Using Puzzle Traps to Effect

One of the most irritating traps can be puzzle traps. Few traps can slow down a party more effectively while providing some excuse to use those rarely used mental skills some characters hoard. However, they tend to rely too heavily on random rolls, making them the least favorite traps of players who have learned to avoid rolls whenever possible. It doesn't help that some players prefer to fight rather than think so cerebral challenges just aren't their thing. This can make them some of the most onerous traps for some and the most exciting for others.

The Necessity of a Good Challenge

Some players like good cerebral challenges; you can see it by how they pick more mental skills than other players. They pick History and Religion because they want to know the lore of the world, Chemistry and Math because they see them as the mark of an educated character, and even professional and general knowledge skills so that they get more into their character's heads.

These players like a good mental challenge as it's an excuse to use those skills.

While a puzzle relying on knowing which deity likes to use three-headed dogs and how that applies to alchemical concoctions can bore some players, some players are excited by such puzzles. They created their characters specifically so that they could use their mental skills, even building and social skills so that they could be the brains of the group. Puzzle traps give them a chance to show off just as much as the more physically challenging character needs a tough monster; there's no good reason to not give them that chance if you're looking to keep your characters happy.

The Basics of a Good Puzzle

Designing a puzzle trap can be a lot easier than some think. It has three basic components: The skill, the penalty, and the reward. The reward is the easiest: Solving the problem nets the character some sort of reward. It can be treasure, something that makes the adventure easier (such as a bonus to social interactions, favors, or a faster mode of transport), or even some sort of special knowledge about the world. The reward can be whatever you feel is needed at the time, so it helps to define that first.

The other two components are linked: The penalty should be based on the skill used. If it's the puzzle is a social one, the penalty should be a war, the player losing prestige, or even the character being hunted down. For construction traps, the trap should fall on the character. For more mental skills, irony should be your guide: Botching a biology roll should result in an animal attacking the character, a bad alchemy check should result in a poisonous cloud or explosion, and a failed math check in the character being cut in two. You then decide how the skill fits in and go from there.

Some Simple Examples

• The Mouth That Bites the Hand: The characters are looking for a special scroll that will open a magic gate. They need to determine (via Biology or Animal Handling roll) which animal fits the information provided by a riddle. If they pick the wrong animal they are bitten, possibly for poison damage.
• The Classic Families at War: The characters must find a guide to help them through a mountain pass. However, to find the guide they need to help two families deal with a volatile situation. If they fail, the families go to war; if they succeed, the best guide is provided free of charge.
• The Big Wheel: The nearby village is having a problem with their mill: Someone needs to figure out what is wrong with the inner workings and fix them. If the characters fix it, they are looking at a very supportive village, possibly involving some financial remuneration. If they fail, they could be injured or cause the village to fail, possibly picking up some enemies in the process.

It's a Great Way to Challenge Your Players

Unless the party is nothing but warriors, you should use the occasional puzzle to give them a different challenge. Some players look forward to such a challenge, so make sure to include one just for them geared towards their skills. It can make for a memorable night for them and give them a reason to take on those rarely-used skills. For G.M.s looking for something special, they can help keep players on their toes. Try a few and see what happens; you may like the results.