D&D Police Drama

[InVinoVeritas]

Well, you'd have to consider the effect of spells like "Speak with Dead" and other such divinations on the investigation aspect of the campaign. I expect you'd certainly see magic being an element in the crime the players investigate as well. As you're PCs would be working under official sanction of the city they'd have both benefits and drawbacks. For one, they'd couldn't just loot the perpetrators they'd catch, but on the other hand they'd probably have equipment provided to them by they're superiors.

That's how I did it in my police game. The PCs couldn't loot, but they could requisition equipment. As a side effect, though, they could end up getting enough rope to hang themselves (read about the effects of all the firebombs one PC asked for).

Another big change was the social effect. In a typical adventure, the PCs are strangers to the community, and don't get any special treatment. As police, though, they had immense social power. They could arrest people, search places, trump up charges, frame townsfolk, and essentially, loot anyone (despite what I said above). A couple of times, the PCs had the chance to abuse their power. Since this was Ravenloft, in my game, how you treated people was important; corruption could have lasting effects on your soul. In a more typical campaign, that limit might not be there, and you and your players will have to decide what sort of cops they will be.

 

[JoeGKushner]

There is an old TSR book, Night Watch, in Greyhawk City, that's actually pretty good. Main character is essentially a police officer. Hunt it down.

 

[Jack7]

I agree with most everything Hand of Evil said but couldn't give experience points for it. But HOE gave good, systematic advice.

I didn't create a Local Law Enforcement Party per se, but one of the player groups in my world is a sort of a joint Special Forces/Law Enforcement Team. They also often assist both local law enforcement, and law enforcement in Constantinople, as well as serving as monster and man-hunters.

I enjoy create "conflict of interest scenarios" for my players in which competing or conflicting duties or moral situations arise depending on what types of cases or missions they are working. Also they may become caught in a web of "conflicting authority demands." Which is also a good conflict situation for players to have to resolve. Provides excellent sub-plots.

If your law enforcement officers or team are going to be truly effective then they will need to establish an effective network of contacts, as well as a reliable network of underground informants. I'd suggest a game version of this: PIIN. Except in this case it wouldn't necessarily be a Personal or Private Network, so much as a Professional Network. Though if working undercover then private networks are probably just as good, if not better.

You're also gonna need to establish jurisdictional parameters and case load. What types of cases do they work? Any and all? Violent? Petty? Do they specialize in a certain type of crime? Does their jurisdiction float? Who are their immediate superiors? Can they be lent out? Can they contract to independent employers? Is the team well organized? Are they loose in structure? How are they paid? Will they work undercover, in the open, both? Can they intervene in political matters? Military matters? Who are their handlers? What is their level of authority? How are they outfitted, equipped, etc.? Can they operate freely, or will their activities be closely monitored or controlled? (My advice is, the more freely they operate the better, but of course it will often be situationally dependent.)

I've found Rangers/ex or retired Rangers with an emphasis on crime or frontier's law enforcement, and former thieves and rogues make excellent law enforcement agents.

 

[Wik]

Another REALLY good series to check out is Glen COok's "Garrett, P.I." series. It's a fantasy city in the wake of some pretty serious stuff. THe main character is Garrett, an ex-marine (after a doozy of a war) turned Private Eye. His cases are very fantasy-esque, but there's also a heavy dose of pulp thrown in, too. And the whole thing is tongue-in-cheek humour that's usually pretty awesome.

His best friend is a Dark Elf assassin who runs a vegan nightclub that is also a front for the criminal element. He has several girlfriends, including the daughter of the city's beer baron, a sexy librarian, and a few more I can't remember off the top of my head. He is in love with a ghost that "haunts" a painting that hangs on his wall. He has a pet parrot that likes to shout out obscene threats in the middle of the night in the hopes of attracting the police (my personal favourite is when the parrot takes on the voice of a teenage girl and screams sexual assault... but then, I have a twisted sense of humour).

Oh, yeah. His partner is a dead elephant-man who can read thoughts. Did I mention he's dead? He belongs to a race that is so stubborn that it takes them quite a long time to die.

The neat thing in the series is how Garret uses the magic of the world (garret isn't really much of a fighter, has no magic to speak of, and isn't always likeable, either) to get an edge over the world around him.

OF course, it might not be a perfect inspiration, as Garret is usually on the wrong side of the law...

 

[Mark]

I agree with most everything Hand of Evil said but couldn't give experience points for it.

Done.

 

[Scotley]

It works! I've been co-DMing just such a game for a couple of years now here on EN World. You can find our threads and wiki in my signature if you are curious. We've left room for some more traditional adventuring as well, by finding excuses to take the Constables beyond the city walls and deep underground where they can act more like a regular party. We've tied these outside adventures into the crimes and mysteries we've been giving them. Next up is a mystery involving what seems to be a serial killer who strikes during the same winter holiday season each year claiming similar victims. There still trying to figure out how high quality weapons made in the city are ending up in the hands of Orcs below and outside the city. There is also an evil druidic eco-terrorist who wants to destroy the city and return the area a natural state.

Our Constables are a 'special squad' sort of detectives as opposed to beat cops. There is also a rival squad made up mostly of hobgoblins that is more of a swat team.

 

[Starfox]

Cop and detective stories can be a wonderful change of pace. Perhaps the greatest change is the social aspect - no longer are you outsiders without connections, instead you have to take care of your reputation.

After being forced to take a break in my Savage Tide adventure path, I started up a cops campaign in Sasserine, with the Chimes of Midnight - Quoth the Raven - Hell's Heart arc by Nicholas Logue (all of this from Dungeon Adventures) as the centerpiece. Sasserine is a very fractured city, with each quarter having its own city watch; the players were commissioned to hunt criminals all over the city and in the environs, a kind of very local "federals". We had a wizard, a bard/monk homebrew, and a cleric.

Great fun was had by all.

 

[Thanael]

Ian B:

Check my sig. Read "Something Old, Something New." It's the police drama, Ravenloft-style.

IVV's PbP campaign is very worthwile reading. And the pics are awesome...

 

[Hand of Evil]

Done.

Thank you!

 

[Hand of Evil]

Now for LAWS ---

I have found that this can be fun and confusing. First, you have the city laws, then you can have guild laws, then there can be church laws and then there be class laws! That can be a lot to think about and can get weird with jurisdiction.

My games, the city watch is the catch all special forces, for the most part being independent. Assignments to the watch can come from the guilds (wizards or thieves) and the church. This means, at any time a guild wizard or cleric can be part of the watch and yet still report back to their guilds. Thieves, well it is not common but if there is a non-guild thief in the city, the guild adds to the watch to take care of the problem. The other reason for this is to keep the watch from "aproved actions".

Okay, back to laws. Just what does the city watch enforce? This is the stuff your players have to know.

• Cold Blooded Murder -- this is a given but what is cold blooded murder? Simple answer, something not sanctioned by ANY guild or Noble House.
• Rape -- given
• Arson -- this is big to me, setting fire to things in a city could result in total destruction of the city.
• Public Drunkness -- Not that big of a deal, watch may pick you up or leave you on the street.
• Pick Pockets -- If you get caught, you may get taken in or just beat on the spot and let go, it depends. Mostly I say the guild rules apply, lost of all items on person and release.

Oh, nobles -- if they are in your game they MAY be above the law. Be careful here and let your players know what laws they are above.

Note on jurisdiction -- if you have guilds and the church, they will have their own rules and enforcers. Jurisdiction for them is only on their grounds! They will work with the City Watch if something envolves a guild member.

More later...