this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2025

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Tips for creating murder mysteries in my games? (ttrpg.network)

submitted 2 years ago by Atlas48@ttrpg.network to c/rpg@ttrpg.network

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As the title says. I eventually want to run an impostor scenario/murder mystery in my World of Darkness game at some point, and would like some pointers.

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[–] sbv@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 years ago (5 children)

Hit your players over the head with multiple clues, and make sure that it's hard to get dead-ended.

The following is a ttrpg classic that I periodically reread: https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/1118/roleplaying-games/three-clue-rule

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[–] Kapitine@feddit.nl 2 points 2 years ago

Seconding this, use self-contained scenes and clues that lead you from one scene to the next without requiring a strict plot to guide you.

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[–] Shyfer@ttrpg.network 1 point 2 years ago (3 children)

Ya I think he's said something about replacing that advice with node-based adventure design or something, but this article by itself has helped me improve tons of mystery scenarios by itself that I think the advice works as is.

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[–] pteryx@dice.camp 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

It's not that he replaced it, it's that he built on it. The Reverse Three Clue Rule used in his node-based design articles ("if the players have at least three clues, they'll draw at least one conclusion") is a corollary, not a refutation of his previous advice.

The main way it's changed since he wrote this article (and since he wrote his Node-Based Design series, for that matter) is that he distinguishes between clues and leads, which he didn't at the time.

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[–] Shyfer@ttrpg.network 1 point 2 years ago

Ya, that makes sense. They seemed pretty similar in concept, I probably just misremembered something he said.

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[–] sbv@sh.itjust.works 1 point 2 years ago

Good point. Node based design works particularly well for mysteries.

I think the general suggestion for having lots of redundant clues is still relevant, regardless of how the GM plans the adventure.

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