TLDR – skip to the “Proforma Questions”
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Kinds of Puzzles
I will start off by saying, I do not claim to be the best puzzle designer out there. I just like trying to make them.
I recently read this about puzzle dungeons in RPGs, and it made me wonder if having some structure (at least to start with) could help in making individual puzzles.
Before getting into this, I think it is important to recognise that ‘puzzles’ can be broken down into two main categories:
- Class 1 – Pure inspiration – for example I saw an Arrhenius screw and thought that would be a neat stair case; or noticing that cannon balls float in mercury, and realizing that perhaps a large vat of mercury could be used to make a liquid bridge over a dangerous surface. But, other than a mind looking for D&D connections, there is nothing you can do to harvest pure inspiration.
- Class 2 – Active designed – like this moon door puzzle, or secret chimney (pic below) or this rotating flooding corridor puzzle. These were constructed almost from the ground up. No raw inspiration. So, I began to think about my thought process in how I built these puzzles, and began to think – could I codify my thought process and would this be useful?
Secret Chimney Puzzle
My thought process for Class 2 Puzzle (for what it is worth):
For example, my main thought process when making the Sun/Moon door puzzle was along the lines of: (1) I want a door that is not easy to get through (2) I’ll make a puzzle that needs to be solved to open the door (3) things need to be put in the correct place on the door to solve the puzzle (4) I’ll make the puzzle be related to the position of the Sun and the phase of the Moon, so I can give visual hints related to these positions in the current sky. Hopefully this will not be too hard, too easy is way worse than too hard.
- So, in designing: Need an objective –> a ‘stopper’ that prevents getting to the objective easily –> a reasoned solution based on information –> hints that provide this information
I then went through a process of deciding if this puzzle was fun, dobale and not a game ending problem.
- So, in checking the puzzle: Is this an engaging problem? –> Is it logical enough and not arbitrary, not too hard or too easy? –> Is it putative to the overall game?
I will say none of this was done in a premeditative way, it just sort of rolled out, using more of less those steps, but probably in a bit of a mind jumble. This is just me trying to retro-derive my thought process.
– IF – we put aside raw inspiration (i.e. Class 1 Puzzles) as an untamable beast, is there a way of coming up with a semi-rigorous method of designing simple puzzles for RPGs?
Let’s try:
— Proforma Questions —
1.OBJECTIVE – What objective will the PCs want/need (it can be a simple one)
2. STOPPER – What stops/frustrates obtaining the objective in 1. easily
3. RESOLUTION – What do the PCs need to do to resolve/overcome the frustration in 2.
4. HINTS – (using the Alexandrian 3 clue rule probably makes sense here)
(a) what hint/clue is there in getting to a solution
(b) perhaps add a second hint/clue
(c) perhaps add a third hint/clue, perhaps make this more of a thematic clue
— Check/Validation Questions —
5.ENGAGING – Is the solution engaging/fun (or at least not a mechanical drudge) – if not change something in steps 1‑4, probably in steps 2 or 3, and work back through the steps
6. LOGIC – Does the solution require some basic logic or common-sense reasoning – if not, change something in 1-4, probably in steps 3 or 4, and work back through the steps
7. PUNITIVE – If failure to obtain the objective in 1. is overly punitive and/or prevents/ends the game from progressing in a meaningful way – then change something, probably the objective
— Worked Examples —
:: Let’s try it out – DOORWAY 1
- OBJECTIVE – get through the doorway
- STOPPER – the door is rusted shut
- RESOLUTION – oil the hinges, the oil is in another room (if the players have no oil on them)
- HINTS –
(a) mention that the hinges are covered in rust
(b) there are greasy spots below the hinges (i.e. hint: they have been oiled before)
(c) PCs have passed through another door in the complex that could only just be opened on screeching hinges (i.e. hint: oil would have helped open the door) - ENGAGING – seems OK, perhaps it’s a bit on the mundane side …
- LOGIC – seems OK, no massive leaps of logic needed
- PUNITIVE – this door just leads to a non-essential part of the complex, so it’s OK if they fail to get past the door
Overall this puzzle seems OK, the main problem is that 5. is not especially interesting, so we could have another try or tweak things a bit.
So, we could make getting the oil more interesting, like perhaps the PCs should encounter a broken engine or robot/automitant and it is dripping oil, or they find a bowl where rusted metal items are soaking in oil etc.
OR change something in 1 to 4 above to try to make it more engaging. OK, let’s try that:
:: Let’s tweak it – DOORWAY 2:
- OBJECTIVE – get through the METAL doorway
- STOPPER – it’s rusted shut
- RESOLUTION – get a RUST MONSTER to eat the metal door
- HINTS –
(a) PCs can encounter a rust monster eating its way through a giant metal chain like a row of sausages. Perhaps change the door in 1. to a portcullis, and it is the operational chains that have rusted solid on the portcullis
(b) there is an abandoned reel of chain left near the door, or the door is also chained shut (i.e. hint: trying to link the door, chains and rust monster together).
(c) perhaps there are lots of chains left in this complex, and some show strange signs of being eaten by something. - ENGAGING – Perhaps a more interesting solution than above – the PCs can drag the metal chain to the door leading the Rust Monster to the door/portcullis, and then the PCs can come back when the Rust Monster has eaten the door?
- LOGIC – think this is a pass
- PUNITIVE – Again, the door just leads to a non-essential part of the complex, so OK
Of course, if the PCs come up with a better way of getting past the door, all well and good, as long as there is at least one way of doing this in your puzzle (but also see also PIT 2 example were there is no bespoke solution just an open problem)
:: For the fun of it, let’s make another – DOORWAY 3
- OBJECTIVE – get through the doorway (sticking with a theme)
- STOPPER – it requires a code/puzzle solution
- RESOLUTION – align 7 pegs in the correct holes
- HINTS –
(a) perhaps the pegs are rainbow coloured and they have to be put in rainbow coloured order e.g.: ROYGBIV
(b) there is a room with a giant rainbow mural with open doors at each end of the rainbow
(c) the cult members in the complex all wear rainbow coloured robes (e.g. theming rainbows) - ENGAGING – think this is a pass
- LOGIC – yes, hopefully not too obtuse. Added hint, maybe have a prism near the door, and when light is shown through the prism the split light shows the placement of the pegs in the holes on the door
- PUNITIVE – again, this door just leads to a non-essential part of the complex
:: OR – DOORWAY 4
- OBJECTIVE – get through the doorway
- STOPPER – it requires a code/puzzle solution
- RESOLUTION – align the 4 levers in the door in a(n): up, down or middle position
- HINTS –
(a) There is a room in the complex where the up, down or middle positions are indicated – maybe horizontal bars on a tapestry e.g. _ — _ — perhaps there is an open door printed above the bars.
Or a painting of the door with 4 prominent markings on it, maybe knots in the wood, or physical holes showing the position of the levers; or carpet with a door with 4 branches growing out of it, each branch position equating to the position of the 4 levers
(b) Maybe there are some wear marks (or greasy finger marks) on the door indicating the positions the lever should be in
(c) Maybe the PCs can find a torn cloth that show a smudge drawing showing the level positions, but disguised as musical notes (maybe too obtuse); or they find a diagram on a dead thief, the diagram showing someone blowing dust on a door (the dust sticking to the greasy marks described above) - ENGAGING – seems OK, but maybe the players will get fixated on just guessing the positions; a 1 in 81 chance. To discourage simple mechanical guessing, perhaps once the levers are moved, and a failed result is obtained, the door makes a loud “gong” noise, to discourage too many random guesses. Or, stress that the levers are old and look like the will break if messed with too much
- LOGIC – yes, think some is required
- PUNITIVE – again, this door just leads to a non-essential part of the complex
:: Sticking with doors just to see – DOORWAY 5
- OBJECTIVE – get through the doorway
- STOPPER – protected by a magical barrier
- RESOLUTION – walk backwards through the doorway
- HINTS –
(a) perhaps a close look at the dusty footprints shows a person appearing to pivot just before going throught the door i.e. weird broad semicircular heel marks
(b) maybe there is some sort of riddle in the dungeon giving a hint e.g.: “To go back is to go forward, to go forward is the way back”
(c) maybe there is a magical hoop in the complex where things can only pass through in one direction. Maybe the hoop is positioned to control the flow of water through a pipe? Perhaps the archway and the hoop share a copper frame. - ENGAGING – think this is a pass
- LOGIC – think this is a pass
- PUNITIVE – again, this door just leads to a non-essential part of the complex
:: Let’s try one more doorway – DOORWAY 6
- OBJECTIVE – get through a tunnel archway
- STOPPER – protected by circular chopping blades
- RESOLUTION – turn the mechanism off
- HINTS –
(a) in the complex there is a switch, perhaps a large bowl of water on a pressure plate – solution empty or move the bowl.
Hint, the bowl has level line markings in it which indicate which trap is operational when the water is between line X and Y. A picture of the circular chopping blades are shown between those X and Y lines. Between other lines on the bowl there are other traps that turn on, or portcullis that locks (again a hint of what happens is between the lines on the bowl, e.g. a portcullis symbol or picture of a lowered draw bridge etc.)
(b) There is a jug near the bowl it is damp but empty – hint: it has been used recently. Perhaps someone has used the jug since the PC’s last visit?
(c) If the PCs mess with the water level in the bowl they hear loud clanking and grinding noises somewhere in the complex. A more complex puzzle might require the PCs to find the bowl and place it on the pressure plate first, but perhaps the pressure plate needs a symbol of the needed bowl on it as a hint. Maybe the bowl has a unique identifying shape e.g. like a large clam or dolphin. - ENGAGING – think this is a pass
- LOGIC – think this is a pass
- PUNITIVE – again, this archway just leads to a non-essential part of the complex
:: Something new – PIT 1
- OBJECTIVE – get out of a deep pit or chasm
- STOPPER – the chasm/deep pit is rapidly filling with water, and there is little or no time to remove heavy armor
- RESOLUTION – float up on buoyant giant mushrooms that a growing in the base of the chasm
- HINTS –
(a) PCs encounter these giant mushrooms before in the complex – if they decide to mess with the mushrooms they will discover that they are very light and strong for their size. They are easy to knock over as they have shallow footings
(b) perhaps the PCs will cross a stream where the mushrooms were strapped together to form an improvised but buoyant bridge
(c) the giant mushroom caps are used as seats by some of the inhabitants of the complex, or perhaps some inhabitants use the mushroom caps as coracles (boats) to move about on an underground lake. - ENGAGING – think this is a pass
- LOGIC – think this is a pass
- PUNITIVE – a bit (but there are some pretty heavy hints above), but perhaps at worse the PCs might need to lose armor rather than drown.
:: Something new – PIT 2
- OBJECTIVE – a golden crown hovers over a wide bottomless pit, the edge/circumference of the pit is mobile, it shifts and oscillates like a writhing snake biting its own tail
- STOPPER – falling down the pit means death, and because the edge of the pit is always moving it is difficult to place a fixed structure like a plank across the pit.
Hitting the crown knocks it down the pit. But, it will reappear again in the same position in about 10 minutes. - RESOLUTION – in this case, the solution can be up to the players. Anything reasonable will be acceptable. Perhaps they try to hook the crown with a grappling hook on a rope?
- HINTS –
(a) I think no hints are really needed here, as long as the crown is not vital to solving the mystery of the complex and reasonable solutions the players come up with should be allowed
(b) perhaps there are some stones they can use to throw into the pit of no return
(c) maybe they hear a rumor about the crown and pit in the tavern; or there is a - ENGAGING – think this is a pass
- LOGIC – think this is a pass
- PUNITIVE – getting the crown is just a bonus
:: Let’s try it again (maybe you are not happy with the “any solution will do” concept) – PIT 3
- OBJECTIVE – a gold crown hovers over a wide bottomless pit, the edge/circumference of the pit is mobile, it shifts and oscillates like a writhing snake biting its own tail
- STOPPER – falling down the pit means death, and because the edge of the pit is always moving it is difficult to place a fixed structure like a plank across the pit.
Hitting the crown knocks it down the pit. But, it will reappear again in about 10 minutes. - RESOLUTION – the pit is in fact a living inter-dimensional creature/being and it is attracted and yet repulsed by the crown. It is doomed to circle the crown forever – spitting the crown out again if it falls into the belly of the pit. The pit is released if the crown is physically damaged or a portable hole is thrown into the pit
- HINTS –
(a) PCs can find a broken portable hole, it is interdimensional, but only holds about a gallon worth of stuff. Unusually the edge of the portable hole is mobile and moves exactly like the edge of the bottomless pit. Hopefully the PCs will see a link and decide the throw the near worthless portable hole into the big interdimensional pit. Perhaps, better, the hole and the pit are connected, and when near to each other, the PCs can see the crown in the hole and reach in and grab the crown
(b) both the portable hole and the pit share some other property, e.g. both impossibly black, have arcing sparks around their edge, or look like they contain the night sky
(c) PCs can find a partly destroyed book about these interdimensional beings and how they are unstable if they are in the vicinity of interdimensional spaces or other interdimensional beings. - ENGAGING – think this is a pass
- LOGIC – think this is a pass
- PUNITIVE – getting the crown is just a bonus
:: One more for luck – LAVA RIVER
- OBJECTIVE – a long dead monarch sits on a throne in decaying raiments of their office
- STOPPER – a river of lava bisects the chamber; the PCs are on the wrong side of the lava river. The heat is so fierce that it is nearly impossible to approach the lava river and any sort of normal bridge will be incinerated, or if metal, it will be white hot in seconds.
- RESOLUTION – there is a safe magical conduit over the lava stream covered by an illusion, or it is invisible
- HINTS –
(a) Exploration of the cavern may reveal that there is one area in the cavern that seems less hot, following the somewhat cooler area allows them to approach the lava stream, and if bold simply walk over the lava
(b) Maybe the air around the conduit is different, less heat haze, or perhaps some (heat resistant) dark purple moss shows a path to the conduit
(c) Maybe there is a painting (or legend about the same) showing the great monarch walking over the lava, feet wrapped in purple moss, their sword held aloft (the sword is a red herring). Maybe they find a fireplace where the heat resistant dark purple moss grows, the moss being largely unaffected by the heat of a normal fire. - ENGAGING – think this is a pass
- LOGIC – think this is a pass
- PUNITIVE – not solving the puzzle only means they get less treasure
Final thoughts
So, these are just some ideas I came up with on the fly. Give it a try, maybe it will work for you (no promises).
Overall, maybe having some initial structure is a good idea. The concept you get can then be iterated until you get something you like. Perhaps throw some random tables in to help spark more ideas especially when designing a solution e.g. how the heck is a ladle going to be used to open a secret alternative doorway to the dungeon.
Again, I’m not expert, just thinking about how I’ve done this in the past.
Further Reading:
I’ll try add to this as I go along (hopefully):
Me on 
This free 
There’s a whole mechanic involving a blood sucking vine that generates illusions to drink the PC’s blood and what not.
Me on 
The ‘Balanced’ Encounter’ was a puzzle/trap submitted to a competition organized by the podcasts ‘Gaming and BS‘ and ‘Hobbs and Friends of the OSR‘ (as it was then). I learnt about these podcasts on G+.
Goblin's Henchman 