Yeah this would be where I'd give the GM a talk about why this is a bad puzzle design.
Honestly what the PCs came up with was much better of an idea and if I were the GM, I'd of burned my notes and went with their idea of the Everfree. No reason a thick dangerous forest can't be maze-like.
So much this. Take the old notes, run them through a word filter to substitute all the relevant nouns, and the players will think you were a creative mastermind the whole time.
Nobody will ever guess you just have a few spare points in plot forgery.
Tell the truth, I put a mark on miss violet vampire there(even I think that was a bad story).
That way, no matter where they decided to go, I could mess with them.
You just said the one I can't do.
Reverse personality, yes.
Mind control, no.
Ponies have a weird ability to say no to chaos taking over their minds.
It hurts just thinking about it.
That's why I like using roll20. When you have a map you can just put things on, you don't have to discover every last thing before the players can start jumping to conclusions.
Ahem... Player you are not going where I want you to go... So I will discreetly tell you the place you need to go because you are too stupid to notice where I need you to go
Second Part? That is not important? I'm forgetting something that could be important? Don't worry, that is not important, Only I have reason, the rest of you fools need to follow me.
Honestly what the PCs came up with was much better of an idea and if I were the GM, I'd of burned my notes and went with their idea of the Everfree. No reason a thick dangerous forest can't be maze-like.
Nobody will ever guess you just have a few spare points in plot forgery.
"The undergrowth however, more than compensates for the lack of trees, rising up thickly around as you push your way deeper into the forest."
Roll perception. Natural one? That's fine.
It isn't until you see the marble benches flanking a water fountain that you realise you're now in an enormous hedge maze."
Worldwide.
I think it's time to focus a bit more locally.
That hedge maze looks nice.
A bit too nice.
Use something noisy. Like trumpeting fanfare and a marching band.
That way, no matter where they decided to go, I could mess with them.
Reverse personality, yes.
Mind control, no.
Ponies have a weird ability to say no to chaos taking over their minds.
It hurts just thinking about it.
Or what about that time you made evil demon beavers,
Though admittedly, the maze itself was entirely a red herring.
Which, can be an issue as the maze is a red-herring, and the DM has had issues with railroading in the past.