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Rune Puzzles Instruction Manual

Rune puzzles are versatile challenges that can be incorporated into various gaming scenarios, requiring players to translate runes into anagrams to uncover cryptic descriptions of objects. Players can solve these puzzles by either holding the correct object against them or speaking its name aloud, with hints provided to assist in the translation process. The document also offers suggestions for creative uses, difficulty adjustments, and guidelines for creating custom rune puzzles.

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society.lake.05
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21 views

Rune Puzzles Instruction Manual

Rune puzzles are versatile challenges that can be incorporated into various gaming scenarios, requiring players to translate runes into anagrams to uncover cryptic descriptions of objects. Players can solve these puzzles by either holding the correct object against them or speaking its name aloud, with hints provided to assist in the translation process. The document also offers suggestions for creative uses, difficulty adjustments, and guidelines for creating custom rune puzzles.

Uploaded by

society.lake.05
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Rune Puzzles

Rune puzzles can be easily added to doors, 'Hard Earth' which is a cryptic description of a
maps, treasure chests and magic items. Rune stone. A player that holds a stone against the
puzzles work with any gaming system. rune puzzle (or speaks the word 'stone' out
loud) solves the puzzle.
How it works
Solving a rune puzzle consists of four steps. Creative uses of puzzles
You can use these puzzles in different ways.
1. First, players must find hints which help Here are some suggestions:
them translate runes into the corresponding • Rune inscribed doors in a dungeon will
letters of the alphabet. only open if touched with the correct
2. Next, players translate a rune puzzle into an object (which can also be found in the
alphabetical anagram. dungeon).
3. By rearranging the letters, players solve the • Runes are written across a dungeon floor
anagram. and players can only cross them if they
4. The solved anagram always gives a cryptic hold the correct item.
description of an object. In order to solve the • A riddler showing the rune puzzle will
rune puzzle players must either 1) find the only cooperate if presented with the
object and hold it against the rune puzzle or 2) correct object.
speak the object's name out loud. • Rune inscribed stone portals are scattered
across the realm and will only open if the
For completing step four, you can either correct object is taken through.
choose the first or second method. Holding the • Rune inscribed magic items can be
object against the runes is a good alternative activated by speaking the objects name.
for rune puzzles that lock doors and treasure • Rune puzzles are presented in a college of
chests or rune puzzle barriers and portals that magi as a test. Hints and objects can be
can only be crossed while holding the correct found across the campus.
object. Speaking the object's name out loud is a • Rune inscribed library books only open if
good alternative for command word activated the puzzle is solved (possibly revealing
magic items and riddles. more images?).
• Remnants of an ancient or alien
Using Hints civilisation can be found across the globe.
There are ten hints that help players solve Can our heroes reveal their secrets?
puzzles. The first hint must always be given
first. It contains a rhyme that tells players what
steps to follow. The other nine hints help
players translate runes into the corresponding
letters of the alphabet. The Rune Puzzle
Reference Sheet states the minimum amount of
hints players must find, before they can solve
the rune puzzle.

For instance, players need the first four hints to


translate the first rune puzzle into the text 'Had
hEr rat' which is an anagram for the phrase
Adjusting the difficulty level Creating your own messages and puzzles
A downside of many puzzles is that players Using the individual letters, you can create
cannot continue the game if they are stuck on a your own messages. To create your own rune
puzzle. Here are some suggestions for smooth puzzles, first think of a common object players
play: will find easily, such as a 'stone'. Then think of
a cryptic description of the object, like 'hard
• You can lower the difficulty by telling earth'. Next, find one of the many online
players if they are on the right track anagram solving programs and enter the
after each step of the puzzle or cryptic phrase. The program will give you
increase the difficulty by only several options for anagrams. Finally translate
revealing the answer after players have the anagram into runes and don't forget the
successfully solved all steps. underlined runes.
• The first letter of each rune word is
underlined. The first letter of each rune
word in the solved anagram will also
be underlined. This knowledge will
make solving the anagrams a lot Finally
easier. (This clue is also faintly written All rune puzzles have been play tested. Hope
on the first hint). you have fun! - Paul Camp -
• Have two rune inscribed doors lead to
the same room. If players can't solve
one puzzle, they can try the other one.
• Avoid getting stuck by turning the
puzzle into a damage dealing trap if
players want to continue without
solving it.

Printing handouts
You can print the pages below and cut out the
image to hand players. If you want to have
your rune puzzle appear on a sword, simply
draw it behind the rune.
Rune Puzzles Reference Sheet
Nr: Number of the Rune Puzzle.
Runes: Search by colour for quick reference.
Anagram: Runes translate into letters. (Capital letters correspond to underlined runes)
Solved anagram: Rearrange letters to solve the anagrams. Solved anagrams describe objects.
Object: Touch door/item with the object (or speak its name, DM's choice) to solve the puzzle.
Required hints: The hints players need to solve the puzzle (see hints).

Nr Runes Anagram Solved Object Required Hints


anagram
1 Had hEr rat Hard Earth Stone 1, 2, 3, 4
2 rarE Teeth Earth Tree Root 1, 2, 3, 4
3 He had Sons Hand Shoes Gloves 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
4 a soFt Cod Cats Food Fish/Mouse 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
5 i seT oF to Ties Foot Shoelace 1, 4, 5, 6
6 SatIn orb Stab Iron Sword 1, 3, 4, 5, 6
7 ChoseN lot Nose Cloth Handkerchief 1, 3, 4, 5, 7
8 a FiDdle hut Death Fluid Poison 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7
9 wooden ruTS Tower Sound Bell 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7
10 Barnacle Balancer Scales 1, 3, 4, 6, 7
11 told uS sHh Holds shut Lock 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7
12 ourS Sour Acid 1, 2, 4, 5, 7
13 iRonClad Cold Rain Snow flake 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7
14 a neW Clash Clean Wash Soap 1, 2, 3, 4, 7
15 i quALm or aid Liquid Aroma Perfume 1, 2, 5, 7, 8
16 Sour pitS Stir Soup Spoon 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8
17 a mans Long Hop Hangmans Loop Noose 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8
18 HeLp me in Hemp Line Rope 1, 3, 6, 7, 8
19 i grew FiT Fire Twig Torch 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9
20 avErt hoMe Move Earth Shovel 1, 3, 6, 7, 9
21 heroeS Thug See Through Glass 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9
22 ten Magi Mintage Coin 1, 3, 4, 8, 9
23 FriGid flue Fluid Grief Tears 1, 2, 6, 7, 9
24 Be sulKing Kings Blue Blood 1, 3, 4, 7, 9
25 rEgaL son Long Ears Bunny 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9
26 inhaling niCkeLS Single Link Chain Ring 1, 3, 4, 7, 9
27 Hes gods Pal Holds Pages Book 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9
28 eYeleSs four See Yourself Mirror 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10
29 aM evil Jinni Mini Javelin Dart 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
30 dry Fine Hair Hairy Friend Pet 1, 2, 3, 6, 10
Hints

Hint 1

Hint 2
Hint 3

Hint 4

Hint 5
Hint 6

Hint 7

Hint 8
Hint 9

Hint 10
Rune Puzzles

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