PAWPRINTS IN THE SAND

The heat of the sun beats down as you drag yourself across a vast desert. You’re out of water and every oasis you find turns out to be a mirage.

You come across tiny pawprints in the sand…

How will you find water and escape the desert?

SOLUTION:

Follow the pawprints and you catch up to a kangaroo mouse hopping across the sand.

If you can speak to animals, the kangaroo mouse says: “I gotta go! Let me go! Don’t follow me!”

It immediately hops off across the desert.

Follow the kangaroo mouse and it will jump into a beautiful underground oasis filled with little birds and animals enjoying the cool water.

This puzzle leads well into the spiked cactus puzzle.

NOTES FOR THE DUNGEON MASTER

If your players have create water spells, this puzzle won’t work as well. The goal is to get everyone really thirsty.

Describe the burning sun and the endless sand dunes.

Practice your little pipsqueak voice for the kangaroo mouse!

If your players kill the kangaroo mouse or choose not to follow it, lead them into this alternate puzzle:

The water mirages are illusory spells being cast by a young wizard. Players can hear the prankster wizard cackling at their misfortune from behind a sand dune. Follow the laughter and battle the wizard to get a map out of the desert.

Find music to suit your endless desert. Here are some from the East and the old West.