– P U Z Z L E –

Dandolo's
Cryptic Box
D ANDOLO’S CRYPTIC BOX IS A
highly customizable four-part
puzzle which can be solved as a series
of sideplots to an existing campaign or
as an adventure on its own. To open
the box, the PCs must set the correct
combination on a series of four rings,
then press a button to release the
locks. Each ring has a unique set of
of the answer to the puzzle, and notes
symbols and a unique type of puzzle
including where and how adventurers
to determine the correct symbol.
receive the clues as well as suggestions
The ring sections below all have the
for how to get them to the next clue.
following format: a segment showing
the sequence of symbols, the transla-
WRITING Phill Harmon
tion or meaning of the symbols (for COLOR ART Xanditz
EDITING Mike Myler
the GM), clues for the PCs (including
LAYOUT Frank Michienzi
untranslated segments), an explanation

Puzzle: Dandolo's Cryptic Box | EN World EN5ider

 Box. The contents and size of the box are entirely
up to the GM, but it is recommended the box be
easily portable and thus contain nothing larger
than a pair of magic boots. Some other suggestions
for the box’s contents include a key clue or piece of
information relevant to the party’s larger quest, a
magic item useful or even necessary for continuing
their quest (such as a ring of x-ray vision), or a spell
scroll with a particularly powerful spell.
Origin. Adventurers might find the box amidst
the goods in a shop (with a shopkeeper that has
tried to solve it and is so frustrated they just want
it out of sight), as a reward for a quest, or left in
a remote location, (apparently abandoned and
forgotten). Regardless of how the PCs come into
possession of the box, any time it changes owners
a programmed illusion spell is triggered (possibly
catching the attention of monsters if found in a
dungeon). The illusion created by this spell has no
visual component. Read the following:
There is some loud fanfare of brass notes and then
a disembodied voice says, “I, Umberto Dandolo, the
greatest puzzle-maker, have created a quandary to
delight and intrigue the cleverest amongst you. Four
locks with four keys — but you will not find the answers
easily. No cheaters either! Whether brute force or
magically, attempts to open my box without the keys
will irreparably damage its contents. Repeated incor-
rect tries will similarly destroy your prize. Here is your
first clue:
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Puzzle: Dandolo's Cryptic Box | EN World EN5ider
As I was going to the castle,
I met a noble with seven vassals,
Each vassal had seven packs,
Each pack had seven sacks,
Each sack had seven blocks of sealing wax,
Wax, sacks, packs, and vassals,
How many were there going to the castle?”
If the players attempt to circumvent the puzzles
by either forcing the box open or trying random
combinations instead of solving the puzzles, warn
them then destroy whatever is in the box. The intent
is not to punish mistakes, but rather to incentivize
the players to complete the puzzles.
Ring 1
4 8 1 7 5 9 3 6 2
CLUES
See the read aloud section above.
ANSWER
This is a rewrite of an ancient but simple riddle. The
mention of the nobles and vassals and so on is just a
distraction— only the speaker is going to the castle
so the answer is ‘one’. The only other trivia necessary
to solve this ring is knowledge of Roman numerals.
GM NOTES
On setting the ring to the correct answer, another
programmed illusion is triggered. This is a string
of numbers (see Clues for Ring 2) and a voice. Read
the following:
“And now it’s time to learn some history — research me
and you will see the answer to the next key.”
 The next clue is found by researching Umberto
Dandolo. If the PCs do not catch on from the
programmed illusion alone, have an NPC they
run across recognize the box as one of Dandolo’s
puzzles and suggest learning more about him.
The GM should place a library with a collection
of historical texts somewhere within the setting to
facilitate the party’s research (specifically including
an encyclopedia that has an entry for Dandolo).
Clever adventurers may try all the settings on
the next ring to trigger another programmed illu-
sion and give them the correct answer, but there are
no more programmed illusions triggered by condi-
tions of the box itself after the clue below.
Ring 2
Wealth Journey Horse Year Water
Sun Day Man Gift
CLUES
1. A programmed illusion that recites, “3–3, 5–7,
14–3, 3–8, 10–1, 7–6.”
2. Encyclopedia article (see Handout 2).
ANSWER
This is a riddle hidden within a book cypher. Each
pair of numbers in the programmed illusion corre-
sponds to a line and a word in that line of the
encyclopedia article (Handout 2). Strung together
these words make the riddle, ‘Eye (I) run but have
no legs,’ to which the answer is ‘water’. The encyclo-
pedia article has the additional clue of the first word
being underlined, which should help point the PCs
in the direction of deciphering the code. For adven-
turers that are still having trouble, the GM can point
out that the underline and numbers were clearly
written sometime after the book was published.
Puzzle: Dandolo's Cryptic Box | EN World EN5ider
GM NOTES
The symbols on this ring are Norse runes. Many
fantasy games and settings use Norse runes as
Dwarvish script, so any adventurer who can read
Dwarvish script automatically knows the meaning
of each rune. Optionally, the GM could decide these
are instead the writing of a warrior or nomad tribe
and give the party the additional task of finding
someone to translate the runes.
The encyclopedia article should point the PCs in
the direction of the Enigmatist Society for the next
clue. GMs can place their headquarters wherever is
most convenient, whether nearby for expediency
(within the same town) or requiring a journey that
can further the campaign’s plot (a monastery at the
top of a mountain, on a lonely island, in the middle
of the desert, and so on).
Ring 3
Earth Air Gold Silver Lead
Water Fire Copper Tin
CLUES
When the second ring is locked into place, a small
piece of paper magically appears on top of the box
(Handout 3).
ANSWER
This is a logic grid puzzle. The complete answers are:
1. Rudil the Ravager is from the Thule and killed
Herensuge the red dragon in the First Age.
2. Crognon the Conqueror is from Zerzura and
killed Ormr the gold dragon in the Second Age.
3. Sonja the Slayer is from Mount Malata and
killed Ladon the blue dragon in the Third Age.
4. Gladys the Gallant is from Tlacopan and killed
Longwei the silver dragon in the Final Age.
 Since Herensuge the red dragon was slain in the ANSWERS
First Age, and red dragons breathe fire, the correct This is a combination of several different puzzle
symbol on the ring is the alchemical symbol for fire. types. The answer to the first riddle is ‘shadow’.
The GM can easily change out the names of heroes, With this word in hand, the PCs can follow the
mythical lands, and dragons in the puzzle to match instructions and set the letters into the grid with
those found in their campaign world. the word shadow first (then the remaining letters
alphabetically) to create a decryption pad for a
GM NOTES Hybrid Polybius Playfair cipher. This is the result:
The symbols on this ring are used for alchemy.
Evokers and transmutationists immediately recog- 1 2 3 4 5
nize these symbols but other wizards or arcane
spellcasters can make an Intelligence (Arcana) 1 S H A D O
check (DC 10 + 1/2 the party’s average level) to do 2 W B E F G
so as well.
3 I J K L M
The Enigmatist Society can be as large or small
as the GM desires. However it should be mysterious 4 N P Q R T
and silent, populated with at least one enigmatist
5 U V X Y Z
scholar (use the statistics for a cult fanatic with the
following spells prepared, swapping its Wisdom and
Intelligence scores and using Intelligence as its spell- The above pad can then be used to decrypt the
casting ability: disguise self, illusory script, silent image, last bit of this clue by following the number down
and invisibility, misty step, pass without trace). When then across (the “fall before run” hint). For example,
they see the box they speak the clues for Ring 3 to 12 is H and 13 is A. When they’re done the party
the PCs, though they are unwilling to say anything should have deduced the following riddle (the
else and flee if pressed too much or intimidated. answer to which is ‘sea’, so ‘c’ is the correct choice
on the locking ring):
Be a salt and be a seaman,
Ring 4 be a korsair; be a foe,
be the letter that you live on,
be the grave where sailors go.

GM NOTES
a s t m c e i f g This is the most complex puzzle as it requires
multiple steps. The letters are Elvish so any PC
CLUES who can read Elvish immediately recognizes them.
These are clues for the fourth ring, delivered in the At the GM’s discretion, the many pieces of this
same way as the last ring’s clues (a magical piece of puzzle may instead be spread across different loca-
paper and set of tiles with an indented board; see tions. The adventurers might find the first clue on
Handout 4). a scroll signed by Dandolo in one location, the tiles
as massive stones in a room in a distant dungeon,
and so on. Regardless, upon solving all four rings
and pressing the unlock button, the box opens
with a golden luminance and the whisper of power
coming from within. e

Puzzle: Dandolo's Cryptic Box | EN World EN5ider

Handout 1
Handout 2

Dandolo, Umber
Puzzle Design to;
er
1 Umberto Dandolo was a
2 maker and illusionist. Aftleergendary puzzle-
3 tricking the e
ye, Dandolo is
many decades
focused more said to have
on tricking th
his puzzles are e mind, and
said to have ru
from the easiest n the gamut
riddles to the m
secret codes. In ost difficult
the final legs
Dandolo found of his life,
ed the Enigm
devoted to stud atist Society;
ying puzzles, tr
No one know icks, and traps.
s whether any
puzzles remain of Dandolo’s
as their locatio
largely lost to ti ns have been
me. It is specu
Enigmatist So lated that the
ciety maintain
Dandolo’s wo s a list of
rks, but none
released to the have been
public in centu
ries.
Handout 3

Four Legendary Heroes

from Four Legendary Lands
slew Four Legendary Dragons
in Four Legendary Ages

What was the color of the dragon slain the longest ago?

Heroes
 Locations
 Dragons
 Ages

Gladys the Gallant Tlacopan Herensuge The First Age
Crognon the Zerzura the red dragon The Second Age
Conqueror Ormr
Thule The Third Age
Rudil the Ravager the gold dragon
Mount Malata The Final Age
Sonja the Slayer Ladon
the blue dragon
Longwei
the silver dragon

The Hero who is from Zerzura is either the Hero who slew in the Second
Age or the Hero who slew Herensuge.

Sonja the Slayer slew sometime after the Hero who slew in Zerzura.

The Hero who slew Herensuge is either Sonja the Slayer or the Hero who
is from Thule.

Gladys the Gallant traveled one age after the slayer of Ladon.

Of Crognon the Conqueror and the slayer of Longwei, one is from Zerzura
and the other slew in the Final Age.

Gladys the Gallant slew Longwei.

The slayer of Ladon slew one age before the hero who is from Tlacopan.
Handout 4

First this riddle gives the key—arrange the rest alphabetically:

Each morning I appear to lie at your feet,

All day I will follow no matter how fast you run,
Yet I nearly perish in the midday sun.

A B D E F

G H I J K

L M N O P

Q R S T U

V W X Y Z

All must fall before they run.

22–23 13 11–13–34–45 13–41–14 22–23 13 11–23–13–35–13–41

22–23 13 33–15–44–11–13–31–44 22–23 13 24–15–23

22–23 45–12–23 34–23–45–45–23–44 45–12–13–45 54–15–51 34–31–52–23 15–41

22–23 45–12–23 25–44–13–52–23 21–12–23–44–23 11–13–31–34–15–44–11 25–15