dinosaurs
Puzzle Idea to throw at RPG players:
Go to Party City or other party goods store
Get a package of these: DINOSAUR BONES
Run a dungeon exploration game.
Describe a room where there are dozens of bones strewn about all over the floor.
Also a large gem of some color is in the middle of the floor.
As soon as all characters are in the room, and someone has meddled with the gem.
The Trap activates, which is this:
The door slams shut and locks.
Large monster appears, summoned from the gem
(I used a nightmare, describing his hot breath.
must be a reasonable threat in your campaign)
He announces the rules of his game to the characters:
Some of you may leave this room alive, some may not.
But you must fix up my bones to even have a chance at life.
Now you as DM go around the room and lay one dinosaur kit in
front of each player.
The Nightmare tells all Assemble your skeleton!
Do Not Be The Last One To Finish, Start !
The nightmare menaced the last ones as they finished.
As DM, I got up, walked around, an loomed over those running late.
Very irritating/intimidating to someone trying to hurry and concentrate on a task.
Players should begin putting together their puzzle.
Then whatever curse or penalty you decide to lay upon them,
goes onto the last one finished.
In my game, the nightmare plus the skeletons (large undead)
all concentrated their attacks on the losing player, It was vicious.
The players got into it. Really sweated it out. They honestly thought the loser was gonna die.