D&D: Five Ways to Solve That Puzzle You’ve Been Stuck Against For the Last Two Hours
Stuck over a D&D puzzle? Can’t figure out what to do with that red gemstone? Here are five ways to solve a puzzle in D&D.
Puzzles and D&D have gone hand in hand since the earliest days of the game. And almost as old, are the stories of players who spent entire sessions getting frustrated because they couldn’t figure out how the DM wanted them to solve the problem.
Some DMs know that you can be flexible and throw the players a bone every now and then. Other DMs insist on players discovering the one correct path and refuse to budge or hold a player’s hand. They’re the ones who really enjoyed, say, The Witness.
For those of you facing the latter kind of puzzle, here are some hints and things to try when you need to know how to solve a puzzle in D&D.
Ask “Would My Character Know?”
One of the most crucial parts of an RPG is playing someone outside of yourself. It’s tricky, because you can never really get away from who you are (don’t think too hard about it, it’s too early for existential dread), but especially because while you, a human in 2023 might know things like “math” or “science” or “how many iced espressos it takes to feel anything resembling joy anymore”, your character would have no idea.
Similarly, you have no idea of things that your character, a person living and breathing in the world that your DM created (together with everyone else playing the game if you’re doing it right). So it’s worth asking your DM, “would my character have any idea here?” Remind them of who your PC is, this is where you lean on elements like your backstory to help fill in some narrative blanks.
Use Those Skills
Another great way to help is to ask “can I make a check” so that you can try and figure out what you’re supposed to do. Oftentimes, a little bit of a knowledge check might be just the hint you need to get back to solving the secret room puzzle your DM has laid out before you.
You put proficiency into those skills for a reason, may as well use them!
Try Random BS
My perennial favorite, and honestly a great strategy for a ttrpg no matter what you’re doing, is to just try something. Anything. The first thing that pops into your mind is often a great place to start from.
Because once you’ve done that, you’ll have eliminated a possibility, and that can be a fantastic way to shake off that “stuck” feeling. You’ll have to keep trying things, but eventually, your DM might catch on and start giving you feedback in the form of saying how, or if, the puzzle you’re trying to work through seems to fit.
Trying random things is a great way of signaling the DM that you’re ready to move as opposed to just talking about possibilities.
Compare Notes
Do you take notes while you’re playing? If not, now’s a great time to start. If you do take them, then whenever you’re feeling stuck is a great place to roll out the notebook and say “okay, what do we actually know?”
When you, as a party, start comparing what you know, you might notice something you missed. This is also a great time to turn to the DM and ask “are we missing anything here?”
Throw NPCs at the Problem
When all else fails, throw NPCs at the puzzle (not literally). Get yourself some hirelings, pay for the services of a sage, and hire an ancient Warlock whose warped mind is capable of seeing the multi-dimensional solution to the problem at hand.
What are your best methods for solving a D&D puzzle?
