Great video Hannah, the breaks with the character costumes we're hilarious. I would be interested in seeing you do a video that goes more in-depth on puzzle creation
I’m quite behind on my videos but I have to say I very much enjoyed your character interludes! So much fun! Puzzles are so hard for me, I dread having to include them. But your advice is really helpful, as always!
Really like your take on the puzzles! I find working on puzzles is hard for me as a dm because my players are really smart people and figure stuff out super quick, so I tend to make puzzles and not think of an answer, having them figuring out an interesting way to solve it instead.
Sara Haughton always a great approach! I have used that before as well! There is a quote in Tasha’s from Tasha that’s says, “Why make a solvable puzzle? Just pose an enigmatic question without an answer and watch your trespassers squirm!”
I have a new player who informed me they are very interested in puzzles, so I'm scrambling a bit. I see D&D defines traps as damage dealers fixed by a dice roll. Could it be that traps are designed to "trap" the players? And maybe puzzles are designed to "puzzle" them without solving it with a high dice roll? Wanting to contribute, I think puzzles generate the best response in players when they begin to collect pieces of that puzzle. And in time, they gain the satisfaction of putting those pieces together. Puzzle pieces can include words, fractions of an item, puns, but i think in the end, WHY would a villain include a puzzle, because solving it only bring the players closer to thwarting plans? Possible, the puzzles are designed by somewhat good-aligned creatures testing worthiness in order to distribute rewards to the players upon completion. Puzzles can also be complex problems to solve, such as a busted plumbing system, a runaway golem, and a failing light source in a dungeon. Before the players can proceed, all three must be resolved at the same time or 1 problem will exacerbate the other 2. This provides a team based approach, splitting the party, and simultaneously pulling off a solution to the puzzle involving player wit and character skill. Hope to hear more from you!
I absolutely love the idea that puzzles are really just “problems that need a solution.” Too often we DMs get wrapped up in a “bad guy” putting these puzzles in place instead of focusing on the utilitarian approach, which is just as valid! No ones ever ponders why the light bulb burned out, they just replace the dang bulb!put up some barriers (light bulb is really high up and you don’t have a ladder) and BOOM great puzzle. Really excellent addition to this conversation. Thank you so much!
Good ideas! I didn't realize the puzzles were so heavily slanted toward one type of solution. Guess I'll have to look at the puzzle section similarly to a lot of the extra roll tables, more as inspiration for a starting point. My biggest concern with there being some puzzles in the book was that anyone else who has taken the time to geek out over the new book would already know the solution, and sometimes it's hard to remove that player knowledge, especially when the puzzles don't draw a HARD line between what your character would know. I think a lot of people would pay for an entire book of just puzzles and hand-outs, honestly, if they were more varied.
Aetherwise excellent point! Because there are player resources in Tasha’s, it would be super tempting to just take a peek! Puzzle resources 🧐 I might give that a try! Thanks so for the thoughtful comment, as always! 😊
The base problem with puzzles is they make no sense, to me that is. If the NPC using them had half the intelligence of the PCs and access to magic they would conceal information with Illusory Script or Magic Mouth. Heck, there are probably dozens of ways to conceal information without using a puzzle that easier and safer.
I know!! I totally agree, which is why I only really use puzzles as a “test” for followers or members to get into a place. Not as a guard, that is where traps come in!
Rivers RPG Channel I was hoping for better puzzles too. But I really do think we can work with these. Fun fact, the Barbarian is just me trying to solve real life problems 😆
@@HalflingHobbies I'm curious, but high level what would you have changed? My short list would be: - More variation on feats - Expand lore on Tasha, given how interesting she was in the past. - PUZZLES. As you mentioned, the puzzles are wack. Total overhaul. - Lose all the class features that basically remove the consequences during character creation, namely the versatility bits. Changing out spells and cantrips all the time is silly enough, but Martial Versatility is outright stupid. You can forget an entire fighting style to learn a new one? How does that even work? Imagine if someone said "You can learn to Rollerblade but only if you forget how to ride a bike." That's insane!
@@DannyBellTheAuthor Yes, one of the biggest issues I have found 5e is that they have tried to allow PCs to do whatever they want and have gotten rid of a bunch of rules that make things fair and real. I love lore, so I would have liked to see a lot more lore on Tasha and items (not just major, but minor too). Quests around those things would be super cool too.
@@HalflingHobbies at the risk of sounding mean, I'll just say what I thought of that book. It felt lazy and poorly thought out. It had a couple of good nuggets and then like 95% filler. No real thought into making the book feel alive.
Great video Hannah, the breaks with the character costumes we're hilarious. I would be interested in seeing you do a video that goes more in-depth on puzzle creation
Joseph Dellavecchia thanks so much! I might do a full video on how to fix one of these puzzles! We will see!
Good ideas, keep up the positivity! I love it when people don't just bad mouth new content but comment on ways to work with it.
Ellison Flood Doing my best 😊 Thank you for the encouragement! There is always something good in everything and everyone.
I’m quite behind on my videos but I have to say I very much enjoyed your character interludes! So much fun!
Puzzles are so hard for me, I dread having to include them. But your advice is really helpful, as always!
Glad you like them! And you thank you so much!
As a player who actually really enjoys puzzles, the only one our group needed hints on was that painting puzzle! I didn't realize it was from Tasha's.
Really like your take on the puzzles! I find working on puzzles is hard for me as a dm because my players are really smart people and figure stuff out super quick, so I tend to make puzzles and not think of an answer, having them figuring out an interesting way to solve it instead.
Sara Haughton always a great approach! I have used that before as well! There is a quote in Tasha’s from Tasha that’s says, “Why make a solvable puzzle? Just pose an enigmatic question without an answer and watch your trespassers squirm!”
@@HalflingHobbies Haha that's a great quote!
@Order_of_Chaos That's s really fun idea and it be so interesting to see what they'd come up with 😝
I have a new player who informed me they are very interested in puzzles, so I'm scrambling a bit. I see D&D defines traps as damage dealers fixed by a dice roll. Could it be that traps are designed to "trap" the players? And maybe puzzles are designed to "puzzle" them without solving it with a high dice roll?
Wanting to contribute, I think puzzles generate the best response in players when they begin to collect pieces of that puzzle. And in time, they gain the satisfaction of putting those pieces together.
Puzzle pieces can include words, fractions of an item, puns, but i think in the end, WHY would a villain include a puzzle, because solving it only bring the players closer to thwarting plans? Possible, the puzzles are designed by somewhat good-aligned creatures testing worthiness in order to distribute rewards to the players upon completion.
Puzzles can also be complex problems to solve, such as a busted plumbing system, a runaway golem, and a failing light source in a dungeon. Before the players can proceed, all three must be resolved at the same time or 1 problem will exacerbate the other 2. This provides a team based approach, splitting the party, and simultaneously pulling off a solution to the puzzle involving player wit and character skill.
Hope to hear more from you!
I absolutely love the idea that puzzles are really just “problems that need a solution.” Too often we DMs get wrapped up in a “bad guy” putting these puzzles in place instead of focusing on the utilitarian approach, which is just as valid! No ones ever ponders why the light bulb burned out, they just replace the dang bulb!put up some barriers (light bulb is really high up and you don’t have a ladder) and BOOM great puzzle. Really excellent addition to this conversation. Thank you so much!
@@HalflingHobbies exactly. all about compounding tension in otherwise simple situations. I appreciate your videos!
Sojourners Awake thanks so much! I appreciate your awesome comments! You always have great things to add 😊
Good ideas! I didn't realize the puzzles were so heavily slanted toward one type of solution. Guess I'll have to look at the puzzle section similarly to a lot of the extra roll tables, more as inspiration for a starting point. My biggest concern with there being some puzzles in the book was that anyone else who has taken the time to geek out over the new book would already know the solution, and sometimes it's hard to remove that player knowledge, especially when the puzzles don't draw a HARD line between what your character would know. I think a lot of people would pay for an entire book of just puzzles and hand-outs, honestly, if they were more varied.
Aetherwise excellent point! Because there are player resources in Tasha’s, it would be super tempting to just take a peek! Puzzle resources 🧐 I might give that a try! Thanks so for the thoughtful comment, as always! 😊
The base problem with puzzles is they make no sense, to me that is. If the NPC using them had half the intelligence of the PCs and access to magic they would conceal information with Illusory Script or Magic Mouth. Heck, there are probably dozens of ways to conceal information without using a puzzle that easier and safer.
I know!! I totally agree, which is why I only really use puzzles as a “test” for followers or members to get into a place. Not as a guard, that is where traps come in!
Bummer I was hoping the puzzles would be more useful.
I do like barbarian’s solutions those
Rivers RPG Channel I was hoping for better puzzles too. But I really do think we can work with these. Fun fact, the Barbarian is just me trying to solve real life problems 😆
I am behind on videos but I'm only 2ish days late!
Game On! Better late than never! 😊
@@HalflingHobbies
Sounds like "puzzles" you find in a book, not something you can use in an actual game. Your approach to fix them is pretty good though.
Koroc DM thank you! And, yes, they feel very out of place in an actual game.
Tasha's Cauldron was a really disappointing book for me, which is a shame because I was really looking forward to it.
I agree. I haven't really used it at all. And I was so excited as well. Oh well, on to hyping Candle Keep! lol
@@HalflingHobbies I'm curious, but high level what would you have changed?
My short list would be:
- More variation on feats
- Expand lore on Tasha, given how interesting she was in the past.
- PUZZLES. As you mentioned, the puzzles are wack. Total overhaul.
- Lose all the class features that basically remove the consequences during character creation, namely the versatility bits. Changing out spells and cantrips all the time is silly enough, but Martial Versatility is outright stupid. You can forget an entire fighting style to learn a new one? How does that even work? Imagine if someone said "You can learn to Rollerblade but only if you forget how to ride a bike." That's insane!
@@DannyBellTheAuthor Yes, one of the biggest issues I have found 5e is that they have tried to allow PCs to do whatever they want and have gotten rid of a bunch of rules that make things fair and real. I love lore, so I would have liked to see a lot more lore on Tasha and items (not just major, but minor too). Quests around those things would be super cool too.
@@HalflingHobbies at the risk of sounding mean, I'll just say what I thought of that book. It felt lazy and poorly thought out. It had a couple of good nuggets and then like 95% filler. No real thought into making the book feel alive.
@@DannyBellTheAuthor I would have to agree with you. Some good stuff for players, but the DM resources in it were sorely lacking.