Zombiekat89
First Post
I have this giant magic mirror inside a closed room. Working on a clever puzzle that will involve their demons but will be more interactive for the players. Any ideas?
D&D 5E Closed Room Puzzles
- Thread starter Zombiekat89
- Start date
Quickleaf
Legend
Image appears in mirror whenever anyone looks into it, a distorted reflection. Specifics of the distortion reflect that character's (1d6): 1-2 bond 3-4 flaw 5-6 ideal. If gazer doesn't name what they see reflected (i.e. "This is courage, my ideal, but shone through a dark lens."), then a demon version of the gazer escapes the mirror. Think the Gebbeth from LeGuin's Wizard of Earthsea.
merwins
Explorer
This puzzle is one-dimensional, primarily based on greed, but you can introduce other "sins" as needed -- sloth, lust, gluttony, etc. For the purposes of this encounter, I would rule that Detect Magic works, but Identify does not.
The room is full of "treasure," but no door. Lust might involve a long-lost romantic pursuit, or gluttony the best food and wine EVAR or sloth a welcoming bed or other tranquil environ.
The mirrored reflection shows no treasure, but does have a an exit at the end of a circuitous path which is perhaps fraught with obstacles or even traps.
The players can take/do what they want, but every round they take such an action, a shadow image flits away from their "reflection" next to the exit in the mirror. The shadow appears to have some manifestation of whatever they took/did.
After a given number of rounds, the treasures turn to dust, the reflections vanish and the mirror transforms into an exit. Your shadow is now "out there," doing stuff in your name, until you deal with it. Its level = the number of rounds you spent messing around with the "treasure."
At any time, the solution is to step through the mirror and trade places with your reflection. Whatever shadow you created vanishes when you pass through, but it will still manifest as above. To escape, you must traverse the path to the exit. Your reflection is stuck in a room full of treasure.
Actually, I have two mirror puzzles on my YouTube channel that may help... The first is a bit dangerous involving an "Opposite Mirror": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdA5Z0TsNqY
The other is a bit more light if you are ok with "Rick rolling " your players:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFaPxA_2BeQ
Hope this helps... Good luck!
The other is a bit more light if you are ok with "Rick rolling " your players:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFaPxA_2BeQ
Hope this helps... Good luck!
Imaculata
Hero
There could also be a number of mirrors equal to the number of players.
What if each mirror had a mozaic puzzle on the wall opposite to it? Each mozaic is a depiction of one of the PC's, and portrays a memorable event from the campaign, with a riddle written underneath it in rhyme. The mozaics themselves consist of tiles/objects that can be pressed. If the correct tile/object is pressed for each mozaic, they solve the puzzle. Otherwise a deadly trap activates.
The mirrors are foggy, and show no reflection until the correct PC stands in front of it.
The mirrors themselves have decorative copper devil-statues surrounding them, all with mocking evil grins. One of the devil figures on each mirror points to a specific part of the mozaic (usually an object in the scene). But what object the devils point at, differs depending on how close you stand to the mirror. The different distances are marked by wide rectangular tiles on the ground, with various answers on them. The memory of the players is tested, specifically, their memory of the event that is depicted in the mozaic.
The riddles ask the players regarding things they said during the event, or actions they did when the event took place. If the players stand on the correct answer, they will see what the correct thing is that they need to press, in the reflection.
After pressing the correct thing in the mozaic, the mirror becomes black, and no further tiles can be pressed. A dark voice announces that the player chose correctly, or it laughs mockingly when they give a wrong answer. Upon giving all the correct answers, the puzzle is solved and all mirrors shatter, resulting in whatever the reward for that may be.
If you have more players than there are mirrors, then you can have the mozaic and its answers change to that of a different PC when a PC gives a wrong answer, and the mirror becomes foggy again.
What if each mirror had a mozaic puzzle on the wall opposite to it? Each mozaic is a depiction of one of the PC's, and portrays a memorable event from the campaign, with a riddle written underneath it in rhyme. The mozaics themselves consist of tiles/objects that can be pressed. If the correct tile/object is pressed for each mozaic, they solve the puzzle. Otherwise a deadly trap activates.
The mirrors are foggy, and show no reflection until the correct PC stands in front of it.
The mirrors themselves have decorative copper devil-statues surrounding them, all with mocking evil grins. One of the devil figures on each mirror points to a specific part of the mozaic (usually an object in the scene). But what object the devils point at, differs depending on how close you stand to the mirror. The different distances are marked by wide rectangular tiles on the ground, with various answers on them. The memory of the players is tested, specifically, their memory of the event that is depicted in the mozaic.
The riddles ask the players regarding things they said during the event, or actions they did when the event took place. If the players stand on the correct answer, they will see what the correct thing is that they need to press, in the reflection.
After pressing the correct thing in the mozaic, the mirror becomes black, and no further tiles can be pressed. A dark voice announces that the player chose correctly, or it laughs mockingly when they give a wrong answer. Upon giving all the correct answers, the puzzle is solved and all mirrors shatter, resulting in whatever the reward for that may be.
If you have more players than there are mirrors, then you can have the mozaic and its answers change to that of a different PC when a PC gives a wrong answer, and the mirror becomes foggy again.
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merwins
Explorer
Demons are often considered intrinsic to a character.
How about demons that you create, but are not you?
This requires that the DM really know the PCs well enough to know who they love, who they hate, what they've sacrificed, and what their goals are, and the limits of their morality.
Have the mirror reflect the character perfectly, except for one feature or item, connected to some issue or conflict in the outside world, which they receive insight into (they're not clueless). They can give up the memento or feature, and vanish from (exit) the room, with the possibility that they can resolve the situation on their own later. Or they can keep it, and the worst possible thing will happen in the real world -- because they kept it.
Depends on how mean of a DM you are.
How about demons that you create, but are not you?
This requires that the DM really know the PCs well enough to know who they love, who they hate, what they've sacrificed, and what their goals are, and the limits of their morality.
Have the mirror reflect the character perfectly, except for one feature or item, connected to some issue or conflict in the outside world, which they receive insight into (they're not clueless). They can give up the memento or feature, and vanish from (exit) the room, with the possibility that they can resolve the situation on their own later. Or they can keep it, and the worst possible thing will happen in the real world -- because they kept it.
Depends on how mean of a DM you are.
mrpopstar
Sparkly Dude
Pro tip: Challenge the players to have fun solving puzzles, but call for ability checks as a measure of character advancement.
In other words, involve the characters' ability scores in such a way as to temper player capability. For example, if the characters must solve a riddle presented by one of their dark reflections, don't allow the clever player of a character with 8 Intelligence to outshine the contributions of a character with 18 Intelligence whose player is less clever.
That might sound confusing, but the key to perfect puzzle challenges can be found if you ponder the intricacies.
In other words, involve the characters' ability scores in such a way as to temper player capability. For example, if the characters must solve a riddle presented by one of their dark reflections, don't allow the clever player of a character with 8 Intelligence to outshine the contributions of a character with 18 Intelligence whose player is less clever.
That might sound confusing, but the key to perfect puzzle challenges can be found if you ponder the intricacies.
Zombiekat89
First Post
After all these amazing tips I figured it out, the mirror is a vision for each player into an alternate universe if their biggest regrets.
After rolling a d6 it will determine how realistic the vision is to them. the lower the number the easier it is to see through the vision that it is not true. hence lowering the DC for the final roll.
The vision is based upon something personal and will require different checks depending on their actions to connect with the demon which is communicating with them. Failure to resist the vision will put them under an effect for a battle and the demon will emerge from the mirror encompassing their greatest fear. then their will be a fight. Those who succeed their vision can unlock the room and save their friends.
After rolling a d6 it will determine how realistic the vision is to them. the lower the number the easier it is to see through the vision that it is not true. hence lowering the DC for the final roll.
The vision is based upon something personal and will require different checks depending on their actions to connect with the demon which is communicating with them. Failure to resist the vision will put them under an effect for a battle and the demon will emerge from the mirror encompassing their greatest fear. then their will be a fight. Those who succeed their vision can unlock the room and save their friends.
