Concerning decoupling clues from locations, though, that only sometimes makes sense. It's commonplace for a piece of evidence to only be meaningful in a particular context, and sometimes that context is the location in which it's found.
That being said, if you can't move a clue, it becomes more important to make sure there are multiple ways to learn about it. Maybe if the PCs don't see the muddy footprint in the garden, the gardener did.
@Ziggurat When putting a settlement on a map that you don't expect the party to go anywhere near soon, you only really need three pieces of info (beyond its location, anyway):
Name
Size (city/town/village)
Product (apples, silk, sheep, etc.) or service (government, knowledge, trade hub, etc.)
Why a product or service? It helps establish how trade happens, gives the town a reputation for the group to hear, gives you a hook from which to improvise NPCs from there, and so on.
@superkret @andrew0 An emotional distance from those still mortal, especially those who are going to die soon — even those whose fate they could change through simple measures.
@Shkshkshk @grasshopper_mouse As far as my own media childhood goes:
Play some of Square/Squaresoft's various JRPGs from before the Square Enix merger.
Watch some awesome cartoons that got tragically cancelled before they could finish. (ABC's "SatAM" Sonic the Hedgehog, Pirates of Dark Water... technically Thundercats 2011 is too late for my childhood, but it's the same idea).
That'll give you a good summary.
@Enfors @rustyfish I'm of the opinion that PvP should only happen with mutual consent between the players.
@Shkshkshk @dnd Hags being considered fey, Sora Kell or any of her daughters would be appropriate.
@Shkshkshk @196 Do you have means by which to report potential bullies? Because I can only imagine a bully thinking this way.
@AngryCommieKender @Susaga Eh, I wouldn't really call TSR's issues in "2.5"/late 2e similar to the issues surrounding the cancellation of the d20 System Trademark License, the 4e GSL, or this past January's OGL debacle. For one thing, the game never officially had an open license before 3e came along. For another, late TSR's woes had more to do with their reach exceeding their grasp.
@Shkshkshk @196 ...If you do that to my old laptop specifically, will that make it less flaky, or is its tendency to freeze these days a hardware problem? 😜
@eerongal @slyflourish The column pickings there have shriveled over the years in favor of their forums. The main column there that still matters is Designers & Dragons.
Nah, Mafia/Werewolf is actually a third option, and served by games that exist outside "our" roleplaying industry. Look into murder mystery party games for that.
By "mystery-shaped storytelling" I mean more stuff like Brindlewood Bay, InSpectres, Technoir... stuff where even who did it and how just isn't decided at the start.