Canonfire! Forums-viewtopic-Need help with Tomb of Horrors riddles [spoilers]

Thu Nov 03, 2005 6:21 pm Need help with Tomb of Horrors riddles [spoilers]

As I'm reading through the module in preperation to run it, one annoying thing has surfaced about it. The 'riddles' and clues and poems that Acererak leaves around the place are left unexplained.

I ain't the brainiest of people as I'm sure many people on these forums would attest, so I'd like some help deciphering them so that I can anticipate player's actions and answer their questions with the inevitable divination spells that will be cast.

So far there are the following that I have zero clue about:

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 colour
is for those of great valour.
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 teh 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 youre soul will die.

And this one:

Look low and high for gold, to hear a tale untold. The archway at the end, and on your way you'll wend.

- A.

So... what does it all mean?
_________________
In more modern times, only Delglath of Rinloru is known to have crafted any items from the stone of this atrocious place. Even masters of the dark arts such as Xaene and Karoolck would hesitate to follow.

Fri Nov 04, 2005 8:01 am

It is directions and clues to get past all the traps (and yet a trap in itself, since there are important secret passages that bypass a lot of this):

tormentor is the demon face with the sphere of annihilation. THe arch is the one with the multi-colored stones that they have to press right to get through. One color changes gender, one transports their equipment away but not them, right?

sacrifice not but a loop...refers to the trap/door where they can put in a magic ring to get by. I cant remember what is fortuitous about the pits, but the wall I think has secret door around them.

Trembling hands...can't remember.

Find false, find true either refers to a false door or the fake lich. The columned hall should be obvious from the map. Iron men are the animated suits of armor that attack out of nowhere.

Left and left is a clue for how to navigate the maze like ending to reach Acererak, and soul dieing refers to his soul stealing ability.

Finally, I don't even remember the other one, so I can't help with that.

ROB