Introduction
WelcomeWriting ProcessResources
Adventure Brainstorming
Exciting PremisePrimary ObjectiveSetting and LocationsMain CharactersKey Plot PointsEscalating ChallengesIntriguing Mysteries
Adventure Writing
Outline and SummaryAnswering Open QuestionsWriting DescriptionsCommunity FeedbackPrep and PlaytestDesign and IllustrationsPublishing
Conclusion
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Intriguing Mysteries

A good mystery can make any adventure more fun, engaging, and serve as extra motivation for the players. A mystery will create curiosity that drives the players forward, and help you to reveal information about the story in a more exciting way - as opposed to you boring the players with the exposition, they will be actively seeking the information about the story.

Unlike intricate murder mysteries, simple mysteries are relatively easy to do, so there's no reason not to add a mystery element to all of your adventures.

The trick to creating a mystery is to hide the key information about the story, instead of just offering it to the players on a silver platter. Instead of just using an NPCs to explain to players everything they need to know at the beginning of the adventure, you can make them wonder about what's going on, search for clues, work to reveal the truth, make guesses and try to solve the mystery on their own.

Instead of making the answers obvious - reveal information through clues, use these clues to lead the players through the story. Use clues and information as a reward for completing the challenges. Make players work to discover the clues, and reward them by revealing more about the story.

Picture your scenes as rooms in a dungeon, and clues as keys opening the doors to different rooms. Players enter the scene, complete the challenge in front of them, get a clue as a reward. Clues unlock new scenes, encounters, interactions, enable the players to progress through the story.

To reach the final scene (climax), the players may need to collect enough relevant clues to point them in the direction of that scene (finding the secret cultist's lair, figuring out who's behind the disappearances to confront them, learning about the true cause of the drought, finding the key piece of information that makes their Objective achievable).

Examples of Clues:

  • The secrets some characters know. Players can overhear rumors, interrogate witnesses, intimidate Evil Minions into revealing the information.
  • Research. Players can find information in ancient books, mysterious notes, journals, maps.
  • Physical clues. Dagger with a unique sigil left at the crime scene, tracks leading into the forest, secret doors.
  • Spying. Players can track some of the characters, listen in on conversations, infiltrate private parties, heist their way into well-protected buildings.
  • Magic - divination spells, talking to ghosts, magical surveillance, mind reading.

To make sure that the players will be able to make progress through your adventure - make multiple clues for each important conclusion you need the players to arrive at. A good rule of thumb is to give players 3 possible ways to find out any key bit of information that is required to advance through the story.

Ask yourself:

  • What interesting information about this story can I hide instead of revealing it right away?
  • What key pieces of information do the players need to know to be able to make progress towards their goal, figure out what's going on, and complete their quest?
  • What are some ways the players could find out about this information?
  • How can the players obtain these clues?
  • To what scenes does the clue lead, which locations, encounters, or conversations does it unlock?
  • What actions does the clue encourage players to take?

Use the clues to connect the scenes together, direct the players from one scene to the next.

Flexible Clues

You don't always have to design the specific clues and put them into specific locations, especially if you're writing the adventure for yourself instead of publishing.

You can just decide which bits of information about the story you want to hide, and then improvise ways to reveal this information during the game.

Since it is difficult to predict how the players will investigate the mystery, and it's hard to design 3 clues for each conclusion, you can "fake" it by placing the clues in places the players happen to investigate.

  • If the players choose to look through the crime scene, maybe they'll find a mysterious note.
  • If they choose to interrogate witnesses, maybe a little kid playing nearby has noticed something strange.
  • If they choose to use magic, frame the answer as the result of whatever spell they've decided to use.

This makes the mystery writing even simpler and more flexible.

Keep it Simple

Unless you're writing an adventure specifically focused on mystery - don't overdo it, keep the clues simple.

Writing mysteries and inventing all the clues can quickly get very intricate and difficult to write. But you only need a few interesting questions and a few clues to create the sense of curiosity and wonder in your players.

Focus on the low-hanging fruit, adding a few small mystery elements to your story is an easy way to make it much better.

Activity

  • List the key pieces of information you will hide from the players initially, to create a surprising reveal later on.
  • For each reveal, list 1-3 clues that will convey this information to the players. How will the players obtain these clues?
  • Describe how each clue can lead to future scenes, help players make progress through the story. What fun and exciting information will the clue tell players about the story?