A shape assembly puzzle that can be inserted into any cask/door/wall in a dungeon
Legacy quest
Quest - Into the Dungeon
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It's Quest time once again!
This time, we want Dungeon submissions. Anything that would fall into the Dungeon category counts.
You get a bonus 10 XP for Quest submissions. What are you waiting for? Create Dungeon bits! Do it now!
The winners of the Dungeon Quest will be the first Citadellians to receive Strolen.Com T-Shirts!!
Author's note: I did all the diagrams in MS Paint so please excuse the rough edges. I would also like to say that the inspiration for this sub came straight after reading Mageek's mirror motion puzzle.
What is it?
It is a puzzle of Chinse origin that is composed of only 7 pieces including:
- 2 large pieces of right angle triangles
- 1 medium piece of right angle triangle
- 2 small pieces of right angle triangles
- 1 small piece of square
- 1 parallelogram piece
In Figure 1 below, I show the 7 pieces in their 'default' configuration with each piece denoted by a different colour.
It really came about as a toy for children. The basic premise is that they are presented with an outline of a particular shape (say that of an animal) for them to assemble using all of the 7 pieces. The name tangram apparently came from the Chinese character tang referring to one of the most prosperous dynasties in ancient China (the Tang dynasty) and the Greek word gramma with similar meaning to the word graph in English. In Chinese, its name is Qi Qian Ban or the Seven Boards of Skill. For more details, refer to the Wiki here.
Figure 1: the 7 pieces forming a square (its 'default' configuration when first bought in a pack)
Incorporation into Gaming and Difficulty Levels:
Such a puzzle can be easily inserted onto any cask, door or wall to be found in a dungeon as long as the object involved is large enough to fit in a panel showing a shape outline. A natural way to tweak the difficulty level is of course to introduce time limits and/or increasing the number of puzzles that have to be solved in one go. However, one can also create different difficulty levels by varying the conditions under which the actual puzzle pieces are attained.
Easy- The puzzle pieces are found in direct proximity to the panel showing the shape outline or found earlier on as random loot from monster encounters or through other ways involving little effort on the part of the PCs.
Medium- A minor puzzle has to be solved before the puzzle pieces ‘pop out' via a hidden mechanical device or magic
Hard- The puzzle pieces are found on the body of the cask/door/wall to which the panel is attached to but are hidden as part of the artwork painted/tiled on there. I picture two sub-levels here with the easier version being that the pieces are hidden in an oil painting as part of jewellery, a crown, floor tiles, corner of a vase etc. and the truly devious version being that they are hidden in an artwork composed entirely of triangles and squares.
Some Examples:
For more examples, visit here
Scrolls
Twists, chapters, and details meant to stream with the submission — not general discussion.
Browser is playing up over at my end so I can't upload graphics but I co…
Browser is playing up over at my end so I can't upload graphics but I copied and pasted a copy up on Google docs with the pics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r8__KsAx45tDBk1RzvGvwbzxc2gr-3lHXXeket7vT28
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This article links to 1
- Phantom Paths Mageek linked by Strolen
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Use alongside
Submissions that pair well with this one at the table.
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The Mountain of Boats
Trapped forever in the grip of the Sea of Jade, paralyzed by the Great Curse, the Fleet of Nazran has become a hellish prison of eternal torment, and the tomb o…
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Crawlers of the Dark
In the dark alleys of Malcaresh, the Caravan City of the Plains, many an adventurer meets his death at the end of an unseen blade. Even more part unwillingly wi…
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The Noil Ruins
From a low hillock in a vast plain, the entrance to the Noil Ruins is as unobtrusive as it is a gateway to wonder...
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Sometimes a painting is just a painting.
This is not one of those times.
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Mugama, The Gold That Is Not
Nestled between the towering cliffs of the Zorian plateau, lies a vast cavity that is wide enough to swallow an adult bull elephant with enough space to spare f…
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Tower of Inversion
The dread Tower of Inversion, lair of the vile lich Zarakoth Xorast, contains five layers, each containing different tools of dark magic.
I like physical props for rpgs, this fits that bill, and is easy-to-find at educational type stores.
Wow! Nice idea.
I imagine a caster who collects tangram pieces and can summon monsters / items only if he/she can assemble suitable silhouettes.
I remember Tangrams, I didn't know they were Chinese! I should have put these into games years ago. Good idea.
Unlike axle I don't remember tangrams, but they're pretty cool! After reading this I kept thinking how can I use these cleverly, and then read Mageek's comment. Love love love the visual of a (bumbling) spell-caster feverishly assembling these in order to summon the results!
A great prop that can be introduced to the game. Love the idea!
Another great use of graphics! Good stuff!