Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 taozhidashi Nov 24, 2011 12:19:21	In my game, about 100 people escaped enslavement and eventually established a settlement in a far-off jungle.  Now various factions are vying to shape the emerging society.  Eventually rivalry for control got intense enough that one of the settlers was murdered. One of the characters wants to investigate the murder.  Thoughts on how to run an investigation-focused game?
#2 TheForgottenCommand Nov 24, 2011 14:57:10	Hey Tao,  First off, avoid bottlenecking the investigation. There should be no sole skill challenge or hidden clue on which the solution is dependent. If the party needs three clues to prove the murderer guilty, then four if not five clues should be present, maybe more depending on how thorough your party is with searching. A skill challenge should have varying degrees of success, not just absolute failure if the party does not succeed unless they have no successes at all. A situation may be detrimental, but it should always advance the plot and get the party a little closer.    Next, do not create something overly complicated or intricate. The party members are not private eyes, and something to complicated to understand will just lead to confusion and frustration. False turns and incorrect suspicions are fine in moderation and simplicity. On the flip side, don't make an investigation too simple because there is no fun or accomplishment in a 30 minute investigation of two suspects, one a saint and the other a criminal.    Do not be afraid to throw the party a bone if they need one. If the party is stuck and confused, it is better to throw in a clue from the obnoxious town drunk than to stubbornly wait for the party to go back and search the warehouse the right way. And this clue should only be enough to keep the adventure going, not solve the case outright.    Lastly, be flexible. If the party belives one person committed the crime and that seems an even better ending than the one you planned for, change it. No plan survives contact with the enemy, and no DM planning can predict what the players will do or choose, so be ready to change and adapt.    Hope this helps
#3 yronimosw Nov 25, 2011 4:43:06	I think a murder investigation sounds like a fantastic idea! I've never run a game like that, but it seems like it should be a lot of fun. You might find helpful some of the brainstorming from this thread (link) about puzzles, which are, at least in spirit, a similar idea to mysteries and murder investigations. Good luck, and let us know how this works out - I have a feeling it can be quite an exciting game