Puzzles and Riddles for Players
by Jonathan NolanRIDDLE:
When the red petal of the swamp flower is lost, the number of the remaining petals will be your key
SOLUTION:
The swamp flower is the lily, alchemical symbol of the unity of the elements (air, fire, earth, water, quintessence - in Mystara noble quintessence is replaced by base Entropy).
Since there are five Spheres there are five petals. Since one is lost, the answer is "4". Thus in a dungeon, maze, trap or riddling creature, this will be the answer, either as an actual number, the number on the door to choose, the number of times to click a Blackmoor tech button on a wall, etc. etc.
RIDDLE:
The grasping hand reaches eternally for the pearl on the shifting sands; its defeat lies above, not below.
SOLUTION:
A treasure, presumptively an actual pearl, lying on a sandy bottom of a lake, deep river or sea. The defeat of the grasping hand of an adventurer seeking to take the pearl lies in the adventurer's need for air; without it he or she cannot reach the pearl due to not being able to breathe water. There are other, more arcane possible solutions too.
RIDDLE:
Contention of Lion and Griffin; only in times of peace will the answer emerge.
SOLUTION:
A mechanism or pair of figurines of the Sun and Moon attached to movable levers can be swung so as to be far apart, touching or crossed over. When touching, they frame a particular star on a starmap behind them. Pressing that star opens a secret door leading to a cache of books, scrolls and similar treasures. Sun = Male = Lion, Griffin = Woman = Moon in medieval western magic.