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so i was wondering if i could get a list of hints and tips of how to run a Mystery based game.

*how to set up the stories

*types of things to keep in mind at all times.

*How to keep the players interested and yet mystified.

*etc...

One problem is that mystery adventures are railroady by nature. If they don't pick up on the clues, you have to hand them to them.

If you want to go by the Clue movie, have several endings in mind, then veer toward the ones the players favor. That way, they get to feel all smart and empowered and stuff.

Brian

make sure you dont have a plot or story elements that are set in stone so you can go with the flow. a lot of the time i end up with a cool mystery without trying because my players are sitting there trying to figure out stuff i didnt even intentionally put into the game. obviously you will want a plot and stuff that you can keep track of, but keep in mind the players have no idea what you are doing behind that gm screen and if you totally change your story back there, they will never know.

my players seem to think im an amazing gm sometimes, but it usually them playing so good lol

gadrin wrote:good ideas.

present a mystery but leave it open ended that way after playing for 6+ hours and they make a decision you can "help it" if need be.

Yeah, I got the idea from another game, but sadly Palladium's "no conversion" policy prevents me from going any further. It uses an odd system that allows the players to affect the plot about as much as the GM. One of those hep, modern Forge-style games.

Brian

go check out the movie "murder by death". Now THAT is a mystery movie. And SOOOO many options. Every spot you see technology in the movie, have it happen by magic (unless you're running a world with tech, either modern day or rifts).

the biggest problem is psychics and magic can ruin a mystery game. They leave too many shortcuts. Players can view major events that happen. they can commune with the spirit of the guy that got killed. And plenty of other ways to work around the 'normal' problems of a mystery.

ya "ten little Indians" was a great story..


thanks alot guys for your help..

As with any game; know what has happened, how it happened and what could have happened

Crime of passion is usually messy
Professional Hit money changes hands, enemies and alibis
Serial killers are well serial

Motive Means Opportunity

villains are not all brilliant master minds who think of everything. Check their personality and their skills. SWhat would they think of what would they miss

Well...my best suggestion is watch different movies/tv and take hints from there. Best "crime shows" to watch would be any of the Law and Order series. A great movie to watch is Usual Suspects and also Lucky # Slevin is a good one too.

but magic comes into a big factor withint hese types of games, so try and throw things off. Be it with a Mind Block, negate magic cloud, or others in that realm. Just use your imagination to the best of it.

keep it normal, when you throw the paranomral into it it gets cheap real fast epescially when no one ever dies of regular dagger to the back

in a world like rifts where you have people like the mystics that can sense the supernatural and pin point their location, i would have to pit the characters against more mortal adversaries.