Shamath's riddle.

[Kojiro]

When book 16, Legacy of Vashna, comes out, will Mongoose fix that hideously broken riddle Shamath gives? While the "answer" as we all know is 10, there's no logical reason as to why it should be 10. The modifications to her loyal servants that she illustrates in the riddle can apply to ANY number.

See this Project Aeon discussion to see what I mean.

http://www.freelists.org/post/projectaon/Shamaths-Riddle

The riddle is unsolvable and practically amounts to Bilbo Baggins asking Gollum what he has in his pocket. There is no clue in the riddle that leads one to assume that it must be 10. The riddle is frankly disappointing when compared to Mr. Dever's other numerical riddles such as 1 and a half geese laying one and a half eggs in one and a half days and one must wonder how he managed to drop the ball on this one.

 

[Zipp Dementia]

Didn't we guess ages ago that Shamath is just really evil?

 

[WritingWolf]

Yeah in the end I cheated for that one as it's impossible.

Also the one where you had to insert the Deathstaff into the dias to close it. How on earth do you know the number? I have never worked this one out, try as I might, so I cheated too.

And I don't care

 

[Kojiro]

Also the one where you had to insert the Deathstaff into the dias to close it. How on earth do you know the number? I have never worked this one out, try as I might, so I cheated too.

What? Those are easy. The patterns of the numbers make them pretty easy to guess.

 

[WritingWolf]

They are? Must be something I am missing - I thought it was Suduku or adding the rows together or something.

 

[Kojiro]

They are? Must be something I am missing - I thought it was Suduku or adding the rows together or something.

Indeed, it's the latter, and that's why they're so easy. Of each row, the first three numbers add together as the same sum as the last two numbers do. It's just a case of "find the missing number" from there.

 

[WritingWolf]

Blimey - well in these years I have never got that, that totally escaped me! Thanks for your help on that Kojiro - I can play the books without cheating now!

Would that Shamath's riddle was a simple

 

[johntfs]

After a while, I finally decided that X = X meant that Roman numeral X, which is 10, equaled X. Because honestly, the heck with it, if she can cheat, so can I.

 

[Kojiro]

After a while, I finally decided that X = X meant that Roman numeral X, which is 10, equaled X. Because honestly, the heck with it, if she can cheat, so can I.

As in the other thread, this assumes everyone is using X for their variable.

 

[johntfs]

If they don't use X, they can use their weapons. It's an absurd riddle, so I gave it an absurd solution.

 

[SnowShadow]

They are? Must be something I am missing - I thought it was Suduku or adding the rows together or something.

Indeed, it's the latter, and that's why they're so easy. Of each row, the first three numbers add together as the same sum as the last two numbers do. It's just a case of "find the missing number" from there.

Yes. I always thought of it as the middle number being the difference between the left hand pair's sum and the right hand pair's sum - it gives the same answer of course.

 

[BlackCat]

JD confirmed that he will correct it in the new edition!

 

[WritingWolf]

That's excellent news BlackCat! It will be awhile till the book comes out, but will be worth it

 

[Methos]

just click on the link and jd will give you an answer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGFCcPsZiuM

 

[lightmage81]

just click on the link and jd will give you an answer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGFCcPsZiuM

I think that really settles all these threads on Book 17!

 

[Greg Smith]

Some nice T-shirts and a map in the background there!

And a movie coming, maybe.

 

[SnowShadow]

Thanks for sharing the link! That was enthralling. He meant bk16 of course for the riddle but I'll let him off. Nice to see plans for the film & video game not dead yet and so many other things in the pipeline. Wow. Bk29 in August and it's going to be a huge finale - really looking forward to it now.