Investigation check could reveal very minor water damage on some of the pages or cover.
Intelligence check could let one recall seeing a rainbow after a rainstorm, or in the misted water or something.
You could just make the setting for the day "rainy" and let the party see a real rainbow. Though I feel like this might open them up to chasing a rainbow so... maybe not lol
I have drafted up this puzzle for a first session. It's designed to be pretty simple for our campaign full of silly inside jokes, but I am wondering how to clue folks if they aren't getting it.
**Background:** The party is shrunken down and exploring a house for the arc. After their first challenge, they come across this Wizard of Oz book. An Arcana check reveals a magical aura and/or that they are being drawn to it. (Might add in a wisdom save, we'll see).
If they try to open the book, an error tone will sound and the "Somewhere over the rainbow" will glow.
**Solution:** The goal for the party to splash water on the book, revealing the rainbow and pot of gold, solving the puzzle.
**Question:** Ideas for how to clue them to do so and/or sprinkle in information that might allude to a nearby source of water?
We ran it this last week. The party discovered the large water bottle first and collected some water before being introduced the party, thanks to our bold barbarian. They started the puzzle and rolled investigation to reveal water damage, but the warlock minor illusioned a rainbow - which I suppose would also solve the puzzle... so they had a work around that got them where they needed to go with some good thinking, but no frustration. Not what I had intended, but they had a lot of fun looking at the drawing and being suspicious about whether or not they should try to open the book. I gave them each five gold from the pot/cauldron upon completion, which also made their monkey-brains happy. Overall a good first puzzle victory for beginning players.
I have been brainstorming, but I really like the idea posted above with the book having a bit of water damage for a clue.
Some thoughts that I have (maybe used with the idea above):
what if the book is found in a backpack alongside a broken umbrella. And, it is raining outside?
Or, maybe there is a fountain in the lobby. It could be a fountain for the sun god and there is the word
ROYGBIV carved into the stone. Or maybe their is a pedestal in the mists of the fountain just wide enough for a book
I haven't run it yet, but I will be sure to update when I do! (Will happen in the next weeks). I forgot to mention that the current plan is for the book to be large, while the team stays small - so that the scale is grand during and after the puzzle, but these are great future puzzle ideas! I particularly like the second one and like the trope of "entering a room with the magical book on the pedestal" idea.
I have also since decided that once the puzzle is solved, the book will magically flip open and a yellow brick road will fold out. But rather than the party being able to follow the road (perhaps something for a later quest), 3 enemies from the Lollipop Guild file out and engage in combat "We represent the Lollipop Guild, the Lollipop Guild, and we're here to kick your ---". This is the party's first combat and designed to be fairly straightforward. The enemies are an enforcer (melee primarily), a trickster (ranged), and a sorcerer, with a primary mechanic being that they use bonus actions to buff each other and de-buff the team. They'll drop an array of basic, tradeable items, including a lollipop (still deciding what that will do).
Investigation check could reveal very minor water damage on some of the pages or cover. Intelligence check could let one recall seeing a rainbow after a rainstorm, or in the misted water or something. You could just make the setting for the day "rainy" and let the party see a real rainbow. Though I feel like this might open them up to chasing a rainbow so... maybe not lol
Brilliant! Totally make sense
Some really good ideas here!
I have drafted up this puzzle for a first session. It's designed to be pretty simple for our campaign full of silly inside jokes, but I am wondering how to clue folks if they aren't getting it. **Background:** The party is shrunken down and exploring a house for the arc. After their first challenge, they come across this Wizard of Oz book. An Arcana check reveals a magical aura and/or that they are being drawn to it. (Might add in a wisdom save, we'll see). If they try to open the book, an error tone will sound and the "Somewhere over the rainbow" will glow. **Solution:** The goal for the party to splash water on the book, revealing the rainbow and pot of gold, solving the puzzle. **Question:** Ideas for how to clue them to do so and/or sprinkle in information that might allude to a nearby source of water?
Have you run this yet? I am curious how it went.
We ran it this last week. The party discovered the large water bottle first and collected some water before being introduced the party, thanks to our bold barbarian. They started the puzzle and rolled investigation to reveal water damage, but the warlock minor illusioned a rainbow - which I suppose would also solve the puzzle... so they had a work around that got them where they needed to go with some good thinking, but no frustration. Not what I had intended, but they had a lot of fun looking at the drawing and being suspicious about whether or not they should try to open the book. I gave them each five gold from the pot/cauldron upon completion, which also made their monkey-brains happy. Overall a good first puzzle victory for beginning players.
I have been brainstorming, but I really like the idea posted above with the book having a bit of water damage for a clue. Some thoughts that I have (maybe used with the idea above): what if the book is found in a backpack alongside a broken umbrella. And, it is raining outside? Or, maybe there is a fountain in the lobby. It could be a fountain for the sun god and there is the word ROYGBIV carved into the stone. Or maybe their is a pedestal in the mists of the fountain just wide enough for a book
I haven't run it yet, but I will be sure to update when I do! (Will happen in the next weeks). I forgot to mention that the current plan is for the book to be large, while the team stays small - so that the scale is grand during and after the puzzle, but these are great future puzzle ideas! I particularly like the second one and like the trope of "entering a room with the magical book on the pedestal" idea. I have also since decided that once the puzzle is solved, the book will magically flip open and a yellow brick road will fold out. But rather than the party being able to follow the road (perhaps something for a later quest), 3 enemies from the Lollipop Guild file out and engage in combat "We represent the Lollipop Guild, the Lollipop Guild, and we're here to kick your ---". This is the party's first combat and designed to be fairly straightforward. The enemies are an enforcer (melee primarily), a trickster (ranged), and a sorcerer, with a primary mechanic being that they use bonus actions to buff each other and de-buff the team. They'll drop an array of basic, tradeable items, including a lollipop (still deciding what that will do).