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Seasons
Setup: The party enters a room with four murals, each depicting a different season. In the center is a small patch of dirt (a seed is buried within, unknown to the players).
Goal: Recreate each season in order.
Notes: Methods are open‑ended; matching the spirit of each season is enough. As each season is met, the murals glow and the room physically shifts.
Order & Triggers:
- Spring: Rain: Pour liquid on the dirt (water, prestidigitation, any liquid). A sprout emerges.
- Summer: Sun: Provide light or heat (e.g., daylight, torch, not directly scorching the plant). The sprout becomes a small tree.
- Autumn: Wind: Create airflow (even blowing). Leaves fall; tree becomes bare.
- Winter: Snow: Lower temperature or apply cold magic. A small cloud forms; snow/ice cover the tree; the exit opens.
Homophone Statues
Setup: An altar is ringed by nine pedestals bearing statuettes: an abacist (man with abacus), a smith with hammer/forge, a warrior with spear, a warrior with bow, a prostitute, a bear, an apple, a rooster, and a quill. The altar has slots for three statuettes.
Clue (spoken once): “You who wish to be rewarded; choose the three that keep things sorted (/sordid/sworded).”
Solution: Choose the homophones of sorted → sordid → sworded:
- Sorted → abacist (keeps things sorted)
- Sordid → prostitute
- Sworded → smith
Note: Read the clue only once to preserve the heterography homophone trick.
The Blood Wall
Setup: A stone wall with a locked door bears a riddle: “The key is found within your head, use the key to paint me red; beware of what you spurn, for what you give shall be returned.”
Solution: Smear blood on the wall/door. A duplicate of the blood’s source emerges and must be defeated to unlock the door.
Uses: Gate progress; conceal secret rooms or treasure.
Alternatives:
- Alternate riddle: “Use your head to paint me red; inside of thee resides your key.”
- Forgo the fight if a key is painted precisely.
- Only the blood‑giver becomes the “key” who can open the door.
- Include a magical easel or canvas to draw upon.
Possible Magic Item:
- Crystallizing Blood: A small blood‑red gem with fluid within. Speaking a command while gripping it forms a Crimson Crystal Dagger.
The Lockpicking Door
Setup: A door (smugglers’ den/bank) has seven locks labeled in various languages and a central iron handle. Thieves’ Cant above is a red herring description of the room contents.
Locks:
- “Open”: Common
- “Close”: Elvish
- “Open”: Dwarvish
- “Close”: Infernal
- “Open”: Giant
- “Close”: Halfling
- “Close”: Undercommon
Solution: Pick only locks labeled “Open” (e.g., DC 10). Leave “Close” locks shut. Then turn the handle to avoid the central lightning rune trap.
Uses: Gate progress; protect secrets/treasure.
Alternatives:
- Include more exotic languages.
- Picking a “Close” lock sets off a smaller trap. Swap the lightning rune for other effects.
Credit: Kain222
Painted Into a Corner
Setup: A room contains a landscape painting radiating faint neutral magic. During a long rest in the room, sleepers awaken inside the painting.
Details: Creatures in the painted world carry small bottles of a strong, clear liquid (turpentine).
Solution: Splashing turpentine deals heavy acid damage inside the painting. Any creature reduced to 0 HP in the painted world awakens in the real room, freeing them from the trap.
Uses: A surreal side diversion.
Alternatives: A key pictured in the painting is required to proceed; add an inscription beneath the frame.
Possible Magic Item:
- Painter’s World Turpentine: Splash to inflict strong acid damage.
Credit: OldManBasil, kr_kitty
The One‑Way Hall
Setup: A normal‑looking hallway ends at a dead end. Turning around reveals a wall 5 feet behind you. On the end wall: “Keep your eye here and you may escape.”
Solution: Stare at the inscription and walk backward to exit.
Uses: Gate progress; hide secrets.
Alternatives:
- Change text to “Retrace your steps.”
- The rear wall bears a massive eye that closes if looked away from.
Credit: Roboman20000, mjanstey
Petrified Key
Setup: A statue of a man stares at a Medusa statue. The required key around his neck is stone and cannot be removed.
Solution: Break line of sight (e.g., cover the man’s eyes). He returns to life and gives the key; possibly serves as a guide. Optionally, animate the Medusa for a combat.
Alternatives:
- Use a Basilisk instead.
- The man holds a reflective round shield; he petrified himself via reflection. Moving the shield from the Medusa’s gaze reanimates her.
Credit: Nanodel, Fayt‑Harkwind, unitedshoes
Dark Staircase
Setup: A stairway descends into pitch black beneath an inscription: “Life leads us down dark roads, but sometimes that is necessary to see the light.” Endless stairs exhaust the party; turning around is endless as well.
Solution: Extinguish all light sources; creatures with Darkvision must close their eyes. Proceed in true darkness.
Uses: Gate progress; attrition before upcoming fights.
Alternate Inscriptions:
- “The road may be dark, yet oft‑times light does naught but blind.”
- “Embrace the dark; those who do may end up in the light.”
- “Are you so blinded by your sight that you cannot find your way?”
- “Life has paths that cannot be seen and must be felt.”
- “Sometimes in life we must move forward with blind faith.”
- “In times of trial, the path we see can blind us to the path we must take.”
Notes: Darkness cast on the area can also end the staircase.
Possible Magic Item:
- Gem of Darkness: Cast darkness once before expending its magic.
Credit: Kain222, Math‑NotEvenOnce, Wodney
Back to the Drawing Board
Setup: A pedestal bears a maze map with a marked “important” symbol in the center and a marked exit that appears inaccessible. Across the room lies the physical maze. The map has limited erasable areas (do not make all erasable).
Solution: The central marked object in the maze is an eraser. Using it on the original map removes a wall, opening the exit.
Uses: Add challenge to a maze.
Alternatives:
- Carved map with a chisel instead of an eraser.
- A portal near the pedestal and eraser to avoid a full backtrack.
Possible Magic Item:
- Maximus Erasor: Erases pencil/charcoal/ink from any surface without trace.
Credit: RitchieRitch62
Trapsweeper
Setup: A large checkerboard room; some tiles are trapped. Stepping on a trapped tile changes its color and triggers a random trap. Checks reveal only the number of adjacent trapped tiles, not locations. Goal is to cross the room.
Solution: It’s minesweeper—infer safe tiles, advance to the far side.
Uses: Replace generic trap checks with a logic puzzle.
Alternatives:
- Add monsters to force time pressure; add treasure on the far side.
- Some traps release caged monsters below the tiles.
Credit: HeyThisIsBrian
The Other Door
Setup: The party finds a locked door that’s easy to pick; beyond lies a hall to a second, very hard lock. A keyring hangs nearby, but none of its keys fit the second door. Forcing/picking it reveals only a solid wall beyond.
Solution: Return to the first door, close it, and use any key from the ring to unlock it; it now opens to a different area.
Alternatives:
- Several doors open their opposite counterparts.
- Every key opens the second door—but loops you back to the same hall unless the right key is used.
Possible Magic Item:
- Keyring of Annoyance: The correct key is always the last untried key on any door.
Credit: Lemunde, DaPurpleHippo
The Greatest Weapon
Setup: A weapon‑lined room surrounds a statue of a knight with an outstretched hand. Plaque: “Bring to me the greatest weapon, that kings covet, puts warriors to ruin, and ends all battles.” Any weapon placed animates and attacks.
Solution: Find the weapon named Peacemaker—a blade entwined with an olive branch. Place the olive branch (symbol of peace) in the statue’s hand to solve.
Uses: Gate progress; reward with thematic weapons.
Alternatives:
- A simple twig among the racks instead of a decorated blade.
- Name tags on weapons (e.g., “Deathbringer,” “Oathshatter”) as red herrings.
- Nature/History checks identify the olive branch symbolism.
Possible Magic Item:
- Olive Branch / Peacemaker: Longsword; wielder can cast calm emotions.
Credit: jrobharing
Make Me Talk
Setup: A sentient door demands a password, insisting the answer “must be spoken.”
Solution: The door must speak the password—trick or coax it into saying the answer.
Uses: Deceptively simple gate.
Alternatives:
- Give the door a personality (haughty, irritable, smarmy).
- On success, the door’s visage cracks/explodes—explaining why it won’t volunteer the password.
Credit: MoreThanFamousEnough
Roy G. Biv’s Magnificent Hall
Setup: A long hall traps the incautious. One wall holds a mural with seven gemstones (rainbow colors). Opposite are candleholders with candles that burn in various colors—but not in matching order.
Solution: Arrange candles so each colored flame aligns with its matching gemstone to open the way.
Uses: Hide secret rooms; gate progress.
Alternatives:
- Add buttons under holders; wrong presses trigger traps/monsters.
- Include extra empty holders as decoys.
- Fixed holders; gems appear “random”—the gem order dictates candle placement.
Possible Magic Item:
- Candle in the Wind: Everlasting, cannot be extinguished.
Credit: DoIKare
Maiden’s Sacrifice
Setup: A blood‑stained altar with a drain. Inscription: “The maiden’s sacrifice is necessary for life.” Fresh spring water flows around, with a ladle; a mural shows a woman of water.
Solution: Pour fresh spring water into the altar. Blood is a red herring and may trigger traps or alter murals.
Uses: Red‑herring irritation; reactive encounter.
Alternatives: Remove the blood and mural entirely.
Possible Magic Items:
- Maiden’s Gift: Pale blue crystal; while attuned, drinking spring water grants temporary HP.
- Maiden’s Tainted Gift: Dark crystal; cast destroy water.
Credit: slaptac
Cursed Passage Stones
Setup: A room contains colored stones—one per character—and an invisible barrier blocks the exit. Picking up a stone afflicts a character with a curse; no one can describe their own curse. When a character’s curse is identified aloud in general terms, they can pass through the barrier; the curse ends beyond. A hidden clue appears when all are cursed: “When your affliction is identified, only then may you pass.”
Example Curses:
- You can speak only while someone else is speaking—and must talk loudly over them.
- You cringe in pain or fear whenever a word containing the letter F is spoken.
- You cannot use nouns except pronouns; only “thing” and “jack‑in‑the‑box” are allowed as exceptions.
- Three words into each sentence, you must stop and think; sentences of three words or fewer are only: “Let me think,” “Hang on,” “Shush.”
Solution: Identify each person’s curse and pass through.
Uses: Fun social puzzle; gate progress.
Alternatives: Design your own curses.
Credit: wolfsilver
The Mirrored Instructions
Setup: A fire‑filled room; some flames are illusions. A scorched paper on the floor explains this and gives a route—but the text is mirrored.
Solution: The instructions themselves must be mirrored to be followed—reverse them and take the route’s mirror.
Uses: Gate progress; controlled damage risk.
Alternatives: Replace fire with walls or another hazard.
Possible Magic Item:
- Red‑Hot Ring: Glows near fire.
Credit: Asddsa76, Insanebrawler
The Empty Gauntlet
Setup: A small round room (10–15 ft). A shallow stone‑walled well is centered; opposite stands a statue pointing its index finger down. The statue’s tablet reads: “Be humbled, trespasser… you believe your destination is beneath you, but you mustn’t miss the point.” Two feet below the water floats a blue‑glowing metal gauntlet, immovable unless worn. Water level is 1.5 ft above the gauntlet.
Mechanics: Wearing the gauntlet locks the wrist; the well floor descends and water rises. The wearer must solve the door before drowning.
Solution: Mimic the statue’s pointing‑down gesture. This halts water, reverses the mechanism, frees the hand, and lowers the entire room as an elevator into the area below.
Uses: Gate progress; potential reward.
Alternatives: Lower the platform instead of raising water.
Possible Magic Item:
- Gauntlet of the Way of Water: Water walk once per day for 2 minutes.
Credit: TubbyBatman
The Scales
Setup: A balance scale blocks a door/chasm. Several figurines (possibly found around the dungeon) have symbols underneath indicating weights or equivalences.
Solution: Balance both pans equally to proceed.
Uses: Open doors, cross chasms, halt traps, reveal secrets.
Alternatives: Add a riddle to pick the two correct items.
Example Riddle: “Looks deceive; a heavy heart can weigh one down like lead.” (Place a heart and a lead figurine.)
Credit: JessieDoodle
A Matter of Perspective
Setup: A circular room with 8 pressure plates at compass points. Grooves run from plates to a central pile of rubble. Across the room: “It’s all a matter of perspective.” Stepping on plates causes rubble to float into words—each player sees a different word, but all share a theme (e.g., dew/river/ice/mist → water).
Solution: Identify and say the theme aloud to open the double doors.
Uses: Gate progress.
Credit: kr_kitty
Build‑an‑Armor Set
Setup: A door seals behind the party. A Warforged appears in a crystal, explaining that assembling a certain suit of armor is the key to exit. The room contains many cursed armor pieces (you can’t leave with them) of varied types and levels.
Solution: Insert the correct pieces in the wall slots to open the door. The magic suit removes the curse and grants one chosen armor piece as a reward.
Uses: Reward armor; gate progress; unlock secrets.
Credit: LionOfMyth
Mirror, Mirror
Setup: A room with a large rectangular mirror. Stepping through transports you to a mirrored realm. Turning to exit fails—the portal won’t open.
Solution: Exit while facing the same direction as entry—walk backwards through the portal.
Uses: Isolate or trap a character; short logic gate.
Alternatives: The mirror shows a key needed to progress and only certain people can enter.
Credit: Felinix
Narcissist Puzzle
Setup: A slightly cluttered room (e.g., bedroom or chest‑filled). A statue gazes into a mirror, smiling. When approached, it says, “Only the most beautiful may pass,” and returns to admiring itself. Clothing items lie around; some match the statue’s outfit.
Solution: A character dons a matching set of clothing. The statue compliments their style and reveals the door. If approached without a match, it insults them and summons a monster.
Alternatives: If a character also mimics the statue’s face (illusions), the statue gushes and grants a magic item.
Possible Magic Item:
- Narcissist’s Charm: +1 Charisma; charm person 1/long rest (form varies: ring/medallion/gaudy hat).
Credit: Athein_Drohan
Runic Hallways
Setup: A door bears the message: “Walk these halls and return to me; a letter is the key.” The dungeon corridors form the shape of a rune/letter when mapped.
Solution: Touch the correct letter/rune on the door to unlock—or trigger a trap if wrong. (Provide your own rune map.)
Uses: Damage risk; gate progress.
Credit: kyle273
The Way In (Letter Grid)
Setup: A 5×5 letter grid on a panel. Players press letters to spell a password/passphrase.
Grid:
Q N M E K
X O I P S
U Y S H O
A W E T I
Z H T L C
Rules:
- Each next letter must be adjacent (including diagonals).
- You cannot repeat a rune/letter already chosen.
- You must move bottom‑to‑top overall.
Solution: Spell the answer to a riddle (provide/foreshadow the riddle elsewhere).
Uses: Blocks a door, chest, portal, etc.
Alternatives: Knight’s‑move variant (like a chess horse).
Credit: Bhavnarnia
Rocky Elevator Ride
Setup: An elevator begins descending as soon as touched/entered. Each round, one of three traps triggers in sequence: falling rocks (from above), poison darts (from walls), floor spikes. The elevator has interior/roof/half‑walls that allow positioning to avoid each hazard. A center column has three buttons.
Trap Cycle:
- Round 1: Button 1 depressed → rocks fall.
- Round 2: Button 1 releases; Button 2 depresses → darts.
- Round 3: Button 2 releases; Button 3 depresses → spikes.
- Round 4: Button 3 releases; Button 1 depresses → rocks (cycle repeats).
Solution: Predict and pre‑press the next button in the sequence so the upcoming trap is suppressed (e.g., press Button 2 during Round 1, etc.). Repeat to null the cycle.
Alternatives:
- Vary traps, timing, number of rounds.
- Add a fight (fliers are especially nasty).
Credit: Avridt
Pressure Plate Hallway
Setup: A ~30‑ft hall with column pairs every 2–5 ft. Each span between columns is a pressure plate that, when triggered, fires arrows from the columns after a one‑second delay.
Solution: Run the hall rather than creeping; don’t tailgate or you’ll eat the previous person’s arrows.
Uses: Unique traversal challenge.
Alternatives: Any delayed trap works; ensure delay is perceptible.
Credit: cookswagchef
A Puzzle of Numbers
Setup: A chalkboard shows two dotted rows and the heading “1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8.” A piece of magical chalk is provided.
Solution: Realize the task is to write how many of each digit appear.
- Final tally to write:
- Top row:
2 6 6 6 6 6 - Bottom row:
8 8 8 8 8 8 8 4 4 4
- Top row:
- Reasoning: There is one 2, three 4s, five 6s, and seven 8s.
Uses: Light riddle; brief annoyance.
Credit: bf_material
The Enchanted Poison
Setup: A large bottle of deadly poison sits in the center. Above the exit is a carved face with an open mouth; pouring poison into it opens the door. Touching the bottle causes the face to sing a drinking song, magically compelling the toucher to drink. The compulsion transfers to anyone who yanks the bottle away.
Solution Ideas: (Provide one or let them improvise)
- Levitate/telekinesis/mage hand to pour without touching.
- Use tongs, a pole, or a sack with a drawstring to avoid direct contact.
- Decant via siphon set up hands‑free.
Uses: Creativity test; gate progress.
Credit: brinjal66
The Dragon’s Offering
Setup: A square room with a central well and a table of gemstones, metal shards, and ores. A dragon statuette with an open mouth sits on the table; a riddle is carved into the surface. Wrong attempts begin flooding the chamber.
Solution: Place the correct offering in the dragon’s mouth based on the riddle.
Sample Riddles & Answers:
- “Gems and stones I devour whole; for a taste of this Red all else I turn to coal.” → Ruby
- “Crimson and fluid. Drip it into my mouth and I’ll chew it.” → Blood
- “Of late I have a mind of metal. Yellow and soft, for nothing else shall I settle.” → Gold
Uses: Gate access to a room/chest.
Credit: KnuxTenma
Rise of the Poor
Setup: A grand hall lined with knight statues; one pedestal stands empty. Next to it, a beggar statue holds out a bowl. Plaques read, in order:
- “A beggar’s lot in life seems solid like stone.”
- “Give him what he needs for the day and he shall thank you with grace.”
- “Heal his wounds and he shall walk.”
- “Bring him a blade and he will stand ennobled.”
- “Now a knight of the order, he will rise.”
Solution: Place food/coin, a healing potion, and a weapon into the bowl. With each, a portion of the statue lights. The beggar moves to the empty pedestal; the way opens.
Uses: Gate progress; grant a blessing or item.
Alternatives: Attempting to proceed without ennobling the beggar animates all statues to attack.
Light Channels Through You
Setup: A sealed door without a lock. Three colored light beams (green, red, blue) enter the room. A large crystal stands in the center; a smaller crystal sits above the door. Inscription: “As people have worked together to advance throughout all of time, so too must you to see the true light.” Each corner has a dust‑covered copper disk.
Solution: Guide all three beams into the large crystal to produce a white beam, then guide that beam to the small crystal above the door.
Uses: Gate progress.
Alternatives:
- Remove or change the inscription (e.g., “Three become one; one with the strength of three overcomes all obstacles.“)
Possible Magic Item:
- Small Crystal of Light: Emits light like the light cantrip, in a color of choice.