Dragon Puzzle for a D&D Encounter (The DM's Craft, EP 60)

[@nickhoward7419]

10 years later, and still one of the best and easiest crafting videos on KZbin.

[@theDMsCraft]

Thanks so much =)

[@chronoforge9972]

This was the first video I watched that turned me on to crafting. Thanks, DM Scotty, you changed my games for life.

[@theDMsCraft]

So glad you joined the hobby I love...have fun!

[@bigbod3609]

That’s crazy. The same thing happened with me 4 years ago!

[@AJPickett]

I really enjoyed this one, one of my weak spots is puzzle making, and I am even worse at skill challenges, I'd greatly appreciate something on crafting a terrain skill challenge! As always, great stuff, the swirling patterns are quite outstanding.

[@LuxuriaU]

What a surprise, hiya, great videos my good sir.

[@MastertheGamerpg]

I was about to go to bed and saw this video had been posted. So here I am staying up another 20 minutes. Love your videos! Hope you post more frequently in the future. Going to go thru some of your old videos to craft my own dungeons and other terrains and props for my games.

[@theDMsCraft]

Its fairly easy to solve but some groups hate puzzles. You can also use INT checks to give some hints.

[@anthonyguillot3532]

Hey great puzzle! I draw all of my player's maps, items, characters, NPCs, etc. I also create lots of props for my games. Very talented, sir.

[@theDMsCraft]

+Anthony Guillot Thank you =)

[@introneurotic]

Really great video. Your videos are very refined and artistic. You can tell that you've dedicated some great time and energy into your work.

[@chieftainofshapshift]

That is a really neat puzzle it looks cool and the whole color changing idea was smart.

[@Dungeon90]

"... any adventurer with a brain to see this room will want to run away ..." kkkkkkk Fantastic room! Congratulations! Very nice work!

[@007KrausBean]

Very cool puzzle and great way to create it with super affordable items.

[@theDMsCraft]

So true.

[@jwraper1498]

I used this in an adventure recently. I loved it but the players just got lucky and guessed the right color/combinations right away without using deduction...

[@theDMsCraft]

+Jason Raper That's OK, sometimes an easy time makes them feel smart =)

[@adamstclair2360]

Excellent as always. You are the Rembrandt of cardboard Sir.

[@sheldonconnor8702]

My group loves puzzles, yet another great video. You never disappoint.

[@HuchiaZ]

I feel happy that I solved this in half the amount of steps you took. but I assume that was to explain the mechanics of the blue rod xD

[@venusboys3]

Very cool! Sadly, I'd expect the other guys in our group would throw a fit if that thing got put on the table and they were expected to deal with it.

[@thelittlestgiant]

I'm sure it's completely dependent on the players, but I find puzzles or riddles that can take a while to solve are best implemented as things that aren't game stoppers. If they're trying to unlock a door in a dungeon, and can't figure out a puzzle, they can't complete the dungeon they've worked hard at, and they probably won't just walk away from it, so everyone just kind of sits there silently thinking for a long period of time. Now, if you have them find a small lockbox they could easily carry with the party, and this was the puzzle to open the lockbox, they could try whenever they wanted, including while on the go. It doesn't become a roadblock, or a game stopper that way, but the players can still have fun solving a puzzle with a reward.

[@TheDMGinfo]

It is the whole problem solving activity, even simple stuff like crossing a chasm. Putting an obstacle in the way of the players to work the grey matter.

[@theDMsCraft]

I love puzzles...in moderation...it is a D&D tradition =)

[@WarGamerGirl]

As always, very cool. Your method of creating dungeons works perfectly with Iron Kingdoms as it uses a measuring system and not a grid.

[@MastertheGamerpg]

Sounds like a really fun puzzle actually. Should be a pretty easy one to figure out too.

[@theDMsCraft]

I used the same sponge for both colors. Just a regular household sponge.

[@JoyAndAgony]

"it's a very dark brown, so you won't see much of a difference" i immediately saw the difference

[@MastertheGamerpg]

It is ok. I don't care when you post it as long as you do it frequently and keep your level of content high. I talk about your channel with others all the time. I love your stuff.

[@theDMsCraft]

I would of had the magical gems explode and rip off the players face that tried that...lol. Glad you can use this puzzle.

[@TheDMGinfo]

Puzzles are great and my favourite DMing activity. One per level...

[@afgesfgagsae]

really good presentation. Would like to see some show and tell of your players crafting something, see what they come up with..

[@heyimbilliejean]

This is a really great puzzle for DnD. Puzzle's are a difficult thing to use in a mandatory fashion (as in you need to solve it to get to the bosses lair), because if the puzzle ends up stumping the players, it just drags down the session. This puzzle has a sort of fail-safe, so that the players can move on and only stay if they choose to.

[@chumasu1]

That is a awesome puzzle! I wish I was crafty enough to make something like this I would love to use these like this when I run my games. :D

[@shardliveactionroleplaying1113]

Good looking props amp up the immersion in any game. Thanks for this video! Can you do some more enigma type designs like this one?

[@theDMsCraft]

+Shard Live Action Roleplaying I really should.

[@analeigholdeworlde4178]

@@theDMsCraft yes!!! please make more puzzles! even with all things rpg online lately, it is still very difficult to find usable puzzles like this for my party.

[@dirtroadsandwoodstoves]

Love This - eventually my players party may infiltrate "The Red Order", just found the foyer to the temple!! I'll be adding some minor traps though, maybe a certain color creates a poisonous mist, who knows. Thanks for another great inspiration and project.

[@theDMsCraft]

awesome!

[@theDMsCraft]

...don't you savor the anticipation ;)

[@rhoddity]

Oooh! I love puzzles! =D Oh I wish there was a way to incorporate puzzles into the Adventure System board games! I'm currently obsessed with getting as much as I can out of those! x)

[@theDMsCraft]

Glad you enjoy it.

[@terrainaholic]

Sweet puzzle! I've been watching video games for terrain inspiration and you'll find some neat 3d puzzles in dungeon settings for your games:) I'm hoping to reproduce some of them myself some day!

[@4mand3r]

Is there a video of how you made the fountain in the beginning of your opening?

[@NcTheory]

Amazing. The Bob Ross of D&D

[@rainwater739]

Ooooh! Lazer pointer! Fancy!

[@Pompo5]

brilliant!

[@lyllydd]

How did you keep the acrylic paint from flaking off of the metal washers? Did you use a metal primer on them?

[@theDMsCraft]

I did not...a lot of action could wear the paint off.

[@theDMsCraft]

I usually do. I show the finished project in play.

[@Kazgrinega]

great piece... as for the puzzle, I like it, but seeing as I got the riddle immediately... if my DM ever ran it, I'd have to change things up and confuse the party... or prey on their paranoia to draw it out.

[@seangere9698]

At 13:00 blue to green... now wouldn't that change the two clear ones sense you changed the blue one just like before, instead of them staying clear?

[@sonomiraz]

awesome work on painting ! what happen if a characters cast detect magic or similar spels ? can understand how works the puzzle ?

[@theDMsCraft]

Fantastic....sorry I posted so late I usually don't post that late.

[@RangerOfSalv]

I did this puzzle myself without the board and my hint for what to do was outside of my players knowledge, make sure your players get the puzzle!

[@theDMsCraft]

True

[@blablubb4553]

I'm adding this puzzle to "Kobold Hall" - a 4th edition one-shot adventure which is essentially 5 combat encounter rooms in a row. I'll add this puzzle to the 3rd room, and instead of a wyrmpriest I'll add a dragonborn sorcerer which is in league with the big bad evil guy who wields the scepter that's key to this puzzle. So the heroes can either defeat him in combat or get the scepter due to a successful roleplay encounter. Using the scepter opens up additional passages that lead to additional rooms in the dungeon (which do not belong to the original 5-room-dungeoncrawl), depending on the color scheme chosen by the player characters. Also, each passage will contain perils according to the chosen color (and thus, the aquired resistance).

[@Jukingbox]

Imagine you could control a teleportation trap with this...

[@CarpeMetus]

I'm not sure if someone told you, but you could rotate the image in post. It will let you film and draw in the future.

[@theDMsCraft]

Thanks Adam

[@Everking11]

Is it draconic or draconian?

[@theDMsCraft]

Thanks

[@MikeStanding0]

I'm using this tomorrow, can't wait!

[@theDMsCraft]

Sweet, glad you found it helpful.

[@dmgoblin]

+theDMsCraft Sensei, i love your work and i really appreciate what you do for us. if you don't mind i would like an extended explanation for this puzzle, like what happens if a red cristal touches a blue one. And all the other combinations. Im new at being a DM but i still don't want to be the dumbest at the table hahaha. I ll keep working on this proyect while i wait your answer

[@inspectorsteve2287]

try making the videos shorter by shortening the cut scenes.

[@collinblazer6427]

loved the lazer pointer

[@KiwiNom]

You must be a cat Collin Blazer

[@theDMsCraft]

the players really enjoyed it =)

[@nathanedwards1740]

thanks a lot. i used this puzzle my players loved it

[@theDMsCraft]

Glad you got use out of it.

[@johnmonroney8614]

add magnets under your jewels

[@theDMsCraft]

Always an option

[@johnmonroney8614]

Impressive.

[@theDMsCraft]

Thanks

[@donklord8578]

This is really neat I would love to recreate this if you don't mind.

[@theDMsCraft]

sure go ahead...glad you liked the idea.

[@donklord8578]

TheDMsCraft already done

[@CalebFaulkner]

Great work, but I might have made the puzzle a bit harder. Since you allowed two actions that are "Touch this color and only this one turns that color" it was as easy as touching each crystal 3 times to get them to red. If you FORCED them to effect multiple crystals at once they'd have to do it in the proper order and color and plan ahead for which ones were gonna be effected with each move. Just my 2 cents. Cheers.

[@theDMsCraft]

I hate to make things too hard and make it more work than fun...If you have players that love puzzles go for it.

[@aaro1268]

Those with some arduino skills can adapt this puzzle to be electronic. 3 rgb leds, and 5 buttons would be enough. If you wanted a bit more magic, a few magnetic sensors could be used instead. I think short of an arduino, your design using tokens is very easy to reuse, maintain, and change.

[@farmazonlost]

@@aaro1268 inb4 PC's hac the pazzle and overcome DM's dominion.

[@stephenperry2325]

maybe I missed it. but what does a red rod do to a blue crystal?

[@theDMsCraft]

Hmmmmm....been so long I really can't remember...you may have to watch the vid again.

[@JuneKG231]

the rules dont specify. i am assuming that it does nothing. and that makes since because water cancels out fire? and has no effect? lo,l

[@theDMsCraft]

Ok, it's draconian Draconic.

[@theDMsCraft]

I set it up last night and let it upload so I have no idea when it finished...lol

[@EnordAreven]

ha ha :) How very Draconian of you :)

[@tylerhartley8531]

I'm totally using this

[@theDMsCraft]

Awesome!

[@cric3754]

Am I the only one who would have pried the gems out of the puzzle and sell them in the scenario? Either way nice puzzle, I tended to use slider puzzles or heavy riddle ones, but I think ill give this one a go

[@CodeNameBlood]

I'm new to DMing and was planning on making this as the end puzzle in a dungeon. But I was thinking of changing it a bit where its three of any color gives the player resistance of that type of damage. Red = fire resistance. Blue = cold resistance. Green = Poison resistance. Clear = +1 AC armor. But I don't know how to reword the riddle to clue in my players. Also, I don't know how to clue in my players that they can change the colors on the rod without making it obvious. Any suggestions?

[@theDMsCraft]

All good ideas...You could have clues about the rod earlier in the dungeon =)

[@amianderson8866]

Give players one rod of each color

[@michaeldempsey3774]

Love it

[@theDMsCraft]

Thanks much.

[@sgtvip3r26]

Can this be used with custom religious symbols?

[@theDMsCraft]

Sure could, great thing about crafting is that you can do it any way you wish.

[@fiona9891]

Saw this on suggestions after laughing out loud at a cry D&D animated video. The reason I cliked here was mostly to say this: Holy shit, that really looks like the moon lord slab.

[@theDMsCraft]

Well thanks for the visit.

[@fiona9891]

*clicked

[@fiona9891]

theDMsCraft Eh, the craft was still pretty good.

[@shannab1564]

10:07 R.I.P. headphone users

[@theDMsCraft]

ahhhhhhhh....so sorry

[@MatthiasCorvinu]

So just to confirm then, there are a couple of gem touching combinations that weren't mentioned here like, Red touching Red or Blue. Am I to assume that nothing happens when this is done?

[@theDMsCraft]

+MatthiasCorvinu I think so, to be frank it was quite awhile ago so I am a bit fuzzy on it.

[@MatthiasCorvinu]

+theDMsCraft That's fine. I can work with that. Thanks a bunch.

[@theDMsCraft]

NP...have fun

[@EnordAreven]

its draconic, draconian means something else :)

[@theDMsCraft]

Sure is

[@magnusanderson6681]

Another idea is to make the door explode dealing damage if its not red.

[@magnusanderson6681]

Im doing this and using the inscription " thrice flame on the shrine or you wont leave quite so fine.

[@theDMsCraft]

Improving the presentation all the time...lol

[@MarkLewis...]

In Soviet Russia... puzzle solves YOU!

[@theDMsCraft]

LOL

[@RazzlePhoxx]

personally i dont like this puzzle, it's complexity relies in not knowing the rules making it a guessing game at best. A good puzzle in my eyes should involve the players knowing all the rules to the puzzle and having to interpret how those rules interact to form the solution

[@theDMsCraft]

My players figured it out quickly and had fun...I RPed ways for them to get hints.

[@RazzlePhoxx]

thanks for the reply, don't get many. as long as your players like it that's the true meaning of a good puzzle

[@theDMsCraft]

DM's call

[@richardorta8960]

Neato!

[@theDMsCraft]

Glad you liked the idea.

[@FRANKTHEPONY]

Fuck yeah this was legit

[@theDMsCraft]

thanks man

[@Fiddlemaster56]

While the design is impressive, the puzzle itself is highly complex. This would not be something geared to be used at conventions or any group. If you are considering putting a puzzle like this for your players, know your players well enough on how they handle complex puzzles. The number of "rules" on here with each rod color is really challenging to keep track of because they are all very similar. Also, because there are only 3 gem placements, there is limited space for multiple people to use it at once, so the majority of the table will only be available to inform the designated player what to do. Very "overly ruled" puzzle that shouldn't really be that heavy for a D&D game.

[@theDMsCraft]

You are right about knowing your players. I have had comments that this puzzle is way too easy or too hard....you must always judge for your own group.

[@snate56]

@@theDMsCraft Frankly, I'd rather it be too easy than too hard.

[@turrauko48]

Late? Eh, it was today so 'early'.

[@theDMsCraft]

Yes....lol

[@theDMsCraft]

Not hard to figure out so won't cause players to go ballistic...lol

[@siubijeni206]

Those aren't circles ;-; Those are ovals

[@snate56]

You need to adjust your aspect ratio...

[@kurtpachernegg3140]

Would you be able to reduce the amount of sub-section scene break titles, they feel like they go on for ages and keep interrupting the flow of the vid rather than aiding it.