For the session we were running, the DM presented it as something for us to actually solve. She presented us with three mazes (easy, medium, and hard) and the person who picked had to choose which to solved in about a minute. Successfully navigating it represented finding a way to guide some NPCs… Basically they would take fewer risks for solving the harder mazes.
I can imagine this maze giving me trouble if we weren’t looking at it with the labeled entrance/exit, it was obscured, or there was a third dimension to it. The benefit of it being on the GM’s side of the table is that it’s already solved.
Since I love mazes, please allow me to provide the solution. Going straight from the entrance and pausing wherever there is a branch, and narrating as if I was actually walking the maze instead of having the convenience of an ariel view, it is: Right, left, straight, straight, right, left, right, left, left, right, right, right, left, right, straight, straight, right, left, right, right, left, straight, left, straight, right, straight, left, right, left, left, right, right, straight, left, left, right, left, right, straight, straight, left, straight, straight, right, left, straight, right, right, right, left, right, right, right, right, left, right, left, and exit.
I once astonished a DM with my maze-mapping notation.
It’s a bit like Ogham. Draw a long line. Left turns get a line on the left side of the line, right turns get one on the right, straight ahead is a line across. Elevation changes are for up and down. Points of interest are marked by a circle (landmark), diamond (hazard), or square (obstacle).
Best part is, it’s a method someone could use on the run, scratching along a bit of their scabbard with a nail or something. Very neat.
Normally with a maze that has the entrance/exit in the outer walls, the sure trick is to just pick either the left or right wall and follow it. You’re bound to find the exit eventually.
Of course in a maze littered with deathtraps, on a time limit, this is really not the best method…
(That also doesn’t usually work if you have to get to the centre. And if the maze is in three dimensions, you could easily be going around in circles forever with it. If the maze is in four dimensions, don’t worry about it, your mind will get baked anyway, unless you’re a Time Lord!)
Mazes are well and good until someone whips out a UCT (Universal Cutting Tool, aka lightsaber or eguivalent). Of course, the cunning GM can always introduce cables, piping, black water lines from the local otyugh breeding compound et cetera…
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That is quite the long walk, even without the inevitable traps and mischief that is hidden within!
What you’re not seeing is the scale, 1sq : 5″ not 1sq : 5′.
GRIMTOOTH: No one can top my traps.
BRETT: Hold my nog.
I once had to design a series of defenses for a castle in a Changeling LARP. I borrowed heavily from Grimtooth, but added a few of my own.
My best was the Portal Passage Punisher, a trap designed around the targeted group’s overuse of a short-range teleport ability.
It also had a pit of whipped cream. Because I play Pookas.
You know, however this game turns out, I think Brett has already established some pretty decent DM credentials.
Agreed – Brett is putting on an impressive GM clinic for a first timer (having Brian behind the screen IRL must be an absolute blast for his players)
So… How much damage can a squishy mage take while waiting to be rescued? 😉
No pressure Charlie…
I ran a one-shot just last night where the DM used a maze as a skill challenge! The latest hot trends…
What happens during that skill challenge?
Would the players need to roll, or just manually player solve it?
(oops, edited the message, but left an extra “player” in there)
For the session we were running, the DM presented it as something for us to actually solve. She presented us with three mazes (easy, medium, and hard) and the person who picked had to choose which to solved in about a minute. Successfully navigating it represented finding a way to guide some NPCs… Basically they would take fewer risks for solving the harder mazes.
Would have been nice for the maze to have multiple paths (one short, full of traps…one long, without any…)
I love mazes 😀
I was compelled to solve it… damn that was difficult…
I can imagine this maze giving me trouble if we weren’t looking at it with the labeled entrance/exit, it was obscured, or there was a third dimension to it. The benefit of it being on the GM’s side of the table is that it’s already solved.
I ran through it and only got 1 wrong turn. MazeSense is an included Trait in my racial makeup. 🙂
Pick a wall, stick to it, and if there as an exit you *will* eventually reach it. Barring traps, time-limits running out, and S.”A”.D’s of course.
Would have been fun if the artist actually created a maze with no solution just to watch all the brains explode…
Not too bad as mazes go. Pretty easy with a pen/paper and a bird’s eye view.
Would suck to actually walk it though.
Since I love mazes, please allow me to provide the solution. Going straight from the entrance and pausing wherever there is a branch, and narrating as if I was actually walking the maze instead of having the convenience of an ariel view, it is: Right, left, straight, straight, right, left, right, left, left, right, right, right, left, right, straight, straight, right, left, right, right, left, straight, left, straight, right, straight, left, right, left, left, right, right, straight, left, left, right, left, right, straight, straight, left, straight, straight, right, left, straight, right, right, right, left, right, right, right, right, left, right, left, and exit.
I once astonished a DM with my maze-mapping notation.
It’s a bit like Ogham. Draw a long line. Left turns get a line on the left side of the line, right turns get one on the right, straight ahead is a line across. Elevation changes are for up and down. Points of interest are marked by a circle (landmark), diamond (hazard), or square (obstacle).
Best part is, it’s a method someone could use on the run, scratching along a bit of their scabbard with a nail or something. Very neat.
I would be interested to see an example of that in action. Seems like a really useful way of doing it.
It really works well. You don’t need to know directions, only which way you went.
It does fall apart in some cases though. Having to backtrack means some weird edits.
For the maze-challenged who want to see the answer: https://imgur.com/a/W4lvS8r
(You can see one point where I got ahead of myself and had to double back… whoops!)
Yup I had to copy the maze and draw my way through. Puzzle loving brain.
Normally with a maze that has the entrance/exit in the outer walls, the sure trick is to just pick either the left or right wall and follow it. You’re bound to find the exit eventually.
Of course in a maze littered with deathtraps, on a time limit, this is really not the best method…
(That also doesn’t usually work if you have to get to the centre. And if the maze is in three dimensions, you could easily be going around in circles forever with it. If the maze is in four dimensions, don’t worry about it, your mind will get baked anyway, unless you’re a Time Lord!)
Mazes are well and good until someone whips out a UCT (Universal Cutting Tool, aka lightsaber or eguivalent). Of course, the cunning GM can always introduce cables, piping, black water lines from the local otyugh breeding compound et cetera…
Walls are hollow, lined with silver on the inside, and filled with wraiths
Go Minecraft: fill the walls with lava.
From a pure maze-solving standpoint, it’s easier starting from the end…
Beautiful. The traps in this dungeon have been absolutely inspired. Getting an itch to run or play a classic dungeon crawl again now.