And Then There Were None | Free Puzzle for D&D 5e and Pathfinder 2e

Designed by Claire Martin; Pathfinder 2e conversion by Zac Chaney

A private party takes a dark turn as ten guests go missing without a trace. As your players investigate the dimly lit tavern, they must navigate through remnants of the night—empty shot glasses, a guest list, and a series of photographs that capture the chilling events leading up to the disappearance. Who survived, and who met a grisly fate? With sharp minds and keen observation, can they piece together the clues to uncover the truth behind the vanished revelers? Dive into this intricate mystery that promises to test your party's wits!

Difficulty: hard

Ten people mysteriously disappeared during a private party, presumed dead. Based on a party list and a picture taken before the evening became a disaster, characters must deduce their identities and fate.

A tavern lies empty, dimly lit by flickering oil lamps. Nothing betrays the mysterious happenings nor the disappearance of ten individuals who rented the space for a party the previous evening. Evidence of the party remains: half-full shot glasses, pulled-out chairs and barstools, a guest list posted on the wall, and a camera  behind the bar.

Puzzle Features

There are two clues required to solve this puzzle: a guest list and a camera. The characters can receive them directly, or you can spread them out for them to discover.

The first clue, the guest list, provides a roster of the ten people who were present at the party:

• Justine Dance
• Sariel Moonwhisper
• Sentry Thomas Rogers
• Sentry Tony Marston
• Sentry Isaac Morris
• Cyril Blore
• Aidan Claythorne
• Maeve Claythorne
• Morgran Ironfist
• L.W.

The last clue, the camera, provides three snapshots of the night’s progression.

The first photograph depicts nine smiling individuals posing for the camera. Three men stand solemnly together, all wearing guard uniforms. A scruffier individual stands next to them, a little hunched, with one of the guards’ hands on his shoulder (upon closer inspection, they will notice he is also wearing handcuffs). An elegant woman stands next to him in a striking green dress. A male dwarf stands beside her, his arms crossed over his chest. A young man with a casual outfit stands next to him, his arm around the young woman by his side (upon closer inspection, they will notice that the two are both wearing wedding rings). And last is a slender woman with fine features and long, pointed ears.

The second photograph depicts a shot taken from the right side of the bar. In the foreground are two men in uniform slumped over the bar, foam coming from their mouths and empty shot glasses grasped in their hands. A section of their arm patches is showing; one says “R” and the other “M.” In the middle ground, the third uniformed individual is threatening the couple on the dance floor with a knife. The two wear a look of terror and outrage. In the background, a door is slightly ajar, showing the foot of someone wearing green high heels exiting the venue.

The third photograph depicts a werewolf lunging forward toward the frame of the picture (upon closer inspection, the werewolf is wearing a wedding ring; it also has a piece of cloth stuck in its teeth bearing the letter “A”). In the middle ground, two bodies lie in a bloody and clawed heap on the floor. One wears what’s left of a uniform, and the other is of short stature. In the background are two figures. One has pointed ears and is slumped over the bar in a similar fashion to the two guards from the previous photo. The other is a man lying on the ground with a knife plunged into his back. A pair of empty handcuffs lie on a table.

Solution

Uncovering the identities and fates of all ten individuals is a process of deduction and elimination. The solution is as follows:

• Justine Dance is the woman in the green dress. She managed to escape the evening, as evidenced by the glimpse of her high-heeled shoe leaving the venue in the second picture.
• Sariel Moonwhisper seems to be the name of an elf or half-elf person. She can be seen slumped over at the bar in the final picture, perhaps poisoned by accident.
• Sentry Thomas Rogers, with the “R” badge on his shoulder, is clearly one of the uniformed figures. The second picture shows him poisoned.
• Sentry Tony Marston is another uniformed figure. The second picture shows him threatening the couple with a knife and dead by werewolf attack in the final picture, indicated by the “A” ripped from his uniform (which stands for “Anthony”) and stuck in the werewolf’s teeth.
• Sentry Isaac Morris, with the “M” badge on his shoulder, is the third uniformed figure, seen poisoned in the second picture.
• Cyril Blore is the handcuffed figure taken into custody by the three sentries. By the presence of the empty handcuffs in the third picture, one can deduce that Cyril escaped with Justine Dance.
• Aidan Claythorne shares a last name with Maeve, so one can assume they are the married couple depicted in the pictures. He is in the final picture, stabbed in the back by Sentry Tony Marston.
• Maeve Claythorne turned into a werewolf and went on a wild rampage.
• Morgran Ironfist seems to be the name of a dwarf. He is in the third picture, dead of a werewolf attack.
• W. is the only one who doesn’t appear in the pictures; therefore, they must be the photographer. Judging by the final picture, they likely died of a werewolf attack.

Hint Checks - 5e

Intelligence (Investigation) DC 5. Ten people disappeared at this party, but only nine are in the photo. Where is the tenth person?

Intelligence (History) DC 10. Most of the guests’ names are spelled out in full on the list, but perhaps one commonly went by a nickname.

Wisdom (Perception) DC 15. Clearly, at least one person survived. Who else would have cleaned up the bodies in the pictures?

Hint Checks - Pathfinder 2e

DC 15 Perception. Ten people disappeared at this party, but only nine are in the photo. Where is the tenth person?

DC 20 Society. Most of the guests’ names are spelled out in full on the list, but perhaps one commonly went by a nickname.

DC 30 Crime Lore. Clearly, at least one person survived. Who else would have cleaned up the bodies in the pictures?

Customizing the Puzzle

Raising the Difficulty. To make this puzzle a little more difficult, divide and spread out the three pictures. Present them to the characters out of order, so they must reconstruct the sequence of events.

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