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<blockquote data-quote="Bedrockgames" data-source="post: 5957659" data-attributes="member: 85555"><p>I recently ran gumshoe for the first time and this is my reading of the rules as well. I think what you would miss in this transition to d20 is the spend mechanic (which is pretty important). It is a very clever design. And i think laws is a very good writer (i was playing esoterrorists). This approach isn't exactly my cup of tea but i do think a lot of people out there will like it and find it solves some of the problems inherent in mystery adventures. </p><p></p><p>My approach is a touch different. Not all clues require a roll. I only ask for rolls when there wiuld be a reasonable chance of failure attempting to use the skill. So if the bloody knife is right there on the breakfast table, i will nit ask for a roll to find it. If it is hidden beneath a loose floorboard in the basement i may ask for a roll. But even that depends, if the player calls in an evidence collection and they comb the house I think it is unlikely they wouldn't find the knife. I also allow players to bypass rolls by making specific requests.</p><p></p><p>Another area is npcs. Some npcs volunteer info, others dont. So i am not going to require a roll from the player if they ask a friendly witness what he saw. </p><p></p><p>For me investigations are more about challenging the players than the characters, so i also try to focus more on the actual interactions of npcs and pcs, and pcs and the environment and use stuff like social skill rolls when they try to elicit an unreasonable response from someone. </p><p></p><p>of course this approach isn't for everyone i find investigations need to be tailored to the group. Some players want to roll their skills and have their characters challenged, some players prefer the gumshoe approach which does a good job simulating the flow of a mystery series, and some people want to feel immersed in the investigation and be challenged directly by it. Kowing what group your players fall into (or that they fall into a combo of the three) is important. </p><p></p><p>I dont know if it has come up but the alexandrian has a great article on mysteries called "the rule of three" that some might find useful.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Bedrockgames, post: 5957659, member: 85555"] I recently ran gumshoe for the first time and this is my reading of the rules as well. I think what you would miss in this transition to d20 is the spend mechanic (which is pretty important). It is a very clever design. And i think laws is a very good writer (i was playing esoterrorists). This approach isn't exactly my cup of tea but i do think a lot of people out there will like it and find it solves some of the problems inherent in mystery adventures. My approach is a touch different. Not all clues require a roll. I only ask for rolls when there wiuld be a reasonable chance of failure attempting to use the skill. So if the bloody knife is right there on the breakfast table, i will nit ask for a roll to find it. If it is hidden beneath a loose floorboard in the basement i may ask for a roll. But even that depends, if the player calls in an evidence collection and they comb the house I think it is unlikely they wouldn't find the knife. I also allow players to bypass rolls by making specific requests. Another area is npcs. Some npcs volunteer info, others dont. So i am not going to require a roll from the player if they ask a friendly witness what he saw. For me investigations are more about challenging the players than the characters, so i also try to focus more on the actual interactions of npcs and pcs, and pcs and the environment and use stuff like social skill rolls when they try to elicit an unreasonable response from someone. of course this approach isn't for everyone i find investigations need to be tailored to the group. Some players want to roll their skills and have their characters challenged, some players prefer the gumshoe approach which does a good job simulating the flow of a mystery series, and some people want to feel immersed in the investigation and be challenged directly by it. Kowing what group your players fall into (or that they fall into a combo of the three) is important. I dont know if it has come up but the alexandrian has a great article on mysteries called "the rule of three" that some might find useful. [/QUOTE]
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