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Advice needed: Mystery adventures
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<blockquote data-quote="Zhure" data-source="post: 13134" data-attributes="member: 308"><p><strong>Flowcharts</strong></p><p></p><p>Yeah, you heard me. Flowcharts.</p><p></p><p>Make a flowchart of what you expect to happen and what can branch off from there.</p><p></p><p>The players find Clue #1, which should logically lead to Clue #2, etc. You basic flowchart will look like this:</p><p></p><p>Clue1 -> Clue2 -> Clue3 -> Solution.</p><p></p><p>Now you need to make branches and loops. What if the PCs just don't "get" Clue1, or take a completely different tact? Maybe some helpful bartender can drop Clue1.1. Repeat with Clue 1.2 and so forth until you've got an idea or two how to get the PCs back on track. Do this for each "stage" of the mystery.</p><p></p><p>I've found that mystery adventures break down into about four parts.</p><p></p><p><strong>The situation.</strong></p><p>The event happens that leaves the mystery. Getting the PCs involved is fairly simple. Make sure you plan on having an in-game reason for the PCs to be interested in finding out the solution.</p><p></p><p><strong>The clues fly</strong></p><p>Lots of suspects, suspicions and stuff. Here's where a few fight scenes come into play as informants and subsidiary agents of the perpetrator(s) try to distract or foil the PCs.</p><p></p><p><strong> Red Herrings </strong></p><p>Usually a couple of different answers seem to be the final answer. Only some kind of conflict will overcome the doubts. The PCs confront the town guard who they think is the mastermind. He tries to run, they capture him and he confesses to taking bribes, but not being the real criminal they were seeking. Only do this once or twice. Too many times and the PCs get disheartened.</p><p></p><p><strong> The final battle</strong></p><p>A showdown between the perpetrator and his minions. Usually he won't go peacefully. All the better. More XP for the XP-eaters.</p><p></p><p>Hope that helped,</p><p>Greg</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Zhure, post: 13134, member: 308"] [b]Flowcharts[/b] Yeah, you heard me. Flowcharts. Make a flowchart of what you expect to happen and what can branch off from there. The players find Clue #1, which should logically lead to Clue #2, etc. You basic flowchart will look like this: Clue1 -> Clue2 -> Clue3 -> Solution. Now you need to make branches and loops. What if the PCs just don't "get" Clue1, or take a completely different tact? Maybe some helpful bartender can drop Clue1.1. Repeat with Clue 1.2 and so forth until you've got an idea or two how to get the PCs back on track. Do this for each "stage" of the mystery. I've found that mystery adventures break down into about four parts. [b]The situation.[/b] The event happens that leaves the mystery. Getting the PCs involved is fairly simple. Make sure you plan on having an in-game reason for the PCs to be interested in finding out the solution. [b]The clues fly[/b] Lots of suspects, suspicions and stuff. Here's where a few fight scenes come into play as informants and subsidiary agents of the perpetrator(s) try to distract or foil the PCs. [b] Red Herrings [/b] Usually a couple of different answers seem to be the final answer. Only some kind of conflict will overcome the doubts. The PCs confront the town guard who they think is the mastermind. He tries to run, they capture him and he confesses to taking bribes, but not being the real criminal they were seeking. Only do this once or twice. Too many times and the PCs get disheartened. [b] The final battle[/b] A showdown between the perpetrator and his minions. Usually he won't go peacefully. All the better. More XP for the XP-eaters. Hope that helped, Greg [/QUOTE]
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