Hello there,

With the release of this article on simple riddle composition for DMs, I'm curious.

• What types of uses have you found for riddles in RPGs? Other than door passwords and quizzical guards :P
• How about some riddles you've come across and enjoyed? Were they fun due to the difficulty or the accompanying flavor?
• Did you make your own which you'd like to share? I'm especially interested in how it went over in your gaming group!

Finding new and inventive ways to challenge PCs is invaluable. Not everyone likes straight combat encounters, after all.

I'll start then

I like to put riddles in as door passwords and questions for guards to ask, of course. Riddle contests are another favorite that's been under-used lately. Until next week anyway I've got a d20 Modern game in the works.

I've got one riddle that's been my favorite. Interestingly it's got a fifty-fifty ratio for correct guesses.

In every land am I native yet few natives can have me,
Tyrants place hindrances in an attempt to stab me,
One cannot win or draw until one knows to lose,
Whether or not I'm felt by all is up to all to choose.

This one hasn't been notoriously difficult. Either people knew right away or they didn't, usually. Few puzzled it out. Flavor has been the best with that one. The leader of a slave rebellion was the first to pose this one.

That one has gone over well and not well. It's often anticlimactic when people get them right away and usually that one has been gotten in that manner.