Welcome to the Energy Rods puzzle resource page. Here you can download and find all the documents for the Energy Rods modular puzzle.
Maintaining and Installation
This prop is installable using included mounting hardware to any smooth flat surface. Please attach securely.
Edges of machined acrylic may be sharp, please use caution. Sharp corners may be sanded if need be.
Each energy rod is made of two parts, a clear rod and a colored rod attached with CA adhesive. If an excessive impact or enough force is applied the two parts may separate, in this case CA glue can be applied to both sides of the break and carefully aligned back together. It is recommended to clamp and allow to cure before use.
If the rods or surface of the base become scratched or worn you can refinish the acrylic by first cleaning thoroughly and then spraying with a gloss clear coat.
Usage
This prop is designed to fit many uses and be integrated into your game how you see fit. It is a modular process mechanic that includes many useful variables to help in creating a fun puzzle solve for players.
This puzzle has five primary variables you may use.
- Color sequence – Example: GRBGRB or Red, Green, Red, Blue, Green, Blue
- Height Order – Example: SMTMTS or Short, Medium, Tall, Tall, Medium, Short
- Band Number – Example: 234342
- Size – Example: Small, Medium, Large, Small, Large, Medium
- Rod Position: 1-6
We have included some examples of use as well as some graphics to download for creating your puzzles.
Download:Graphics File Pack
Example 1 Numbers to Bands
In this method players receive a sequence of letters that can be used to place the rods in order of color from left to right as well as a number, the number(1-6) helps them identify specific rods and then count the rings on the selected rods. The length of the number should be the same length as the desired output combination.
For example:
If you use Color for your input sequence and a four digit lock you could give players a clue that says BRGRGB(Or lights that flash the color order) along with a starting number 2516 and operating instructions that hints them to count the rings on the rods you would get the output code 2433 which would unlock the combination lock. Because the rod in the fourth slot is green and has four bands on it, the rod in the first slot is red and has two bands on it, the rod in the fifth slot is blue and has three bands on it, and the rod in the sixth slot is red and has two bands on it.
Example 2 Color Adding
In this example method players receive a sequence of heights as well as a clue about adding the numbers from each pair of colored rods. This works best for three digit locks but can be done with four digit locks as well.
For example:
Using the input sequence for size you can tell players large, small, medium, small, medium, large, and to add the numbers of each color pair blue, red, green. Doing so gives you the output of 867. Because the blue rods are in position three and five when added together is eight, the red rods are in position two and four added together is six, and the green rods are in position one and six when added together is seven. The arrangement of position or order of height will change the numbers and can be added to create longer end results.