Crafting a Murder Mystery

[roguerouge]

I've faced these concerns and I can tell you that Murder Mysteries can be fun in DnD. Here's what I ran: http://www.enworld.org/forum/plots-...s-madness-very-theatrical-murder-mystery.html

The key was having archetypes as NPCs, which allowed the player to really get who they were talking to at any one time. Another key was treating divination magic as CSI. It should provide useful clues, not short-circuit the mystery. Speak with dead only does that if he actually knows who killed him. Undetectable alignment works for those villains with enough class levels to worry about being detected by detect evil. Alternatively, have several people detect as mildly evil. Having the murderer with a very clear plan allowed me to have him adapt to circumstances as well.

 

[roguerouge]

Having read that particular adventure, I'm betting it's a ship-board murder mystery. Considering how powerful the BBEG is, do you really want your players to discover that individual's identity when they are first level? They'll get killed pretty quickly if they meet that person before 3rd.

On the other hand, if you're talking about setting it on the place where the module occurs, you've got yourself a nice "locked room" scenario... especially if they've not discovered the cannibals yet.

Where are you setting this mystery?

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

A classic D&D murder mystery example is the 1E adventure L2: The Assassin's Knot. The whole thing used to be a free download from the Wizard's site; not sure if it still is.

 

[Doug McCrae]

My approach to murder mysteries is very simple. There's a murder, or series thereof. I know where, when and how they occurred and who did it. And that's it. I don't bother with any clues. Any reasonable approaches taken by the PCs will probably work, if it makes sense. They question witnesses? A witness knows something. They search the area? They find some physical evidence. And so forth. Simples.

 

[Herremann the Wise]

Firstly thanks heaps to everyone so far, the advice has been thorough, thought provoking, and has given me a ton of ideas. I might use this thread to slowly construct this murder mystery utilising everyone's fantastic advice and ideas.

Having read that particular adventure, I'm betting it's a ship-board murder mystery. Considering how powerful the BBEG is, do you really want your players to discover that individual's identity when they are first level? They'll get killed pretty quickly if they meet that person before 3rd.

On the other hand, if you're talking about setting it on the place where the module occurs, you've got yourself a nice "locked room" scenario... especially if they've not discovered the cannibals yet.

Where are you setting this mystery?

I better sbock this just in case someone unwittingly runs across it.

Warning: If you are playing in the Serpent Skull adventure path by Paizo or think you might be, the following contains spoilers that will... spoil a lot of fun.

[sblock]Rather than starting on the beach, I'm planning to ratchet the adventure back to Senghor, the last port before the Jenivere crunches into the reef around Smuggler's Shiv. I started a thread here: paizo.com - Paizo / Messageboards / Paizo Publishing / Pathfinder® / Pathfinder Adventure Paths / Serpent's Skull / Serpent Skull Prelude - GMs Only if you wish to see my reasoning behind it all.

The aim is to have two of the Jenivere sailors missing after the first night in Senghor. It is all part of Yarzoth gaining initial access to the ship and "replacing" Ieana (who's body might be discovered within the wreck of the Jenivere later), the two being killed by her hand (or perhaps one of them being dominated and killing the other). The captain enforces all sailors back to ship while assuming the worst. The 4 NPCs go about their business (Jask the 5th NPC is currently in the stocks with passage organised to Eleder when the Jenivere sets sail in 3 more days time). As such the PCs are tasked by several sailors concerned for their mates to either find them or track down their killer(s).

The "Plan" is to have the PCs investigate the 4 NPCs (all of whom may have means, motive and opportunity), discover the separate bodies and then have the suspicion that something really weird is going on, culminating in the discovery of Yarzoth, as per the regular adventure. In this way, the mystery isn't truly solved until the end of the module. So the mystery will traverse the the stayover in Senghor, the Jenivere as well as Smuggler's Shiv... or that's the nucleus of the idea I have at the moment.

The key is now following the wonderful advice so freely given and making this work.[/sblock]

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[Herremann the Wise]

Starting the Murder Mystery

Spoiler[/B]: Again, third and final spoiler warning for the Serpent Skull adventure path.

From reading the various responses and links, it would seem the key to starting a murder mystery is to focus on the perpetrator, their abilities, motivations and circumstances in the adventure (this being linked to means, motive and opportunity). It is their actions that effectively initiate the entire scenario. For this one I'm attempting to craft:

Yarzoth the Female Serpentfolk Cleric of Ydersius 4

Where is she? Where does she want to go?
She is currently in the port metroplis of Senghor. Her intended destination is Smuggler's Shiv, a small island about 400 miles south and east around the Senghor peninsula into Deception Bay. The main issue here is that ships don't go anywhere near the Shiv if they can help it as it's reputation for shipwrecks upon its dire reef is notorious. However, ships travelling to the Sargavan capital of Eleder must travel within proximity of Smuggler's Shiv. Her hope is to board a ship travelling to Eleder in disguise and then use here persuasive abilities to force the captain to travel to the Shiv instead.

What persuasive abilities does she have? Are there any other abilities of note?As an advanced serpentfolk, she has several important abilities that will assist her in accomplishing her goals:

Disguise Self[At Will]: She can use this to assume the approximate features of any people she meets, effectively replacing them. For those that interact with this glamer there is a DC 15 will save to disbelieve.

Suggestion[1/day]: She can use this to target a person to perform a reasonable activity that suit here ends. DC 17 will save to resist.

Dominate Person[1/day]:This is used to literally control a person to do as she wishes. DC 18 Will save to resist.

Bluff: +9
Disguise: +9 (+19 with disguise self)

She also has access to abilities/spells such as enthrall, command and major image. She is also wearing a Ring of Mind Shielding and thus is continually immune to detect thoughts, discern lies and any attempt to magically discern her alignment.

So what broadly speaking is her plan?
The only ship in port making the journey to Eleder is the freshly arrived Jenivere (the craft that the PCs also happen to be on board). Her plan is to kill and replace one of those on board, gain access to the captain dominating him (this would be Captain Kovack) and forcing the ship towards the Shiv. She intends to poison everyone aboard and wreck the ship upon the Shiv, using potions of water breathing to travel underwater and safely navigate the reef. Once there, she can go about her business in regards to an ancient temple of her deity and discover the secrets and mysteries there contained.

What opportunity will she most likely take advantage of to gain access to the the Jenivere?
Due to poor experiences the previous time with the port of Senghor, the captain does not allow his sailors to leave the ship while in port. Other travellers on board the Jenivere are free to come and go. There are five NPC travellers (Ieana the scholar, Aerys the hard-nosed beauty, Gelik the bard, Ishirou the mysterious eastern traveller, Sasha the enigmatic assassin) who will leave the Jenivere as well as 2 sailors who plan to break the order for a mere 2 hours while on their midnight watch. The PCs may also decide to leave the Jenivere tasked with purchasing odds and ends for the ship-bound sailors on board. Of these options, Yarzoth will target the sailors not having the right opportunity to access Ieana (her preferred target). Once on board, she will place herself in Ieana's private cabin and kill and replace her.

The next thing to sort out is a more precise timeline of what happens.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise