Certainly! Here's a **fully detailed version** of the **Magic Mouth Riddle Puzzle** from _White Plume Mountain_, complete with setup, solution, and guidance for running it in 5e. --- ## 🔊 Puzzle #5: The Magic Mouth Riddles **Module:** _White Plume Mountain_ (1979) **Why It’s Famous:** A classic logic puzzle that uses riddle-solving rather than combat to access powerful treasure. **Puzzle Type:** Cryptic riddle → environmental solution **Notable Item:** The intelligent trident **Wave** --- ## 🎤 SCENE SETUP — WHAT THE PLAYERS EXPERIENCE > _As you step into the damp, echoing corridor, a section of the stone wall ripples like water, and a carved, disembodied mouth appears. Its lips move smoothly, but its voice echoes in your mind:_ > **“The forces of water oppose you in this room; only those who carry a gift shall pass.”** Moments later, the mouth vanishes. The corridor ahead leads to a sealed, watertight door, and the temperature noticeably drops. A faint sloshing sound echoes from beyond. --- ## 🧠 PUZZLE MECHANICS This puzzle precedes the **chamber that contains the weapon Wave**, which lies **in a flooded room patrolled by aquatic guardians**. The Magic Mouth provides a cryptic hint that brute force will be punished, but clever players may bypass the threat. ### 💬 The Riddle: > **“The forces of water oppose you in this room; only those who carry a gift shall pass.”** #### Interpretation: - "Forces of water" = hostile water elementals or guardians - "Carry a gift" = offering something appropriate to the water element (symbolic or literal) --- ## 🛕 ENVIRONMENT & PUZZLE AREA ### Chamber Beyond the Riddle: - A **water-filled room** (up to chest or neck height), 30 ft. square - A **pedestal** in the centre, submerged just below the surface, holds the trident _Wave_ - Two **water weirds** or a **water elemental** lie in wait (invisible in water) - Approaching the weapon without following the riddle's hint triggers an attack --- ## 🎁 SOLUTION – "A GIFT FOR WATER" To bypass the guardians and claim _Wave_ without combat, the players must **offer a gift to the water**. This can be interpreted in multiple ways: ### Valid "Gifts": |Item/Action|Result| |---|---| |Pouring pure water, wine, or holy water into the pool|Accepted – the elementals withdraw| |Dropping a gemstone or coin into the water|Accepted – symbolic sacrifice| |Offering a fish, pearl, or aquatic object|Accepted – thematically appropriate| |Casting _Create Water_ or _Purify Food and Drink_ as a ritual|Accepted – magical reverence| |Speaking a prayer to a water deity|Accepted – especially if sincere or in Aquan| |Using _Prestidigitation_ to create a soothing aquatic effect|May be accepted with a Charisma (Performance) or Religion check (DC 15)| ### If No Gift Is Offered: - Water guardians attack with surprise - Elementals attempt to **grapple and drown** intruders - Wave cannot be removed from its pedestal until guardians are defeated or appeased --- ## 🎲 MECHANICS – CHECKS TO INTERPRET THE RIDDLE |Action|Skill|DC|Result| |---|---|---|---| |Interpret “gift” meaning|Religion or Insight|13|Understand a symbolic offering is needed| |Recall aquatic customs|History|15|Cultures offer coins or liquid to water spirits| |Speak Aquan|—|—|Gain a +2 bonus to interaction rolls| |Use _Detect Magic_ on water|—|—|Reveals lurking elemental presences| --- ## 💡 DM TIPS – RUNNING THE PUZZLE - Make it clear this is **not a combat challenge** unless the party ignores the clue - Encourage creativity: if players do something poetic or reverent, reward them - Let the **elementals respond subtly** to respectful offerings (e.g. the water calms, pedestal glows faintly) - If the party fails and fights, don’t withhold _Wave_, but make them earn it --- ## ⚔️ COMBAT ALTERNATIVE If the party ignores the riddle or refuses to offer anything: - 2 × **Water Weirds** (MM, p. 299) attack from below - Use **invisible underwater ambush** - Target lowest Constitution character first - Try to **drag characters underwater and drown** - Alternatively, 1 × **Water Elemental** (MM, p. 125) for a higher-level party --- ## 📝 OPTIONAL HANDOUT – Magic Mouth Inscription > _Etched faintly beneath the magic mouth’s location is a carving in Aquan and Common:_ > _“Give to water, and water shall give.”_ --- ## ✅ SUMMARY |Element|Detail| |---|---| |Puzzle|Magic Mouth gives cryptic clue about water-themed challenge| |Riddle|“The forces of water oppose you in this room; only those who carry a gift shall pass.”| |Correct Action|Offer a symbolic or magical gift to the water before approaching Wave| |Result|Guardians withdraw, Wave is accessible| |Failure|Surprise combat vs. water elementals or water weirds| |Skills Used|Religion, Insight, History, Arcana, Performance| |Reward|_Wave_, the sentient trident (legendary weapon)| --- Would you like a printable handout for the riddle or a stat block for _Wave_ tailored to your campaign?