Making a Mystery
I've been asked recently to build on the mystery creation mechanics I suggested on Story Games a some months ago. They rose from the mission creation mechanics in Drift, but turned a few corners along the way. Unfortunately, what I posted at Story Games didn't work when I tried it.

But this modified mechanic seems to.



The basic idea is you start with a list of clue types - like the GUMSHOE investigative skills. These should be spread around the capabilities of the PCs, with some duplication if it's a very common technique (if all the PCs are historians, History should show up several times).

Given this starting list, how do you come up with a mystery for those PCs to investigate, and eventually solve? That's what this method is meant to solve. Note, that the mystery you create may not be the one you initially had in mind. This is more like creating a town in Dogs in the Vineyards than it is like creating an adventure. But the result should be a mystery which challenges the players in the way you want, and can easily be expanded in response to unexpected player decisions.

Take a sheet of paper, turn it so the long side is horizontal, and on the left side put each PCs name in a circle. Then draw more circles, each with a clue type listed inside. If you're duplicating put those clues types farther apart.

Once you've used up all the clues, draw a few dashed lines vertically on the paper between, not through, the circles. These lines will indicate when an escalation or threat will occur. You should try to have about two layers of circles between each line. These act as a reminder to crank up the threat level when the line is first crossed.

Now it's time to link up the circles. Each link will be a situation or a person. Draw lines between the close-by circles, connecting the entire group. Eventually these lines will become arrows, but wait until you've figured out the situation for that.

Choose one or more of the links on the right side of the paper. These will be the "final confrontation". In other words, it will the a situation which resolves the mystery, captures or defeats the villains, or brings some other closure. That is the eventual goal of the PCs, to reach one of these endings.

For each line starting with a PC, describe some hook, puzzle, or situation which draws that character into the mystery. The link should relate to the clue type indicated on the other side of the link, as solving that type of clue will enable the PC to learn more and make it to the next situation or person. Then put an arrow head on the clue side of the link.

Then, starting from the left, for each link describe a situation or a person revealed by the previous clue, and will reveal something new due to the next clue. Put the arrow head on the link leading to the next clue. Sometimes a link goes both ways, in which case it can be revealed in either way, put an arrow head on both sides of the link to indicate that.

As you go through make notes where you need them. Description of specific clues, situations, or people can be very helpful, especially if you do something less obvious. When you've finished you'll find yourself with a skeleton of an adventure story, including multiple ways to solve the puzzle.

Sometimes two links will seem very similar, especially if they lead to the same clue. You can just connect those links together directly, making a link with 3 or 4 clues attached. As long as you keep the arrows clear, that won't cause any confusion.

Lastly, you can always add new situations, characters, and clues during game. This works much the same, and lets you deal with expected actions, or the effects of the PCs choosing to avoid parts of a mystery where one of them would truly shine.