D20 Detectives Handbook- Looking for help

[Sidran]

To help me work out the logistics of D20 Detectives Handbook in its first and second stages of production...

Basically what I would like to see is the World of Sherlockian London with fantasy rules... I want a PrC Detective, and a small manuscript that hopefully will reach 50-60 pages

For reference to what I would like, and to get you started Look up Mercedes Lackey's Four and Twenty blackbirds for the Criminology in the Magical world.


I want the book to Include

* the Prc: Detective ( Skill based Prestige class based off the Bard, or Loremaster Classes)
* New skills one of which is Investigate, New knowledge skills ( Pathology, Psychiatry, Forensics, Antiques, Biology, Poisons, Cartography) New Profession stuff like (Photographer, Journalist, Anthropologist, Archeaologist), Hypnotism (new skill).
* New Feats...None yet named but I want at least 12 new feats pertaining to the investigation of crimes, or for use of Criminals.
* Stats for the greats of the early age of Detective storries, and real life like Sherlock Holmes, Watson, and Hargraeve, as well as those stats of the Dark evil Murders such as Jack The ripper.
* Rules for Arcane Detectives (and Spells) as well as Clerical Detectives and (Spells)
* New equipment, and New rules for Characters without Armor for determining AC
* Last but not least a Sample Mystery adventure, for first to third level Detectives....Such as one based of that of Holmes the Case of the Musgrave Ritual, and those other early adventures of the
Great Detective.

So if any one is interested in helping me drop a line here or at my Email Sid7e@hotsheet.com...or Catch me on Yahoo Messanger!!! under the Sig Sid7e.

Just looking for a fellow co writer to help with the work load as prescribed above..for serious interest in getting the book published to Natural D20 or Fantasy Flight Games, or if one of the smaller companies grabs at us...

 

[jaerdaph]

I'd definitely be interested in working on something like this. Back in the 2e AD&D days, I wrote a lot of material about Sherlock Holmes for the Masque of the Red Death campaign setting for the Kargatane netbooks. There are links to those articles on the Morgue page of my website:

chillingtales.tripod.com

Contact me off list and we'll talk more: chillingtales@lycos.com

 

[Sidran]

I read the mysterious stranger, and dabbled a few of the other things like the Gothic New york...

I enjoyed what I saw, and would like to get to the next level...I would like to chat with you to get at an understanding of how we would like to go about the work of the book, and such things

as well as what we will put into the book...

So I use either Yahoo Messanger!!! or mIRC
Room #hagara on the psionics.net or we can chat it up here if those others are not available to you

 

[RangerWickett]

I don't know if this will help, but Four-Color to Fantasy has a Detective prestige class, meant to model some of Batman's tactics.

I'm attaching it to this reply, if you want to look at it.

 

[Sidran]

Cool thanks RW, I really appriciate that.


Your PrC is very similar to what I had in mind...

The Uncanny Deduction especially.

Thanks for the basis to work with RW

 

[Sidran]

Just wanted to bump this with an updated Idea list for the book. And to tell all who are interested that We have interest if we get something done. (Tensen of Dark Quest Games has emailed me to say that he would be very interested in seeing what we produce) I went to their site and poked around they have a lot of City Guide stuff going out..)

On another note I am thinking about creating a Yahoo group so that we have a focusing point in the process of creating the Manuscript.


Also anyone who wants to submit new Skills, Feats, Detective related spells, equipment, or Misc. things to the book fill free to email me at the above adress. With your Real Name, and ICQ, or Yahoo Messanger ID. So that way I can attribute things that you guys write when the finall manuscript gets turned in. I am already in the process of writing skills, and the first few chapters that highly detail the Life of a Detective, the Ways of the Criminal, and the Psychology of a Murderer. Which will roughly make up the bulk of the first few chapters.

Life of the Detective- will detail the ways of the Masters of Deduction mostly setting based ( This Chapter will Introduce are Iconic Detective Argyle Mills (working name), and His Intrepid Companion the Iconic Doctor Niles Johnston

The Ways of the Criminal- Will detail the less nefarious types of criminals such as the Forger, and its subtypes, Petty thieves, The Professional Thief, Confidence Artists, Stalkers, and the White Collar Thieves. This Chapter will introduce our Iconic Master Forger, and Our Iconic Murders ( One Psychotic, One Serial, and One Professional)

The Psychology of the Murderer- Will get indepth into the variety of murderous archtypes, such as Murderer, Inheritance Style, Murderer, Passionate Style (Crime of Passion),Murderer Professional Style (Hitman, Contract Killer, Assassins), Murderer, Psychotic style, Murderer Sabotage Style, Murderer Serial Style
Murderer Simmering Style, Murderer Visionary Style

New Items for the Book ( Submissions based on these Items very welcome)

Chapter 3; Classes
Variant Core Class: Constable ( Based of the Rogue, Thief-taker)
Variant Core Class: Medium ( or Spiritualist Based of Cleric)
Variant Core Class: Doctor ( Based of Wizard, Expert)

Prestige Class: Detective ( or Great Detective if we choose)
Prestige Class: Master Forger ( Based of Rogue/Bard, Loresmith)
Prestige Class: Rat Master( Based off of Druid )


Class Template Murderer ( It is either a Class Temp, or a NPC Class)

New Skills

Investigate (Int) Based off of Gather Information/ Spot, Search
Forensics ( Int) Based off Alchemy
Observation ( Int) Based of Spot/ Gather Information (See below)
Knowledge (Forensic Science, Criminology, Case Lore)
Profession ( Archivist, Archeologist, Inspector, Philanthropist, Etymologist, Doctor, Professor, Spiritualist, Naturalist, Librarian, Moneylender, Chemist, Rat catcher, Lamplighter. Poisonist)

Submissions welcome

Skills from other sources

Mimic Voice (FFG Traps & Treachery OGC)
Urban Lore (FFG Traps & Treachery OGC)

New Feats

Intuitive Deduction
Fame
Nefarious
Impervious Disguise
Close Combat


Submissions welcome
From other sources

Eye for Detail (FFG Traps & Treachery OGC)
Poison Immunity (FFG Traps & Treachery)
Shadow ( FFG Traps & Treachery OGC)

New Spells

Recount Murder- Shows the last few minutes of a murder scene
- The Murderer always appears as a shadowy
- figure and unrecognizable

True Deduction- Allows the Detective to Specify one simple hunch
- or random guess which the spell will
- acknowledge as true or false

Inlightening the Mind- Gives a target +2 to Intelligence for 1d8
- rounds
Last Words ( Who says the dead tell no tales) When cast
- the spell allows a corpse to speaks the last
- 1d12 words spoken in life.
Dark Man of the Night- When cast this spell obscures the
- features of its target

Submissions welcome

New Monsters

Sewer, Alley, and River Naga's
The Haunting Hound
The Torpid
Urban Werecreatures
Wererat
Weredog
Werehorse
Werecat
House Gnome ( Fey)
The Paragon Rat
Feral Template

Submissions welcome


NPC STATS

Sherlock Holmes
Dr. Watson
Professer Moriarty
Jack the Ripper
A. Conan Doyle
And others still to be announced
Thinking Dupin, and the Scotland Yarders

Adventure Sidetreks
The City of Bones Adventure for 1-5 level Constables
The Case of the Misplaced Coin 7-10 Level Constables


First of the rough draft skills

Insightful Observation (Int)
Use this skill to make Insightful observations about a variety of minuscule things that can come together to form the basis of a hunch. Things that can be noticed are the state of a subjects clothes, lingering smells, a subjects level of nervousness.

Check: The Insightful Observation skill is mainly used to detect minuscule things that are unusual about a single person. Specifically mud on shoes, mismatched gloves, missing buttons, and other such things that may give a clue as to the perpetrator of the current case. This skill replaces Spot when trying to determine if a character is in disguise. ( See the Disguise skill in the PHB)

By succeeding at a skill check (DC 10) and the character spending time observing a subject can determine the nature of the subject, whether he/ she is out of place, whether the subject is calm, or nervous. With a successful skill check (DC 15) the character can tell what type of occupation a subject has. Obvious occupations such as Sailor, Miners, lamplighters, Musicians, and others that leave obvious signs on the subjects hands do not require a second check and require only the successful skill check (DC 10) other more obscure jobs require the check (DC 15) to gain any knowledge about the subjects line of work.

If you want to try for a specific observation ( Is Professor Darrin's coat button missing, or Does Mrs. Carfax have mud on her clothes or shoes.) the DC is 15 to 25 or higher.

Retry: Yes but each time a character makes an observation the chance of the characters attentions being noticed by the subject grows higher.

 

[teitan]

Nice

Looks extremely nice man. Get that Yahoogroup going so we can make things happen!

Jason

 

[Cardinal Aidan]

Nice work. I'm certainly subscribing to the mailing list when its up.

Are there any plans for a Victorian-era D20 game? Sidran's showed that it would work well for the Victoriana "genre", and classes and other "d20-isms" seem like a natural fit.

 

[TroyXavier]

It looks very cool. I've always found detectives quite interesting.

 

[Sidran]

What I think we will be doing ( Not sure until the others agree) is writing the book up with both Victorian Steampunk, and Traditional Fantasy in mind.

Another words we may do up a Small traditional fantasy Side trek, and A full blown Steampunk Adventure...Anyone interested in writing them up Drop me a line.

Or The D20 Detectives Group's link is in my signature its open for joining so I hope to see you there.

After a reading stuff Teitan put up on the group I am thinking strongly about Having an Occultist class in the book.


So I guess to answer your question Cardinal Aidan yes I do think this book will focus mainly on Victorian Era Steampunk.

Troubles I am having are Good rules for that era of Firearms, Rules for AC, and How I should handle the murder (since anyone can potenially be a murder I am thinking making it a series of feat like special abilities I am calling taints.

I am probably going to include rules for Madness(sanity), and Reputation because both fit very well into the game.

I Already have been given Access to an Arcane Investigator
Courtesy of Chris Perkins Cperkins on the www.ThirdEditon.net site.


I am looking for two new things an Editor, and And an OGL Compliance man unfortunetly it would not include money with that hard work until we turn a profit.

Truthfully I would like to start my own Publishing Company at some point ( Probably not with this Book but eventually)

So anyone that helps here I will remember later

That is all for now folks and thanks for the nice comments

I will try and post some more preview stuff as it comes out