Riddle Me This: The Tomb of Horrors
Before we go into how I plan out my traps, I’d like to take a look at how the pros do it. That is to say, I’d like to look at the traps and riddles included in official WotC books.
To start us off, I’ll be talking about the updated version of The Tomb of Horrors that’s included in the Tales From The Yawning Portal supplement book. For those who don’t know, the Tomb of Horrors is widely regarded as one of the deadliest, most unfair dungeons in the history of the game. It was originally created by Gary Gygax, the creator of D&D himself, in order to punish the players in his home game. The goal of the dungeon is to find the resting place of the demi-lich Acererak, defeat him, and steal his treasure.
This is a lot easier said than done, however. This dungeon has very little combat in it. The majority of the danger comes from the multitude of traps that wait for the unwary. As a bit of leniency, though, Acererak offers the adventurers some help near the beginning of the dungeon with a riddle warning them of the dangers of the tomb. The riddle reads as follows:
Acererak congratulates you on your powers of observation, so make of this whatever you wish, for you will be mine in the end no matter what!
Go back to the tormentor or through the arch, and the second great hall you’ll discover.
Shun green if you can, but night’s good color is for those of great valor.
If shades of red stand for blood, the wise will not need sacrifice aught but a loop of magical metal—you’re well along your march.
Two pits along the way will be found to lead to a fortuitous fall, so check the wall.
These keys and those are most important of all, and beware of trembling hands and what will maul.
If you find the false you find the true, and into the columned hall you’ll come, and there the throne that’s key and keyed.
The iron men of visage grim do more than meets the viewer’s eye.
You’ve left and left and found my tomb, and now your souls will die.
This riddle, should the party find it, holds clues to making it past some of the most insidious traps in the tomb, from doors hidden within spiked pit traps, to a pair of mosaics that teleport anyone who comes too close to different locations (the green one destroys anything that tries to go through it the other way). In the next part, we’ll look at what exactly the different parts of the riddle mean, and how misinterpreting them can lead to dire consequences.










