hawkeyefan
Legend
ha I saw your response like halfway through that and I almost stopped.
At one stage (low Paragon) my 4e D&D game involved a "kidnap" mystery. The general shape of the events and personalities was established by me (as GM), in advance. I'm sure there was some tweaking/massaging to reflect developments as we went along, but it's a bit hazy.Your mention of red herrings has (of course) gotten me thinking of whodunit-esque mysteries--which aren't a super fit for TRPGs because the pleasures of the genre (in books, movies, etc.) aren't all that compatible with the pleasures of TRPGs. Obviously, if one is running such an adventure in D&D, the expectation is that the emergent story is going to be about the players figuring out who the killer is, probably with some sort of (probably metaphorical) ticking clock, and that the DM knows who did it. I know people have run mystery-type stories in FitD or PbtA games, but it seems to me that they'd have to work differently around the table. It seems likely to me they'd have to focus less on if the playerss will figure out the mystery and more on the results and repercussions when the PCs do so. This isn't intended on slagging on such games, FWIW; I'm just saying the play experience, here, would be a very different one.
It's a tricky line to walk (but I'm sure you and your players enjoyed it): The pleasures of ratiocination mysteries (IMO) are either you beat the detective to the solution, or you follow the detective's thoughts as they explain the solution; the former seems difficult without some sort of clock, and the latter doesn't seem tenable to me in a TRPG.At one stage (low Paragon) my 4e D&D game involved a "kidnap" mystery. The general shape of the events and personalities was established by me (as GM), in advance. I'm sure there was some tweaking/massaging to reflect developments as we went along, but it's a bit hazy.
The big reveal was that the "kidnapped" niece (daughter? it's a bit hazy) was in fact herself a necromancer and member of the Vecna cult rather than their victim. I can't recall at what point I decided on that. I can't find stats for her in my files, which means I may have been using a sourcebook (probably Open Grave), which means the decision might have been made quite close to the moment of play. But it seems more likely I had it in mind as part of the set-up.
That sounds true for detective fiction, but I'm not sure it's true for mysteries in RPGs. Personally, I think the main draw is straight up the joy of finding things out. Plus a side order of feeling clever.It's a tricky line to walk (but I'm sure you and your players enjoyed it): The pleasures of ratiocination mysteries (IMO) are either you beat the detective to the solution, or you follow the detective's thoughts as they explain the solution; the former seems difficult without some sort of clock, and the latter doesn't seem tenable to me in a TRPG.
Yeah, I think that's the way they play at the table. The hard thing, I guess, is getting the difficulty level right, just like anything else. I guess I just didn't (before running one) trust myself to do so--and failing on the too-hard side is kinda fun-breaking, IMO.That sounds true for detective fiction, but I'm not sure it's true for mysteries in RPGs. Personally, I think the main draw is straight up the joy of finding things out. Plus a side order of feeling clever.
As it turned out, lots and lots of clues, and there was some flex as to when other things were going to happen. I think the one that did it was when the merchant and his lover were seen arguing in two places at the same time (or close enough). When the players figured out there were shapechangers at play I was happy we were gaming online so they couldn't see my victory arms. \o/!Lotsa clues, and some flex on the GM side and you'll be fine.
I didn't think of it in quite those terms.@pemerton - Did you really Patty Hearst you D&D game? That's awesome.