Homebrew A Hardboiled Setting

[aco175]

Could the players be brought in to explain how the classes work. You have the player tell you how playing a wizard works and what is the magic missile he is casting. Then the player can make up something that fits. Charm Person is rather easy to explain, but something else might not be.

 

[Tonguez]

Just a question - Medieval Detective fiction is a thing, like the Cadfael Chronicles or the Crispin Guest mysteries, would you also consider those to be a Hardboiled setting?

I'm also thinking Discworlds Guard Series or the Garret PI series as settings. Tunfaire probably works fairly well, Garrett is a Rogue investigator, the Deadman is a Undead Psion (Maybe Reborn, might be a Lich)

 

[Dustin Cooper]

You'd probably want to revise spell lists. It's hard to tell a good detective story if someone can just cast Speak With Dead on the murder victim or Zone of Truth on every suspect.

 

[Tonguez]

You'd probably want to revise spell lists. It's hard to tell a good detective story if someone can just cast Speak With Dead on the murder victim or Zone of Truth on every suspect.

Thats a common criticism but also a misinterpretation of the spells.
For example Speak with Dead answers are brief, cryptic and only what the person knew in life - so if the murder victim doesnt know who killed them, they can't tell you anything useful except for clues that you could gather by searching the area where they died anyway. The corpses is also under no compulsion to tell the truth.

Same applies to Zone of Truth - it compels Truth but not Knowledge and "I dont know" might well be the truth. Marvels Daredevil effectively has a 'zone of truth' ability but that doesnt stop him having advetures.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Thats a common criticism but also a misinterpretation of the spells.
For example Speak with Dead answers are brief, cryptic and only what the person knew in life - so if the murder victim doesnt know who killed them, they can't tell you anything useful except for clues that you could gather by searching the area where they died anyway. The corpses is also under no compulsion to tell the truth.

Same applies to Zone of Truth - it compels Truth but not Knowledge and "I dont know" might well be the truth. Marvels Daredevil effectively has a 'zone of truth' ability but that doesnt stop him having advetures.

Also, in a world where Speak with the Dead and Zone of Truth exist, killing people without them seeing you do it and using several layers of unwitting patsies would be standard MO for murderers.