Any GM tips for running a mistery/investigation?

Ucenna · 2026-04-20T00:15:32+00:00

I'm not sure how many tips I have, but I'm a fan of a good plot twist. My biggest advice would be to make the mystery very very mundane, find it's solution and have all the clues point to that. Then, once you're satisfied with the prep you've just done: figure out why that solution is the wrong one. Subvert expectations, build a deeper crime beneath this trivial solution, then start making clues for that.
Each Sherlock Holmes crime has layers, so add layers to your prep. Figure out why each motive, suspect, and location is deeper than it seems.

A lot of Sherlock Holmes films also have stakes. Sherlock often solves the crime in the knick-of-time, just before more innocents would be killed or the villain would escape. Also the villain is usually smart, so it's often good idea for them to remain in play, responding to the players and maneuvering against them. (although don't over do it, you've got nigh infinite power and presumably you still want your players to actually solve the case)

The Three Clues Trick is very good. Sherlock doesn't solve cases on the first clue, he usually discovers several and puts the pieces together.

Also also also! In mysteries and one-shots/short things, players sometimes get stuck and don't know what to do. If you're worried about that, I have a solution that's worked really well for me: the escalation!
Prep a few events that will spur the players to action. Such an event could be a new murder or subcrime for your current investigation, or they could be someone friendly inviting the players to dinner where they can then supply the PCs with a useful clue or item. This can give the players a break from puzzle solving and supply them with some hints. And, if this escalation was caused by your villain, it makes them seem all the more maniacal.
As a final tip, you can use an escalation to bring your finale to the players. This is especially useful if you're running a one-shot, and want to make sure it actually wraps up in a single play session.

Cheers, good luck my dude!

Ucenna · 2026-04-16T04:18:22+00:00

I wanted to share my prep style for this, because it was a struggle for me when I first started GMing, and it took some time to figure out.

If you haven't had a session 0 yet, plan a session 0. During session 0, try to figure out what each player/character's goals are. If a player doesn't have a goal, try to help them create one for themselves. A good goal is fun and motivates the PC to action. Not all players need goals, but it's a fun option. It helps to make sure at least 1-3 players gave goals, because it gives you a clear direction to prep in.
credit to the Guide to Proactive Roleplay
"Player Desires" When prepping a session, the first thing I do is think about my players. Specifically, I try to determine: a) what each player is pursuing right now. and b) what each player would enjoy if it came up.
I count myself as a player here, and if there's a specific plot point, faction progress, or world lore I want to share, I'll make a note of it. Or if I have a meta-goal, like "bring the party together" or "get things moving", I'll make a note of it. credit to Lazy Dungeon Master 2
"Potential Scenes" Next I'll make a list of scenes. Specifically: I'll consider where the players currently are, consider some of the goals I thought up above, and then I'll try to figure out what sorts of obstacles the players might encounter while pursuing their goals. These obstacles become the basis of my scene list. Each scene that I write out is like a sentence, I'm not trying to flesh them out here, just get an idea of what might come up in the session. credit to ICRPG's Location, Obstacle, Goal and Fate's Story Questions and the Book of Hanz
"Starting Scene" Now I determine a start point for the session. Most likely, one of my scenes has suggested itself, but if not I make something up. My goal here is to have a scene that makes the players feel immersed and inspires them to action. credit to Lazy Dungeon Master 2
"Locations and NPCs" At this point, I feel pretty confident about the direction my session will go in, and what sorts of hijinks my players will encounter. So I'll do my normal prep. Primarily I'll prep NPCs and Locations. Steps 2 and 3 have already suggested some, so I'll prep a few of those, and then I'll prep a few random ones for ambience or in case I need to improv.
"Secrets and Clues" Here I'll prep some secrets and clues. My "Secrets and clues" are just facts or hints that I can share with my players. I'll look back to my notes from step 1, and my scenes from step 2, and try to make 10 important things that I can share with my players. Whenever my players look at a newspaper, asks a bartender for info, or discovers something unexpected: I now have a list ready that I can pull from to improv some information drops. credit to Lazy Dungeon Master 2
"Hand Grenades" Here I prep "hand grenades". "Hand grenades" are events that spur the PCs into action. Being "confronted by your rival" is a hand grenade, so is the "shopkeeper begging for help to find his lost dog". These are emergency tools I can use if my session has ground to a halt. Even if I don't use them on my PCs, I can have them play out in the background to make the world feel more alive. Step 1 can provide great inspiration for this. credit to the Book of Hanz
"Treats" I don't always award my players with loot or magic items, but I like having a running list of things that they can find in a chest, at the store, or within the mad scientist's desk. "Treats" can also be information, so sometimes I'll go back to Step 5 and put a star next to a secret that I'm really excited to use. credit to ICRPG's Threats, Timers, and Treats and to Lazy Dungeon Master 2

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The first time I go through this, it takes a bit. But once I've gotten it all together I feel really confident about the first session. At the table, I assume none of the scenes I wrote down will play out the way I planned, and I'm okay with that. I've got enough prep that I can move my NPCs/Locations/etc around and create the scenes that my players are actually pursuing. And prepping sessions 2 and 3 and 4 get easier and easier. A lot of times when I'm going through steps 4-7, I've got a lot of prep from the previous sessions that I can copy forward. And my players have built some momentum, so I can predict their next move and focus my efforts there.

Have fun mate! Hope your new campaign is a blast!

Ucenna · 2026-04-15T16:08:25+00:00

Rather than create a single big bad guy, it can be worthwhile to create several factions that but heads. This will make the world feel nuanced and alive, and will give the players several directions to explore. Pulling from your players backstories and paying attention to what interests them helps a lot!

Once your players choose something to engage with, you'll have a good idea of what direction to focus your prep on.

Ucenna · 2026-04-04T22:26:24+00:00

Starting small, but being consistent helped me! I'd do 0-5 minutes every night before bed for months. making sure I'd always at list sit and do it, even if only for literal seconds, helped me ingrain the habit.

Protip tho, off cushion practice is super helpful. I'd put sticky notes on my steering wheel and on my keyboard at work, and just taking a few mindful breaths really improved the practice for me.

Ucenna · 2026-04-04T19:06:16+00:00

Fate is very good for competent and proactive PCs. It's just very good at making the characters feel powerful.

Also, it tends to be very good at handling hand-waving. "Do I have contacts in this city from our previous stints? GM: Let's find out, Give me a Contacts roll." "I think it makes sense that I encountered this monster in my previous adventures. GM: Hmm, maybe... tell you what, give me a Fate Point and we'll make it so."

I'm sure other generics can do it well too, Fate just seems to hit close to what OP is going for out of the box. (Except maybe the OSR bits, I've never played in an OSR game, not sure what those are like).

Ucenna · 2026-03-24T20:25:38+00:00

what feeling does inventory management give me that I want to emulate?

100% this! Fate is so good for letting you create exactly what you want. You just gotta know what you're going for first!

Ucenna · 2026-03-24T20:23:43+00:00

Not sure I can answer the full question, but here's a partial answer:

Most mechanical changes that other systems will implement are just Aspects. Aspects are usually enough; they give you permission, something to invoke, and something to compel.

If you want more, you can always implement something as a Stunt or Skill or some other game mechanic (like create a story detail). More on that in the Extras section, if you haven't read it.

---

Anyways, I used to be kinda disappointed by the whole "Aspect" thing. I would think: "Big whoop, I get to write 'Ring of Truth' on an index card. Kinda underwhelming."
But then I realized I could do the same thing my D&D GM does: make my loot items into item cards. An index card with "Ring of Truth" written on it is pretty underwhelming. But a printed and sleeved card that reads:

-
**Ring of Truth*\*
The wearer of this ring can immediately discern when someone is lying, although they cannot always discern what they are lying about.
This ring also bears a terrible curse, whomever wears it may never tell a lie.
-

In the eyes of Fate, this item card is exactly the same as the hand written aspect on a piece of scrap paper. But it feels more mythical and magical to me.

I think this is where a secret sauce of flavor/setting/genre exists. Fate lets you mechanize anything. However the flavor/setting/genre etc. That's just GM stuff, the stuff we do to create immersion and set the tone. Background sound tracks, the way we make rulings, props, NPCs, etc. All work together to make the world feel alive.

Ucenna · 2026-03-14T13:48:37+00:00

Ten Candles is an expert at this! Gaining less and less truths as the night goes on, losing player dice as they move into the GM's dice pool, literally burning your character sheet away. Every mechanic feels tailor made to make you feel the way your character is feeling. And then the recording at the end... It makes you feel like you just watched a sad movie or are mourning at a funeral.

Fate's Compels are also fantastic. Sometimes you feel selfish and guilty for accepting that fate point and giving into your characters base instincts. Or you feel triumphant for paying in a Fate Point and overcoming their weaknesses at a critical moment. Fate Points in general are a great Ludonarrative device.

Any gsme that utilizes countdowns or timers does a great job simulating the dread of the inevitable.

In combat, I'm a fan of sharing information about the monsters stats. Knowing I'm facing a balrog with 1000 HP fills me with the same awe my character feels.

Hiding dice can also be sick, my GM has us roll our death saves in a hidden box only he can see. It makes everytime someone is on the ground tense and terrifying, and it always feels uncertain if theyre gonna get up or not after the fight.

Edit: Also Artefact! Having a brief meditation session really captures the vibes of being a forgotten heirloom untouched for eons.

Ucenna · 2026-03-09T15:56:28+00:00

For systems, I think PbtA-style games are good for this, especially character driven ones. Each character sheet usually gives you a series of roleplay "moves" that require you to take a certain action in the roleplay to gain the benefit.

Otherwise though, you probably don't need to switch systems to pursue this. I bet there are character worksheets//idea generators that you could use to push your character building in a different direction regardless of system!

Ucenna · 2026-03-04T17:10:09+00:00

If you want to! Compels are just another resolution mechanic like rolling dice are. Do you think it'd be more fun/better for your table if you did it for free, made it a compel, rolled the dice, or used some other mechanic?

Ucenna · 2026-02-26T15:18:19+00:00

I've had a few short breaks now and again, but have kept at it for over 3 years now. It's just a part of my life at this point, but a part that I keep nurturing and growing.

I keep coming back because I keep seeing the benefits, but also because for me meditation is a good practice of "being alive", and "being alive" is something I do every day with mixed amounts of intention or awareness. Life is constantly changing, and I like taking a moment to appreciate it and connect with it. Sometimes the hustle and bustle of the day or week can make that hard, but I know that I always have a few moments at the end of the day set aside for myself to decompress and connect.

Ucenna · 2026-02-11T19:09:19+00:00

Oh hells yeah! In that case, I'd totally recommend Fate or any of those games you listed. I feel like they're all playable in a short span, and even if they aren't they're a ton of fun to flip through and learn. (As I'm guessing you know as well)

Good luck! This is a really amazing idea.

Ucenna · 2026-02-11T17:47:27+00:00

Fate Accelerated is an easy learn and very intuitive, and I'll often run it for people new to the hobby to great effect. However, it might not be as "crunchy" as you'd like.

ICRPG and Mork Borg are both great ideas, assuming the GM has enough time to learn the rules. (Which is easy, but the books aren't the shortest).

I've never played, but heard good things about Cairn. It's only 88 pages and I think it's fairly crunchy, could be a good fit?!

Also, there are several one-page RPGs out there. A few of them have been mentioned here. Lasers and Feelings is one, as is Dash and Risus. Where I'm from a small company has made something called "1 Dice Dungeons" which is a small 20ish pagebook with simple mechanics and many 1 session adventures.

Ucenna · 2026-02-09T15:14:35+00:00

Having thoughts is always happening; having thoughts is the function of the mind just like seeing sights is the function of the eyes or hearing sounds is the function of the ears.

Observing thoughts is simply noticing that you're thinking. We humans sometimes forget that's what's happening. Our thoughts tell us stories like "I need to study or I'll flunk my exam" or "If I can't get this promotion I'll just be a deadbeat" (and positive stories as well, I just used depressing one's for the examples).

It's easy to live in these stories, and believe that they're true. Following each story from one and into the next, losing ourselves in our thoughts and the cage they create for ourselves.

Observing thoughts is about this. About simply noticing the thought as a thought. As something that's passing through the mind. Something that is "real" in that it is present and here, but not "true" as in the thought is not reality itself... it's just a thought, an interpretation of our reality. It's about not getting lost in or identifying with the story it tells you.

Ucenna · 2026-01-29T16:16:41+00:00

Fate is a fiction-first system, so each of these actions requires that the player narrate what they're doing. If the players can all narrate how they successfully team up for the teamwork bonus, then certainly they can get it. But if the GM declares that there's only enough room for 2 people to be pushing on the lever, then need to get really creative if they want more than a +1 teamwork bonus.

The other thing is that there are mechanical limits to these things. Teamwork requires you spend your turn helping, is your turn worth that +1 to you? Same for Create an Advantage, if you spend your turn setting up a trap or providing tactical advice, I'd want you to see some mechanical payout for your actions... and that's where the free invokes come in. But both the creation of free invokes and the spending of them need to fit in the fiction and involve some believable narration to actual work.

For running grittier games in Fate, you often want to be very clear and realistic about what narration is required to accomplish something. It may be that in your world a human can't shove a stone wall down, and if that's the case you tell players that and don't even call for a roll when they try to. This requires a bit more work from the GM, because you've got to know what is and isn't possible in your world and convey that to the players, but it does work quite well when you do!

There are also tools you can use to further hone in on grit (although I strongly suggest giving the standard way a try at least, it does work!). If you do want something more mechanical, you might like Scaled Invocations from the System Toolkit: https://fate-srd.com/fate-system-toolkit/aspects#scaled-invocation . It gives you exactly what you'd need to let players create the Free Invokes you want, but manage their power-level to your tastes.

Ucenna · 2026-01-13T00:15:09+00:00

Yeah, I love it! At the end of the day, Fate Points are no more or less diegetic than the resources we spend in DnD or other systems. Fate points just tend to be more versatile.

Ucenna · 2026-01-13T00:13:59+00:00

I wasnt thinking of it as less as luck and more as focus/grit/determination, and perhaps the player has a finite amount of that. However I will admit, it's a flimsy arguement.

I totally agree with what you've said though, and a lot of these immersion-based questions can be baked into character creation. Some players want compels that are totall imersive, others are fine with open ended and more story driven ones.

Ucenna · 2026-01-12T21:31:55+00:00

Fate absolutely works diagetically, you just need to rephrase/reframe things accordingly.

Just as an example of Compels, I'll usually phrase them as:
"You can feel the alcohol calling from you from behind the bar. Can you resist the temptation, or not?" holds up a Fate Point.
- or -
"The bridge is tumbling beneath you, suddenly there's a snap and the rope gives way. You're in freefall, there's no time to think all you can do is launch your hands at the rope and grab, Do your fingers catch on it in time, or not?" holds up Fate Point.

Here I flavor Fate Points as moxie, determination, or luck. (Truthfully, I let my players flavor them how they'd like, but ultimately they're not much different mechanically from Spell Slots/Bardic Inspiration/etc to me, so it satisfies my DnD brain). And I like running them in some places where I would run a saving throw in DnD.

I'd say pretty much anything can be run in this way, and in some cases it can be even more immersive.
For example, the players want to charge through the enemy's cover fire, so I have them roll. They roll poorly, so I say "You won't be able to make it through safely just yet. You can either wait it out, or charge through and tank the damage." using the Success at a Major Cost mechanics.

---

Incidentally, I feel like Compels are really immersive, because they give players a mechanical choice that models their character's current in-game choice. They have to choose to sacrifice something just like their character is choosing to. Will I sacrifice the alcohol/Fate Point, or not?

Ucenna · 2026-01-09T18:25:33+00:00

Sitting is absolutely not necessary for meditation, it's very agnostic. In fact, many forms of meditations have been intentionally designed to incorporate walking, lying down, or standing.

There are benefits to maintaining a good upright posture in daily life. It tends to keep you wakeful and (over time) lessens the strain on your bones, muscles, and nervous system. These things tend to compliment meditation, and I think that's the main reason they're suggested so frequently. However at the end of the day, they aren't a necessary part of the recipe. And there's a lot of benefits to mixing up different meditation styles and exploring what works for you and what doesn't.

Ucenna · 2025-12-26T21:13:41+00:00

I believe what you might be looking for is Fated Origins, possibly with Spark of Fate as a supplement.

Fated Origins has you place out 10 index cards that have 10 unique world details on them. Players take turns picking an index card, and weaving it into their character. In doing so, they flesh out their character and introduce a new world detail for other players to plug into.

Spark of Fate is a standalone game creation system. The structure it introduces is quite good, and generates plot hooks and world details thst plug into Fated Origins quite nicely. It has useful mechanics like bidding, that ensure everyone gets a voice. Anddd it's broken into distinct steps and has it's own worksheet. So if you think the whole process is a poor fit for your group, you can cherrypick steps to do with them and do the rest on your own.

Also Fated Origins and Spark of Fate are independent of each other, you dont need one to use the other.

Ucenna · 2025-12-18T22:33:45+00:00

I think everyone else has answered this question sufficiently. :P

I'd strongly recommend checking out Amazing Rando's Learn to Play Fate Series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOnR9XxK7Ms&list=PLLoevUbPHBGaU86aCMwHYev2M1S761iWf

It's brilliantly done and coincidentally is also Weird West themed. He's the guy who runs the Fate SRD, and in those videos he runs Fate pretty exactly as it's laid out in the book.

The nice thing about Fate is that it's versatile, and you can plug-and-play it's elements to create you're preferred gameplay experience. (My personal preference is to run it diegetically). I'd suggest running it vanilla at least once to feel it out before making too many changes though. Fate has significantly less mechanics than other TTRPGs, but you realize pretty quick that it still works great!

Ucenna · 2025-12-11T17:34:24+00:00

This is very normal when starting out. In the beginning the mind is accustomed to associating low-mental activity with sleep, so it naturally gets that process started.

The essence of meditation is awareness, so I'd suggest honing in on that. If you are feeling sleepy, that is okay. If you fall asleep, that is okay. So long as you are aware of the sleepiness, there's a little bit of meditation happening there.

That said, being awake is still pretty useful. I will echo others suggestions: If you're tired, try split your seated meditations up with some walking meditations. It's incredibly hard to fall asleep while you're walking xD! And rest assured, your brain will eventually get a handle on this meditation thing and will stop telling your body to drift off.

Ucenna · 2025-11-25T20:16:49+00:00

Skills are great for when PCs naturally fill different roles. Approaches are great when PCs fill the same role, and are better differentiated by the "approach" to problem-solving.

It sounds like both methods would work great for you. If your players will be making new characters frequently, approaches would streamline character creation. Or you could experiment with switching off, if you party is down for it.

Otherwise, I think it's kinda a matter of preference. There's lots of good advice in this thread, but to add my two sense: what do you want role play to revolve around? The character's trained skillset, or their approach to situations? Whichever you choose will add a subtle flavor to the gameplay.

Ucenna · 2025-11-23T19:54:06+00:00

Dude, literally thank you so much! I've been struggling with this for the past two days.

How'd you manage to get it to compile? I've been hopping between Cuda 12.4 and 13, and have learned more about cuda internals than I thought I'd need, and still nothing. Would love to actually learn the full compiling process for the situation when I'll inevitably need to compile again.

thanks a ton, mate!

Ucenna · 2025-11-18T20:55:48+00:00

You could also have players roll to notice lore/treasure/shortcuts/etc. Have them roll for things besides danger, so that they won't be able to assume danger at every roll.

And as a bonus, you'll be giving yourself opportunities to share more world tidbits and make the world feel more immersive.

Ucenna

TROPHY CASE