Yup. I've been talking with her just now, so CSI-style-thingie's gonna be. I'll keep you posted, just because Thanks again.

Quote from: SunBoy;304541Yup. I've been talking with her just now, so CSI-style-thingie's gonna be. I'll keep you posted, just because Thanks again.

I mod'ed the basic WoD (old version) rules for a detective game where the players were cops/CIS/Behavioural Psyches.

We just took the skill list and modified it. Used the core d10 pool mechanic and ran the game. It worked well.

The advantage with the d10 pool mechanic is that is is really easy to grasp and is universal across the entire game.

The key is good plot as always. I run a Murder Mystery firm so that bit was easy for me (I can write a convincing autopsy in my sleep :-) ) but generally needs some study but plenty of stuff on line.

I used a clue discovery system whereby in each crime scene and for each clue there was a list of available information you could define with a set number of 'sucesses' (remember d10pool mechanic) so typically the body might have 10 bit of information. Each would be assigned a sucesses number and a skill required to ident that clue (so finding out they had been strangled would be 2 Observation sucesses, 1 medical sucess or 1 'forensics' sucess, but finding out they had been dead before they were strangled becuase they had been chloroformed and injected in the armpit with a mix of neurotoxins was a medical 5 sucesses) . This type of process replaced the combat stable as the main die rolling event.

As a hint I found clever serial killers made the best opponents and general crime was a bit dull. The extra puzzles related to the serial killer is killing people with the names of saints and replicating the nature of their matyrdom or is performing copycat murders based on last weeks episode of CSI makes for more fun games. the retail on the Movie Manhuinter is great for this sort of stuff.

The second hint is preparation, almost alien to me as a GM, you have to have those clue list set up in advance. and its nice to have stuff like photographs of the muder weapon or physical clues. It was this prep that was the cause of me stopping the game in the end because it was a lot of work.

Lastly if the player(s) don't solve a particular clue then use NPC backroom techies to keep on looking. ' Okay Sir I'll document everything form the autopsy and take a nother check in case there was anything we missed'. You can then drip feed this information back into the game at a later points so all teh clues are revealed in time

Uh yeah, good luck with that. You might be pulling off way more than you can chew...
First, there's no good system for this, certainly none you own.
Second, to run a good "CSI" adventure, you would have to know a shitload about forensics, and be able to write a good and interesting mystery right off the bad (at least, as good as the show).
Third, for it to be played well and enjoyably, SHE would have to know a shitload about forensics, and be able to solve the mystery with at least a little more than rolling dice, so that it was actually satisfying.

You are probably picking the worst possible genre to run, in other words.

And to top all of this off, you are starting from something she clearly really enjoys, and essentially, whether you think of it that way or not, promising her that this will be the same as that experience.
You're telling her, overtly or not, "This will be as fun as when you watch Dexter or CSI".

Do you see the problem with that? You're creating expectations that there's no way you'll be able to live up to.
What you'll create here is a recipe for her to decide permanently that RPGs are just dumb, or that she doesn't get them, and never to try again.

RPGPundit

Quote from: RPGPundit;304652Uh yeah, good luck with that. You might be pulling off way more than you can chew...
First, there's no good system for this, certainly none you own.
Second, to run a good "CSI" adventure, you would have to know a shitload about forensics, and be able to write a good and interesting mystery right off the bad (at least, as good as the show).
Third, for it to be played well and enjoyably, SHE would have to know a shitload about forensics, and be able to solve the mystery with at least a little more than rolling dice, so that it was actually satisfying.

You are probably picking the worst possible genre to run, in other words.

I don't know.  I think you might be looking at it more from a gamer's perspective where everything has to balance out and simulate the genre using the rules or else the game won't make sense.  A newbie is not going to care so much about that, as long as he or she has fun interacting with NPCs and picking up on clues, maybe getting into a shootout.  I think having fun is the most important thing at this point.  

The clues don't all have to be forensic in nature either.  In fact, I would only include two or three forensic-specific clues and I would make them some of the most well known forensic clues out there--gun shot residue immediately comes to mind.  That way they're hard to miss and she'll make that instant connection with the show.  

I would pattern a CSI adventure just like one of the episodes and I don't think it would be too hard to run.  I would have a perfect idea of how and why the crime was committed, and then skip around to the important bits (avoid talking about downtime, etc. while she waits for the results to come in).  In fact, I might even take an episode, change all the details, and run that.  So, a stock broker killed by his secretary might become a doctor killed by his nurse, something like that.  

Anyway, good luck.

Pete

Quote from: SunBoy;304541Yup. I've been talking with her just now, so CSI-style-thingie's gonna be. I'll keep you posted, just because Thanks again.

Go for it. I got a new player by running an Alias type campaign (much easier than CSI). My only advice is to ask her what she likes about CSI and try to incorporate that into the game.

Regards,
David R

All great suggestions, thanks. Well, jibbajibba's actually scared me a little, but yeah, if I end up doing this after all I will have to be thorough with the prep... alien to me, too.
Pundy, you're mean. You may be right, but you're still mean. I have read a whole lot of mystery books and I'm good enough to at least make a few convincing meshes. Also, as pspahn said, I don't really think one experience compares to the other... The expectations will be high, no doubt, but I don't think being able to write a convincing mystery or the hard forensic facts is that big a part of pulling it off, at least not the hardest... any good mystery book (or CSI ep, for that matter) has to have more that just lab things, people interactions play a big part...
Oh, and that remark about me not owning the games was pretty highbrowish, you know. I can always borrow them from you.

What about spies.  Think a female James Bond.  Lots of support from "M" and "Q" but she's the star.  I don't have a game system suggestion tho.  Danger International does have a nice 80s era adventure in it (nuke stolen and to be sold to highest bidder) that I ran with my wife solo.  Worked great.

A Modesty Blaise campaign, perhaps?

I'm not being mean, I'm being realistic. There's a reason why "Mystery" RPGs are not insanely popular. Neither GMs nor Players usually have the technical skills necessary to pull it off.

RPGPundit

You know, Callous and Jong, you do have a point there (yeah, you too, big meanie)... maybe it would be easier and more enjoyable... I'm really torn here... thing is, she's pretty worked up about CSI now.

Bloody hell.

I'm going to be running my new girl through Faery's Tale. Girls seem to dig Faeries.

Quote from: SunBoy;305571You know, Callous and Jong, you do have a point there (yeah, you too, big meanie)... maybe it would be easier and more enjoyable... I'm really torn here... thing is, she's pretty worked up about CSI now.

Bloody hell.

Dude, if she doesn't mind 80's era stuff you can use pspahn's Miami Nights with GD3 and not have to worry as much about the tech stuff, but still do cop-style investigation... maybe camp it up a little to put some tongue-in-cheek in there. Systems simple enough to not be overwhelming, while still being robust enough to do wutff with, and inexpensive to pick up.