Inquisitive Campaign [Archive] - Wizards Community

Inquisitive Campaign [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
mcnathan
08-26-06, 05:41 PM So I'm looking into doing an inquisitive campaign set in Sharn. Any tips on how to make things run smoothly and keep PC's interested w/o tons of combat (I'm thinking maybe 1 or 2 combat encounters/session, maybe even less)? Also any resources for finding good plot devices, and ways for villans to leave clues that don't make them look retarded?
thnx
Kid SixXx
08-26-06, 09:31 PM From the casebook of Ciro d'Medani.

1) Rogues Galleries vs. Random Crime

Try to alternate your adventures between criminal acts with a known BBEG and whodunnits (murders, burglaries, etc).

Whodunnits can devolve into skill money exercises pretty quickly if there is no timeline (ie. Solve the crime in three days or the murderer goes free) and Crime Sprees leading up to a major event can devolve into Hack & Slashes pretty quickly as the party mows its way through underlings to get to the boss.

Balance your adventures accordingly, but alternate as much as you can without being predictable.

2) Calling Cards vs. True Clues

Bad guys do not like to tip themselves off unless it is on their terms. Have the clues relate to the crime scene and force the PC's to search for them and relate them to the crime itself.

Don't think of a villain "leaving clues": instead, think of the villain "making mistakes" and leaving telltale signs of the crime. Signs which only the most astute investigator will turn into the evidence that catches the perpetrator.

If they miss a clue that might help them break the case, that's too bad but don't penalize the party for low dice rolls.

Do not make clues look deliberately placed, unless you decide that you want the villain to leave red herrings in order to throw the authorities off the trail.

If you want the PC's to know who did it from jump street, then have the villain leave a calling card. This turns the adventure into an open challenge for the PC's to stop the villain before he strikes again.

3) Have friends in high and low places.

When I play my PC, Ciro d'Medani, my DM invariably makes me use my "contacts" PrC feature to gather information.

While that doesn't seem like much, it gives the DM an excuse to paint a very vivid picture of life in Sharn, both good & bad.

Sometimes the hardest part isn't capturing a bad guy, it's walking through Lower Dura without getting mugged or getting into that high-society nightspot without getting beaten down by the bouncers.

Make your PC's work their contacts and try to spread them out all over the city. Not only does description allow for a more colorful game experience, it will give them a greater appreciation for just how large Sharn actually is.

Just imagine the tension they'll suffer when they discover clues that point out that the plot to assassinate ir'Whassisname will be carried out in less than a half-hour... and the skycoach is a 40 minute ride. ;)

4) There is a time to be cerebral & there is a time for fistfighting.

Kinda relates to number one. If your players are having a hard time gathering info or finding clues through investigation, then give them a roleplay alternative by rounding up suspects and questioning people.

That provides avenues for combat (both related and unrelated to the crime itself) as well as introducing your NPCs, whether they be suspects, witnesses, or regulars.

My PC usually ends up solving crimes that good ol Sgt. Dolom (from the Forgotten Forge) has given up hope on. My DM took a liking to Dolom when he ran Forge, so whenever we have an inquisative style adventure, Dolom is our recurring contact.

As far as resources go, I'd Google up some proper British mysteries (Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot are my favorite characters) as well as look up some more noirish detective tales such as Raymond Chandler (The Maltese Falcon is quite good).

As silly as it might sound, I'd also check out the more "dark detective"-ish Batman tales such as The Long Halloween or Hush (Jeph Loeb) for unknown BBEG's that need unmasking or perhaps The Killing Joke for "you can't catch me" kinds of BBEG inquisative adventure inspiration.

Hope this helps.
taski
08-26-06, 09:52 PM If your players aren't interested in only having 1-2 combat encounters per session, don't try it, you'll just have problems. But if they're cool with it, and especially if they really want it, go right ahead. I have been running an inquisitive campaign for a couple years now, and it's a lot of fun.

For inspiration on how to leave clues, watch CSI. It's a great way to see what kinds of evidence can get left behind. Of course, the PCs won't have access to the fancy technological devices that the CSI team does, so another good place to look is the Sherlock Holmes series by Aurthur Conan Doyle (they're short stories, but are also available as a TV series).

For magical/fantasy-flavored d20 mechanics, Crime and Punishment (http://www.atlas-games.com/product_tables/AG3223.php) is a great book to look into, and it's by Keith Baker. I have found it to be very useful.

When I write mystery-adventures, I make sure to create the criminal, victim, weapon (physical or a spell), location, and time of the crime first; clues come later. This is so your clues always have something to point to. If the crime isn't consistant in your own mind, your clues will be inconsistant, and your players will have no chance of solving the mystery outside of guesswork. You want your players to think, and presumably they want to think too, so keep the real facts in mind when writing clues.

When it comes to clues, I try to write twice as many clues as I think are needed to solve the mystery. This is to make sure I'm not overestimating my players, and so they can still solve the mystery if they fail a couple rolls. Mind you, though, the clues don't all have to be in the same room, or even physical objects. I personally divide clues into three types:

* Physical Objects: These objects are clues just by being the right object. The victim's body at the end of the alley, the victim's opal ring, the knife that fits the wound, etc.

* Residue: These are clues left over from actions, and often imply how something happened. The bloody footprint, the lingering enchantment aura, the knife wound in the victim's chest, etc.

* Witness Accounts: These clues are only found by asking people. The victim's apprentice says the victim recently had a heated argument with a strange Karrn, the tavern-maid saw the Karrn leaving his room at 9pm, the suspect says he was watching a play at the time of the victim's death (and a sense motive roll says he's lying), etc.

There are times when clues can point to the wrong thing, or don't point to anything useful (red herrings). The PCs don't have to think as much if all the clues you give them are important, but they can't get anywhere if all the clues you give them are wrong. So, it is a balancing act to make sure your PCs stay on their toes without getting totally lost. If you want a lot of red herrings, try having your villian frame someone else, rather than just throwing in a bunch of random clues. Serial killers and their unrelated copy-cat killers are another way to throw PCs off.

Well, anyway, I hope this helps.
SwarthmoreDB
08-31-06, 03:11 PM I´m also thinking of starting an Inquisitives Campaign and I must say this is some really good stuff you guys have put down here!
cancerousmango
08-31-06, 03:17 PM You are in such luck, pal. Check out the adventures in Dungeon Magazine: Murder in Oakridge (to start), followed by Chimes at Midnight. Both are very good.
Kid SixXx
08-31-06, 09:05 PM One staple of the noir crime drama genre is the crime that absolutely no one wants solved.

It may be the death of a (unbeknownst to the public) corrupt political figure that is beloved by the general citizenry (and that the ruling establishment takes great pains to preserve that reputation), or the criminal dealings of a pristine, admirable daughter of a noble that perhaps had a more sinister reputation that anyone guessed, yet the details are again covered up to preserve her reputation and prolong the status quo.

The PC's investigations won't only conflict with the goals of the criminals, they might even clash with the goals of the authorities of Sharn or maybe even the Brelish crown itself depeding on how far you want to go.

Constant conspiracy isn't very surprising given the level of corruption in the Sharn watch.

Heck, the PC's might even learn that the Watch is covering up for the murderer / criminal, or worse, protecting the murderer / criminal for one reason or another.

Good sources of inspiration for that avenue include:

The Jack the Ripper murders (From Hell is a amazing graphic novel. Any Google query should land you tons of historical info on this infamous case.)

The Black Dahlia murder (Soon to be a motion picture (http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808730660/info;_ylt=AldWtbpEFK1l93yRpTzEMDxfVXcA). Check here (http://www.bethshort.com/) for historical info on the case. Beware of the forensic photographs because they are kinda disturbing.)

The very first Lethal Weapon movie

where the virginal daughter turns out to be a prostitute and her virtuous banker father turns out to be a money launderer for a drug-smuggling ring. Whoodathunkit??

Chinatown (http://imdb.com/title/tt0071315/) (one of Jack Nicholson's best performances.)

Murder on the Orient Express (by Agatha Christie, featuring the aforementioned Hercule Poirot)

Or as per the running gag on this board, Murder on the Orien Express. :rolleyes:

Not just a whodunnit. At the end of the book you find out that everyonedunnit!

I would perhaps structure an adventure on this theme similar to the structure found in the film, Rising Sun (http://imdb.com/title/tt0107969/)

A murder no one wants solved, a murder victim no one thinks is significant, a simple crime leading to the uncovering of a massive conspiracy, criminal elements protected by governmental elements or perhaps even by big business elements (ie. Is the mass murderer / does the conpiracy involve a noble in a Dragonmarked House? How do the players cope with that kind of political / economical clout?), an intro to the length & breadth of Sharn, and ending in the moral, "bad guys win when good guys aren't diligent in their effort to defeat them" if the PCs aren't successful in unraveling the mystery.

I hope you guys will post any journal logs you have to let us know how things turn out.
Shady314
09-01-06, 01:05 AM So I'm looking into doing an inquisitive campaign set in Sharn. Any tips on how to make things run smoothly and keep PC's interested w/o tons of combat (I'm thinking maybe 1 or 2 combat encounters/session, maybe even less)? Also any resources for finding good plot devices, and ways for villans to leave clues that don't make them look retarded?
thnx

Realize being a detective in a world of magic must be really crazy. I'd personally make them retainers for the blackened book. Hopefully one of the PCs is a spellcaster or artificer.

Just play up the whole magic is rare and crazy and when people use it to commit crimes things get difficult. Every single person you talk to could be a changeling in disguise or magic user under a spell. Their memories could be altered or their mind controlled. Small crimes could lead to huge plots involving the DD or the Lords of Dust. Sharn is full of secrets and now you have the unenviable task of being asked to look into them.

I'd play it kind of like a horror campaign. Discuss it with your players if theyre ok playing a campaign where combat should be avoided and when it can't is very rare. If they are then ok with that then horror is a great inspiration for this. Someone shot a fireball into a crowded inn. Someone animated the zombie of a man's dead wife to kill him. Someone was strangled by an animated rope. They can find out the rope is animated when it tries to strangle them. Someone used dispel magic to suppress a feather fall effect on a bridge and a young daredevil noble went splat. A body is discovered in a room locked from the inside. What spell did the killer use or were his methods completely mundane?
Kid SixXx
09-01-06, 03:39 PM Realize being a detective in a world of magic must be really crazy.

I tend to agree. Magic used by criminals can be pretty problematic, but magic used by PC's can be even moreso if you don't prepare for it.

Who needs to search for clues if clerics can use Speak With Dead and question the murder victims. Do you railroad the PC's by having limited responses every time just to force PC's to search for evidence by skill rolls? (Uh.... Dolurrh isn't continimous at this time so the spell fails.)

That seems like bad form to me. DM's should definitely prep for PC's to take the magical way out on occasion, or perhaps add in some learning curve time if the DM is going to have his BBEG use magic extensively.

I imagine that most Divination spells will be a hassle for the DM to cope with when it comes to gathering information (no need to use Intimidate checks when Zone of Truth will tell you whether or not the interrogated party is lying), and Illusion or Transmutation spells (especially the more domestic cantrips such as Mend) might be problematic for PC's if a deceptive DM decides to use magic in order to hide clues or sweep an area clear of evidence.

... or Evocations used to completely destroy murder victims...

How do you prove foul play when a victim has been Disintergrated? I suppose a materiel witness exit plan might be best, but if our magical killer (via a homoculous spy or more Divination magic) gets wind of the witness, there could very well be one more pile of ash on the streets of Sharn.

Actually, that's not a half bad plot device.

Interesting things to ponder while prepping an adventure.
igotsmeakabob!!
09-01-06, 06:48 PM Alot of the Eberron adventures featued in Dungeon are heavily inquisitive oriented, check them out.
mcnathan
09-02-06, 09:14 PM Thanks everyone for your ideas, all of the input has been really useful, and intriguing. One last question (until I think of more): Can anyone give me a rundown of how their inquisitive games have gone? I'm looking for a synopsis detailing the steps the PC's took and paths they traveled to capture the "bad guy". All stories are welcome, I'm just trying to get a feel for what could possibly happen when the random element of the PC is introduced.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
mcnathan 08-26-06, 05:41 PM	So I'm looking into doing an inquisitive campaign set in Sharn. Any tips on how to make things run smoothly and keep PC's interested w/o tons of combat (I'm thinking maybe 1 or 2 combat encounters/session, maybe even less)? Also any resources for finding good plot devices, and ways for villans to leave clues that don't make them look retarded? thnx
Kid SixXx 08-26-06, 09:31 PM	From the casebook of Ciro d'Medani. 1) Rogues Galleries vs. Random Crime Try to alternate your adventures between criminal acts with a known BBEG and whodunnits (murders, burglaries, etc). Whodunnits can devolve into skill money exercises pretty quickly if there is no timeline (ie. Solve the crime in three days or the murderer goes free) and Crime Sprees leading up to a major event can devolve into Hack & Slashes pretty quickly as the party mows its way through underlings to get to the boss. Balance your adventures accordingly, but alternate as much as you can without being predictable. 2) Calling Cards vs. True Clues Bad guys do not like to tip themselves off unless it is on their terms. Have the clues relate to the crime scene and force the PC's to search for them and relate them to the crime itself. Don't think of a villain "leaving clues": instead, think of the villain "making mistakes" and leaving telltale signs of the crime. Signs which only the most astute investigator will turn into the evidence that catches the perpetrator. If they miss a clue that might help them break the case, that's too bad but don't penalize the party for low dice rolls. Do not make clues look deliberately placed, unless you decide that you want the villain to leave red herrings in order to throw the authorities off the trail. If you want the PC's to know who did it from jump street, then have the villain leave a calling card. This turns the adventure into an open challenge for the PC's to stop the villain before he strikes again. 3) Have friends in high and low places. When I play my PC, Ciro d'Medani, my DM invariably makes me use my "contacts" PrC feature to gather information. While that doesn't seem like much, it gives the DM an excuse to paint a very vivid picture of life in Sharn, both good & bad. Sometimes the hardest part isn't capturing a bad guy, it's walking through Lower Dura without getting mugged or getting into that high-society nightspot without getting beaten down by the bouncers. Make your PC's work their contacts and try to spread them out all over the city. Not only does description allow for a more colorful game experience, it will give them a greater appreciation for just how large Sharn actually is. Just imagine the tension they'll suffer when they discover clues that point out that the plot to assassinate ir'Whassisname will be carried out in less than a half-hour... and the skycoach is a 40 minute ride. ;) 4) There is a time to be cerebral & there is a time for fistfighting. Kinda relates to number one. If your players are having a hard time gathering info or finding clues through investigation, then give them a roleplay alternative by rounding up suspects and questioning people. That provides avenues for combat (both related and unrelated to the crime itself) as well as introducing your NPCs, whether they be suspects, witnesses, or regulars. My PC usually ends up solving crimes that good ol Sgt. Dolom (from the Forgotten Forge) has given up hope on. My DM took a liking to Dolom when he ran Forge, so whenever we have an inquisative style adventure, Dolom is our recurring contact. As far as resources go, I'd Google up some proper British mysteries (Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot are my favorite characters) as well as look up some more noirish detective tales such as Raymond Chandler (The Maltese Falcon is quite good). As silly as it might sound, I'd also check out the more "dark detective"-ish Batman tales such as The Long Halloween or Hush (Jeph Loeb) for unknown BBEG's that need unmasking or perhaps The Killing Joke for "you can't catch me" kinds of BBEG inquisative adventure inspiration. Hope this helps.
taski 08-26-06, 09:52 PM	If your players aren't interested in only having 1-2 combat encounters per session, don't try it, you'll just have problems. But if they're cool with it, and especially if they really want it, go right ahead. I have been running an inquisitive campaign for a couple years now, and it's a lot of fun. For inspiration on how to leave clues, watch CSI. It's a great way to see what kinds of evidence can get left behind. Of course, the PCs won't have access to the fancy technological devices that the CSI team does, so another good place to look is the Sherlock Holmes series by Aurthur Conan Doyle (they're short stories, but are also available as a TV series). For magical/fantasy-flavored d20 mechanics, Crime and Punishment (http://www.atlas-games.com/product_tables/AG3223.php) is a great book to look into, and it's by Keith Baker. I have found it to be very useful. When I write mystery-adventures, I make sure to create the criminal, victim, weapon (physical or a spell), location, and time of the crime first; clues come later. This is so your clues always have something to point to. If the crime isn't consistant in your own mind, your clues will be inconsistant, and your players will have no chance of solving the mystery outside of guesswork. You want your players to think, and presumably they want to think too, so keep the real facts in mind when writing clues. When it comes to clues, I try to write twice as many clues as I think are needed to solve the mystery. This is to make sure I'm not overestimating my players, and so they can still solve the mystery if they fail a couple rolls. Mind you, though, the clues don't all have to be in the same room, or even physical objects. I personally divide clues into three types: * Physical Objects: These objects are clues just by being the right object. The victim's body at the end of the alley, the victim's opal ring, the knife that fits the wound, etc. * Residue: These are clues left over from actions, and often imply how something happened. The bloody footprint, the lingering enchantment aura, the knife wound in the victim's chest, etc. * Witness Accounts: These clues are only found by asking people. The victim's apprentice says the victim recently had a heated argument with a strange Karrn, the tavern-maid saw the Karrn leaving his room at 9pm, the suspect says he was watching a play at the time of the victim's death (and a sense motive roll says he's lying), etc. There are times when clues can point to the wrong thing, or don't point to anything useful (red herrings). The PCs don't have to think as much if all the clues you give them are important, but they can't get anywhere if all the clues you give them are wrong. So, it is a balancing act to make sure your PCs stay on their toes without getting totally lost. If you want a lot of red herrings, try having your villian frame someone else, rather than just throwing in a bunch of random clues. Serial killers and their unrelated copy-cat killers are another way to throw PCs off. Well, anyway, I hope this helps.
SwarthmoreDB 08-31-06, 03:11 PM	I´m also thinking of starting an Inquisitives Campaign and I must say this is some really good stuff you guys have put down here!
cancerousmango 08-31-06, 03:17 PM	You are in such luck, pal. Check out the adventures in Dungeon Magazine: Murder in Oakridge (to start), followed by Chimes at Midnight. Both are very good.
Kid SixXx 08-31-06, 09:05 PM	One staple of the noir crime drama genre is the crime that absolutely no one wants solved. It may be the death of a (unbeknownst to the public) corrupt political figure that is beloved by the general citizenry (and that the ruling establishment takes great pains to preserve that reputation), or the criminal dealings of a pristine, admirable daughter of a noble that perhaps had a more sinister reputation that anyone guessed, yet the details are again covered up to preserve her reputation and prolong the status quo. The PC's investigations won't only conflict with the goals of the criminals, they might even clash with the goals of the authorities of Sharn or maybe even the Brelish crown itself depeding on how far you want to go. Constant conspiracy isn't very surprising given the level of corruption in the Sharn watch. Heck, the PC's might even learn that the Watch is covering up for the murderer / criminal, or worse, protecting the murderer / criminal for one reason or another. Good sources of inspiration for that avenue include: The Jack the Ripper murders (From Hell is a amazing graphic novel. Any Google query should land you tons of historical info on this infamous case.) The Black Dahlia murder (Soon to be a motion picture (http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808730660/info;_ylt=AldWtbpEFK1l93yRpTzEMDxfVXcA). Check here (http://www.bethshort.com/) for historical info on the case. Beware of the forensic photographs because they are kinda disturbing.) The very first Lethal Weapon movie where the virginal daughter turns out to be a prostitute and her virtuous banker father turns out to be a money launderer for a drug-smuggling ring. Whoodathunkit?? Chinatown (http://imdb.com/title/tt0071315/) (one of Jack Nicholson's best performances.) Murder on the Orient Express (by Agatha Christie, featuring the aforementioned Hercule Poirot) Or as per the running gag on this board, Murder on the Orien Express. :rolleyes: Not just a whodunnit. At the end of the book you find out that everyonedunnit! I would perhaps structure an adventure on this theme similar to the structure found in the film, Rising Sun (http://imdb.com/title/tt0107969/) A murder no one wants solved, a murder victim no one thinks is significant, a simple crime leading to the uncovering of a massive conspiracy, criminal elements protected by governmental elements or perhaps even by big business elements (ie. Is the mass murderer / does the conpiracy involve a noble in a Dragonmarked House? How do the players cope with that kind of political / economical clout?), an intro to the length & breadth of Sharn, and ending in the moral, "bad guys win when good guys aren't diligent in their effort to defeat them" if the PCs aren't successful in unraveling the mystery. I hope you guys will post any journal logs you have to let us know how things turn out.
Shady314 09-01-06, 01:05 AM	So I'm looking into doing an inquisitive campaign set in Sharn. Any tips on how to make things run smoothly and keep PC's interested w/o tons of combat (I'm thinking maybe 1 or 2 combat encounters/session, maybe even less)? Also any resources for finding good plot devices, and ways for villans to leave clues that don't make them look retarded? thnx Realize being a detective in a world of magic must be really crazy. I'd personally make them retainers for the blackened book. Hopefully one of the PCs is a spellcaster or artificer. Just play up the whole magic is rare and crazy and when people use it to commit crimes things get difficult. Every single person you talk to could be a changeling in disguise or magic user under a spell. Their memories could be altered or their mind controlled. Small crimes could lead to huge plots involving the DD or the Lords of Dust. Sharn is full of secrets and now you have the unenviable task of being asked to look into them. I'd play it kind of like a horror campaign. Discuss it with your players if theyre ok playing a campaign where combat should be avoided and when it can't is very rare. If they are then ok with that then horror is a great inspiration for this. Someone shot a fireball into a crowded inn. Someone animated the zombie of a man's dead wife to kill him. Someone was strangled by an animated rope. They can find out the rope is animated when it tries to strangle them. Someone used dispel magic to suppress a feather fall effect on a bridge and a young daredevil noble went splat. A body is discovered in a room locked from the inside. What spell did the killer use or were his methods completely mundane?
Kid SixXx 09-01-06, 03:39 PM	Realize being a detective in a world of magic must be really crazy. I tend to agree. Magic used by criminals can be pretty problematic, but magic used by PC's can be even moreso if you don't prepare for it. Who needs to search for clues if clerics can use Speak With Dead and question the murder victims. Do you railroad the PC's by having limited responses every time just to force PC's to search for evidence by skill rolls? (Uh.... Dolurrh isn't continimous at this time so the spell fails.) That seems like bad form to me. DM's should definitely prep for PC's to take the magical way out on occasion, or perhaps add in some learning curve time if the DM is going to have his BBEG use magic extensively. I imagine that most Divination spells will be a hassle for the DM to cope with when it comes to gathering information (no need to use Intimidate checks when Zone of Truth will tell you whether or not the interrogated party is lying), and Illusion or Transmutation spells (especially the more domestic cantrips such as Mend) might be problematic for PC's if a deceptive DM decides to use magic in order to hide clues or sweep an area clear of evidence. ... or Evocations used to completely destroy murder victims... How do you prove foul play when a victim has been Disintergrated? I suppose a materiel witness exit plan might be best, but if our magical killer (via a homoculous spy or more Divination magic) gets wind of the witness, there could very well be one more pile of ash on the streets of Sharn. Actually, that's not a half bad plot device. Interesting things to ponder while prepping an adventure.
igotsmeakabob!! 09-01-06, 06:48 PM	Alot of the Eberron adventures featued in Dungeon are heavily inquisitive oriented, check them out.
mcnathan 09-02-06, 09:14 PM	Thanks everyone for your ideas, all of the input has been really useful, and intriguing. One last question (until I think of more): Can anyone give me a rundown of how their inquisitive games have gone? I'm looking for a synopsis detailing the steps the PC's took and paths they traveled to capture the "bad guy". All stories are welcome, I'm just trying to get a feel for what could possibly happen when the random element of the PC is introduced.