How to use traps in D&D.

Puzzles can create some of the most memorable moments in Dungeons & Dragons — but they can also bring a game grinding to a halt. In this video I look at the different sorts of puzzles we can place in our dungeons: riddles, patterns, logic problems, physical mechanisms and puzzles hidden within the environment itself. More importantly, I consider where puzzles should appear, how difficult they should be and how often we should use them. Should a puzzle ever block the only route forward? Are we testing the intelligence of the character or the player? How many clues should a DM provide? And what happens when the players come up with a perfectly good solution that isn't the one the DM intended? As ever, these aren't rules for how D&D must be played. They're thoughts drawn from many years of running games — including the occasions when my carefully constructed ideas haven't survived first contact with the players! I'd be particularly interested to hear about puzzles you've used or encountered. Which ones worked — and which ones went horribly wrong? Thanks for watching.