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ewoods
2015-01-08, 03:21 PM
I've got a bit of writers block and I need some help. I'm the DM for a large group and for the next few weeks the adventure will take place on the high seas. At the end of our last game they boarded a ship and, along with the crew and other passengers (about 75 people total), are setting sail for an island in the ocean about two weeks away from the mainland. I have an idea for an on-board adventure, sort of like a murder mystery, but am getting stuck for some reason.

The basic idea is that an assassin, whom they've already encountered in the past, snuck aboard with them and is plotting to kill everyone. The method will be poisoning the food supply. The problem is, I'm stumped for how to give the party enough clues for them to actually suspect a plot and start looking for the assassin. I'm thinking they find a random dead crew member, perhaps in the galley, but I don't think that's enough for them to suspect something larger than just a rogue crew member. Maybe a perception check at some point for them to notice a strange white powder down in the lower decks where the assassin boarded? But what if they don't notice something like that? I'd really appreciate any ideas or suggestions.

Yora
2015-01-08, 03:26 PM
What exactly does the assassin try to achieve? If we know that, we can think about how he actually goes to work, and then things might become more clear.

The Grue
2015-01-08, 03:35 PM
I'd try a more organic approach. Work out the assassin's goal and method in full (which you have already done), then work out a timeline of events on the assumption that the PCs do not intervene. Then as the party goes about their business try and keep rough track of where you are in the time line, and maybe give events a little nudge to get them in the right spot at the right time.

Once the PCs suspect something is up, if they're anything like the people I play with, they'll turn the ship upside-down trying to find the secret scheme. Do not leave a deliberate trail of breadcrumbs; instead, let the party do the legwork. If all goes well they'll uncover a lead on their own, and don't be afraid to throw them a lucky break if they're stuck for ideas or they think of something that never occurred to you. The trick is to reward them for creativity rather than force them to guess what you're thinking.

Murder mysteries in RPGs are hard to do without railroading. An improvisational style I find is best.

ewoods
2015-01-08, 03:36 PM
The assassin has recently taken to worshipping a white dragon that decimated the town in which he was living. When the party arrived at the town (just passing by on their way to the port to board a ship), they discovered it in ruin and attempted to help the survivors. The assassin, a little bit insane after the attacks, had been attempting to convince the survivors that further attacks could be avoided if they worshipped the dragon, and had been quietly killing those who objected. The party came along and provided aid and led the survivors to a new town in which they could live, and any thought of worshipping the dragon was abandoned. The assassin has now convinced himself that he must punish the party and anyone helping them or the dragon will come back. It's all very irrational. He tried to kill the party outside of the town but they defeated him easily and he escaped into the forest, but secretly followed them to the port town. He knows he's no match for them in direct combat and so has plotted to kill them (and the whole crew because they're helping them) through poison. His own survival instinct won't allow him to blow up the ship or anything like that.

Honest Tiefling
2015-01-08, 03:37 PM
How is he going to steer the boat just by himself? Nevermind, got answered. That'll teach me to be slow.

Also, I found this site (http://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/1093/roleplaying-games/three-clue-rule-part-1the-players-are-not-sherlock-holmes) to be immensely helpful. It has a series called three clue rule I have employed that works fairly well.

ewoods
2015-01-08, 03:39 PM
Work out the assassin's goal and method in full (which you have already done), then work out a timeline of events on the assumption that the PCs do not intervene.

Thanks for this! That's how I usually plan things but I've never done an adventure at sea and the whole "adventure in a bottle" thing is throwing me off I think.

Kodr
2015-01-08, 04:08 PM
I'm not sure how important it is to have that particular assassin be on board, but when a random crew members start to turn up dead; my story instinct jumps right to the classic who done it. This could be the chance to use that assumption to demonstrate the omnipotence of the assassins order or investor. They could have already planted another assassin on the ship ready to take out the party, but they have to kill members of the crew who have found their true identity out first.

Beta Centauri
2015-01-08, 04:17 PM
In my experience, aiming for a particular outcome, let alone a particular way for the players to achieve that outcome, is not a reliably good idea.

Whatever you eventually arrive at, be prepared to handle several different outcomes besides the one you're aiming for:

They are unable to figure it out.
They figure it out early (even immediately).
They are convinced they've figured it out, but are wrong.
They give up.

If you can be ready for each of those outcomes, then the exact makeup of your mystery (or any challenge, really) doesn't much matter. Just do your best.

ewoods
2015-01-08, 04:27 PM
Yeah, I think I've been approaching this from the standpoint of, "They NEED to figure this out." I want it to be challenging, but I also want them to be able to figure it out. That three-clue idea seems very useful. I think I just need to plan multiple ways for them to potentially figure out, set up a specific timeline and a series of events, and then let the scenario play out whether they catch on or not.

Beta Centauri
2015-01-08, 04:33 PM
Yeah, I think I've been approaching this from the standpoint of, "They NEED to figure this out." I want it to be challenging, but I also want them to be able to figure it out. That three-clue idea seems very useful. I think I just need to plan multiple ways for them to potentially figure out, set up a specific timeline and a series of events, and then let the scenario play out whether they catch on or not. Wanting or needing a particular outcome is what tends to jam things up, because there are no guarantees. They might fail; what then?

If you can't allow them to fail, then you don't want to handle this as a mystery, because odds are good that you're going to have to spoil it for them at some point anyway. And if you're going to have to spoil it eventually anyway, just spoil it up front and get the player's buy in with the kind of tone and pacing you're looking for. They can then play their characters to that tone and pacing, working with you to lead them to the conclusion, and guaranteed not to fail.

Yes, I know that ruins the mystery, but so does the players failing when failing isn't an option. You can have an authentic mystery, figured out the way you want it to be, or you can have guaranteed success by the party. You can't really have both.

Honest Tiefling
2015-01-08, 04:37 PM
Another idea: Add on a storm. If the assassin has been successful, there might not be enough sailors that are skilled enough to steer the dang ship. Players either need to bail, or to help steer the thing, else the ship takes too much damage. If they do not succeed, they have a few days before drifting or being forced to swim onto a inhospitable island that might be occupied by a hostile force building a fortress there.

Beta Centauri
2015-01-08, 04:39 PM
Another idea: Add on a storm. If the assassin has been successful, there might not be enough sailors that are skilled enough to steer the dang ship. Players either need to bail, or to help steer the thing, else the ship takes too much damage. If they do not succeed, they have a few days before drifting or being forced to swim onto a inhospitable island that might be occupied by a hostile force building a fortress there. Yes, or some other way they can actually fail, but the story can still continue. That general approach solves a lot of problems.

ewoods
2015-01-08, 04:41 PM
Yes, or some other way they can actually fail, but the story can still continue. That general approach solves a lot of problems.

I think that was exactly my problem. I didn't plan for them to fail AND still be able to survive. I think that's all I need really, is to answer what happens if they don't catch the assassin in time.

Honest Tiefling
2015-01-08, 04:41 PM
It also means they need to keep the sailors alive, else they might experience a huge setback.

Beta Centauri
2015-01-08, 04:48 PM
I think that was exactly my problem. I didn't plan for them to fail AND still be able to survive. I think that's all I need really, is to answer what happens if they don't catch the assassin in time. Yes.

4th Edition D&D opened my eyes to this, with its advice on skill challenges. They talk about the rewards for success, but also advise that the consequences for failure should be something that doesn't grind the game to a halt, such as an insurmountable problem, an unpersuadable NPC, or total party annihilation.

Now I design all my challenges, including combat challenges, with interesting (though not necessarily good-for-the-characters) failure very much in mind. I can then set up any situation that allows for such a failure, without much fear that I've made something that's harder than expected or impossible. Of course, it should also be fun to attempt for its own sake, win or lose, and I also try to be prepared in case the challenge is inadvertently too easy or trivial.

Methusala
2015-01-11, 01:49 AM
I've got a bit of writers block and I need some help. I'm the DM for a large group and for the next few weeks the adventure will take place on the high seas. At the end of our last game they boarded a ship and, along with the crew and other passengers (about 75 people total), are setting sail for an island in the ocean about two weeks away from the mainland. I have an idea for an on-board adventure, sort of like a murder mystery, but am getting stuck for some reason.

The basic idea is that an assassin, whom they've already encountered in the past, snuck aboard with them and is plotting to kill everyone. The method will be poisoning the food supply. The problem is, I'm stumped for how to give the party enough clues for them to actually suspect a plot and start looking for the assassin. I'm thinking they find a random dead crew member, perhaps in the galley, but I don't think that's enough for them to suspect something larger than just a rogue crew member. Maybe a perception check at some point for them to notice a strange white powder down in the lower decks where the assassin boarded? But what if they don't notice something like that? I'd really appreciate any ideas or suggestions.

How does the assassin survive from not eating? they could have food, and the assassin could hide the salt? or, the assassin could be confronted at a party with a honest good man that insists he have some of his food because he is skinny? or, maybe they could all catch him in the food and notice he is not carrying any food out, so what was he doing in there?

Escapist
2015-01-11, 02:20 AM
Also if he's using poison it doesn't have to take effect immediately. Or at least it doesn't have to kill those who were poisoned immediately. If they don't find the assassin in time the adventure can include having to find ways to cure/delay the poison, especially if there is a cleric or medically focused player in the group (if not one of the passengers could be a doctor) and keeping the passengers from panicking or persuading them to help while they find the culprit.

aGuyWhoTypes
2015-01-11, 09:42 AM
I think the problem here is coming up with how the assasin kills the players: by food poisening.

I think the 'how' of how does the assasin kill them needs to float; in other words be open.

Come up with many different ways that an assasin can kill off their targets. Make a list of them

then let the players find a dead body and listen to what they say and go from there.

If they find a dead body and see no gun shot wounds or stab marks or any body harm then.. they can hopefully deduce it's comeing somewhere else..
listen to what they say and go from there..

I would also make sure that one of the pc's is a scientist or medic or someone who could do an autopsy or conduct some sort of internal investigating on the dead body.. at that point you could introduce what you want..

"you find an unusual amount of xyz in their bloodstream, etc"