Color Code and more D&D Color Puzzles
You see a colossal crystal suspended gracefully in mid-air. The crystal slowly rotates, casting a dazzling kaleidoscope of rainbows on the rounded wall of the chamber. From six holes in the wall, colored beams of light shoot into the center of the room.
The beams are red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.
An ethereal voice whispers from the crystal,
“If you want to get through this sparkling room, make me the color of a cherry in bloom!”
Solution: Players must physically block the beams of light that are not red.
The crystal is illuminated in a mesmerizing purple! The voice whispers,
“I feel like an eggplant! How divine! Now make me the color of joy, grief and envy.”
Solution: Yellow, Blue, Green
“Now I want to feel like a starless night.”
Solution: cover all beams of light to make the crystal black
Extra difficult:
“Now I want to feel like the first snowfall of winter.”
Solution: White - Spin the crystal and the colors will mix and shine white.
Solution 2: The beams are made with colored glass. Break the glass and the crystal will shine white!
Once satisfied, the crystal thanks you and says goodbye. The floor of the chamber shakes and lowers revealing another dungeon room to explore!
Notes for the Dungeon Master:
There are many creative solutions to this puzzle. Your players may splash the crystal with black ink or even shine their own lights.
If your players don’t know some of the tertiary colours, the crystal can help out with descriptions like, “Chartreuse is a pear in the morning sun.” or “Amber is the glow of a sizzling ember.”
A color wheel will help you customize this puzzle.
For soundtrack, I’d suggest something peaceful and airy.
Variation on this puzzle:
Not into the giant talking crystal? Have the players aim the beams at runes on the wall or make them combine colorful vials of potion to create specific colors.
Puzzle #2. Color Code
Is this puzzle a ripoff of Mastermind and Wordle? Hell ya! But it originally dates back over a century so it’s fair game.
You find a door with a strange lock - There are six colorful gems and four slots.
Place gems into the slots and you’ll get a hint - Gems of the correct color in the wrong position glow dimly. Gems of the correct color and position glow bright!
Beside the lock is a display that reads TEN. Each time you try a combination, that number counts down.
Solution
Let’s say the correct answer is:
RUBY SAPPHIRE EMERALD AMETHYST
And your players try this combination:
RUBY CITRINE TOPAZ EMERALD
You’ll give them the hint:
X _ _ O
Once the four gems are correctly placed, they glow brilliantly and the door pops open!
Notes for the DM:
You can give your players 12 chances if you want to give them a break. To boost the difficulty significantly, add PEARL (Beige) or Quartz (White)
You may want to print the puzzle above and give your players colorful markers, but this puzzle works without giving players anything.
Puzzle #3. Stained Glass Shards
One player is blindfolded and the party must guide them to assemble this colorful puzzle.
You enter a chamber with glowing shards of stained glass on the floor. The shards glow, illuminating the room in rainbows. Across the room is a treasure chest that sparkles in the light.
Once a player touches a tile: Color drains from your vision leaving the room in black and white! You sense that stained glass must be restored to restore your vision, but you can’t do it alone.
Now blindfold this player and give them a bunch of colorful triangles! The other players will have to help.
Print this puzzle out and cut it into triangles. If you don’t have a color printer, here is a black and white version.
No printer? No problem. Just draw your own puzzle and cut it into funky shapes.
