Puzzle adventure · escape-room style
Escape the Skeleton Crypt
A hidden door seals shut behind you — now the only way out is through three ancient, rattling guardians.
Pick a session length
Read this to your players to start
Exploring the old crypt beneath Hollow Hill, the heroes hear a heavy stone door grind shut behind them. Torches gutter on the walls, old bones stir in the dark, and the only way out is to solve the crypt’s ancient puzzle before the last torch burns down.
The adventure, scene by scene
- Scene 1
The Door Seals Shut
Read aloud
A grinding rumble echoes behind you — the entrance has sealed itself with a heavy stone slab. Ahead, torchlight flickers over three carved runes set into the far wall: a Sun, a Star, and a Moon, each above its own stone lever.
DM notes
The runes and levers are the whole puzzle — the heroes need to find and read an inscription somewhere in the crypt (see the Riddle Room beat) before they can safely pull them in order. Pulling levers in the wrong order before finding the inscription just clicks harmlessly (no penalty) — this keeps failure low-stakes for a young table.
- Scene 2
The Forking Chamber
Read aloud
The passage splits in two. Two Skeletons rattle upright from a stone alcove, old swords raised, blocking the left-hand path.
DM notes
A straightforward fight or a Clever check (Difficulty Number 12) to slip past toward the right-hand path instead — both paths reconnect further in, so neither choice locks anyone out of content.
- Scene 3
The Riddle Room
Read aloud
Carved above a dusty archway is an inscription: "Pull first the one that brings the day. Pull last the one that rules the dark, quiet sky. Pull the middle one — the one with a thousand points of light — in between."
DM notes
WORKED SOLUTION (verified, single unambiguous answer): Sun first ("brings the day"), Star second ("a thousand points of light," the middle lever), Moon last ("rules the dark, quiet sky"). Let the players puzzle it out themselves — read the inscription again if asked, don’t just hand over the answer.
- Scene 4
The Shifting Floor
Read aloud
A short stretch of floor ahead is tiled in an odd checkerboard pattern — and as the lead hero steps on it, a tile sinks with a click. The floor is rigged to shift.
DM notes
A Clever check (Difficulty Number 13) picks a safe path across; failing just means a stumble and 1 Heart Point lost, never a real fall — keep this a tense-but-safe set piece, not a lethal trap.
- Scene 5
Bonus: The Old Caretaker
Read aloud
A side alcove off the forking chamber holds a faint, glowing shape — the friendly spirit of the crypt’s long-dead caretaker, who just wants someone to hear how the crypt came to be.
DM notes
Optional for groups with time: listening patiently (a Kind check is a nice-to-have, not required) earns a genuinely helpful hint about the rune order, or a small trinket, from the grateful spirit. This is a pure roleplay beat, not a fight.
- Scene 6
The Exit Door
Read aloud
At the crypt’s far end, the three runes and their levers wait beside a Skeleton Guardian standing rigid at the sealed exit door — the last torch is starting to gutter.
DM notes
If the party knows the rune order (Sun, Star, Moon), pulling the levers correctly opens the door and the Skeleton Guardian simply stands aside, its ancient duty complete — no fight needed. If they don’t know it (skipped the Riddle Room at the Quick Quest tier), let them guess or fight the Guardian to force the door instead — both are valid resolutions.
Who’s in this adventure
Skeleton
- Heart Points
- 4
- Guard
- 12
- Attack
- Old Bone Sword +2 (1d6 Heart Points)
Clatters loudly when it moves — hard to sneak past once it’s awake.
Skeleton Guardian
- Heart Points
- 12
- Guard
- 14
- Attack
- Ancient Spear +3 (1d8 Heart Points)
Won’t leave its post at the exit door unless the three runes are pulled in the correct order.
Rewards
- Freedom from the crypt (the whole point).
- An old signet ring found near the levers.
- A small pouch of ancient coins.
Tips for running this one
- Keep every hazard in this one low-stakes — a stumble, a scare, never a serious injury. It’s meant to feel like a fun escape room, not a dangerous dungeon.
- If a table gets stuck on the riddle, let a Clever check (Difficulty Number 12) reveal one word of the answer as a hint rather than stalling the session.
- At the Quick Quest tier (hook + climax only), just let the party find the correct rune order carved right next to the exit door instead — skip the separate Riddle Room.
Want a paper copy for the table? Open the printable DM sheet →