Is there a good strategy for this? I don't have many ideas for strange phenomena or traps that the seasoned reader won't figure out in a heartbeat. It's easy to construct them if they don't make sense (e.g. Voldemort's lake of Inferi), but I want them to be rational.
Hmmm, without it being too video-gamey, I'm not really sure how I'd do this. It would probably be best just to think what the intent behind the trap/puzzle is. Is it a test that's meant to be 'figured out', or is it something that's straight-up meant to kill or keep people away? Did whoever make the puzzle leave something behind that they only want the worthy to reach? (And worthy in what way/ways? Clever, fast, strong, noble, etc?) Or did they want a gauntlet only they would know how to get around? Then it becomes a matter of thinking what sort of traps/puzzles the designers would have been able to circumvent, etc, etc.
Here are three of my favorite examples (mild spoilers for Beyonders: A World Without Heroes): Spoiler 1. A magic word that can kill an evil wizard. It was 'coded' onto him by the wizard's old master so as to stave off betrayal... which is a very sensible explanation for a ridiculous concept. 2. A lake of white liquid that sucks in everything it touches, but sufficient pressure causes it to harden. This allows people to run across it (and acquire plot-relevant information in the center). 3. A huge, hollow tree in the middle of the deadly swamp. It contains fungi which produce amnesia-causing spores. When you enter, you cannot remember anything about yourself or your past life, but can form and maintain new memories under the influence of the spores. The resident of the tree has spent most of her life in it and would lose her identity upon leaving. All are very simple, original concepts that work extremely well. I can't seem to master the trick...
