Dealing with mazes - different styles

Games Discussion Ars Magica
1

These are my ideas. Do you find additional combinations that are usable?

InAn Take an animal with you and use the spell to trace where it went to get out

MuAn Changes a piece of clothing into a leather rope that is left behind you (Ariane style)

ReAn Make an animal follow the scent he has left on the way in to get back out

CrAq Create Acid to leave an arrow on the floor, or: create wet footsteps

MuAu Strengthen air currents so you can use a torch to see how the flame reacts

InCo Find out where you have been before to retrace your steps

MuCo (Ritual) become a snakelike creature (several miles long) that stretches back to the entrance

ReCo Leap of HomeComing or similar spells

CrHe Moss grows in your footsteps, create paint on the wall

InHe take some herb and trace where it has been already

MuHe Changes piece of clothing into a rope that guides you back (Ariane style)

CrIg Torch the walls black to mark your progress

CrIm: Create spoken or visible illusion to guide you on your way out

CrMe: The perfect mind to remember

InMe: read someone's memory of where she went

CrTe: create stone signs pointing your way out

MuTe: Leave tracks on the stone floor

PeTe: Destroy rock to leave signs

ReTe: Sculpt rock to leave signs to find way out

2

Where is the maze in question? Above ground or below? Are the walls stone or hedge? What about the floor? Is there a ceiling? What features does the area have?

Pe Fo - destroy all the walls
Mu Fo(Au) - make all the walls pass-through-able
In Fo + Re Co - see through the walls, and teleport yourself to the end
Re Me- compel a ghost in the local graveyard to find the end of the maze for you
Re Me/Co and a lot of time - compel the local villagers to dig out all the walls
Cr Fo (ritual) - summon an elemental to guide you

3

In ArM4, I used to just ask for an Enigmatic Wisdom roll.

Since Enigmatic Wisdom is now much more tied into the Criamon mystery, I'd say an INT + relevant lore roll to determine the type of maze, and then it depends on what the maze requires.

With a Daedalus-style labyrinth, there's either an intellectual component, or an "I'll cast Obliteration of the Metallic Barrier until I see sunlight" component.

However, I like mazes that don't solve themselves with brute force.

Here's a segment of a faerie labyrinth I ran once, for my two cents:
a hall of mirrors. All reflections in the hall are accurate save one. To pass the hall, the magi must find the inaccurate reflection, then alter themselves (either MuCo or MuIm) to match that reflection, and then make a sufficient regio sight roll to see the level of the regio that is beyond that mirror (and only open when the reflection matches).

4

For mundane mazes you could ask for a Philosophae or Artes Liberalles roll since all mazes follow certian rules.

InTe would give a good intuition of the whole maze with the right level. Maybe even allowing someone to get some rough idea of which way was out.

however for magic mazes, all rules are off

5

I am in the same maze. My theory is to follow the same wall. We chose left, so I am thinking to consistantly follow the left wall.

6

it's a sure way to deal with non-magical mazes, IF you can make marks on your path, in order to avoid running in circles.

I've foiled many mazes of the Worst GM Ever by using this method

7

Yes. One has to remember that following a wall only works with acyclic mazes. Put the exits (e.g. stairs) in "islands" and you're out of luck.

8

As long as we can find our way out bback the same way we came in, I'll be happy. BUT, these are the caverns of dark faries, so I doubt that it will be that simple :smiley:

9

In many circumstances it might be wiser for the players to not play the game that they are given by the faeries.

SG: you can go left ot right here.

Magus player: I'll go straight, my magi casts Pit of the gaping earth on that wall in front of him, and for that matter he'll cast it on any other walls that foolishly interpose themselves between him and the exit as well.