- Type: Math puzzle
- Location: a cave or hideout
- Difficulty: Medium
Background:
The party has been hired by a wealthy merchant to retrieve a valuable treasure from a group of greedy thieves. The merchant explains that the treasure was crafted by a group of skilled human alcehmists and is said to bring good fortune to whoever possesses it. The thieves, learning of the value of the treasure, broke into the merchant’s home and stole the treasure, disappearing into the nearby mountains.
The Puzzle:
The party tracks the thieves to a hidden cave in the mountains, where they discover that the thieves have set up a trap to protect the treasure. The cave is filled with a series of tunnels and chambers, and in each chamber, the party must solve a puzzle in order to proceed.
The party comes across a room filled with a large number of gold coins and gems, but they can only take a certain number with them due to weight limitations. However, the party notices that the coins are of different sizes and weights, and that there is a scale in the room that they can use to weigh the coins.
The party must use their knowledge of weights and measures to determine the maximum number of coins they can take with them, while still being able to carry the load. The party is given a list of the coins and their weights, and must use the scale to figure out how many coins they can take while still staying within their weight limit.
Solution:
To solve this puzzle, the party must use their knowledge of weights and measures to determine the maximum number of coins they can take. They can do this by weighing different combinations of coins and gems on the scale and keeping track of the weights.
The party can use the following steps to solve the puzzle:
- Determine the weight limit that the party can carry.
- Weigh different combinations of coins and gems on the scale until the party finds the combination that is the closest to, but not exceeding, the weight limit.
- Count the number of coins and gems in the combination that was found to be the closest to the weight limit. This is the maximum number of coins that the party can take.
For example, if the weight limit is 1000 lbs and the coins and gems have the following weights: 2 lbs, 1 lb, 0.5 lbs, and 0.25 lbs, the party could try several combination. It’s up to them how they wish to combine coins and gems as long as they don’t exceed their own carrying capacity.