Runes Room (Puzzle) - 22x30

Hello Folks! How is your summer going? Today I am a little anxious for this map. Because I did what I could to make it simple and accessible to everyone.

So I'm going straight to the point.

Today we have a Rune Hall. Seriously, no waste of engravings. lol. The floors are adorned with them, there are platforms and symbols that are repeated in some specific slabs. Also an altar overlooks the huge room, which makes it all slightly SUS. -Just saying-

In today's Map, the intention is to create a timed mini-game where you challenge your players to perform actions in a predetermined way.

➡️ ➡️Warning: There's a bit of text. Scroll to the end of the post for the rewards!

About the map

We have a large central arena, with a runic star that is "unlinked" at the corners (1 to 6). There we have circular plates you need to rotate to complete/link the star. We have twin balconies to walk through and - of course - some Runes. Just a couple.

The idea is to use the "keys" which are nothing more than crafter-trolleys that the players will have to position in a specific box (1B,2B,3B,4B,5B and 6B). Each "key" has a sphere that amplifies the rune on which it is placed. The peculiarity is that, once positioned, the "Key" will step back. Then the DM will use the boxes to count the turns within which the players must defeat the enemies that will be summoned when the rune is activated. If they fail, the test must be repeated. Another difficulty is that the final platforms (5e6) cannot be activated if the previous ones (1,2,3 and 4) have not been 'cleared'.

So how do you proceed? Position the map, add the star vertices (1 to 6)  and the key-trolleys (1B to 6B). If you want you can also add the dark plates with the runes (1C to 6C) . This way you can control when show them as lit or unlit. This is a bit of a nitpicking... * cough cough* BTW, those are the spawning points :P

Have the party explore the room. Let them notice the connections, the runes on the dark plates. When the players discover that the "Keys" can be moved, just have them activate any station between 3 and 4. These stations have the particularity of having the spawning-point very close (the dark plates). Also their battle should be solved in 2 turns, not three. This might help the party to get the mechanism!

From the moment of activation, drop your favorite mob and give it the set turns to pass the test. Otherwise the creature will disappear, and you will need to re-do the battle.

After cleaning all 4 initial stages, you can finally activate 5e6 which will bring energy to the altar. From there, it's up to you to decide whether to add a boss-fight or let them discover a good easter egg of your lore!

Small guide:

1: Peak of the star to be aligned.

1B: Trolley-key track. The rune on the right, in this example, is the activation point.

1C: Plate of summoning. When the trolley-Key is on the rune (1B), the summoning of the mob on the plate will take place. From that moment, at each turn, move the Key one space back, till restoring the starting position.

Of course you can set your own turns, or use any point of the map.
If you want to add a bit of spice, you can decide whether to give an advantage or a disadvantage... Like when a character is standing the rune ground (such as the ruins in the main hall, the dark areas of the arena, or the floor of the balconies) Or...

...Or you might decide to ignore my long messy istruction and enjoy the map as it is :D Hope you like it, let me know how it goes!

➡️ Of course, after all of this text, you really need a REWARD! There we go!

Traveler   |   Citizen   |   Adventurer&Hero 

If you can read this: Aww, thank you!
I've changed a bit the style of the grid. Would you mind sharing what you think about this new style? The intent is to make it look more subtle and less intrusive. Thank you!