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Message: <blockquote data-quote="howandwhy99" data-source="post: 3287013" data-attributes="member: 3192">Just a general FYI because I don't want to give any more specific clues.  When you extrapolate the consequences of your world moving forward look specifically at the effects the NPC has in the places he goes.  Consequences aren't just for the players.  As the NPC behaves according to his goals, personality, background, etc. he will leave little clues to his true nature behind without helping it.  This will give the players the ability to learn more about who they face and what he may be up to.  IME, (which isn't much admittedly) using clues to lead players down a single path is a little like resting your campaign on the players correctly answering a riddle.  It better be an easy riddle or the world and campaign will end pretty darn fast.  As easy riddles are weak challenges, success seems a little weak too.  On the other hand, if clues lie everywhere as an honest to goodness trail, one that is formed from consequences to clues instead of vice versa (like my help above), then the players can track down multiple leads and achieve the end without funneling.  Personally, I'd still leave open the possibility of the players quitting the case, but every DM runs the game differently.The hard part isn't so much knowing what your NPC did while in town, but forming those consequences into clues that your players may recognize.  Part of it is knowing your players, but genre staples work too.  One idea is removing something that should be there, instead of placing an item that shouldn't be.  (Recognizing when something is absent is always fun for me as a player)  Another possibility is including bizarre motives like the 3 pairs of shoes above.  When the players start asking "Why?" you're on the right track.  Just keep everything to a high degree of verisimilitude and whenever anything smells off you're players should jump at it.  If they separate the wheat from the chaff and lay out the pieces in different patterns, the mystery will be a success.  Just have a few more clues on hand to drop, if they absolutely must succeed.</blockquote>

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