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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Paul Strack" data-source="post: 4632420" data-attributes="member: 71340">Here is how I've handled similar "investigation" challenges.I make up 3 or so "leads" that the PCs can discover. First, the PCs need to use perceptual skills (Streetwise and Perception) to find likely leads. Once a lead is discovered, each player participating in the challenge can either keep looking for more leads or follow up on a lead that's already been discovered. PCs can make this decision individually (some looking for more leads while others do the followup).Following up on a lead requires checks appropriate to the lead:Diplomacy/Intimate: For interrogating witnesses or suspects.Religion/Arcane: For investigating the supernatural elements.Heal/Nature: For examining corpses and crime scenes for clues.A success or two in each followup uncovers a clue.Skill check failures in the search for leads turns up a red herring instead. The PCs quickly discover it is a false lead, but it wastes some time. Failures in lead followup means the PCs are taking longer than expected to figure out the lead.Winning the challenge means the PCs find the clues they need to discover the killer before he can kill again. Losing the challenge means the killer takes another victim before the PCs catch up to him, but leaves a clue that they can use to track him down.Why do the PC catch the killer even if they lose the challenge? Remember the golden rule about challenges: a lost challenge never stops the adventure. The consequences for losing should be real (another death on the PCs' conscience) but should let the story proceed (and the story can't proceed if the PCs can't find the killer).</blockquote>

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