CSI D20 - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

CSI D20

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Hammerhead
Apr 16, 2009 22:23:53 Is there such a thing?
#2
backstabbist
Apr 16, 2009 22:48:00 Cool idea
A mix of Smarts Deds & Charismatics for the science, investigation, and interviews
#3
Hammerhead
Apr 16, 2009 22:49:10 Has somone made rules for it i mean
#4
dementedwombat
Apr 16, 2009 23:03:15 I'd be more partial to "NCIS d20", but I suppose the difference is academic really.

http://www.amazon.com/Crime-Scene-Police-Investigation/dp/1899749403/ref=cm_lmf_***_1, popped up on Google. Can't say I've heard of it but it might be what you're looking for.
#5
Hammerhead
Apr 16, 2009 23:12:23 Also what about stats for the characters? I remembr a long time ago somone made a huge thing of stats for fictional characters but I forget who was in it.
#6
TheRealOrion
Apr 17, 2009 1:35:41 I don't know that you'd need new rules for it, but what I would say is that you'd want to follow the opposite tack than a combat-focused game. Instead of resolving skills in one big, all-or-nothing roll (e.g., "I get a 38 on my Forensics skill... I know who did it!" GAME OVER), the GM should break down the rolls into individual pieces and then allow/force the players to put those pieces together themselves. Similarly, you could break the social skills down to segments. Intimidate, Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive could be wielded like weapons, scaring someone one second and leading them down a false path the next. This would, now that I think of it, require some rules tinkering, but not tonnes. Could be a lot of fun.
#7
backstabbist
Apr 17, 2009 10:53:48 It would need a flow chart of clues.
Once the players get a clue, with successful rolls they can get some or all of the leads to other clues you have on the relationship chart.

If they go to the crime scene they can get roll to find stray bullets, unknown fingerprints, papers with 3 guys names..... uh, the body that can be Autopsied for more info back at the shop. The flow chart would have to have MrJones with links to a stolen gun, relationship to a criminalBob, business dealing with the body. Maybe the party will roll well and find all the info, maybe they will just hear about the buisness deal. But in the same way, if the party rolled well with the Bullet it could link a crime by the criminalBob that knows Jones .... which shows the 2way relationship of flowchart.

It is a lot of work for the GM to make a bunch of cross related leads, many of which wont be found by the party

If the party blows the interview with Jones,
and they dont make their rolls for finding the Bullet and linking it to the crime by Bob,
they will need yet more clue paths to find out about Bob, and eventually about the business woman that killed Body to frame Bob and Jones to cover up a civil suit over her running into Jones car at the store
#8
TheRealOrion
Apr 17, 2009 12:09:58 A lot of that can be taken care of, on the fly, by the GM. I mean, by the same logic, if you don't make your combat rolls, you won't get to the next boss. The problem is that the skill rolls are usually designed to bypass all the specifics and just finish the job. That's the difference between combat and skills, in this context. That's why I'd say that the focus should be on breaking skills down to smaller parts.

I can see how those kinds of flow-charts and stuff would be really useful for a GM, but I don't happen to agree on how tenuous the encounters would be. A good GM can handle that.
#9
Hammerhead
Apr 17, 2009 12:24:51 Found the thread of TV/Movie characters. It was in useful threads can't believe I missed it

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Hammerhead Apr 16, 2009 22:23:53	Is there such a thing?
#2 backstabbist Apr 16, 2009 22:48:00	Cool idea A mix of Smarts Deds & Charismatics for the science, investigation, and interviews
#3 Hammerhead Apr 16, 2009 22:49:10	Has somone made rules for it i mean
#4 dementedwombat Apr 16, 2009 23:03:15	I'd be more partial to "NCIS d20", but I suppose the difference is academic really. http://www.amazon.com/Crime-Scene-Police-Investigation/dp/1899749403/ref=cm_lmf_***_1, popped up on Google. Can't say I've heard of it but it might be what you're looking for.
#5 Hammerhead Apr 16, 2009 23:12:23	Also what about stats for the characters? I remembr a long time ago somone made a huge thing of stats for fictional characters but I forget who was in it.
#6 TheRealOrion Apr 17, 2009 1:35:41	I don't know that you'd need new rules for it, but what I would say is that you'd want to follow the opposite tack than a combat-focused game. Instead of resolving skills in one big, all-or-nothing roll (e.g., "I get a 38 on my Forensics skill... I know who did it!" GAME OVER), the GM should break down the rolls into individual pieces and then allow/force the players to put those pieces together themselves. Similarly, you could break the social skills down to segments. Intimidate, Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive could be wielded like weapons, scaring someone one second and leading them down a false path the next. This would, now that I think of it, require some rules tinkering, but not tonnes. Could be a lot of fun.
#7 backstabbist Apr 17, 2009 10:53:48	It would need a flow chart of clues. Once the players get a clue, with successful rolls they can get some or all of the leads to other clues you have on the relationship chart. If they go to the crime scene they can get roll to find stray bullets, unknown fingerprints, papers with 3 guys names..... uh, the body that can be Autopsied for more info back at the shop. The flow chart would have to have MrJones with links to a stolen gun, relationship to a criminalBob, business dealing with the body. Maybe the party will roll well and find all the info, maybe they will just hear about the buisness deal. But in the same way, if the party rolled well with the Bullet it could link a crime by the criminalBob that knows Jones .... which shows the 2way relationship of flowchart. It is a lot of work for the GM to make a bunch of cross related leads, many of which wont be found by the party If the party blows the interview with Jones, and they dont make their rolls for finding the Bullet and linking it to the crime by Bob, they will need yet more clue paths to find out about Bob, and eventually about the business woman that killed Body to frame Bob and Jones to cover up a civil suit over her running into Jones car at the store
#8 TheRealOrion Apr 17, 2009 12:09:58	A lot of that can be taken care of, on the fly, by the GM. I mean, by the same logic, if you don't make your combat rolls, you won't get to the next boss. The problem is that the skill rolls are usually designed to bypass all the specifics and just finish the job. That's the difference between combat and skills, in this context. That's why I'd say that the focus should be on breaking skills down to smaller parts. I can see how those kinds of flow-charts and stuff would be really useful for a GM, but I don't happen to agree on how tenuous the encounters would be. A good GM can handle that.
#9 Hammerhead Apr 17, 2009 12:24:51	Found the thread of TV/Movie characters. It was in useful threads can't believe I missed it