>52251575
>helmets

?

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>>52251587
Tito has Int 5, so he makes a break for it and runs for the central door, trying to open it before the guardians attack.

>>52251604
>centre of four pillars here
In desperation, I'll say the password. Also, anything at all interesting ab out the statues, possibly related to their elemental symbols inscribed on the columns?

>>52251604
Man, we've got some rowdy company. I move to the pillars and try to touch them in the correct order, Snowflake, weird horned ring, thunder, then fire.

>>52251604
They're full suits of armor. I take the risk of being stabbed by lifting off the helmet of one to check the inside of it for one of the symbols on the door/pillars

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>>52251614
>Tito has Int 5, so he makes a break for it and runs for the central door, trying to open it before the guardians attack.
>Tito finds that the door is securely and magically bolted with seals matching the four symbols marked on the door and the pillars.
>He cannot budge them.
>The suits of armor loudly clank and creak as they approach, raising their swords to attack.

>>52251604
I start singing a catchy song to see if any of the suits are actually really well disciplined soldiers, though the song would be far more powerful than their training.

I choose Bohemian Rhapsody.

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>>52251635
>In desperation, I'll say the password.
Sadly the password does nothing this time.

>Also, anything at all interesting ab out the statues, possibly related to their elemental symbols inscribed on the columns?
The only interesting thing about the sculptures is that they appear to be made of realtively fragile ceramics. You wonder how they managed to be transported here they look so fragile.
>Also, the suits of armor loudly clank and creak as they approach, raising their swords to attack.

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>>52251696
Tito gives each of the symbols a desperate poke before being (presumably) hacked to pieces.

He is not mourned.

>>52251645
>I move to the pillars and try to touch them in the correct order, Snowflake, weird horned ring, thunder, then fire.
Touching the pillars, you detect powerful magics, but your touch does not affect them.
>Also, the suits of armor loudly clank and creak as they approach, raising their swords to attack.

>>52251724
I slap the metaphorical dicks off the statues as fast as I can

>>52251724
>Also, the suits of armor loudly clank and creak as they approach, raising their swords to attack.
I wonder what would happen if I feinted in such a way a missed strike from each corner's guardian armor broke the respective pillar's statue.

>>52251749
Obviously not the OP, but there's two statues to every pillar, on the left and right from entrance pov

>>52251649
>I take the risk of being stabbed by lifting off the helmet of one to check the inside of it for one of the symbols on the door/pillars
>Each suit is revealed to be empty on the inside.
>There does seem to be a mark matching the symbol of each pillar on the inside of each suit.
>You take a bit of minor stabbing damage to find this out. Mark the damage on your character sheet.

>>52251713
>I start singing a catchy song to see if any of the suits are actually really well disciplined soldiers, though the song would be far more powerful than their training.
>The suits do not respond to Bohemian Rhapsody.
>You have confirmed they are constructs devoid of souls.
>You do, however, hear muffled humming coming from the interior four statues.

>>52251776
>there's two statues to every pillar, on the left and right from entrance pov
True.

>>52251749
>I feinted in such a way a missed strike from each corner's guardian armor broke the respective pillar's statue.
>>52251747
>I slap the metaphorical dicks off the statues as fast as I can

>Which statue do you attempt to break first?

>>52251835
First right pillar, inside left statue

>>52251865
By this I mean the statue on the left side of the three crescent moon pillar

>>52251806
>>You take a bit of minor stabbing damage to find this out.
Damnit! I missed something.

>You take a bit of minor stabbing damage to find this out.
>In addition to each minor stab, you also take fire, cold, electric, and acidic damage.

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>>52251875
>>52251865
>Your attack breaks the sculpture.
>Within is revealed the Mage!

>Upon another look, it is clearly not the mage, but a simulacrum of the mage.
>It is holding a strange wand and seems intensely focused and does not respond to anything you do.
>The closest suit of armor approaches closer as the mage stands concentrating.

>>52250399
Grab both handles at once, speak the password.

>>52251912
>fire, cold, electric, and acidic damage
To clarify, each suit closest to the pillar with the marking delivered the corresponding damage.

>>52251931
I attack the wand, as it must be how the nearest armor is being controlled

>>52251950
I really should have anticipated this.
>>52250529

>>52251931
FUCKING DROP KICK THAT SHIT

>>52251956
>Your attack is harmlessly deflected by a magic barrier.
>Perhaps you could try a different kind of attack?

>>52251749
>I feinted in such a way a missed strike from each corner's guardian armor into the mage.

>The attack strikes, but the acidic damage is absorbed by a magic barrier.
>The nearest outer sculpture cracks slightly.

>>52251996
I attack it with acid; conveniently collected from puzzle #1

>>52252018
>Your attack breaks the sculpture.
>Magical energy erupts from within and is absorbed into the pillar.
>The magic barrier around the simulacrum mage dissipates.

>Oh, and the suits of armor are not killing you because they are being fended off by, let's say, other members of your party.

>>52252086
I repeat these steps with the corresponding statues and their pillars with the element assigned

>>52250349
I used a puzzle door once. It was alive and asked people terrible riddles. Like the easiest shittiest riddles.

Magic was returning to the lands, and the vault of this royal family's door awoke into a riddle door. It was especially shameful for them, so much so they had a second door put in behind it with an actual lock, and used it as an alarm system (as everyone within 2 rooms could hear it talking, whenever anyone approached).

It would constantly ask people if they wanted to solve more riddles even after they opened it. Really it was just lonely.

Used it to suck up the players times while a teleporting thief done stole a relic from the vault.

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>>52252112
>I repeat these steps with the corresponding statues and their pillars with the element assigned
>After running around, damaging statues and such, you are left with four mage simulacrums each next to a pillar and four suits of armor.

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>>52252086
I forgot a crappy image or two along the way.

>>52252169
I break their intense concentration by giving them an equally intense handjob. Or getting the suits to attack the mages, with corresponding elements.

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>>52252210
>I break their intense concentration by giving them an equally intense handjob. Or getting the suits to attack the mages, with corresponding elements.
>Your skillfully intense handjob and attack fells the simulacrum.
>It falls to the floor and as it drops the wand, the suit of armor collapses.
>Magical energy erupts from both the fallen simulacrum and the suit of armor and is absorbed into the pillar.

>>52252255
Repeat as necessary, or until I realize the wooden doors were the real doors.

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Good thread. You seem like a really chill GM.

>>52252341
Thanks, I try.

>>52252312
>Repeat as necessary, or until I realize the wooden doors were the real doors.
>You repeat the steps until the only thing left standing in the room is you and the four pillars.

Okay.

>Upon sequentially damaging the statues, simulacrum, and suits of armor with the appropriate magical damage, the pillars remain, as does the center door still sealed with four bolts, and two simple wooden doors.

>What do you do now?

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Either everyone went to sleep or got bored of this.
Or both.

Anyway, I'm only going to be around for another hour, so...
Moving right along:

>Following the destruction of all it's defenses it occurs to you to try attacking the pillar where the energies fled with the same magical damage.
>The pillar cracks and shatters under the might of your attack.
>As the pillar is destroyed by your attack, the pieces of the statues near it shatter into dust and the simulacrum mage and the suit of armor collapse into piles of sand.
>Upon the pillar’s destruction, one of the bolted seals snaps and dissolves.

>>52253123
Not one of the original adventurers, but ill give it a go.

The big door is still closed, right? Hmm considering the amount of effort & dedication to keep this door closed. Im starting to wonder if it should stay so... Maybe there is just something more dangerous locked away on the otherside...

Check on the two wooden doors, what is their condition? if they are locked, do i hear anything from behind any of the three doors?

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>>52253123
>You naturally continue to attack the pillars with the respective magical attack, each time releasing a seal upon the door.
>As the final pillar is destroyed, the final bolted seal on the double door snaps and dissolves.
>You are distracted from this, however, as the heavy stone ceiling supported by the pillars comes crashing down upon you.
>Rocks fall and everyone dies.

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>>52253211
Nevermind this.

>>52253209
>Hmm considering the amount of effort & dedication to keep this door closed. Im starting to wonder if it should stay so...
Good Idea.
Still, let's take a peak since I went and crashed things down anyway:

>Shaking off death’s embrace, you approach the double doors, now unsealed.
>As they are now completely undefended, you open them.
>Behind them you find…
>A solid wall. No magic, no trick, no secret. Just a wall.

>>52252312
>I realize the wooden doors were the real doors.

>Check on the two wooden doors, what is their condition? if they are locked, do i hear anything from behind any of the three doors?
Checking on the doors, you hear nothing from behind any of them and the two wooden doors appear untrapped and unlocked.

I don't have an answer to the door, but thought I'd share my personal trick door of choice. It's a simple door, just enchanted to close itself unless you knock first. Nothing cleverer than that.

>>52253328
>It's a simple door, just enchanted to close itself unless you knock first
This could easily trip up players used to overthinking things.

>>52251104
>Upon safely fleeing the cavern and returning later, you find the cave as you first did, with no trace of the skeletons
What, how does this make sense? It's just railroady.

>>52253362
The skeletons do not leave the cave.
They are triggered, kill and convert anyone in the cave, then they return to the pool.

That reminds me, I wrote this up in case someone was silly and I didn't use it.

>The pool is dark, no light or spell will penetrate its depths.
>You suspect that it is not water, but a dark opaque liquid.
>You cannot be certain without touching the pool.
>The pool smells stale and vaguely foul, like weeks old dishwater.

>Cupping the liquid in your hands, you drink a large gulp of the fluid.
>Detecting several known toxins, a few diseases, and a magical form of the German Herpes, you swallow the mouthful, ensuring your eventual demise due to dysentery.

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My time grows short and I have miles to go before I sleep.
With regrets, I press on without further input.

>You open the left wooden door and find a simple storage room filled with cleaning supplies and a small locked chest.
>Inside the chest you find four wands: A Firebolt wand, an Acid Arrow wand, a Ray of Frost wand, and a Lightning wand.
>These might have sided those with neither magic of their own nor the insight to use the suits against the defenses themselves.

>You open the right wooden door and find a simple stone stairwell leading up to the next floor of the tower.

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>>52253405
>You climb the stairwell.
>Doubtlessly alerted by your lengthy battle with the clanking suits of armor, the mage has left the tower.
>He has had time to expend extensive necromantic magicks and has left his lieutenant behind, fully buffed and supported by powerful undead creations, to ambush your party.
>Even if you survive this climactic battle, your prey has escaped you for now.

Damn it, a waifu snuck in anyway.

>>52253443
I like that ending. Do the players catch the mage if they take that door ASAP anyway?

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>>52253443
>>52253467
>I like that ending. Do the players catch the mage if they take that door ASAP anyway?

>Racing directly up the stairs, without pausing to fight the suits of armor, you find the mage caught completely unaware and away from his wand. You defeat him quickly and overcome his tower’s defenses relatively easy with him at your mercy.
>You have found the solution to the door and entered unharmed.
Well done.

The idea behind this all was that a mage isn't going to have an elaborate entrance that he's going to have to go through just to get into his front door.
But an elaborate, distracting, and more importantly, noisy defense system that alerts him when unwelcome guests enter his tower would be very useful.
All he does is rush past the room and up the stairs, the suits return to their places, and he gets to work.

That's all the players had to do was rush through a room that insisted they not do exactly that.

By the way, pic related.
I had computer issues. My bad.

>>52250399
>You approach the door and hear him speak a Password on the other side.
Dangerous. Door has identified us as not the owner and the evil wizard has activated security alarms for other people.

Others should arrive as the wizard has set the door handle to greet instead of murder; they would have the password. Take it from them.

>>52253524
>Dangerous. Door has identified us as not the owner and the evil wizard has activated security alarms for other people.
>Others should arrive as the wizard has set the door handle to greet instead of murder; they would have the password. Take it from them.
Cautious and smart.
Which is why I had this written up in case you guys got doubtful:

>Using your arcane and infallible Plot Device, you are able to divine and confirm 100% that the Password is the password needed and is in no way a trick.

Thanks guys!

I had fun.
Please let me know what you thought of my doors!
I might be back later.

>>52250802
Poke bridge with 10-foot pole!

>>52253618
This was more interesting than most threads on /tg/ and I want to see more of them

>>52253847
I'd love to do it again.
But my next idea definitely strays into quest territory.

Perhaps we could design a trapped door together?
Or something else like this thread where we discuss specific, limited scenarios?

>>52253818
>Poke bridge with 10-foot pole!
See below
>>52250935
>I poke the bridge with my ten foot pole to check if it's solid and stable.
Huh, did I miss this before? Sorry.
The bridge is safe.
>>52250927

>>52253618
Came a little bit too late, but really liked your doors ideas. Especially the >>52251519 .
I like the idea of simply passing through them.

>>52254093
Thanks a lot friend.

I might try something again next week guys.

>>52250349
My best story is second hand.

>Players find what they believe is a teleport pad.
>Character walks in, vanishes in a flash of green light. No one can tell what happens afterwards.
>DM takes character sheets when anyone walks in.
>There's this big pile of dust on the floor.
>They've all just been walking into a disintegration trap, having convinced themselves it was a teleporter.

Puzzles are at best something you found on the Internet and at worst a game of "whats the dm thinking of"

When I do puzzles and mysteries I just leave the answer blank and wait for the pcs to guess something clever, then be like ahhh ya got me that was it

>>52255286
>Guessing some shit until the DM is pleased is bad.
>Instead I have my players guess some shit until the DM is pleased.

There are ways to make puzzles better. What you presented isn't it.
>Make the puzzle portable, such as a puzzle box. Let the players solve it in their own time.
>Place the big puzzle to solve at the start of a dungeon and leave a bunch of alternate routes to explore. Alternate routes are full of clues that can help solve the puzzle they saw earlier.
>Rather than gating sections of the dungeon behind riddles, use riddles to "spoil" content. So players can be warned of traps, promised treasure, etc.
>The situation still takes place in a physical location. Cutting the Gordian knot is still a satisfying answer and good RP for brute characters. Let them break down the talking puzzle door.
>There are other people in the world, and stuff might have happened since the puzzle was set up. Already solved puzzles are good foreshadowing. As is a broken, screaming puzzle door.

>>52250349
Math riddles are always good because they actually force the players to do some work. The Josephus riddle, for example is a god one for locking players out of places you dont want them to be.

In general though, the best kid of puzzle doors are those which rely on using an item, rather than the door itself. When describing an individual object, its hard to emphasize the size or apparent importance of each detail, so giving players an interactive item to use on different parts of the dungeon, including some puzzle doors, is a good way to keep them focused without making things to easy.

For example, I had a desert Temple of Dawn in which reflecting sunlight and/or blocking sun motifs with a moon shield were the central themes, as well as a boss monster who would die if he saw the sun occluded by said moon-shield.

>>52255241
Hahahahaha, that is fucking cruel.

>>52250349
Generally speaking puzzle doors are stupid, there's a reason modern doors are one or two factor and that those factors are 'something you have' and 'something you know' rather than 'something you can work out'. In a perfect world the something you know isn't on the something you have, though even that's better than a math puzzle.

I can't stand doors in roleplaying games that literally exist only to protect against the terminally stupid, that's not how security should work, that's how game logic works. That's the difference between a real security cell and a room escape game; one's an amusing puzzle and the other is a credible attempt to stop someone getting through an area.

I just restarted skyrim and there's a good reason you can just wander into Bleak Falls barrow and get past the snake snake whale door but not the door that needs the golden claw key. The claw is a far better and more believable security system than the snake snake whale door, which basically exists only to screen out wandering animals and should probably be the front door.

>>52255955
While I generally agree in that I prefer object/password keys players scour the dungeon for, I don't think the puzzle gate is so much game logic as it is batshit fantasy logic.

Your door that always tells the truth but will only answer one question should ideally have an interesting story and be able to truthfully answer questions that have fuck all to do with which door to go through.

And some transversal puzzles probably wouldn't be imagined as locks and keys in the traditional sense. If there's a way to raise or lower the water level in a place, maybe that was a legit way to move chamber to chamber by small boat. Or if there's a light based puzzle maybe it's just to seal the room when it's not in use, because the only way in used to be an active and guarded temple complex.

>>52250399
Grab the handle of the door on the right and speak the password.

>>52256069
About the only two times I've seen puzzles done properly were when the villain was an eccentric player of games who just liked that bullshit, and when the 'puzzles' were to get some machinery working to physically open the massive stone doors. You could also probably sell it as a moral or spiritual journey, like the puzzles were moral lessons or articles of faith.

>the only way in used to be an active and guarded temple complex

This'll work too. The only problem there is it needs to be recently wrecked, otherwise you then have the question of why a ruin filled with treasure and guarded only by a puzzle of mild difficulty hasn't been ransacked decades earlier.

>>52256160
>The boss just liked games and puzzles.
See, this is the classic for me. I don't use it often, but this is the impression I get from a lot of the source material. Just batshit people have just batshit things lying around in their basements.

>Why hasn't it been plundered yet.
Usually it has, hence the loot is squirreled away in the few harder to access portions of the generally accessible system. Sometimes something nasty moved in, or the tomb is haunted, and either case might not be the looting type. Or the loot itself carries a curse that you've got to lift before taking anything will fuck you up. Sometimes broadly valuable loot isn't the objective of the mission, and instead you're running a mystery or clearing goblins to open a trade route (I like kingdom or trade building as an aspect of the campaign).

>>52251696
op, i really like your weird, scratchy, smudgy art style. it feels really intensely nostalgic.

>>52250349
Bump

The ULTIMATE puzzle spell door:

>Climbing the 74th floor of the God King Tower you finally arrive at the gate to the pinnacle.
>The gate is made of solid gold and enchanted with Dreamstar Dust, protecting it from ANY and ALL forms of damage.
>You see six Lv17 Bloodmarked Cherubs wielding Holy Splitting Rapid Twin Longbows of Fire. They are neutral.
>Your Lv18 Grey Demon seems a little surprised, and provides some insight: "These children await your decision."
>When you pressure him further he informs you that this is where you can make the ultimate choice, to turn against humanity and everything you've fought for and become the final Child thus ending your species but guaranteeing you a place alongside your creator, or you may choose to continue - to fight the six before you who have fought against God and then joined him at the end, ending their civilizations as a result of this action.
>"Even if you manage to kill them, you still have to deal with the gate, then God himself."
>The gate itself has no obvious way to open it. It would take the power of a God to force it open.
>You still have some space to summon demons to fight alongside you, or you could choose any three people on Earth to assist you in this decisive battle.
>Your time is running out though. Once the eclipse has fully blocked the sun, God will destroy the world.

What do you do?

>>52259567
What?

>>52256317
Thank you very much.
Aside from the one at the end, I just did simple sketches and I didn't do much with them digitally.

>>52256128
See
>>52250629
>>52250638