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 Serial Killer/Murder Mystery/Red Love
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Fellfire
Master of Realmslore

1965 Posts

Posted - 25 Nov 2016 :  05:48:45  Show Profile Send Fellfire a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
So, I recently picked up a book called Legendary Villains: Vigilantes. Those of you familiar with Pathfinder may recognize this as one of the newer releases from Legendary Games. The book is fun and gorgeous, but I'm not here to pitch it (but you should check it out). Inside this book is a very cool archetype known as the Symbiotic Slayer which is basically a Pathfinderized version of Venom/Carnage from the Marvel universe which I'm going to assume you are at least passing familiar with. One of the sample characters presented in the book is one of these Symbiotic Slayers and her name is Red Love. Much like Carnage, she is a homicidal maniac due somewhat in part to her bonding with this strange symbiotic abberation. What I am looking for is a sleuth scenario adventure (or series of such) that I can adapt for this villain. I have been doing some research and many agree that these types of adventures are very difficult to write and run. Probably beyond my meager skills. Have any of you ever played in or run a good one? Obviously, it would be helpful if the adventure was styled on a sword and sorcery type setting where things like magic can come into play. Also, my players are hair-trigger murderhobos so I don't want to bog down too much with tons of skill checks and whatnot. Any setting/edition/system is fine, if it is close to the 3.hybrid I play, so much the better. At this point I'm just looking for suggestions to get me pointed in the right direction. Any and all comments appreciated. Thanks.

Edit: I plan on utilizing some elements from Horror Adventures as well to play up the creepy aspect of the symbiote and the deranged psycho killer bit too. So any suggestions there would be helpful also.

Misanthorpe

Love is a lie. Only hate endures. Light is blinding. Only in darkness do we see clearly.

"Oh, you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but.. blinding. The shadows betray you because they belong to me." - Bane The Dark Knight Rises

Green Dragonscale Dice Bag by Crystalsidyll - check it out


Edited by - Fellfire on 25 Nov 2016 08:32:56

Fellfire
Master of Realmslore

1965 Posts

Posted - 28 Nov 2016 :  01:29:51  Show Profile Send Fellfire a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Bump.

C'mon guys. Nobody has ever played a good "whodunit" in any system?!

Misanthorpe

Love is a lie. Only hate endures. Light is blinding. Only in darkness do we see clearly.

"Oh, you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but.. blinding. The shadows betray you because they belong to me." - Bane The Dark Knight Rises

Green Dragonscale Dice Bag by Crystalsidyll - check it out

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Kentinal
Great Reader

4692 Posts

Posted - 28 Nov 2016 :  02:36:28  Show Profile Send Kentinal a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Well I missed your first post, however not sure I can offer much help after your bump.

A Vilian that can kill for any reason is not one that is easy to figure out. Your ertainly might leave clues or might not. Her actions though are what provide clues.
Your investigators that might kill first and ask questions later, just serve to add to the problem of a good who done it.

They might kill a key witness before they ask their questions or even worst in they battle lust destroy a item of clue, that note that got tattered in the battle. A fire started to hide the fact a witness was killed and so on can make most plans fail.

Now if Red Love has a set goal, kill the leading families maybe you might at least have a pattern for the PCs to follow.

"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire

USA
15724 Posts

Posted - 28 Nov 2016 :  03:32:27  Show Profile Send Markustay a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Only in CLUE... and its always Colonel Mustard (even when it isn't).

"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone

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Fellfire
Master of Realmslore

1965 Posts

Posted - 29 Nov 2016 :  08:31:44  Show Profile Send Fellfire a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Right on. Thanks for the reply, Kentinal. Very good points to consider. Trigger-happy PC's + serial killer without obvious motivations does not equal a good mystery. Perhaps a simple hack n' slash scenario would be better. However, my original query still stands. Have you ever played in any really good mystery type adventures? What were they and what made them memorable?

@Markus In the library with a candlestick.

Misanthorpe

Love is a lie. Only hate endures. Light is blinding. Only in darkness do we see clearly.

"Oh, you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but.. blinding. The shadows betray you because they belong to me." - Bane The Dark Knight Rises

Green Dragonscale Dice Bag by Crystalsidyll - check it out

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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire

USA
15724 Posts

Posted - 30 Nov 2016 :  16:38:37  Show Profile Send Markustay a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Well, that was only slightly in-jest. I can't actually recall ever playing in a mystery-oriented adventure. Aside from Clue, I had once owned Betrayal at the House on the Hill, which was a lot like clue with elements of an RPG, but was more horror-based, and I never got to actually play it.

I've tried running them, but its REALLY HARD to walk that fine line between 'unsolvable' and 'too obvious'. If the party is having a hard time figuring out the clues (and sadly, they usually do), I'd have to 'throw them a bone' and pretty much slap them in the face with the answer, at which point it just becomes another Hack'N'Slash.

"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone

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Fellfire
Master of Realmslore

1965 Posts

Posted - 01 Dec 2016 :  02:52:22  Show Profile Send Fellfire a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Thanks, Markus. That seems to be the general consensus. That those type of games are very tricksy for the reasons you have pointed out. Still, I would like to try, so I will keep looking.

Misanthorpe

Love is a lie. Only hate endures. Light is blinding. Only in darkness do we see clearly.

"Oh, you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but.. blinding. The shadows betray you because they belong to me." - Bane The Dark Knight Rises

Green Dragonscale Dice Bag by Crystalsidyll - check it out

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