Topic: Cluedo - Interest check

[Chrystal]

I have this idea, based upon the board game "cluedo", the novels of Agatha Christie, the TV series and films based off her novels, and every other great detective novel, film, story, and let's not forget that wonderful recent innovation, the "Murder Mystery Weekend".

I'm sure that murder mysteries have been tried here before with varying success. I can see that it would be a difficult scenario to RP properly.

But I have an idea, a twist, if you like, that might - and I stress, might - make it work.

What I need is a house full of suspects (house, island, train, boat, aircraft, whatever - some means of isolating the suspects from the outside world.

One of the suspects will be the murderer, and an unspecified number may or may not be accomplices.

Oh, and I need a detective.

Does that surprise you? Was everyone assuming I (as GM) would play the detective? Well, I've given this some thought, and the way I see it, if I play the detective, it's too easy, because the GM needs to know what is going on and this the GM needs to know who the murderer is. If the GM knows, and the GM is the detective, then the detective knows...

The way I see it, only two people know who the murderer is. One is the murderer, the other is dead.

To have the GM play the murderer is also too easy, so I figured I would play the victim.

I am assuming that every one of the "suspects" - that is, anyone who expresses an interest in playing, is willing to be the murderer. So I will designate one of you at random, probably using the dice bot, to be the murderer. Every "suspect" character needs to have a motive for the murder, as anyone with no motive is obviously not a suspect.

And don't worry, I will make my character someone that you will all want to kill. *snigger*

I need ONE detective, or possibly one detective and a bumbling assistant. This role will not be first come first served. I will pick someone I think will do the role justice.

Oh, one last thing: No cross-gendering please. If you are male, please play a male, if you are female please play a female - of course, you are welcome to play a male character that likes to dress as a female and vice versa, but that's it. Oh, and no necrophilia... Once my girl is dead, she's out of it!

So what will I be doing? Well I will be posting clues, and asking people to make dice rolls, also controlling the non-player characters. (these will be the characters with no motive, and possibly any uniformed police that happen to arrive on the scene).

Anyone interested? Thoughts for how this could work better? Ideas for settings?

[Tomalak]

I'm very interested in this idea!  I'd like to be involved, but will reserve character ideas until after the premise is decided.  Some ideas as to setting;

A large mansion on a stormy night, five wealthy, underhanded individuals are visiting their bumbling but filthy rich host, Reginald Boddy.  When Boddy turns up dead, only the five guests and Boddy's maid are suspects - and everybody had a motive.  (I love this game)

Government secrets - a major facility where Top Secret Stuff is stored, researched, or discussed loses it rising young star; was it a crime of passion, or are government secrets in danger of falling into the wrong hands?

A cargo vessel is transporting something rare, valuable, or simply strange across the ocean.  The crew finds a stowaway on board once they are several days out to sea.  While annoying, the stowaway isn't considered any sort of threat- until she shows up dead.  Who would want to kill a penniless stowaway?  Why?  And does it relate to our cargo?  If so, more deaths could be in the cards before we reach port.

Chrystal - do you have a victim character already in mind?  If so, the setting might flow naturally from her.

[Chrystal]

Hi Tomalak.

I was thinking in terms of wealthy (yet eccentric) Aunt Isabelle, who lives in a big house with her "maid". When the family turn up for Christmas Dinner (or some other gathering) Isabelle reveals that she's cutting A out of her will because he's homophobic. B has a grudge againsh Isabelle because Isabelle made a pass at her last time she was there. C is quite happy with the state of affairs and rather likes Isabelle until someone reveals she's been secretly undermining his efforts to start his own business. D openly admits to wanting Isabelle dead, so that he can inherit his share of her fortune, because he is in serious debt.... Etc, etc...

Basically, everyone has a motive, everyone's motive is different.

The above are just suggestions. When I post a character sheet (if I get sufficient interest) it will include a "Motive for murder" heading, for people to detail what their motive is, and I shall probably award the role of murderer to the one I think the most inventive! Or I might do it by dice roll... Or I might weight the dice rolls... Or I might just write the names on pieces of paper, put them in a bag and draw one at random... I shan't reveal how I choose the murderer, because if I did, other people might work it out without reference to the clues.

Of course, the role will be awarded in secret, and the murderer must not tell anyone.

As soon as the detective thinks (s)he knows who it is, (s)he should do the classic "I 'ave called you all 'ere to reveal ze identité of ze muurrdererrrrr!" scene. (Apologies for the fake Belgian accent). The detective should run through the scenario, the clues and at last reveal who (s)he thinks it is. Of course the murderer is entitled to deny it... "Do you have one shred of solid evidence to back up that preposterous claim?"

If there is solid evidence, the detective should say so. Ih (s)he hasn't found it yet, I may post it in a GM post. Of course, if the detective is wrong (may the gods forbid), then the actual murderer gets off scot free.

And I am intending to plant red herrings and false clues...


The option of more deaths is awkward. If we have a player drop out, then the logical thing would be to have them murdered too. If the murderer drops out I shall appoint a new one. Of course, the problem would be if everyone drops out bar the detective and the murderer...

Of course, there can be plenty of sex and carrying on between the various characters, which could provide motives for further killings... Ideally, though I would like to finish the strory with the same players I started with.

[pendarious]

hmm.....this sounds like a lot of fun. I'm really into the murder mystery stuff. though my mind is a bit blitzed from reading the Umineko No Naku Koro Ni visual novels so i'm really fresh into this stuff.

[Acid Lips]

I am interested, count me in if this get's off the ground.

[TheLovelyMaid]

Very interested. I'm down. :)

[Tom]

Hi there. I'm interested. Might want to play the detective, if the role is available. Can you say anything about what sexual content you had in mind, if any?

[NiceTexasGuy]

You know my position -- anything by Chrystal, I want in.

While I would love to play the detective, I might lack sufficient exposure to le genera to do it convincingly.  Still, if you are in desperate need of a detective or an assistant to the detective, I'm your guy.  Otherwise, I'd be more than happy to see that old hag dead (though I didn't do it, of course, it was Col. Mustard in the Library with a lead pipe).

:: tucks away his handy-dandy notebook and walks off whistling the Blue's Clues theme song ::

[NiceTexasGuy]

As for ideas, here's my contribution:

(Chrystal's character is referred to as "she" but of course could be a "he" since it's her game... a small concession for someone who is willing to have their character killed off in the beginning, right?)

..........................

Famed television producer/director (Chrystal) has come up with yet another idea for what will undoubtedly become a hit series, to go along with her past successes:  The Criminologists, Mandy the Demonslayer, and Cosmo Theory.  While adored by the fans of her programs, rumors circulate from time to time about how difficult she is to work with and how ruthlessly she screws over any of "her" actors she feels she no longer has a use for.

Having been given total control of this project by the studio (after all, she brings in the ratings time and time again) she has already decided on the cast... all actors she's worked with before -- and all of whom she has screwed over in some way.  (Killing off their character at an inopportune time for their career, ruining a movie deal so they would stay on the show, seducing their spouse, etc.)   Her attitude:  "get over it, there's money to be made here" ... someone, it seems, didn't get over it.

The setting:  She has arranged for all these perspective cast members to attend the Cannes Film Festival in the south of France, and then to spend a week (at her nearby mansion) (aboard her yacht in the Med) to discuss ideas for the new series, Doctors and Lawyers.


(I just thought if the characters are all actors it would explain why everyone is so beautiful, and has so many hangups and secrets and why they are so sexually promiscuous and perverted -- some of them, anyway.  The setting also gives us a detective with a French accent.)

[Lady Cathleen]

I just thought if the characters are all actors it would explain why everyone is so beautiful, and has so many hangups and secrets and why they are so sexually promiscuous and perverted -- some of them, anyway.  The setting also gives us a detective with a French accent.

Because one cannot have a detective without a French accent and sexual promiscuousness is a must! 

I'm in...I love it

[Chrystal]

OOOHHHH! This suddenly took off! YAY

Okay, so, let me put some character sheets together.

I will allow everyone to submit two characters, although they will only get to play one of them - If you only want to play a suspect, then only submit one sheet. If you wish to have a short at detective, then you need to submit both, because as I said I will pick the detective based on how good I think the player will be in that role...

I might put together a short quiz to be PMed to applicants for the role, to see how up they are on the murder-mystery genre...

Hi there. I'm interested. Might want to play the detective, if the role is available. Can you say anything about what sexual content you had in mind, if any?

Sexual content... hmmmm.... Well, the fact that someone gets murdered rather puts this in NC by default, I think. I always point out the obvious when suggesting going NC or EX - Non-Consent refers to the character not the player. We should all know that, but I like to make it absolutely clear. If your character wants to rape another character, ask the player's permission first!

But yes, I would say non-consensual sex is allowed, although it might get your character arrested, given the possibility of a police presence. Consensual bondage if people want. Nothing OTT with the extreme stuff though please?


Hmmm..... NTG, that is a marvellously Colombo-esque plot, and I love it.

What I will do, (having effectively bumped this thread by replying to everyone) is give some thought to the setting and plot. I will probably draw elements from everyone's ideas so far. And then I will open an OOC thread with the plot I have come up with. I will put both character sheets in the OOC thread, asking you to PM them to me for approval. My character sheet will be posted there too, so you can come up with your motive for the murder.

If you can't think of one, then PM me your char sheet without it and I will suggest one for you.

Please note, the detective will have to wait for his/her grand entrance unless we do an Agatha Christie style plot with the detective just happening to be on the scene when the murder takes place!

I will allow a few rounds of posts to introduce the characters and allow people to get to know each other, but please remember that 5 minutes of game time can take anything up to a week of real time, and at some point I will be moving the story on, having my character murdered. It will then be up to the rest of you to discover the body!

[Acid Lips]

when could we be expecting the skeleton for the characters?

[Chrystal]

I'll try and get something up by Sunday if not before.

[Acid Lips]

*nods* ok then ^^

[Chrystal]

You know my position -- anything by Chrystal, I want in.

While I would love to play the detective, I might lack sufficient exposure to le genera to do it convincingly.  Still, if you are in desperate need of a detective or an assistant to the detective, I'm your guy.  Otherwise, I'd be more than happy to see that old hag dead (though I didn't do it, of course, it was Col. Mustard in the Library with a lead pipe).

:: tucks away his handy-dandy notebook and walks off whistling the Blue's Clues theme song ::

Because one cannot have a detective without a French accent and sexual promiscuousness is a must! 

I'm in...I love it

You two could play a married couple again...

And there is always the possibility, then, of the one of you being the murderer and the other covering for him/her...

[Chrystal]

I couldn't wait, too excited...

OOC THREAD.

If you want to pop over and say hi on the OOC thread, please do. Char sheets are there. The plot I went with was based largely on NTG's idea with elements of my own and some of Tomalak's. I think it works nicely, and I asked my other half (who is seriously into murder mysteries) what she thought, and she liked it.

Obviously if you have any problems, let me know.

[Tomalak]

*Facepalm*

So, I finally got curious enough, and Googled "Cluedo."  I had never heard the name before, though it was obviously similar to a board game I am fond of.  Felt rather stupid when I discovered "Cluedo" is the British name for the same game...sigh.

Well, at least I'm on the same page as everybody else.