(Date Posted:06/05/2007 01:48:44)
I can't remember its name, but there was some sort of published item a couple years ago. It was a collection of unusual maps and adventures to go with them. I remember thinking some were really cool. a couple thoughts (some based on that unknown product). first of all, i strongly urge you to actually draw the thing. pirate maps rarely have decent artwork so lack of skill won't matter and its fun to look at the thing. also, check out a new reality tv show called pirate masters on thursdays in the us. it has a map on each week that the pirates must follow to the treasure. another possibility is to check out the goonies and mad mad mad etc world. two great treasure hunts for ideas.)
draw the thing on a series of wooden slats instead of on parchment. (i'm thinking the wooden paint stirrers you can pick up from lowe's for free) the heroes must assemble the puzzle to see the map.
draw the map of Isla Verde on a piece of paper with large gaping holes (i'd recommend burning them into the paper). the trick is that one riddle tells you where to stand (on the spot where the second prophet preached his first sermon) and face (towards the setting sun). if you hold the map at arm's length, you can see several well-known artifacts through the holes in the map. Connect two sets of landmarks in an x. (Draw a line from the mountain of faith to the giant oak and another from the lighthouse to the river delta). that indicates on the map of Isla Verde where the treasure is located.
another fun one might be that the map is drawn on the skull of a dead pirate. not much riddle time there, just cool visual image. (and you can pick up styrofoam skulls moderately cheap).
another possibility is to give the player a large gaudy amulet of a sun-king like image. this sun-king has only three rays extending from it and a small hole where one eye should be. (the other eye has a minor gemstone). you have to get the OTHER map (which just shows an image of the island of Isla Verde). that map has three small markings. put each ray on one of the markings and the treasure's location is visible through the eyehole.
one last possibility is to have the map leads to another clue ("the place where i retired") which leads to a boarding house where the pirate lived out his last days. a dozen different groups all converge
on the spot. they quickly see a medium sized island out the window and conclude that is where the treasure is hidden. the other groups swarm out there and begin digging. The heroes search the room but find nothing except for a series of scratches on the window panes (the wood, not the glass). (landlady explains that he went mad in his final days and clawed at the window.) ah, but he was crazy like a fox. each scratch matches one on the other side of the window. line up all the scratch marks and they point to a single location on an island visible out the window. so, now the heroes are the only ones to know precisely where the treasure is located, but they've got to get out there, dig it up and get out before the others catch on. (if you want to be even nastier, the landlady had the window ripped out. the heroes have to go find it in the midden heap.)
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Check out the website www.plaidchameleongames.com for role playing suggestions and puzzles.
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