Puzzle Locks by FatherGanja, edited by Xena Dragon

Deep inside dungeon Khaldun there are several chests that require more than a lockpick or some magic to unlock them. These chests can only be unlocked by solving a puzzle. Anyone who has ever played "mastermind" will recognize the puzzle. You have to determine the color of 5 pegs. Once you have done that, the chest will be unlocked and the loot will be yours. Here is a method of getting to that loot fast. Be careful though, the chest will set off traps if you fail to get the sequence right. Make sure you bring enough protection. Don't forget, there are also some monsters roaming around trying to get you while you solve the puzzle...

The easiest way to solve this is by color, not the holes they go into. I'll explain. Not all of the colors are used, and some are used as many as 3 times(happened before). Its faster to work out what colors work, then solving the puzzle outright. Confused? Thats why I took pictures *biggrin*

To start the puzzle, double-click on the chest. If the chest simply opens without showing you a puzzle then you are too late; someone else has been there before you and opened the chest. You will have to wait for the puzzle to reset before you can have a go at it.

To place a cylinder on a pedestal, you first click on one of the blue diamond shaped buttons at the bottom to select which pedestal to use. Next select one of the eight grey balls next to the colored cylinders to place that color cylinder on the pedestal you selected.

Start with placing one light blue cylinder (the top left one) on a pedestal and hit okay. You will get either one of the following messages:

  • Thou hast none in the correct position and none of the correct color. This cylinder is not used in the solution, move on to the next color.
  • None are in the correct position, but thou hast 1 of the correct color in the right position. It means you've found one of the cylinders that fit in the sequence. Start using this cylinder in every slot, one at a time, until you get the next message.
  • Thou hast 1 of the correct color and in the correct position. Congratulations, the cylinder you placed last is the correct one for that pedestal. Move on to the next free pedestal and the next color.
  • Thou hast 1 of the correct color and in the correct position, and also 1 of the correct color, but in the wrong position. This means the cylinder you placed last is used on another position also. Continue with the same color on the next free pedestal.

Eventually you will figure out the correct combination and the chest will open for you. The contents vary, but usually the chest contains about 1000 gold, gems, a treasure map, a weapon and/or armor and a bag with 50 of each reagent. That bag alone makes this puzzle locked treasure chest a very interesting one.

Having a high lockpicking skill really helps with solving the puzzle. From 60 onward you will get some hints to start with: Using thy knowledge of locks, thou hast determined that.... [color] is in the first slot and [color(s)] is/are used, but thou art not certain where.

Puzzle Chest Start Hints
Lockpicking # of cylinders in correct position # of cylinders of the correct color
100
1
3
90
1
2
80
1
1
70
0
2
60
0
1