“Acanthus’s Conundrums” is a weekly post giving you a puzzle and three riddles to use in your roleplaying game.
Each one has a suggested solution but be generous to your players if they come up with a reasonable answer, especially to the riddles. These diversions are not meant to cause disagreements or slow the adventure down.
Some thoughts on how the riddles have appeared historically, or how they can be interpreted in other ways, are also included, so you can adapt them to your adventure. Also, we are interested in whether you have any puzzles or riddles of your own to share, or requests to make of Acanthus? Drop a note in the comments or join our Discord server!
Our puzzle this time has the party trying to pay to get across a bridge that is guarded by some very unusual trolls.
Puzzle #13: Coining it in!
As the party approaches the only bridge across a wide river for miles around, it spots a barrier and booth being guarded by four trolls. They are playing a boisterous game of cards, with various coins as stakes.
As the party approaches, they look up and offer an untroll-like friendly greeting!
“Well met travelers! How goes your journey? We are sorry to say the ruler of these parts insists on a fee to cross this bridge, but we are not allowed to tell you what it is. Either you work it out, or we take everything you own. I can say that the fee is either 1 copper piece, 1 silver piece, 1 gold piece or 1 platinum piece each.”
Despite the amiable tone, this sounds a lot more like trolls, and the future looks bleak. But on seeing your faces, the troll laughs heartily and continues.
“Well, I guess I can help you a little more. Each of us will hold one of those four coins and tell you what it is worth. The trouble is, only three of us will tell the truth and one will lie. If you can work out the value of the liar’s coin, you can pay that as your fee. I cannot say fairer than that.”
Out of sight, the trolls each pick up a coin, raise a clenched fist containing it and say, one after another:
“My coin’s worth is an odd number of copper pieces.”
“My coin’s worth in copper pieces has three digits.”
“My coin’s worth is less than 100 copper pieces.”
“My coin’s worth is more than 100 copper pieces.”
What is the value of the liar’s coin, and therefore the fee across the bridge?
Solution:
If the liar has the copper piece, then neither the liar nor the truth-tellers can say, “My coin is worth an odd number of copper pieces.”
If the liar has the gold piece worth 100 cp, then neither the liar nor the truth-tellers can say, “My coin’s worth in copper pieces has 3 digits.”
If the liar has the platinum piece worth 1000 cp, then neither the liar nor the truth-tellers can say, “My coin is worth more than 100 copper pieces.”
So, the liar must have the silver piece worth 10 cp, and this is how the conversation must have gone:
— Liar (with the silver piece worth 10 cp): “My coin is worth an odd number of copper pieces.”
— Truth-teller (with the gold piece worth 100 cp): “My coin’s worth in copper pieces has 3 digits.”
— Truth-teller (with the copper piece): “My coin is worth less than 100 copper pieces.”
— Truth-teller (with the platinum piece worth 1000 cp): “My coin is worth more than 100 copper pieces.”
The fee is 1 silver piece, or 10 copper pieces, each. The party can pay up and cross the bridge.
Riddle #37 – On a storm:
“Sometimes mighty, sometimes savage, always full of force,
My sound and sight, my dark and light, all clearly mark my course.
When shaking buildings, toppling trees, or stirring up the quietest sea,
I show the humor one the one who first created me.”
If you need to offer clues, some suggested answers are: a riotous crowd; boiling water; anger; a storm.
Answer: a storm.
Ancient riddles about storms were often long and convoluted, discussing at great length their various features, their origins with the gods, their purpose such as revenge or punishment, or how they showed greater beings were angry or in some other state of high emotion. Equally so, it was often noted that while they “came and went” their effects were longer lasting.
Riddle #38 – On stars:
“Many of us come at night without needing to be fetched,
Even when we cannot be seen, across the world we’re stretched.
Our slow parade marks endless time yet hails your first-born moment.
But when a new day shows its hand, we’re taken without being stolen.”
If you need to offer clues, some suggested answers are: stars; dreams; sleep; bats.
Answer: stars.
Stars were thought to be many different things by diverse cultures but being treated as signs of deities “in action” was a common theme. In our light-dense times across much of the world, many of us cannot really know how even dwellers in ancient cities pondered on the brightness of stars, nor their importance at showing that the world was progressing eternally as expected, along with their auspicious nature at births.
Riddle #39 – On the letter E:
“I’m hard at work when everything starts, am finally there at the close.
Without me you could not see, nor get past the end of your nose.
I’m the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space.
The beginning of every entirety, and the end of the whole place.”
If you need to offer clues, some suggested answers are: seconds; the letter “E;” air; life and death.
Answer: the letter E.
This is another riddle where the non-living answer is given active qualities. It is straightforward once you read it carefully, but often the riddle would be distracting in its grandness and content, suggesting much more than a simple letter. With “E” being the most common letter in many languages, and its Latin variant is thought to come from the image of an arms-raised praying figure
That is all for another Puzzles and Riddles, but here is a reminder of and link to previous posts.
Do let us know if there are any subjects you would like included in the riddles, or if there is a particular situation for which you’ like a puzzle written. Leave a comment!
We are also keen to hear from you as to how you are using them in your game, and whether your players are coming up with inventive solutions. We are happy to share these with everyone so do let us know if you have adapted them for specific environments or amended them in some way to add flavor to your adventure.
Until the next set, enjoy your games!
Acanthus the Sage