Crimes People Play - Haunted Attic

People PlayA Role-Playing Game of DetectionBy Joe WilliamsCopyright 2007 by Joe WilliamsAll Rights Reserved

Ending The Mystery.........................................42Expending Experience Points ......................... 42Learning Specialties............................................ 42Increasing Abilities.............................................. 43Increasing Specialties......................................... 43Buying Perks .......................................................43Equipment Perks.................................................. 43Weapon Perks ....................................................... 43Armor Perks........................................................... 44Vehicle Perks.......................................................... 447: Interacting With Suspects .... 45Suspects.................................................................45Suspect Descriptions .......................................... 45Difficulty Ratings.................................................. 45Health........................................................................ 46Attacks...................................................................... 46Damage..................................................................... 46Sample Suspects ................................................468: Combat................................ 48Combat...................................................................48The Basic Attack ................................................... 48Combat as a Group Effort.................................. 48Combat as Individual Efforts........................... 49Blow-by-blow Combat ....................................... 49Optional Combat Rules...................................509: Examples of Play ................. 52Basic Role-Playing............................................52Using Abilities ....................................................52Interacting With Suspects.............................53Combat ..................................................................5310: Running the Game ............. 55Warning to Detectives ....................................55Mysteries..............................................................55Parts of a Mystery.............................................55Introduction............................................................55The Text....................................................................55Clues...........................................................................55Settings .....................................................................56Suspects....................................................................56Timeline....................................................................57Exhibits.....................................................................57Troubleshooting................................................57Writing a Mystery.............................................58Have a Goal in Mind.............................................58Incorporate Background Material.................58Suspects, Clues & Settings.................................58Have Your Props Ready .....................................59

Chapter 1IntroductionGetting StartedOne of the greatest pleasures in reading amystery is putting yourself in the shoes of theprotagonist. You observe every clue, mull overwitness testimony and delve into the psychology ofthe criminal right alongside the main character.You may even establish the identity of the culpritbefore the detective does.In Crimes People Play, you and your friendstake on the roles of detectives working together tosolve a mystery. You’ll question suspects, searchfor leads and ferret out information. Once you’veexamined all the clues, you’ll try to figure out thecorrect solution to the mystery and bring theculprit to justice. Best of all, you can use the samecharacter over and over, just like a favoritedetective in a series.RequirementsTo enjoy Crimes People Play, you’ll need:• pencils and paper• blank character sheets copied from thisrulebook• six-sided dice• a narrator to run the game• one or more players to take on the roles ofdetectivesSummary of PlayUsing an outline prepared beforehand, thenarrator responds to the actions of the players anddescribes what happens in the game. The narratorserves as the player’s senses, describing settings,situations, the passage of time, and all eventsoutside the players’ control. The narrator keeps thegame running smoothly but is not the players’opponent.The narrator portrays every character thedetectives meet, assuming new roles as neededeven if it means posing as three or four charactersat a time. This can be very demanding, but it’smade easier by semi-diceless rules and simplifiednon-player characters. All characters controlled bythe narrator are referred to as suspects.The players each portray a detective in thegame, and react to people and events according tothe personality of their roles. The players’decisions directly affect what happens. They decidewhere to go and who to question, when to fight andhow to solve problems. They control what theircharacters say, how it’s said, and what theyattempt.A story develops naturally out of the actionsand questions of the players. Rather thanrestricting the players to a pre-conceived plotline,the narrator lets the story go wherever the playersand the dice take it.Die rolls help the narrator decide exactly whathappens out of a range of possibilities. Theyprovide uncertainty, suspense and challenge, bothfor the players and the narrator.For instance, a detective who wishes to track asuspect must make a die roll. On a high roll, thedetective is able to follow the suspect without anytrouble. On a low roll, the suspect darts into analley and eludes pursuit.The challenge for the players is in dealing withthe fallout of failed actions, while for the narrator,it’s interpreting outcomes impartially andcreatively. Even if the narrator thinks a particularoutcome would be most dramatic, exciting, orinteresting, the narrator must abide by the tyrannyof the dice and construct a narrative within thelimits they impose. Paradoxically, the randomnessof the dice can foster unexpected and uniquedevelopments that could never be scripted.4 4

Chapter 1: IntroductionDie Rolling MethodsCrimes People Play uses six-sided diceexclusively. Rolling d6 means to roll one six-sideddie. A number in front of the “d” tells you howmany dice to roll, so if the game tells you to roll2d6 you would roll two dice and add themtogether.There are a few other ways that six-sided diceare used in the game.A d3 is a six-sided die, but you add only the1’s, 2’s and 3’s that you roll. Numbers higher than 3count as zero. Your d3 dice should all be the samecolor, typically white.Similarly, a d2 is also a six-sided die, but youcount only the 1’s and 2’s that you roll. Your d2should be a different color or smaller than your d3dice so you can tell them apart. A d2 is considered“half” a d3. Whenever you have to roll half a diesimply roll a d2 instead of a d3. You must alwaysreplace pairs of d2 with a single d3. Therefore youwill never roll more than one d2 at a time.A penalty die, or dp for short, is a regular sixsideddie that you roll with the other dice. It shouldbe a third color, not used by the other dice. Apenalty die cancels one other d2 or d3 die thatshows the same value. So if you roll a 3 on a d3, andone of your penalty dice also shows a 3, the twowould cancel out.A penalty die can only cancel a die that wouldotherwise be counted. So if you rolled threes on ad3, d2 and penalty die, the penalty die wouldcancel the d3 because the three showing on the d2would have no chance of being counted.It’s possible you will need to roll ten or moredice at a time. Fortunately, adding the 1’s, 2’s and3’s is much less tedious than it sounds. But if youdislike hefty fistfuls of dice, this game may not befor you.Core SystemWhenever there is uncertainty, conflict ordisagreement over what will happen in the game,the question is answered with an ability roll. Whileability rolls are most often used to resolve anaction, they may also be used by the players tointroduce helpful items, suspects and events orotherwise shape the game environment.The need for an ability roll is always declaredby the narrator. The player or narrator decides theability applicable to the situation and the narratorassigns a difficulty based on the likelihood of thatability providing a result favorable to the player.The player rolls a number of d3 equal to thecharacter’s relevant ability score plus the difficultyadjustment. If the ability score ends in ½, theplayer adds d2 to the roll.The total of the roll ranges from 0 to 11, whichcorresponds to Catastrophic to Perfect in twelvedistinct steps.Ability Dice + Difficulty Dice = OutcomeThe narrator never rolls the dice, butinterprets the die rolls made by the players.Other TerminologyNarrator: The person who runs the game; thereferee or gamemaster. In these rules, the narratoris not considered a player.Player: Someone who is playing a detective.Unless otherwise specified, the rules alwaysaddress the player.Detective: A individual character controlledby a player. May also refer to the player.Suspect: A character controlled by thenarrator.Mystery: An outline that assists the narratorin responding to the actions of the players. Amystery ends when it is solved (either correctly orwrongly).Session: A single gaming session. Somebookkeeping happens at the end of every gamingsession. Sessions last about four hours. The end ofthe mystery is also considered the end of a session.5 5

Chapter 2Creating a CharacterYour Character SheetIn Crimes People Play, you pretend to be adetective with distinct characteristics. Thesequalities define what your detective is good at andthings you might want to avoid trying. Yourdetective’s abilities are recorded on a charactersheet. As a player, a completed character sheet anda handful of dice are all you’ll need to participate ina Crimes People Play mystery.Attributes represent your detective’s innateaptitudes and maximum potential. A high attributewill enable you to increase related abilities to agreater degree, and will give you a startingadvantage over someone with a lower score. Alldetectives have the same six attributes. Yourattributes are set when your character is firstcreated and can never change.Abilities are what you use to do things in thegame. Your current rating represents how closeyou are to achieving your potential throughexercise, practice and training. Abilities may neverexceed the attribute listed above them on thecharacter sheet.Specialties are advanced abilities. You won’tstart with any specialties, but will develop them asyour abilities increase beyond a score of 7.Talents are special advantages that areunique to your detective type.Perks are special items that give you an abilitybonus. You start with no Perks, but acquire themby expending experience points.Character Creation1. Choose a detective type from Chapter 3:Detective Types.2. Distribute 3 points among the attributes foryour type. No attribute may be greater than9. Attributes must always be wholenumbers.3. Assign scores to your abilities. The sum of each group must equaltwice the attribute listed above them. You may assign scores in increments ofone half. An ability may not start with a scorehigher than half its ruling attribute. Prerequisites for your type must be atleast 2. You must not assign a score to at leastthree abilities in each group.4. Once you are done assigning scores, youmust assign three abilities in each group ascore of –3.5. All remaining blank abilities are assigned ascore of 0.6. Your detective starts with 4 experiencepoints.7. Write your detective’s health, talent andgear on your character sheet.8. Roll or select your detective's age, sex,appearance and background.9. Name your detective.10. As a group, decide on the type of agencyyou belong to.6 6

Chapter 3: Detective TypesHealthHealth shows how many wounds you can takebefore you fall unconscious. Each lettercorresponds to an injury as shown on the Woundtable. Your Health is determined by your detectivetype and it will never change. To maintain balancebetween the types, detectives with more healthlevels have slightly lower attributes.On your detective sheet, scratch out thosehealth levels you do not possess.Example: You are playing a Sweet Old Ladywith a Health of L M H. You must scratch out the S, Cand D on your health track.Taking DamageYour narrator will tell you how much damageyour characters takes. Damage ranges from lightto deadly as shown on the Wound table.When you take damage, mark off thecorresponding health level on your Health track. Ifthe appropriate level is already marked off, crossout the next available health level to the right.Once the rightmost health level is marked off,your character falls unconscious. You are out ofthe game until you are revived. Each time you areknocked unconscious you lose 1 experiencepoint. Although this may leave you with negativeexperience points, you do not lose advantages youhave already purchased.If you and the rest of the detectives are allknocked unconscious your adversaries may takeyou prisoner or leave you for dead. In any case, youwill eventually awaken wounded and weary.Detectives cannot die in Crimes People Play.Types of DamageMark stun damage on your character sheet bycircling the corresponding health level.Mark fatigue damage with a triangle. Fatiguerepresents sickness, poison, or exhaustion.Mark normal damage by putting a slash “/”through the health level.Mark lethal damage by putting an X throughthe health level.When you take normal or lethal damage, lookup the health level that you marked off (notnecessarily the same as the original damage) onthe Wound table to determine the special effect.For example, if you mark off an H for a heavywound then you will suffer 1dp on your next turn.Wound TableCode SeveritySpecial EffectL Light A mere scratch or bruise.M Medium A deep cut or contusion.H Heavy Suffer 1dp on your next turn.SCSevereCriticalLose your next turn while yourecover.Lose your next turn and suffer 1dp onall actions until you are healed.D Deadly You are knocked unconscious.Health RecoveryAt the end of the battle, erase all stun damageand all light wounds with a slash through them.In addition, erase the rightmost slash and putan “X” through the wound level to the immediateleft of it. Change all the remaining slashes to X.If there is an X on the rightmost health level,erase it. Your character has now revived.Fatigue damage lasts until the source of thefatigue is eliminated.Erase all wounds (including lethal damage) atthe end of the mystery.TalentsYour talent depends on your type. A talent issomething only your character can do. It’s a specialability that you may use without making a die roll,or an advantage due to your reputation or wealth.If you attempt to use a talent that would ruin themystery, the narrator may prohibit it from workingquite as effectively as described in the rules.7 7

Chapter 3: Detective TypesGearBefore you set out and start solving mysteries,you’ll need to equip your detective. Your mostimportant possessions are listed for your detectivetype, but you may jot down a few additional itemsof your choice. Don’t list every tissue and ball oflint, just useful equipment.Your carrying capacity is the maximumnumber of items you can equip. It equals yourFitness + 5.Beginning equipment may allow you to dothings you couldn’t otherwise, but it is all basicgear. You cannot take any beginning equipmentthat grants you an ability bonus. You could, forexample, take simple lock picks (or a specially benthairpin) that would let you pick locks, but theywouldn’t give you a bonus to your Unlock roll.Likewise, your pistol will allow you to use yourShooting ability, but it will not give you a bonus toyour roll.Uncommon or illegal items cannot be taken asbeginning equipment. This includes night scopes,grenades, machine guns and bulletproof vests.Avoid inappropriate starting gear. Remember, thisis a game of sleuthing. A detective’s most importantpiece of equipment is a keen mind.Later, you can acquire better equipment andarmor by spending experience points on Perks.A detective who is not wealthy can only affordone or two luxury items, such as a cellular phone orcar. Wealthy detectives will have no troubleaffording an assortment of expensive items. To avery wealthy detective, money is no object, andthey can buy almost anything they need. While itwould be reasonable for a wealthy character tohave diamond earrings, and a very wealthycharacter to have a safe full of jewelry, a poorcharacter would be lucky to have a mood ring.A large or bulky object cannot be easilyconcealed, and may attract attention. It may alsorestrict your actions. A detective carrying a chainsaw would certainly have trouble climbing aladder. Most detectives can carry only one bulkyitem at a time.During the game, you can assume yourdetective is carrying whatever else seemsappropriate for your type, provided it is smallenough to fit in a pocket or purse. A hard boiled PIcould produce a book of matches from the pocketof his trench coat, even though they are not notedon his character sheet, simply because they are aptfor his type.AppearanceYour age and sex depend on your detectivetype. You may roll or simply choose what you’recomfortable with.Make separate rolls for your height, weight,hair color, hair style and eye color. If you dislikewhat you roll, feel free to roll again or simply makeup anything you like. These tables are meant tostimulate your imagination. They aren’t intendedto limit your creativity.BackgroundRoll four times on the background table. Tomake a background roll, roll a six-sided die threetimes, once for each digit of a three-digit number.So if you rolled 3, 2 and 5 in that order you wouldlook at the background item for 325.Your detective’s relatives, friends, and loversare controlled by the narrator. They may provideyou with important information, a free cab ride, orother assistance. Your narrator may evenincorporate elements of your background into amystery.The background tables includes personalitytraits you may wish to use to embellish yourdetective. Feel free to re-roll any personality quirkthat you dislike.Naming Your DetectiveSince your fellow players can’t actually seeyour detective, a name acts as a first impression.The moniker Jack Slade would fit a hard-boiled PI,while Miss Pansy Periwinkle would better suit asweet old lady. Choose a name appropriate foryour type.8 8

Chapter 2: Creating A CharacterAppearance Table2d6 Height 2d6 Weight 2d6 Hair Color 2d6 Hair Style 2d6 Eye Color2 Very Short 2 Very Thin 2 Red 2 Long & Ratty 2 Amber3 Very Short 3 Very Thin 3 Strawberry 3 Long & Flowing 3 Green4 Short 4 Thin 4 Blond 4 Short & Frizzy 4 Black5 Short 5 Thin 5 Light Brown 5 Long & Straight 5 Gray6 Average 6 Average 6 Brown 6 Short & Curly 6 Light Blue7 Average 7 Average 7 Dark Brown 7 Short & Wavy 7 Dark Brown8 Average 8 Average 8 Black 8 Short & Straight 8 Light Brown9 Tall 9 Heavy 9 Auburn 9 Long & Curly 9 Dark Blue10 Tall 10 Heavy 10 Sandy 10 Long & Wavy 10 Hazel11 Very Tall 11 Very Heavy 11 Gray 11 Long & Frizzy 11 Violet12 Very Tall 12 Very Heavy 12 White 12 Crew Cut 12 SilverBackground Table111 Suffer depression112 Periodic amnesia113 Compulsive lying114 Paranoia115 Hysteria116 Neurotic121 Obsessive compulsive122 Megalomania123 Delusions124 Hallucinations125 Manic depressive126 Phobia of a particular animal131 Phobia of darkness132 Phobia of insects and spiders133 Phobia of water134 Phobia of disease135 Phobia of poison136 Phobia of snakes141 Phobia of terrorists142 Phobia of foreigners143 Phobia of tight spaces144 Phobia of being alone145 Phobia of tight spaces146 Phobia of heights151 Phobia of guns153 Never caught for a crime youcommitted154 Haunted by a secret from the past155 Worked in a blue collar industry156 Suffer flashbacks of a badexperience161 Family killed when you were young162 Host a local television show163 Persecuted by a powerful group164 A near death experience changedyou165 Associated with a criminal group166 Inherit or find a special item211 Falsely imprisoned for murder212 Own a pet262 You and an enemy are professional213 Criminal history, you decide whether rivalsyou deserved it263 Enemy hurt or killed your loved one214 Political prisoner for 1d6 years 264 Enemy caused you to be imprisoned215 Associated with a religious group 265 You stole enemy’s lover216 Persecuted by a powerful individual 266 Enemy stole your lover221 You have mystical visions 311 You caused enemy to be imprisoned222 Acquaintance: Weapons enthusiast 312 You humiliated enemy223 Acquaintance: Psychologist 313 Enemy humiliated you224 Acquaintance: Pharmacist 314 Enemy is insane225 Acquaintance: Pawnshop owner 315 Enemy thinks you owe them a226 Acquaintance: Rare book dealer fortune231 Acquaintance: Politician316 Enemy stole from you232 Acquaintance: Cab driver 321 Sole support of aged, infirm mother233 Acquaintance: Morgue attendant 322 Alcoholic older sibling is a lawyer224 Acquaintance: Reporter323 Sister married to Mafioso225 Acquaintance: Doctor324 Uncle in local police force226 Acquaintance: Small-time criminal 325 You have a twin231 Acquaintance: College professor 326 Intense sibling rivalry232 Acquaintance: District Attorney 331 You are the black sheep of the233 Acquaintance: Cabaret artiste family234 Acquaintance: Doctor332 Strong ethnic background235 Acquaintance: Law professor 333 You are seventh in line to a fortune236 Acquaintance: Scientist334 Close loving relationship with241 Acquaintance: Computer specialist parent.242 Friend owes you a favor335 Family rife with weirdoes and243 You owe a friend a favorcriminals244 You saved friend’s life336 You care at home for a parent with245 Met friend during a crisisAlzheimer’s.246 You saved friend’s life341 Lover is insane251 Friend saved your life342 Lover married to another252 Friend is a former enemy 343 Lover is a criminal253 You and friend have a common 344 You date lover regularlyenemy345 You and lower grew apart, but you254 You and friend have common goal are still friends255 Friend helps you financially 346 Engaged to lover256 You must protect friend351 Rival stole lover’s affections261 Friend is a former lover352 Love is unrequited353 Stalked by a former lover9 9

Chapter 2: Creating A Character354 Lover kidnapped355 Lover murdered356 Lover is wealthy361 Spouse committed suicide362 Spouse died in an accident363 Spouse vanished364 Spouse murdered365 Spouse imprisoned366 Happily married411 Planning a divorce412 Spouse kidnapped413 Divorced: Split apart by professionalgoals414 You lost your job, then your spouse415 Divorced: Split apart by moneyproblems416 Divorced: Spouse was two-timing421 Divorced: Spouse’s family drove youapart422 Divorced: Split apart by personalgoals423 Divorced: You still love your ex424 Divorced: You were having an affair425 Divorced: You argued constantly426 Divorced: You are separated, butstill married431 Divorced: Spouse drank too much432 You have an adopted child433 You have a step-child434 You have a bad relationship withyour child435 You have a child being raised by theother parent436 You have an obnoxious child441 You have an imaginative child442 You have a good relationship withyour child443 You have a very bright child444 You have a precocious child445 Your child is always getting intotrouble446 You have a disabled child451 You have twins452 You are an alcoholic453 Chemical addition454 You habitually crack jokes455 You are greedy456 You are lecherous461 You seek personal fame462 You are cowardly463 You have a cruel streak464 You suffer bursts of anger465 You’re just plain lazy466 You have a fear of rejection511 You have a fear of commitment512 You are emotionally clingy513 You will never betray a friend514 You always keep your word515 You despise all dishonesty516 You dislike people in general521 You are frighteningly impulsive522 You are downright reckless523 Favorable reputation524 Unfavorable reputation525 You hate violence526 You’re overly competitive531 You just can’t keep a secret532 You never refuse a person in need533 You’re always asking what’s in it foryou534 You always have to have your way535 You’re stubborn536 Minor physical affliction541 Relative is a criminal542 You are an animal lover543 You are a packrat544 You tend to be absent-minded545 You are very religious546 You are politically active551 You are intolerant of a certain kindof person552 You have decadent tastes553 You once belonged to a criminalgang554 You are a decorated war veteran555 Your friend’s murder was neversolved556 You never graduated high school561 You have a foolish childhood dream562 You are responsible for saving yourenemy’s life563 You ran away from home as a child564 You have bad relationship with yourparents565 You have a good relationship withyour parents566 You were adopted611 You once committed a horriblecrime that you still conceal612 Your hobby is gardening613 Your hobby is archaeology614 Your hobby is painting or other art615 Your father went into hiding afterbeing accused of a crime616 Your mother is in jail for a crime youbelieve she didn’t commit621 You have a bumbling sidekick622 You have a grumbling sidekick623 You have a need to demonstrateyour intellectual superiority624 You’re a secret kleptomaniac625 You have a special tattoo626 You have an odd birthmark631 Your parents disapprove of yourlifestyle632 You have expensive tastes633 Exposure to death has left you jaded634 You have become numb to violence635 You empathize too much with crimevictims636 You have a prized possession youalways carry641 You wear a flamboyant piece ofclothing, such as a hat, scarf of coat642 You worship Agatha Christie643 You are dangerously curious644 You have an unusual goal in life645 You we scammed out of yourinheritance646 Your annoying brother is much moresuccessful than you are651 You hate murderers652 You hate thieves653 You hate rapists654 You hate anyone who harms a child655 You hate all criminals656 You hate lawyers661 You run an inn frequented by kookyguests662 You believe your pets help you tosolve mysteries663 You have psychic visions, but it’sreally just a tumor664 You have an annoying catchphraseyou say whenever you find a clue665 You know the way to a confession isthrough baked goods666 You have somehow attracted theinterest of a satanic cultCharacter PersonalityAny ability with a score under 2 is a liability.Low Charm will make your character bad atdealing with suspects, while a low Cunning willmake you guileless. You can decide how these lowabilities will be role played. Does your low Charmmake you cold and aloof? Coarse and crude? Ordo you stammer helplessly? Does your lowWillpower suggest a problem with alcohol oranger issues?You are free to invent personality traits andinterpret your abilities in ways that you’ll enjoyplaying. At the end of the game, the other playerswill decide how well you did when it comes timeto award experience points.10 10

Chapter 2: Creating A CharacterAgency TypesJust how does a motley crew of detectivesmeet? What motivates them to act as a team?Simple: they all belong to the same detectiveagency.Your agency could be a covert operation withoffices hidden in an underground bunker. It maybe a simple mom and pop business run from agarage, or a professional firm situated in a glasshigh rise. For a more gritty feel, you could belongto a shoestring agency, wedged in a untidy officeover a green grocer’s shop.As a group, you and the other players mustdecide what type of agency you want to operateand who owns the business. It could be one ormore of the detectives or, if none are wealthyenough, it could be a friend, relative or othercharacter controlled by the narrator.You must explain how your detective becameinvolved with the agency. It might take quite astory to justify why a titled gentleman isoperating a shoestring agency.While you must name your agency, printingbusiness cards is optional.Covert AgencyCovert agencies are run by those who wishto keep a low profile. Most often the group as awhole owns the agency under an assumed nameowned by a holding company incorporated inanother state. Because the agency is notconnected to a government body, they do nothave direct access to confidential files orinternational records. However, they do havecontacts in the legal and political professions whoact as informants. Covert agencies are most oftenfound in penthouse offices or secret undergroundbunkers. They are equipped with high techequipment, including computers and advancedsecurity systems.Mom & Pop AgencyMom and pop agencies are formed by peoplewho have a natural talent for solving mysteries,so they’ve decided to start their own business. Amom and pop agency is most often found in thehome of the owner. Their families help them runthe business in a slipshod but surprisinglyeffective way. Part of their success results fromthe fact that the detectives are known and trustedby everyone in their neighborhood, from the mailcarrier to the mayor. Their local contacts canprovide them with invaluable backgroundinformation on suspects. Typical acquaintancesinclude the local bartender, the sheriff, the highschool principal, the pharmacist, the librarian andthe town gossip.Professional AgencyProfessional agencies can be found in steeland glass high rises in the heart of New York, orunassuming mansions in the elite suburbs ofBoston. They are equipped with a secretary,computers, fax, legal library and extensivereferences. Most have a wine cellar or wet bar.Unfortunately, the agency is so new that its filesare incomplete.Shoestring AgencyShoestring agencies are small but honestbusinesses trying to survive in a harsh world. Theoffice can be found above a green grocer’s shopon one of the meaner streets of a city. It is small,untidy and smells of age. No wet bar here, just awhiskey bottle stashed in the bottom drawer ofthe desk. All the equipment is old and in need ofrepair. Lacking sophisticated equipment,shoestring agencies rely on their massive files ofnewspaper clippings. The scarred and battereddesk is another great source of information.Scratched into its surface are the names andphone numbers of small-time crooks andinformers. Many are dead and gone, but a few arestill kicking and willing to talk for a buck.11 11

Chapter 3Detective TypesCustom TypesTo make them immediately familiar andaccessible to a wide audience, the detective typesin this chapter are all genre cliché’s (or if youprefer to delude yourself, archetypes representinguniversal aspects of human personality).Once you’ve looked them over you may wishto create something more original. Simplydistribute the values 3 through 8 between the sixattributes and assign a Health rating, then adjustthe attributes based on the Health rating:L M H add 4 points to attributesL M H S add 2 points to attributesL M H S C no change to attributesL M H S C D subtract 2 points from attributesFinally assign three prerequisites, invent atalent that’s not too powerful and complete the restfollowing the spirit of the examples listed here. Inno time at all you’ll have a custom detective type.Armchair DetectiveAround the family television, you earned theire of your siblings by guessing the endings ofmovies by the first commercial break. You've readand seen so many mysteries you can instinctivelypredict the solution to a case. Hunches play a keypart in your investigations.Vivacious eyes and an engaging enthusiasmendear you to everyone. Both the police andcriminals dismiss you as a harmless amateur. Theyunderestimate you at their own peril.When not on a case, you spend your timetaking care of your family. Juggling your home lifewith your investigations can be more of a challengethen solving a mystery. Your long-suffering spousetakes care of the kids when you're on a case.The detective agency calls upon you foranswers. They know you won't refuse them, nomatter how inconvenient the timing. Once a puzzlegets in your head, you can't rest until you've founda solution.Awareness: 7Coordination: 3Creativity: 8Ego: 7Fitness: 4Intelligence: 6Prerequisites: Lip Reading 2+Wisdom 2+Charm 2+Health:Talent:L M H SIntuitionOnce per day you may ask forinspiration. The narrator must giveyou a hint related to the problem athand.Age: 30 + 2d6Sex: 1-3 Male4-6 FemaleGear:Universal remote for use with anyTV, mace, minivan with DVD player,favorite TV shows on DVD,crossword puzzle12 12

Chapter 3: Detective TypesBrilliant ProfessorYou are a renowned expert in your field.Between your duties teaching at a prestigiousuniversity and publishing groundbreaking papers,you make time to consult with the agency on casesthat interest you. Applying your expertise tomatters of everyday life is much more exciting thanthe strictures of academia, and the gratitude of aclient is often more rewarding than the jealousskepticism your more revolutionary ideasengender in your peers.Some of your more stodgy colleagues consideryou eccentric, yet students flock to your lecturesbecause of the energy you bring to your subjectmatter and the dynamic way you teach difficultsubjects.The police respect your background, butwonder how your expertise can possibly help themsolve crimes. Somehow you always manage todemonstrate how your field of knowledge providesthe key to the mystery.Awareness: 7Coordination: 4Creativity: 7Ego: 5Fitness: 3Intelligence: 9Prerequisites: Knowledge 2+Cryptography 2+Science 2+Health:Talent:L M H SClassificationBy examining a material sample in alaboratory, you can identify it’sprobable source. For example, youcan determine the manufacturer ofa paint sample, or the source of afiber.Age: 28 + 2d6Sex: 1-3 Male4-6 FemaleGear:chemistry kit, chalkboard, plasticbags and tweezers for collectionsamples, latex glovesConnoisseurYou have one great passion in life, and it's notdetecting. Questioning witnesses, tracking downsuspects and dealing with fumbling police officersare just a distraction-you'd rather be collectingrare Japanese azaleas or breeding miniaturegoldfish. Yet displaying your deductive abilities issatisfying, and no matter how much you mightcomplain, you would never pass up a chance tosolve a case.Some ignorant fools consider you egotistical,pompous and unpleasant to be around. Althoughyour manner is gruff, you have a damnably softheart and may, on occasion, be talked into workingfor free, especially if the cause is a noble one, oryour client properly respectful. You can't stand thepolice and their narrow-minded ways. Whenforced to deal with them, you are naturallycondescending.You joined the agency not for the money, butto demonstrate your keen mind. Through yourparticipation, you seek to prove your mentalsuperiority and gain the admiration of your peers.Awareness: 4Coordination: 6Creativity: 5Ego: 7Fitness: 3Intelligence: 8Prerequisites: Bargain 2+Business 2+Smuggle 2+Health:Talent:L M H S CExpert AppraiserDo not apply any points to yourAppraise ability. It automaticallystarts with a rating of 7.Age: 30 + 2d6Sex: 1-5 Male6 FemaleGear: dignified attire, luxury car, pistol13 13

Chapter 3: Detective TypesCostumed AvengerBy day you’re a mild mannered bookkeeper.By night you’re a secret do-gooder, hiding yourtrue identity behind a mask and skin-tight leotard.You are driven by an all-consuming sense ofmorality and will do anything you can to preventthe spread of crime. You can’t bear the thought of acriminal roaming freely through the streets of yourtown.Secretly scarred by a childhood trauma, youwould rather face death than have your trueidentity revealed. You may even insist on keeping ithidden from the other detectives.During the day you disguise your exceptionalphysique and good looks under dowdy clothingand ugly glasses. You’re something of a bumblingloser until you slip into your costume. Thetransformation into confident, quick-witted hero istruly astounding.You avoid contact with the police. The policecommissioner has made it clear the official policy isthat you’re a nut-case vigilante in need of apsychiatric evaluation.You work for the agency as the office manageror bookkeeper. When a case cracks you slip out forcoffee, only to return dramatically in your costume.You don’t think your fellow detectives know yourtrue identity, although it’s possible one or two havecaught on and are just too kind to reveal yoursecret.Awareness: 6Coordination: 6Creativity: 5Ego: 3Fitness: 7Intelligence: 4Prerequisites: Brawling 2+Fighting 2+Disguise 2+Health:Talent:L M H S C DGadgetsAs part of your gear, you carry aselection of improbable but nonlethalgadgets.Age: 25 + 2d6Sex: 1-3 Male4-6 FemaleGear:Grappling hook pistol, electronicbugs for tracking suspects, smokebombsCountry SheriffThe big city has a lot of bustle, but it's basicallythe same as your old beat in Dogsweat County.Tracking a drug dealer ain't much different fromhunting a sheep-eating coyote. Outlaws are thesame no matter where they roam.You wear a Stetson hat, jeans and snakeskinboots. Mostly, you miss your faithful horse Roy.You had to leave him back at the ranch in Dogsweatwhen you took a leave of absence to go to the bigcity to learn those newfangled ways the big citypolice were always talking about on them TVshows.The police consider you a country hick,incapable of understanding the finer points of lawenforcement. They tend to snicker at your countrywisdom.That's why you joined the agency. At least theyrespect your ten years as a sheriff.Awareness: 6Coordination: 7Creativity: 5Ego: 4Fitness: 6Intelligence: 3Prerequisites: Horsemanship 2+Survival 2+Tracking 2+Health:Talent:L M H S C DAmbushBy setting up an ambush in advanceand laying in wait for anunsuspecting target, you can gainthree attacks on the first round ofcombat without a chance of beinghurt.Age: 26 + 2d6Sex: 1-4 Male5-6 FemaleGear:lasso, cowboy hat, revolver, knife,leather gloves, cowboy boots14 14

Chapter 3: Detective TypesFast-talking ReporterYou're looking for the story of a lifetime.Nothing can stop you in your relentless search forthe truth. Those who find you abrasive andinterfering just haven't discovered your lovableside.Your roguish charm and casual air enable youto get along with all sorts of people, frompoliticians to lowly criminals. They all have a storyto tell.The police view you as an amusing meddler,though somewhat of a nuisance when the chips aredown. They'll learn to heed you once you win aPulitzer.You're not an employee of the agency, but youdally at the office every day, waiting for a story tobreak.Awareness: 8Coordination: 4Creativity: 6Ego: 8Fitness: 5Intelligence: 4Prerequisites: Gossip 2+Persuade 2+Question 2+Health:Talent:L M H SConfidantOnce per suspect, you can get aninformant to confess whatever theyfeel most guilty about. The suspectwill not confess to the central crimeof the mystery. You must be alonewith the suspect to use this talent.Age: 25 + 2d6Sex: 1-3 Male4-6 FemaleGear: notepad, pen, camera, taperecorder, business cards, pressbadgeFederal AgentTrained by a government organization knownonly by its initials (you won't admit whether it wasthe FBI, CIA, or IRS), you spent ten years hobbledby federal regulations and restrictions. After seeingone too many cases botched by the bureaucracy,you resigned out of frustration.Because you aren't above bending the rules toget the job done, the local police don't alwaysappreciate your methods. You demand completecooperation from them, yet rarely give anyinformation in return. Vital evidence belongs inyour briefcase, not in the station's evidence room.In a white shirt, blue suit and dark sunglasses,you're a striking figure: clean cut, chiseled featuresand a physique honed by an uncompromisingfitness regime. A serious demeanor tempers yourgood looks, barricading your emotions behind astraight face. A handgun bulges under your jacket.Your training made you a natural for detectivework, so after leaving the feds, you joined thedetective agency. Now, unhampered by ineffectualregulations, you strive to bring justice to thosecriminals the police can't handle.Awareness: 6Coordination: 5Creativity: 4Ego: 3Fitness: 8Intelligence: 7Prerequisites: Bureaucracy 2+Law 2+Surveillance 2+Health:Talent:L M H S CAuthorityBy displaying a badge or othersymbol of authority, you encouragecomplete cooperation form lawabidingcitizens. Criminals andsocial rebels, however, will reactnegatively.Age: 25 + 2d6Sex: 1-3 Male4-6 FemaleGear: pistol, knife, suit, sunglasses,briefcase, walkie-talkie, handcuffs15 15

Chapter 3: Detective TypesHard-boiled PIYou've been around the block and then some.A hard-drinker with a quick right cross, you knowthe score, and it's not in your favor. After sevenyears on the force, the stink of corruption finallysickened you and you turned in your badge. Apartner once worked with you, but he was killed bya slinky dame. Now all you have is a bottle ofwhiskey.Shadowed by the upturned collar of yourtrench coat, your handsome face glowers wearilybeneath the brim of your hat. A wry sense ofhumor and sharp wit make you popular with theladies. Or maybe it's just because you're a sap for apretty face, especially one accompanied by a hardluck story.Except for a few friends on the force, thepolice consider you one step above a snitch. Ashaky reception is the best you can expect fromthem.You joined the agency because somebody'sgotta keep the garbage off the street. At least it's aliving.Awareness: 5Coordination: 6Creativity: 3Ego: 5Fitness: 8Intelligence: 4Prerequisites: Brawling 2+Shadow 2+Defense 2+Health:Talent:L M H S C DGut FeelingWhen you ask if you sense danger,the narrator must tell you if you arein immediate peril. The sensationmanifests itself as a feeling in thebones or the hair rising on the backof your neck.Age: 28 + 2d6Sex: 1-5 Male6 FemaleGear:pistol, brass knuckles, whiskeybottle, lighter, cigarettes, trenchcoat, fedoraInquiring DoctorAs a doctor, you are frequently called to thescene of a crime to determine a victim's cause ofdeath. Your training makes you adept at solvingmurders, although your deductive skills are equallyuseful on other cases. When you're notinvestigating a crime, you tend to your privatemedical practice.A nicely tailored suit compliments thecultured tones of your voice. Others perceive youas a trifle dull, yet you are well respected by thepolice, and have a professional acquaintance withthe Chief Medical Examiner.A comprehensive knowledge of poisons andforensics makes you an invaluable consultant tothe agency. Your strong sense of humanity compelsyou to help those in need.Awareness: 6Coordination: 6Creativity: 4Ego: 3Fitness: 7Intelligence: 9Prerequisites: Forensics 2+Medicine 2+Poisons 2+Health:Talent:L M H SMedical DegreeOnce per day per detective, you canheal one wound completely.Age: 30 + 2d6Sex: 1-3 Male4-6 FemaleGear:luxury car, cellular phone, pager,medical bag16 16

Chapter 3: Detective TypesInternational SpyBeautiful, sleek and cunning, you are highlyintelligent and sensitive to the needs of others. Youare well educated and well traveled.Always impeccably dressed and equipped withan arsenal of weapons and gadgets, you are asdangerous as you are mysterious. It's hard to winyour trust, and you are careful not to reveal thatyou are a spy. To do so might mean your death.The detective agency is a perfect cover foryour true profession. At any time, you may receivea coded message from your superiors sending youon a dangerous mission. Meanwhile, you relax bysolving the minor puzzles that come through theagency, glad for the chance to amuse yourself witha trifle that doesn't involve global concerns.Awareness: 3Coordination: 7Creativity: 5Ego: 7Fitness: 4Intelligence: 5Prerequisites: Driving 2+Shooting 2+Electronics 2+Health:Talent:L M H S C DSex AppealYou can seduce a member of theopposite sex. For one day, thesuspect will view you favorably anddo all sorts of minor favors for you.Sadly, the next day the victim willfeel used and grow to resent you.This talent works on only onesuspect at a time.Age: 27 + 2d6Sex: 1-4 Male5-6 FemaleGear:pistol, knife, mini-camera in lighter,night vision binoculars, wristwatchphone, mini-computer in cigarettecase, fiber-optic viewer insunglassesKeen DeductorThrough years of dedicated practice, you havetrained yourself to be a sharp observer, able toquickly notice imperceptible clues. You rely heavilyon logic, scorning intuition and luck. As a studentof human nature, you understand what motivatespeople and your knowledge of the criminal mind isunsurpassed. A multitude of acquaintances maythink they know you, but only a few trusted friendshave seen you in unguarded moments.A tweed jacket hangs from your thin frame.Your sharp features and piercing eyes remindsome of an alert hawk. To get close to a suspect,you often disguise yourself when on a case, andthrough necessity have become a passable mimic.The police admire your abilities, often callingupon you when an especially convoluted case hasthem baffled. Even while accepting their puzzles,you treat them with disdain.The triumph of logic is all important to you.Working for the agency is an ideal occupation for aperson of your aptitude. For you, the game ofdeduction is a reward in and of itself.Awareness: 8Coordination: 4Creativity: 6Ego: 4Fitness: 5Intelligence: 8Prerequisites: Profiling 2+Lab Use 2+Wisdom 2+Health:Talent:L M H SDetect LieYou can determine is someone islying. Simply ask if the suspect islying and the narrator must answeryes or no.Age: 30 + 2d6Sex: 1-5 Male6 FemaleGear:pipe, magnifying glass, plastic bagsfor collecting samples, disguise kit17 17

Chapter 3: Detective TypesLegal EagleRenowned as the best defense attorney in thecity, your perfect record allows you to pick only themost interesting cases. You have a reputation fornever defending a guilty person and rarelymisjudging a witness. Nothing excites you morethan an engaging battle of wits, especially whenyou can interpret the rules to achieve your ends.The clothes you wear are conservative,tasteful and very expensive. Your wealth comesfrom investments; many of your cases are probono. The ability to pay is not alwayscommensurate to innocence.When necessary, you resort to quotingstatutes to receive information from the police.They view your methods as high-handed, and areslow to provide the documents you are entitled to.While you don't work for the detective agency,you have close ties with them. They help you, andin return you help them. Your desire to see justiceprevail is more important than any amount ofmoney.Awareness: 8Coordination: 3Creativity: 4Ego: 7Fitness: 5Intelligence: 6Prerequisites: Law 2+Question 2+Bureaucracy 2+Health:Talent:L M H S CCross ExamineYou may make up to three leadingstatement to a suspect, such as “Youwere blackmailing your boss.” Thesuspect will acknowledge if you areright, but if you are wrong or thesuspect doesn’t know the answer,the suspect will clam up and nomore questions may be asked. Thesuspect will never admit to themain crime of the mystery.Age: 30 + 2d6Sex: 1-3 Male4-6 FemaleGear:cellular phone, luxury car, laptopcomputerMarried AdventurerIndependently wealthy, you have manyfriends and spend much of your time traveling withyour spouse from party to party. A popular gadabout,you're written plays for off Broadway andhunted big game in Africa. Now, you're taking aspin as a detective.You banter constantly with your companions,telling amazing stories of your antics, some ofwhich actually happened. Young, good-looking andfashionably dressed, you and your spouse are oftendescribed as "the perfect couple." Somewhatsnobbish, you tend to travel only in the bettercircles.You play the sleuth for fun, and for theanecdotes it provides at parties. The moneydoesn't matter since you're already rich. The day today running of the agency bores you, but whenthere's a potentially exciting case, you are alwaysthere.Awareness: 3Coordination: 7Creativity: 7Ego: 9Fitness: 5Intelligence: 4Prerequisites: Entertain 2+Gossip 2+Contacts 2+Health:Talent:L M H SMental LinkYou can sense what is happening toanother detective of emotionalimportance. Only strong emotionsare conveyed.Age: 20 + 2d6Sex: 1-3 Male4-6 FemaleGear: pistol, car, flask, Rolex18 18

Chapter 3: Detective TypesMechanical GeniusThe only child of a man who wanted a son, yougrew up tomboy in a small town. Your fondestmemories are of helping your father repair thefamily car. To your delight, you were always theapple of your father's eye.You wear glasses, shapeless jeans and greasestainedt-shirts. Your baggy clothes conceal a nicebody, toned by lifting heavy auto parts andtrimmed by the many occasions you've been sobusy working on computers that you've forgottento eat. With your glasses on, you look dowdy. Butwhen you take them off, you're surprisinglyattractive.Too many hackers have given your kind a badreputation, and the police view you with suspicion.They think nice girls should wear dresses.You got involved with the agency when theyasked you to install their computer system.Awareness: 4Coordination: 8Creativity: 7Ego: 3Fitness: 6Intelligence: 5Prerequisites: Electronics 2+Explosives 2+Mechanical 2+Health:Talent:L M H S CInventUsing everyday items you cancreate ingenious single-use devicesand chemical concoctions to escapedeath traps or confinement.Age: 24 + 2d6Sex: 1-4 Male5-6 FemaleGear: Car, toolkitMystery WriterA famous author of mystery novels, you havealso written, under a pseudonym, several books ontrue crime. The agency depends upon your keenunderstanding of criminology and charactermotivation. They frequently call upon youraptitude to help solve puzzling cases.After unraveling a mystery, you incorporatethe finer points in your books. You enjoyassociating with detectives and law enforcementofficers. They, in turn, appreciate your realisticportrayals and are always cooperative. Friends onthe force will tip you off when an interesting crimeis being investigated.Casual clothes, glasses and comfy shoes areyour favorite attire. In conversation, you makefrequent references to your own works, comparingelements of a current case to earlier mysteries.You spend most of your free time sitting in theagency office, talking with the detectives andresearching material for your next book. Whenpossible, you'll gladly join an investigation to getfirsthand knowledge of a case.Awareness: 8Coordination: 5Creativity: 6Ego: 5Fitness: 7Intelligence: 4Prerequisites: Graphology 2+Research 2+Communications 2+Health:Talent:L M H SFameAn expert in your field, you haveappeared on television and writtenpopular books. Your celebrity willgain you prestige and cooperationfrom average citizens.Age: 26 + 2d6Sex: 1-3 Male4-6 FemaleGear: notepad, beat up car, pencils19 19

Chapter 3: Detective TypesOdd ForeignerThis is a strange country. The customs areunfamiliar, making you feel peculiar and out-ofplace.You speak with an accent, struggling daily toconvey your meaning to frustrated listeners. Oftenviewed as stupid or slow, you are actually quitesharp. A honorable heritage enables you to handleprejudice with quiet dignity.Despite your innate adaptability, you bemoanthe customs of those around you, and long for yourhomeland. A close friend at the agency helps youmaneuver in this unfamiliar world.Most law officials dismiss you as a hopelessfool, but others see past your foreign ways andrespect your abilities. Every day, you feel you mustprove yourself.Participating at the agency allows you toachieve harmony, promote brotherhood andpunish the wicked. What more could you ask for?Awareness: 7Coordination: 6Creativity: 8Ego: 3Fitness: 5Intelligence: 6Prerequisites: Knowledge 2+Languages 2+Willpower 2+Health:Talent:L M H SDiplomatic ImmunityThrough friends at your embassy,you can use diplomatic immunity toprevent yourself from beingticketed or arrested when caughtperforming what otherwise mightbe considered an illegal act.Age: 30 +2d6Sex: 1-3 Male4-6 FemaleGear:Translation dictionary, pistolPlodding Police OfficerYou once belonged to that large brotherhoodof unsung heroes: the police. Your job at thedetective agency isn't much different. Long hours,little pay and no glory. For all of that, you might aswell be on the force.Some dismiss you at first glance as a buffoonor drudge, viewing your rumpled suit and squeakyshoes as signs of vapidity. All that fast food anddonuts have left you a little plump, and somenights an ulcer stabs at your gut. Despite yourunpolished appearance, your painstakingexamination of witnesses and clues and yourrelentless pursuit of the truth makes you aformidable foe. You always carry a gun, but hate touse it.Though your face is weary and careworn, youreyes remain sharply focused. You work within thesystem, and are well acquainted with the localpolice.You joined the detective agency for the samereason you did the police force. It's the only job youknow.Awareness: 8Coordination: 4Creativity: 3Ego: 5Fitness: 6Intelligence: 5Prerequisites: Interrogate 2+Search 2+Restrain 2+Health:Talent:L M H S C DInfluenceYou have embarrassing informationon business people and politicians.You can ask a suspect a favor. Thesuspect will help, so long as youdon’t ask anything dangerous,illegal or clearly against their bestinterest. If you use this talent toomuch you may find yourself thetarget of wealthy and powerfulpeople trying to get rid of you.Age: 35 + 2d6Sex: 1-3 Male4-6 FemaleGear: handcuffs, flashlight, revolver,baton20 20

Chapter 3: Detective TypesPrecocious TeenOn your last report card, Mrs. Finster calledyou "spunky, popular and bright." You've beenclass president, an honor student and captain ofthe debate team. Mom and dad are sweethearts,your brother isn't half as bad as he pretends to be,and even on Saturday night you'll baby-sit theneighbor's kids because they're just so cute.Like most teenagers, you wear sweat shirts,jeans and sneakers. A clear complexion, an invitingsmile and a sparkling laugh endear you to all whomeet you. Intensely curious, you're compelled toexplore unusual phenomena. Some say you have aweak sense of danger, but they're just fuddyduddies.The police consider you a nuisance. Youhelp them, and they think it's you who needsrescuing!Sleuthing is so much fun! You hope to be adetective, reporter or lawyer some day-you can'tmake up you mind-which is why you're alwaysinvolved in criminal investigations. To this end,you work part-time for the detective agency,helping them file reports. When a case breaks,there's no way they can stop you from taggingalong!Spunky GalYour father, a police sergeant, raised you untilhe was killed in the line of duty. Since earlychildhood, your one desire was to follow in hisfootsteps. Dad taught you to set goals for yourselfand work toward them relentlessly. Driven by hismemory, you fight every day to live up to hisexpectations.The memory of your father still causes youpain. To hide your sensitive side, you project aswaggering toughness and brash confidence thatsome men find threatening. Although you take noguff from men, you've been known to bat aneyelash to get what you want.The police figure you're a tomboy playing aman's game. Many would rather hit on you thantake you seriously. Any respect you receive you'veearned through hard work. A few old-timersremember your father, and they are the most likelyto give you a break.You work at the agency both to prove that awoman can do a man's job and to follow in thefamily tradition.Awareness: 4Coordination: 8Creativity: 7Ego: 7Fitness: 6Intelligence: 3Prerequisites: Sincerity 2+Athletics 2+Tame 2+Health:Talent:L M H SBlendAdults always underestimate youand will ignore you during aconfrontation as long as you do notdraw attention to yourself.Age: 11 + 1d6Sex: 1-3 Male4-6 FemaleGear: Swiss army knife, tazerAwareness: 4Coordination: 3Creativity: 7Ego: 6Fitness: 6Intelligence: 5Prerequisites: Driving 2+Mechanical 2+Shooting 2+Health:Talent:Age:Sex:Gear:L M H S C DWitticismYou can leave the target of yourdrollery speechless andconfounded. The target suspect cando nothing for two turns while theyrecover their wits. This talent canbe used just once per encounter.19 + 2d6Femalepistol, knife21 21

Chapter 3: Detective TypesSweet Old LadyEveryone in your neighborhood calls you thecommunity grandmother. Genial and kind, you takeenjoyment in quiet hobbies. You bake, knit and tellamusing stories. Though you don't always approveof the actions of younger people, you try to beunderstanding. People are so interesting, whatwith their hopes and foibles. Your knowledge ofhuman nature is vast and you are a wonderfulamateur psychologist.Plump, with gray hair, you are somewhat frail,but still able to care for yourself. Even your doctoragrees you're in excellent health for your age.Childless yourself, you have a myriad of nieces andnephews to dote upon.You respect the law and nearly always defer toauthority. However, you will not hesitate if justicemust be done. It amuses you when the policedisregard you as an interfering, foolish old woman.The way they treat you, those young officers mustthink you're dotty!You are a dear friend who brings thedetectives at the agency cookies. They're all suchnice people. When they need extra help, you sit inas their receptionist. You always seem to beTitled GentlemanAn aristocrat with a cultured accent, you putforth a carefree attitude that shocks your peers andparents. You are known for your generosity andfun-loving nature, but your tendency to flit fromone interest to another has lost you respectabilitywith the conservative upper crust. To escape falsefriendships and monotonous civic duty, you act thedunce, but those who truly know you swear byyour intelligence, foresight and integrity.Cambridge, Oxford and Eton; you've attendedthem all. You have some scientific knowledge, butyour heart lies with the arts, particularly classicalmusic. Colleagues rightly fear your fondness forteasing, but your famous wit is wasted onnotoriously humorless police officers. Yourrelationship with them is strained at best.Financing the detective agency provides youboth the excitement of a glamorous indulgence aswell as the opportunity to help those less fortunatethen yourself.around when a case breaks, and you're alwayshappy to help.Awareness: 6Coordination: 3Creativity: 7Ego: 9Fitness: 4Intelligence: 8Prerequisites: Charm 2+Sincerity 2+Question 2+Health:Talent:Age:Sex:Gear:Awareness: 8Coordination: 5Creativity: 8Ego: 7Fitness: 3Intelligence: 6Prerequisites: Shopping 2+Seduction 2+Luck 2+Health:Talent:Age:Sex:Gear:L M HJudge CharacterYou can tell whether you get a“good feeling” off a suspect or a“bad feeling.” A good feeling meansthe suspect is friendly, helpful orsimply harmless. A bad feelingshows the suspect has something tohid, doesn’t like you, or intendssomeone harm.60 + 2d6Femaleknitting needle, hat pin, handbagL M HWealthSince money is no object to you, youcan buy almost anything you needso long as it is legal to own andreadily available.22 + 2d6Malesword cane, luxury car, cellularphone22 22

Chapter 3: Detective TypesWily ThiefThe old adage, "It takes a thief to catch a thief"proves true in your case. A former burglar, youknow the criminal mind intimately. Although youmay still indulge your larcenous impulses onoccasion, you try your best to keep out of trouble.You strive to live a respectable life on the nest eggyou have hidden away. Only your closest friendsknow your past. Throughout your criminal career,you never resorted to violence, and are outragedby thieves who harm their marks. You rarely carrya weapon, and would rather surrender than harmsomeone. Nimble and quick-witted, you'vemanaged to escape most scrapes unharmed.You stick by your word and your pals. Earlyon, you infiltrated upper society to find the mostlucrative items to steal. Now you pass yourself offas a savvy business person.Although the police never got the goods onyou, they still view you with suspicion. They'remore likely to consider you the cause of the crimerather than the solution.Wise PriestWithout guile or pretense, you kindly pointout what others have missed. Your compassionencourages total strangers to confide in you, andyour advice brings comfort to even the mosttroubled souls. While your superiors in the churchsometimes judge you as too concerned withworldly matters, you cannot abide humansuffering, and will do what you can to alleviatedistress no matter where you find it.Devout but not fanatical, you indulge a fewsecular vices, such as watching popular movies andreading mystery novels. Despite your gentle senseof humor, you can be roused to anger by flagrantwickedness.You would never consider defiling theaccouterments of your faith by carrying a firearm.Instead, you trust in God to protect you. A sincereinterest in people has garnered you friends andacquaintances from all walks of life. The policerespect you and seldom interfere with yourinvestigations.Although not an employee of the agency, youalways seem to show up right before an importantA few years ago, you were caught by theagency and offered a deal: "Come work for us or goto jail." You agreed to join the agency to atone foryour past crimes.Awareness: 7Coordination: 8Creativity: 6Ego: 5Fitness: 4Intelligence: 3Prerequisites: Security Systems 2+Filch 2+Streetwise 2+Health:Talent:L M H S CHunchYou can predict the probableoutcome of a specific action. Youwill be able to tell if the results areliable to be good, neutral or bad.Age: 25+ 2d6Sex: 1-3 Male4-6 FemaleGear:car, nylon cord, grapnel, gloves, lockpickcase. Maybe it's God's will for you to help those inneed. Since it's impossible to stop you fromparticipating, the agency has come to accept andeven rely upon your assistance.Awareness: 8Coordination: 5Creativity: 4Ego: 7Fitness: 6Intelligence: 5Prerequisites: Occult 2+Wisdom 2+Persuade 2+Health:Talent:L M H SFear of GodYour soothing voice and calmreasoning prevents all combat foras long as you preach, becausefighting would be against the will ofGod.Age: 40 + 2d6Sex: 1-6 MaleGear: Crucifix, holy water, bible23 23

Chapter 4AbilitiesAwareness Abilities – your perception & the acuity of your sensesAbility Specialties NotesAlertnessSpot dangerUse Search if you are looking for something specific.Notice something suspiciousReact to an ambushAppraiseAssess monetary valueAssess cultural significanceAssess historical importanceDetect counterfeit moneyDetect forged artworkDetect forged documentsUsed to assess the value of something or to detect aforgery.DirectionDrivingGraphologyLip ReadingListenProfilingSearchSense northRead mapsNavigate a mazeUse a GPSUse a compassFind a shortcutNavigate by the starsSports carPickup truckSedanSUVMinivanTruckMotorcycleHandwriting analysisMatch handwriting samplesDetect forged signaturesEavesdropHear noiseRecognize voiceSerial Killer profileRapist profileMurderer profileThief profileFrisk suspectBody searchSearch deskFind hidden compartmentsFind secret doorsUsed to figure out how to get from one town to anotherwhen the signpost is down. Includes the use of anythingfrom a compass to a satellite locator.Used when driving a car or truck. In most cases, a roll isrequired only when you attempt a maneuver under difficultcircumstances. For instance, a character making a hairpincurve at high speeds would have to make a Driving roll toavoid rolling his car. During a chase, a Driving roll mightbe used to determine whether a character escapes pursuitor is caught.Used to identify general personality traits from ahandwriting sample or to detect a forged signature.You must be close enough to the target to see their mouthmoving as they talk.Hear what is said through a closed door or across a noisyroom, distinguish garbled sounds, or hear a suspiciousnoise while distracted.Used to create a profile of a criminal based on evidenceleft at a scene of the crime. The profile is based onstatistical analysis of common behaviors.Search is used when you are actively looking forsomething hidden. On a failed Search, the narrator maygive a misleading clue that appears important but isactually a red herring.24 24

Chapter 4: AbilitiesSecurity SystemsShadowSurveillanceTrackingWisdomSet security systemSpot security systemHack security systemStill photographyVideographySecurity camerasStakeoutFind tracksFollow tracksInterpret tracksDetect deceptionRead emotional stateOperate polygraph testUsed when dealing with security and alarm systems.Used to follow someone without being seen. When youare shadowing someone in a car you roll your Shadow orDriving, whichever is lower. If you are spotted and thesuspect tries to elude you will have to make a Run roll orDriving roll, as appropriate.Used to notice the suspect sneaking out the back doorduring a stakeout, or to take useful photos, or to gatherinformation during reconnaissance. It’s a combination oftiming, framing, and familiarity with camera equipment.Used to follow someone you can no longer see, or tellwhat happened in an area by the footprints left in the dirt.Wisdom is your ability to read people and is usedsynonymously with kinesics. Kinesics (pronounced ki-nesics)is the formal study of nonlinguistic body movements,such as gestures and facial expressions.Coordination (CO) Abilities – your aim & motor controlAbility Specialties NotesAgilityTightrope walkingBalancing on ledgesSqueeze through gapsEscaping restraintBoatingDexterityDodgeElectronicsRaftRowboatCanoeSailboatSpeedboatYachtTying/untying knotsCatching a thrown objectDrawing a weaponDodge bulletDuck falling objectTumblingRepairUse specific deviceHotwiring carsThis is your balance, physical grace and limberness. Usedto twist free from being held. Used for tightrope walking,swinging from a chandelier and performing otheracrobatics.Used to pilot a small watercraft. A roll is required to startthe craft. Otherwise, a roll is required only when you areattempting a maneuver or are piloting under difficultcircumstances.Used to work with your hands.Used to escape combat, avoid a falling object, or evadean attacker who is shooting at you.Used to operate or repair most electronic devices. It doesnot include electronics that are covered by other ability.Repair can help you jerry rig something until it can befixed properly. Of course, you’ll need the proper tools,materials and time. A repair can take anywhere from a fewminutes to a few days.Used to plant explosives for the maximum effect. It canalso be used to deactivate a bomb.Used to steal a small object without being noticed. ThisExplosivesPlant explosivesDisarm explosivesFilchPickpocketPalm objectincludes picking a pocket or palming a piece of evidence.JumpLong jumpingUsed to leap over small obstacles. You can jump fartherHigh jumpingwith a running start.Quickness Quickdraw Use to determine if you can react before some eventoccurs. Use it to draw your weapon before your opponentattacks, or to grab an item before it falls out a window.25 25

Chapter 4: AbilitiesShootingStealthThrowingTrapsUnlockShotgunsRevolversPistolsMachine GunsRiflesHideSneakThrow grapnel hookGrenadeThrow specific weaponSet trapDeactivate trapJimmy car doorJimmy window latchLock pickingSafe crackingUsed to shoot a firearm.This is your ability to move slowly on foot without beingnoticed, provided there is cover available and thesuspects in the area are not specifically looking for anintruder. A successful Stealth roll can give you theadvantage you need to subdue your opponent before theyknow you are there.Used to thrown an object to a friend or to toss a grapnelhook so it catches securely. Also used for all thrownweapons.Used to set and deactivate traps. Unless it is obvious, atrap must first be located with Search or noticed withAlertness.If something is locked, Unlock is used to open it.Creativity (CR) Abilities – how inventive, artistic and intuitive you areAbility Specialties NotesConcealHide on personHide on someone elseHide in surroundingsCunningDisguiseForgeryGossipHorsemanshipImpersonateCheatTrickConCamouflageMask identityMajor makeoverForge signaturesCounterfeitingForge artworkForge documentsFalse IDPolitical gossipCelebrity gossipLocal gossipBusiness gossipDistance ridingSpeed ridingMimicryImpersonate specific typeUse Conceal when you want to hide something on yourperson or in a room. Also used to plant evidence onsomeone else.Used when cheating, scheming, and performing acts oftrickery.Used to make a character look like a different person. Themore material you have the greater the transformation.Material include makeup, dye, wigs, and prosthetics. Youmay want to use this ability to take on the guise of aspecific person, but this is difficult to do and your buildmust match that of the person you are trying toimpersonate. This ability allows you to camouflageyourself or another. The camouflage remains effective aslong as you don't move.Used to create forgeries of all kinds. It’s easiest to createa forgery when working from the original. Forgeries basedon memory are much harder to make.Used to know what’s going on in the lives of other peopleUsed to ride horseback and to get a horse to do what youwant.Used to assume someone else’s gestures, mannerisms,and accent. You can impersonate a general type ofperson, or with study you can impersonate a specificperson (with the help of a good disguise).This ability canalso be used to make realistic animal or bird noises.26 26

Chapter 4: AbilitiesInterrogateLieGrillingSustained interrogationTortureInterrogation is used to extract information from anunwilling subject. It includes the threat of physical abuseand the demonstrated conviction to employ torture.Whereas the Question skill makes the victim eager toshare information, the Interrogate skill makes the victimafraid not to. Sustained interrogations can take manyweeks.Used to con people into believing something that isn’t true.A high roll lets you tell tall tales and be believed.Luck Gamble Used when things are totally outside your control.PreparednessUsed to determine if you are carrying something helpfulwhen it is needed.ShoppingUsed to locate an item that might otherwise not be found.It might be in an antique store, second hand shop,museum or private collection. Actually acquiring the itemmay be an adventure on its own.Sketch ArtistSmuggleStreetwiseTameLocate a thiefLocate a fenceLocate a loan sharkLocate a snitchLocate a counterfeiterLocate a stoolieLearn "word on the street"DogsCatsPrimarily used by sketch artists to draw an accurateillustration of a suspect from a verbal description (whetherby hand or using a computer), it can also be used in othercreative endeavors, such as painting or sculpting. It’s alsoused when drawing maps.Used to smuggle contraband past inspectors, or tosmuggle a dissident out of the country without the badguys knowing.This skill covers your ability to locate a thief, fence, loanshark, or to learn of illegal activity in an area.Used to interact with animals. You can deduce the habits,abilities and possible actions of any animal. Tame is usedto train animals.Ego (EG) Abilities – your self-assurance & the impression you make on othersAbility Specialties NotesBargainNegotiateMediateBriberyBarterHaggleCharmCommunicationsContactsEtiquetteFashion senseMake a friendBusiness contactsGovernment ContactsMilitary ContactsPolice ContactsPolitical ContactsSocial ContactsUsed to negotiate with others and develop compromises.A successful Bargain roll will make everyone feel likethey’ve come out ahead. Used to bribe governmentofficials.Charm is your manners and style, and your ability to makefriends. It helps you avoid social blunders at anything froma party to a formal ceremony.This is your ability to operate and repair communicationequipment, including anything from a walkie-talkie to anadvanced satellite system.Used to get a meeting a specific type of person. Thehigher the person’s rank the harder the meeting will be toarrange. Contacting criminals requires the Streetwiseability.27 27

Chapter 4: AbilitiesEntertainLeadershipPersuadePilotingPsychiatryQuestionSeductionSincerityWillpowerSingingDancing professionallyMusical instrumentCommand respectInspire followersGive ordersPlay on emotionsArgue an opinionFast talkTake offLandingManeuveringFlirtPropositionSeal the dealBe a credible witnessSpeak with righteousconvictionResist tortureResist seductionResist temptationSelf controlThis covers your ability to sing, tell jokes, danceprofessionally, play a musical instrument, tell stories andotherwise entertain or distract an audience.Used to take charge of a situation, either by barkingorders or inspiring others to follow you. Those you leadmust have a reason to follow. Either you are theiracknowledged leader or, in an emergency, they lack anyother source of leadership.Used to sway an individual or a group by playing on theiremotions. It can be used to persuade an individual toaccept an idea or certain course of action, or to talk afriendly suspect into doing what you want, provided it isnot dangerous or illegal.This skill is used when piloting a fixed wing aircraft. A rollis required at take off and landing. Otherwise, a roll isrequired only when you are attempting a specialmaneuver or are flying under difficult circumstances.During a chase, a roll might be used to decide whetheryou escape pursuit or are caught.This skill represents training in psychoanalysis. Bystudying an NPC, you may be able to distinguish criminaltendencies or psychotic behavior. Psychiatry can also beused to calm a disturbed individual, or to gain usefulinformation from a ranting lunatic.Used to gain information from a reluctant source. Use it towheedle state secrets out of a spy, or to find out why thetight-lipped villagers are afraid to go out on the moors atnight. It determines how much useful information isobtained. During a formal interrogation of a prisoner, theInterrogate skill is used instead.Used to seduce a person into wanting physical intimacies.The victim’s passions can then be used in furthermanipulations or for a few hours of enjoyment.Used to convince others that you are telling the truth. Thisis different from the Lie skill, because Sincerity can onlybe used if you are in fact telling what you believe is thetruth. It is a combination of credibility, innocence andhonesty. Just because someone believes you doesn’tmean they will do what you want.Willpower encompasses your self-awareness, self-controland confidence. It is used when resisting temptation,seduction, interrogation and torture. It frequently comesinto play when resisting the persuasion of others and themental manipulation of psychic forces. Self control is usedto force yourself to do thing you might otherwise havequalms about doing.Fitness (FI) Abilities – your physique & potential for physical fitnessAbility Specialties NotesAthleticsSkiingSkydivingWater skiingSnowboardingBasketballFootballThis skill shows how good you are at sports. It is usedwhen you are skiing, skydiving, water-skiing, playingbasketball or performing any similar strenuous sport.28 28

Chapter 4: AbilitiesBrawlingBullyClimbDefenseFightingMechanicalRestrainRunStaminaStrengthSurvivalSwimPunchingDisarmTake WeaponMountain climbingIce climbingWall climbingRope climbingFree climbingTree climbingDefend against specificweaponDefend against stray shotRepair vehiclesRepair heavy machineryRepair carsRepair trucksRepair airplanesRepair boatsRepair helicoptersGrappleImmobilizeHandcuffKnockdownSpeed runningDistance runningResist poisonResist diseaseHikingLiftCarrySmashDesert survivalForest survivalArtic survivalOcean survivalHigh divingSpeed swimmingDistance swimmingScuba divingYour ability to fight unarmed. Brawling inflicts temporaryStun damage. Brawling can also be used to disarm anopponent (knocking their weapon to the ground) or to takea weapon away from an opponent. Disarming opponentsis harder than punching them, while taking their weaponsis harder still.You use your Bully skill when you try to intimidate others,but intimidation wears off fast. Bullying makes enemies,not friends, and a bad result usually means that you havea fight on your hands. Bullying requires a threat ofviolence or a show of Might and cruelty. It is most effectiveagainst the helpless (such as prisoners) or brutal, stupidfolk who believe that bullying is a sign of authority.Use this ability to climb walls, cliffs and other sheersurfaces. Climbing stairs or ladders does not require aClimb roll unless there are extenuating circumstances,such as a ladder covered in oil.Defense is your ability to resist damage when nothing elseapplies.Attacking with a weapon that does not leave your handwhen you strike with it.Your Repair skill can be used to fix any commonmechanical device that is not covered by another skill.Repair can help you jerry rig something until it can befixed properly. Of course, you’ll need the proper tools,materials and time. A repair can take anywhere from a fewminutes to a few days.Used to capture or take down a suspect long enough tocuff him.Used to pursue a suspect on foot, win a race, boldlycharge into battle, or flee for your life.Used to kick open doors and other barriers or lift and carryheavy objects.This is your knowledge of survival in hostile environments.It helps you to know where to locate water, how toconstruct a shelter, build a fire or signal for help. Thiscovers your ability to obtain food and water. In a countrysetting, it includes hunting and trapping small animals,fishing and collecting fruit, roots, mushrooms and ediblegrubs. In a city, Forage is used when rooting throughgarbage for discarded food, begging for food, not money),or finding a charity soup kitchen.This is your ability to swim. If you have this skill, you won’tneed to make a roll under most circumstances, only whenin swift moving rapids, rough seas or other hazardousconditions.29 29

Chapter 4: AbilitiesIntelligence (IN) Abilities – your mental brilliance & powers of reasoningAbility Specialties NotesBureaucracyThis skill covers your understanding of procedures andyour ability to interact with bureaucrats. It’s used to fill outpaperwork, and to know which permits are needed to getsomething done in a corporate or government office.BusinessRunning a businessGetting creditForensic AccountingInvestingThis skill covers running a business, getting credit,analyzing the books of a business, and investing moneywisely.ComputersCryptographyForensicsKnowledgeLab UseLanguagesLawMedicineHistoryGeologyCulturesArcheologyDNA testingMicroscopesSpectroghraphic analysisSpeak specific languageRead specific languageDrugsPsychiatryDiagnosing diseaseSurgeryTrauma treatmentYour ability to operate computers. Includes programming,and gaining access to a secured computer system. This isyour ability to operate computer software. It can be usedto gain information from a computer database, or write asimple program. Altering an existing computer program isvery difficult and time consuming.You know about ballistics, fingerprints and other scientificclue-finding methods. Covers determining time of death byexamining insects.This is your knowledge of the customs and politics ofvarious communities. It’s useful when dealing with peoplefrom diverse nationalities or for identifying the ethnicity ofa suspect. Knowledge of history can help you rememberpertinent facts about a specific place, item or person. TheGeology skill allows you to locate mineral deposits, faultzones and hazardous terrain. You can use Geology todetermine where a certain kind of stone came from, oridentify a building material. Archeology is used to date andidentify artifacts from ancient cultures.You are an experienced lab technican, able to runchecmical analysis.This is your ability to speak, learn and understand foreignlanguages. It’s also used to interpret local slang andsecret codes. Languages is used for both spoken andwritten communication.The Law skill enables you to know general legalprinciples, precedents and procedures.The medical skill is used to diagnose diseases and tendthe sick and injured. Unsuccessful Medical rolls can resultin misdiagnosis. A Medical roll is needed to determinewhether an enemy is dead, unconscious or merely playingpossum. It can also be used to deduce how a characterdied and how long ago. Used to perform first aid. Drugs:Covers the recognition of drugs and an understanding oftheir side effects and interactions. This skill is used toprescribe medication. Psychiatry: This skill representstraining in psychoanalysis. By studying an NPC, you maybe able to distinguish criminal tendencies or psychoticbehavior. Psychiatry can also be used to calm a disturbedindividual, or to gain useful information from a rantinglunatic.30 30

Chapter 4: AbilitiesMemoryOccultPoisonsResearchScienceTheologySatanic CultsWorld MythsFolkloreBiologyChemistryPhysicsZoologyEntomologyBotanyMathematicsEngineeringMemory is used when trying to remember somethingcomplex. Use it when trying to recall something you haveseen or heard only briefly.Theology is your knowledge of religions, myths anddeities. You do not have to practice a religion to knowabout it.This is your ability to prepare and apply poisons and theirantidotes. Poison may be extracted from plants, animals,snakes, spiders and other poisonous creatures. Metallicpoisons, such as arsenic, are also covered by this skill.Use this skill to gain information from a library or hall ofrecords.A knowledge of physics, biology, chemistry. Botany is yourknowledge of plants and herbs, their properties and whereto find them.31 31

Chapter 5Playing the GameTurn SequenceCrimes People Play is played in turns. Duringa turn, every detective gets the opportunity to dosomething.Unless you specify otherwise, the narratorstarts with the player on the left and proceedsclockwise around the table, resolving eachdetective’s turn one at a time. You and the otherplayers can change the order at any time.Disputes are resolved with Quickness rolls (highroller gets to choose when they go).It’s possible for suspects to ambush yourdetectives. In this case, the suspects will act uponyou for one turn with impunity. Detectives whomake Alertness rolls may still be allowed to actbefore the suspects.What can you do on your turn? The choicesare limitless. A turn represents anything from afew seconds to several hours, based upon whatthe detectives are doing. During a fight, turnscould represent a few seconds, but during aninterrogation a turn could represent hours.Similarly, it may take only a few minutes to playout what happens in an hour of game time, or itmay take an hour to cover what happens in just afew minutes.You narrator will help you decide how muchyou can do in one turn. The goal is to maintain abalance between the players. In general, eachplayer should be allowed to initiate one abilityroll on their turn. Some things may take morethan one turn to finish.The narrator intersperses the actions andreactions of the suspects between the players’turns. If on your turn you try to wrestle a gunfrom a suspect’s hand, then your ability roll willdetermine whether they get the gun or get shotby the suspect in the attempt.Sometimes the narrator will ask you to makean ability roll to defend against an attack or resistthe effects of a trap. These rolls can happen at anytime and are in addition to whatever roll youmade on your turn.Once all the players have taken their turn,the narrator decides what any remainingsuspects are doing. Usually all the suspects willhave already done something and the next turncan start immediately.Actions“Doing something” on your turn frequentlymeans taking an action of some sort. Most of youractions will succeed effortlessly, others will failautomatically and some will require a die roll toresolve.Automatic SuccessThe narrator should allow automatic successif failure would have no substantial effect on thestory or if the action is so easy that failure isunlikely.If you search an area, you will normally findany clues the narrator has planted there. Thechallenge isn’t finding clues, it’s interpretingthem. However, you will need to make a roll ifyou are looking for something specific that thenarrator has not planted.Some actions are automatically successfuldepending solely on your detective’s type. Asweet old lady could bake an apple pie and a legaleagle could prepare a brief without any trouble. Itnever hurts to ask if you can do something basedon your type.32 32

Impossible ActionsThe narrator must judge if an action isimpossible. No ability will save a detective whotries to jump a hundred-foot wide chasm. Thecharacter has no hope of success.An action is impossible if you have tried itearlier in the mystery and failed. For instance, ifyou try to smash open a door and fail, you willnever be able to smash open that particular doorfor the rest of the mystery. However, that doesn’tmean you can’t jimmy the lock or smash open adifferent door.Questions ofImportanceYou can do more on your turn than justperform an action. You can also introduceunexpected elements into the game environmentor unexpected twists that not even the narratorexpected.A question of importance is one where theanswer:• is not trivial or inconsequential• is not obvious and inescapable• has not been predetermined by thenarratorA question of importance is resolved by anability roll. For practical reasons, you are limitedto one question of importance per turn, plus oneaction.As a simple example, say you are in a roomrifling through a CEO’s desk and three securityguards barge in through the only door. Your“question of importance” could be, “Can I get outa window?”A narrator who hasn’t already establishedwhether the windows offer an egress shouldallow a Alertness roll. If the roll is high enough, itmight mean the windows open onto a fire escape,or it might mean you are close enough to a tree(or another rooftop) to jump out, or there mightbe a ledge outside that will let you climb down.But if the roll is low, the windows might beshatterproof or you could be so far up thatjumping is out of the question.Note that climbing or jumping will probablyrequire another ability roll to resolve. So justbecause the answer is positive, it doesn’t meanit’s going to be easy!Player Story AdditionsQuestions of importance can affect thecourse of the story in very important ways. Thepoint is that the narrator, like the players, doesn’tknow everything and doesn’t control everything.The narrator’s job is to interpret the rolls of theplayers and build a story around them.Say you are searching for a receipt that willconfirm a suspect’s alibi. The narrator hasn’tplanned for it, but decides to let you make aSearch roll. On a high roll, you might very wellfind the receipt you were looking for, eventhough the narrator didn’t know it was there!This principal can also be used by the playersto introduce friendly suspects. The MilitaryContact ability could allow a player to ask if theman guarding the hideout is a old war buddy. Thenarrator should let the dice decide (with thechance that the man turns out to be an old warenemy always a possibility).The StakesBefore you make an ability roll, you and thenarrator need to understand the stakes involved.The higher the stakes, the more interesting theresults will be. The stakes always involve apenalty and/or reward.The game mechanics provide for two typesof penalties: wounds and penalty dice on futurerolls. Most often you’ll be putting something elseat risk. On a personal level, you may be riskingyour pride, popularity, or a leadership role in thegroup. A low roll could limit your future choicesor send the narrative in a direction that’sdisadvantageous to your detective. Anything thatcomplicates your detective’s life can be seen as apenalty.Each gaming group has its own limits onacceptable penalties. Some groups might findgraphic torture, mutilation, rape and amputation33 33

all fodder for fun times. Others will want to limitpenalties to more lighthearted complications—asfrivolous as a meddlesome relative at aninopportune moment. The most interestingpenalties offer new situations. They can balancefrustration with challenge, humiliation withamusement, disgrace with opportunity forredemption.Possible rewards include progress toward agoal, or a clue that will help you solve themystery. Just being the center of attention and incontrol of the situation can be a reward. Rewardsare a much less touchy subject than penalties.Anything that makes you happy is a reward.The most common situations involve thepotential for a reward and a penalty. You eithertalk your way into the closed crime scene or youget detained by the police as a person of interest.You handcuff the suspect or he gets away. Youpick the lock or you set off an alarm. You climbthe mansion fence or you fall and hurt yourself.At other times the only reward is theavoidance of something bad. Something of yourshas been put at risk (usually your Health) but youhave nothing to gain. You either resist the poisongas or it sickens you. You either dodge the fallingsafe or it hits you. Simply avoiding something badcan be a great relief and satisfying in itself.Situations where you have something to gainbut nothing to lose have less dramatic potentialbut make for creative puzzle solving. Becausethere isn’t a penalty, the players are free to trydifferent things. A low roll in this case means amissed opportunity that can never be recaptured(see the One Roll Rule below). You either pick thelock or you don’t. If you don’t, what do you trynext to get in? Do you smash the window andwake up the neighborhood? Do you look for anopen second-floor window and climb up?Ability RollsAbility rolls are used to resolve situationswhere there is a range of possible outcomes andyou have something to gain or lose.If the narrator can think of only one possibleresult then that outcome is automatic and no rollis needed.If you have nothing to gain or lose, then thenarrator should simply move the story alongwithout resorting to a needless die roll.You never get to decide when to make anAction Results Table (ART)SuspectDetective DamageRoll Result Description Assist Impede Damage H S C D0 Catastrophic CT Complete disaster Catastrophic! No effect -- H S C D1 Pathetic PT Blunder 3dp No effect -- M H S C2 Feeble FB Mistake 2dp No effect -- M M H S3 Poor PR Setback 1dp No effect -- L L M M4 Mixed MX Stymied No effect No effect L L L L L5 Passable PS Complication +½ 1dp L -- -- -- --6 Good GD Incomplete +1 2dp M -- -- -- --7 Great GT Solid success +1½ 3dp H -- -- -- --8 Super SP Quick work +2 4dp S -- -- -- --9 Awesome AW Bonus +2½ 5dp C -- -- -- --10 Inspired IN Advancement +2½ 5d6 C -- -- -- --11+ Perfect PF Player’s call Perfect! 6dp D -- -- -- --Result: The outcome of an ability roll.Assist: The bonus you receive based on another player’s roll (see Group Efforts).Impede: The penalty you receive based on another player’s roll (see Group Efforts).Suspect Damage: Damage the suspect takes.Detective Damage: Damage the detective takes; use the column appropriate for the threat’s damage rating.34 34

ability roll. The narrator will tell you when to roll,what ability to use, and the difficulty modifier. Ifthe difficulty is unspecified, it’s assumed to beRoutine (+4).Add the difficulty to your ability beforemaking the roll. Follow the instructions inChapter 1: Introduction for making an ability roll.Find the total of your roll on the left column ofthe ART and tell the narrator the correspondingresult.The quality of your roll is used as anessential guideline in deciding what happens inthe game. The higher your result the morecompletely, quickly, easily, or spectacularly yousucceed. Awesome or better rolls give unexpectedbenefits, while Catastrophic rolls should raiseserious complications.Substituting DiceBefore you roll the dice you must replaceany pairs of d2 with a single d3. A d2 isconsidered half a die, so when you have two ofthem they must be replaced with a regular d3.If you have more than 9 dice (including alld2, d3 and penalty dice) you must removepenalty dice by removing other dice on a one-toonebasis. Should you still have more than 9 diceremaining you do not get to roll. Your results areautomatically Perfect.Using Experience PointsAfter you make an ability roll, you mayexpend experience points to re-roll dice.• Each die you re-roll costs one point.• You get to decide which dice to re-roll.You may re-roll any d3, d2 or penaltydice.• All the dice you choose to re-roll must berolled simultaneously.• Points expended this way are erasedfrom your character sheet.Be careful that you do not expend all yourexperience points. They are also used betweenmysteries to improve your detective (See Chapter6: Advancement).Assigning the AbilityThe narrator must decide which ability youwill use to do things in the game. Your narratorshould strive to be consistent and fair. Asking oneplayer to make a Quickness roll and another tomake an Agility roll when both are trying toaccomplish similar things could be construed asshowing favoritism.Although you never get to choose whichability you will use, you may offer suggestions.This is especially helpful when you’re using anuncommon ability that the narrator tends toforget about.Still, you should refrain from using abilitiesto describe what you are doing. For example,instead of saying, “I’ll use Unlock on the door,”you could say, “I will try to pick the lock.” Thishabit of explaining what you are doing, and notthe ability you are using, helps to make youractions more descriptive and easier for others tovisualize.In some rare cases it might take acombination of two abilities to perform an action.For example, following a suspect in a vehicletakes a Shadow or Drive roll, whichever is lower.Your narrator will let you know when this is thecase.Using SpecialtiesA specialty is an advanced skill with a scoregreater than seven. Your narrator will never askyou to roll against a specialty—your narrator canonly ask you to roll against standard abilities.When the narrator asks you to roll against anability and you have a specialty that applies, youmay use the specialty instead. The specialty mustdescend from the same ability that the narratorasked you roll. You don’t need the narrator’spermission to do the substitution, but it’scheating to use a specialty when it doesn’t fit theaction you are attempting.Example: Your Shooting ability is 6, yourHandgun ability is 6 ½ and your Rifle ability is 8.When you fire your pistol at an enemy, thenarrator asks you to roll Shooting +3. Because youare using a handgun, you use your Handgun35 35

specialty instead. You may not use your Rifle abilitybecause you are not using a rifle.Setting the DifficultyThe narrator sets the difficulty from theperspective of someone who is familiar with thetask at hand. The individual abilities andequipment of the detective attempting the actionare not a factor. Using common sense andinstinct, the narrator must summarize everythingelse about the situation into the difficulty rating.The difficulty is always a whole number from–2 to +6. Higher numbers favor the player,representing an increased likelihood of abeneficial outcome.When setting the difficulty, its often easiestto consider what would be Routine and then gofrom there. For instance, if juggling two ballswould require a Routine roll, juggling three ballswould be Tricky, four would be Hard, five wouldbe Daring, and so on.The narrator should also consider anyunique circumstances that would make the actioneasier or harder. Juggling three balls in a strongwind might be Hard (not just Tricky). Asituational advantage might make a roll easier,such as hiding in a dark alley as opposed to anopen street.Time can be a factor in the difficulty of anaction. Given enough time, digging a hole in yourbackyard big enough to hide a body might take anEasy roll. But digging that same hole in a halfhour before the neighbors wake up might becalled Reckless.Lastly, the narrator needs to factor in anyDifficultyThe attemptedaction is:Difficulty AdjustmentAdd to your ability before rollingEasy +5Routine +4Tricky +3Hard +2Daring +1Reckless +0Foolhardy -1Desperate -2special precautions you take. By using your witsyou should be able to augment your chances ofsuccess, while thoughtlessness will increase yourchances of failure.Adding DifficultiesEach difficulty level is twice as challenging asthe one above it. This allows difficulties to beadded together and the combined difficultydetermined by following these steps:• Replace pairs of identical numbers with asingle number that is one lower• Repeat until no duplicates remain• Take the lowest number as the difficultyThe narrator can use this as a guideline, butshould not feel obligated to use it when it wouldslow down the pace of the game.Example: You are being shot at by five punkseach with a difficulty of +4. The narrator canresolve all the attacks with one roll by combing thedifficulties. Each pair of 4’s can be replaced with a+3, so 4 4 4 4 4 = 3 3 4. Each pair of 3’s can then bereplaced with a 2. So 3 3 4 = 2 4. The lowestnumber is 2, giving a combined difficulty of +2.Example: You are shooting at 4 enemies withdifficulties of +2, +3, +4 and +4. This can beresolved with one roll. 2 3 4 4 = 2 3 3 = 2 2 = 1.The combined difficulty is +1.Minimum DiceYou always roll at least 2d3 for an ability roll.However, if your Ability + Difficulty is less thanzero the results are automatically Catastrophicand you do not roll at all.Example: Fleeing from gangsters at themarina, you jump into a speedboat. The narratortells you to roll Boating +4 to make your escape.Your Boating is –3, so your Ability + Difficulty is –3+ 4 = 1. You would roll 2d3.You roll 4 and 6, leaving you with a score of 0,a Catastrophic result. Unaccustomed to standing ina boat, your detective trips over the gunwale andfalls into bay.36 36

Changing Your MindYour expectation of the appropriate difficultyfor an action may not be what the narratordecides. Therefore, once the narrator announcesthe difficulty and ability, you should be allowed toabort the action before making the die roll.Aborting an action counts as your action for theturn.Example: For your action you say you willattempt to jump from one rooftop to another,thinking the buildings must be close together. Thenarrator, envisioning a wide alley between thebuildings, tells you to roll Jump +1. This is muchmore difficult than you expected. Rather than takethe chance of falling to your death, you abort theaction. Next turn you will have to try somethingsafer.Describing the ResultsThe many possible results listed on the ARTare guidelines. Part of the craft of being anarrator is in adapting the quality of a character’sroll to actions not specifically covered in therules. Simply saying an action is “great” or“feeble” is not enough. Neither is saying theresults are “successful” or a bland “failure.” Thenarrator must describe what happens in terms ofconcrete events. The result of the roll must bewoven into the narrative.Not all narrators will make the samejudgment call in the same situation. While there isno right answer, there are wrong answers. Thenarrator should strive to be consistent and fair. Ifyou make a Poor roll, the narrator would beunjustified in having complete disaster befall you.As a rule, disaster only happens on a Catastrophicroll, while an Awesome or better roll brings aboutunexpected benefits.By interpreting the degree of success andfailure, the narrator controls the tone of thegame. Individual creativity is at work here,flavoring the game with the narrator’s personalsense of what is appropriate and fun.In many situations, a player willspontaneously suggest an interpretation for thenarrator. If it’s acceptable, the narrator should letOutcome of Ability RollCatastrophic: Complete disaster. The worst thingpossible happens. Your screw up causes significantproblems, possibly even physical harm. Things aremuch worse than when you started.Pathetic: Blunder. You failed completely, andlooked foolish in the process. Your best effortsaccomplished nothing and things are worse thanwhen you started.Feeble: Mistake. You made a terrible mistake. Youonly did a small fraction of what you intended andmuch of what you accomplished has been donewrong.Poor: Setback. You failed more than yousucceeded, and most of what you tried to do is leftunfinished.Mixed: Stymied. Your current tactics have broughtyou to the edge of success, but something ispreventing you from fully realizing your intentions.There is failure mixed with your success. Thenarrator might break it to you this way, “I’ve gotsome good news and some bad news…”Passable: Complication. With considerabledifficulty, you finish most of what you wanted, butthere is much left that you simply cannot do. Yourworkmanship is shoddy and will not last long.There may be a complication that will have to beresolved.Good: Incomplete. Your work is good, but youcannot do everything you intended. There is somesmall part left undone that leaves a feeling ofincompleteness.Great: Solid success. With an effort, you barelyaccomplish everything you intended. Nothingfancy, just solid success.Super: Quick work. You succeed completely,efficiently and look good doing it.Awesome: Bonus. The results exceed allreasonable expectations. Not only did youaccomplish everything you wanted, you gained anunexpected benefit in the process.Inspired: Advancement. This is the same as anAwesome result, but you also get to increase yourability by half a point.Perfect: Player’s call. Since this is the best possibleoutcome, the player who made the roll gets tonarrate the results. The narrator may addadditional details. Some players don’t enjoyinterpreting their rolls, so they are free to ask thenarrator to do it for them.37 37

it stand! This takes the burden off the narratorand gives the players a stronger sense ofparticipation. Their contribution can only enrichthe story, making it more enjoyable for everyone.Perfect ResultsNormally its up to the narrator to describewhat happens based on how well you rolled. Butif you roll Perfect you get to describe youroutstanding feat in your own words.Inspired ResultsWhenever you roll a Inspired result youimmediately get to increase the ability orspecialty that you rolled against.• Increase the ability or specialty by half apoint.• An ability may never exceed the attributelisted above it on your character sheet.• Abilities may be increased to a maximumof 7.• A specialty may never exceed the rulingattribute of the ability from which itoriginated.Example Ability RollHere’s an example of how the ART might beinterpreted for a common undertaking. Wayne istrying to get information from a recalcitrantsuspect. The narrator asks him to roll Question +2. Depending on what Wayne rolls, the followingresults might occur:Catastrophic: The suspect and his gang ofbelligerent buddies attack Wayne!Pathetic: The suspect deliberately lies toWayne, giving him false information that couldcause Wayne harm in the future.Feeble: The suspect grudgingly answerssome of Wayne’s questions, but obviously doesn’tcare for talking to Wayne. The informationcontains significant errors.Poor: The suspect refuses to speak toWayne.Mixed: The suspect answers a few ofWayne’s questions, but cuts off the conversationearly before answering the important questions.The answers he gives are confusing and not veryhelpful.Passable: The suspect answers most ofWayne’s questions, but the information isincomplete or misinformed and may bemisleading.Good: The suspect answers most of Wayne’squestions, but forgets an important detail.Great: After much prompting from Wayne,the suspect answers all of Wayne’s questions butwithout any detail.Super: The helpful suspect answers all ofWayne’s questions without hesitation.Awesome/Inspired: The suspect quicklyanswers all of Wayne’s questions and offersadditional unsolicited advice.Perfect: The suspect becomes Wayne’sfriend for life. Proving to be a storehouse ofinformation, the suspect answers all of Wayne’squestions, plus gives him helpful, detailedinformation that surprises even Rupert.Successes & FailuresA success is any roll over Poor. Passablecounts as one success, Good as two, Great asthree, Super as four, Awesome and Inspired asfive successes, and Perfect as six successes.A failure is a roll of Mixed or lower. Mixedcounts as one failure, Poor as two, Feeble asthree, Pathetic as four and Catastrophic as fivefailures.The number of successes (or failures) on anability roll can be used to figure out very specificresults. For example, an mystery may say thatclimbing a particular brick wall takes a Climb-1roll, and that characters climb at a rate of five feetper turn for each success or fall 10 feet perfailure. A player who rolls Feeble (three failures)will fall 30 feet (3 x 10). A player who rolls Good(two successes) will climb 10 feet per turn (2 x5).Example: During a struggle, John’sammunition pouch split open and his bullets spilledonto the floor. Now the fight is over and he wantsto recover his bullets. The narrator decides thatJohn will find 1 bullet for each success on a Search38 38

oll. John rolls a Great result. Great equals 3success, so John recovers 3 bullets.If John had rolled Mixed he would not havefound any bullets at all.Example: Kim has swallowed a toxin. Thenarrator informs her that she will fall unconsciousfor 2 hours for each failure on a Stamina-1 roll.Kim’s Pathetic roll equals 4 failures. Kim isunconscious for 8 hours (2 x 4).If Kim had rolled Passable or better she wouldhave resisted the concoction and not fallenunconscious at all.Example: A thug with Strength-2 grapplesBob, pinning him for 1 turn for every failure Bobrolls on a Strength-2 check. Bob only manages toroll a Feeble result. Feeble counts as 3 failures, soBob will be pinned for three turns.The One Roll RuleYou are allowed one roll to accomplish mostactions. If you fail the first time, the task isbeyond your abilities. If you try to repeat theaction, you will automatically fail. You must waituntil the next mystery before receiving anotherchance to succeed.For instance, picking a lock requires anUnlock roll. If you fail the roll, you cannot openthat particular lock no matter how hard you try.However, you can still attempt to pick other locks.Likewise, if you succeed at a task by a widemargin, you should never again have to roll to doit. So if you roll Awesome to pick a lock, youmight never again need to roll to pick thatparticular lock. You have already proven yourmastery of it.Many situations allow you to accomplish thesame task using different abilities. If you can’tpick a lock, you could try using your Strength tobreak it. The One Roll Rule is intended toencourage a variety of tactics.The only exception to the one roll rule arecombat actions. A character may attack a suspectrepeatedly. Each attack is considered a uniqueaction.Group EffortsSeveral detectives may work together toaccomplish a goal. By coordinating their efforts,they make the difficulty easier than it would befor a single character and increase their chancesof success.The maximum number of characters that cancombine their efforts is limited by common sense;too many and they start to get in each other’s wayand the difficulty could increase. Two charactersmight work together to lift a heavy object, whilearound eight could try to tip a car.Not every action is easier for a group. If twocharacters want to pick a lock their efforts cannotbe combined in a way that reduces the difficulty.The players will have to make separate rolls.Group RollGroup rolls are used when you want to use asingle roll to resolve the combined efforts of allthe detectives. The players must agree on whatthey are attempting and all the detectives mustbe doing the same thing.The narrator sets the ability and difficulty forthe group as a whole to perform the action. It isobviously easier for five characters to lift a safethan it would be for one, and the difficulty mustreflect this. Conversely, it is harder for fivecharacters to sneak past a guard and so thedifficulty would be higher.To make a group roll, one of the players rollsthe average of their ability scores.Example: Three detectives attempt to carryan injured friend to safety. The narrator asks themto roll Strength +5 as a group.The detectives have Strength scores of 3, 2 and7. The average of their strength scores is 4. Theyroll 4 + 5 = 9 dice. One of the players rolls the diceand gets 6 (Good). The group carries their friend tosafety but weren’t able to carry all his equipmentand had to leave his pistol behind.39 39

Assist RollsSometimes detectives will cooperate tocomplete an important or complex task. Not allthe characters will be doing the same thing, buttheir efforts will combine into one objective. Aclassic example is a surgeon being assisted byother doctors and nurses.The players decide in what order they willtake their turns. Some steps cannot be completedbefore others, and this will have to be kept inmind. Anyone providing assistance or support tosomeone else must take their turn before thedetective they are helping.• The narrator sets the ability and difficultyfor each player separately.• As each player rolls, look up the result onthe Assist column of the ART. This showsthe bonus the next player gets to theirability. This is in addition to the difficultyassigned by the narrator.• A bad assist roll causes the next player toadd penalty dice to their roll.• Continue until all the players have rolled.If anyone rolls 0 (Catastrophic) or 11(Perfect) the group action endsimmediately in that result.• A player who rolls a Poor or lower resultmay suffer an individual setback, injuryor complication.• The narrator interprets the final roll asthe outcome for the group.Example: Jane, with a Piloting of 4, is helpingyou to land a plane via radio.Jane is assisting so she rolls first. Because shecan’t see the airplane, the narrator decides shemust make a Piloting +1 roll. She rolls and gets aGreat result. Her instructions give you + 1½ onyour ability.Now it’s your turn. Landing the plane isRoutine (for someone familiar with flying), so thenarrator asks you to roll Piloting +4. But yourPiloting is –3 for a total of 1. The +1½ from Janebrings your total to 2 ½ dice.You roll Poor. The narrator describes a veryrough landing with lots of damage to the plane,but everyone gets down safely.Impede RollsPlayers can also attempt to impede eachother. This is treated in much the same way as aGroup Effort, but the Impede column of the ARTis used instead of the Assist column.Player Versus PlayerEven in a game as cooperative as CrimesPeople Play, the players will sometimes turn oneach other. It might be in the spirit of goodsportsmanship, or it can be with lethal intent.You and the other player must both make anability roll. The player with the highest resultachieves their goal. If the results are the same, thecharacter with the highest ability score wins. Ifboth ability scores are identical, the result is a tie.Both characters do not always roll againstthe same ability.This system can be used to determine whowins a race, or who gets to act first on a turn.Multiple ActionsThe rules allow you to initiate just one abilityroll to perform an action per turn. But sometimesyou will need to do more than one thing. You cancombine multiple actions into one roll. Simply rollagainst the lowest of all the abilities that apply.The narrator may increase the difficulty of yourroll based on how many things you areattempting, typically assessing –1 for eachadditional action or using the rules for addingdifficulties.Hidden RollsIn Crimes People Play the players alwaysmake their own rolls. Sometimes the mere factthat the narrator asks for a roll will suggest thatsomething is happening. The narrator may usemisdirection to keep the players uncertain ofwhat is happening, especially on a low roll.40 40

Example: You decide to search a room for asecret door. The narrator tells you to make aRoutine Search roll. You roll Mixed. The narratortells you that you’re certain the bookcase opens upas a secret door. You can even see a faint outline,but you just can’t find the means to open it. Eventhough you know the result of the roll you do notknow whether the door is really there or not. Thenarrator is simply saying the detective thinks thereis a secret door; the detective may be entirelymistaken.Example: You walk into a room and thenarrator tells you to make a Hard Alertness roll.You roll Feeble. You know something is up, but youdon’t know what. The nagging feeling that youmissed something may cause you to search theroom; or maybe you think you’re entering anambush and you draw your pistol. Both reactionsare acceptable.41 41

Chapter 6AdvancementExperience PointsAt the end of each gaming sessions the playersaward each other experience points.Each detective awards one other detective asingle experience point. The awards may be donein the open, or they may be done secretly with thenarrator tabulating the results to make sure no onegave themselves a point.It will benefit you the most if you reward theplayer who exhibited behaviors that you want toencourage in your gaming group. If you value roleplaying, give your experience point to the playerwho did the best job playing the quirks of theircharacter. If you value cooperation, give it to theplayer who helped the most in solving the mystery.If you just want a good time, give it to the personwho made the game most fun for you. But if youjust want to give it to your best friend that’s OKtoo.Bonus Experience PointsAfter the players are done exchanging points,the narrator also awards experience points. Alldetectives receive the same number of experiencepoints. The narrator may not award some playersmore points than others.At the end of a typical session the narratorshould award zero to three points, depending onhow many clues the players found.At the end of the mystery the narrator shouldaward one to five experience points. The harderthe mystery and the closer the players were to theright solution, the more experience points theyshould receive. Even if the players fail to solve thecrime, they should still receive one or twoexperience points at the end of the mystery.Ending The MysteryThe mystery ends when the players eithersolve the mystery or the villain gets away. Amystery may take one or more sessions tocomplete. The end of a mystery is also the end of agaming session.There is a place on your character sheet totrack how many mysteries you have solved. Thismakes it easy to compare the relative experience ofdifferent detectives.Expending Experience PointsBetween mysteries you may spend yourexperience points to improve your detective.Experience points spent this way are deductedfrom the detective’s total. Leftover experiencepoints may be saved and spent later.Learning SpecialtiesWhen you have an ability of 7 and the rulingattribute is 8 or greater, you may spend 4experience points to start a specialty based on thatability. The specialty has a starting value of 7 ½.Write is under the Specialties section of yourcharacter sheet along with the ability it derivedfrom. Once learned, the specialty will increaseindependently from the ability.Chapter 4: Abilities includes a list ofspecialties based on each ability. With the approvalof your narrator and the other players, you mayinvent other specialties that are then available toeveryone in the group.Example: Your Coordination is 9 and yourShooting is 7. You may expend 3 inspiration pointsfrom the Shooting ability to learn the Handgunspecialty. Write “Handgun” under the Specialtiessection of your character sheet, assign it a starting42 42

Chapter 5: Playing the Gamevalue of 7 ½ and note that it’s ruling attribute isShooting.Increasing AbilitiesThe experience point cost to increase anability by half a point depends on the attributelisted above it on your character sheet. Abilitiescannot be increased to more than their rulingattribute or 7, whichever is lower.Cost to Increase AbilitiesAttributeExperience Costto Increase Related Abilityby ½ Point3 334 255 206 177 148 129 1110 10Increasing SpecialtiesSpecialties may not be increased by spendingexperience points. You must use the specialtyduring play and hope for an Inspired result.Buying PerksA perk is a special piece of equipment thatgrants you an ability bonus, or is hard to find orillegal. Special equipment you find during amystery can be used throughout that mysterywithout a cost. But if you wish to keep theequipment for use in future mysteries, you mustpay its experience point cost.You can use these rules to calculate the costfor weapons, armor and most other equipment.The experience point cost for other equipmentshould bear some relationship to the value of theperk in game terms.Be careful in buying perks. They can be takenaway from you, lost, or destroyed—taking yourexperience points with them!Perks may only be purchased betweenmysteries.Equipment PerksYou can use experience points to buyequipment that grants a bonus to a related abilitywhen performing a specific action.For instance, a lock pick may grant you +½Unlock when you are trying to pick a lock. It doesnot, however, grant a bonus if you are trying toopen a combination lock.Add the adjustment to your ability beforemaking the die roll. You never adjust the actualroll.The Equipment Cost table shows theexperience point cost for buying special equipmentperks. As explained below, weapons have otherfactors that can reduce the cost. No matter howmany other factors are applied, the cost cannot beless than the minimum cost shown on the table.Example: You could buy safe cracking toolsthat grant +1 to Unlock safes for 9 experience points.Equipment CostAbility Experience Cost Minimum Cost+ ½ 6 2+ 1 9 4+ 1 ½ 13 6+2 18 8Weapon PerksLike other special equipment, weapon perksgrant an ability bonus of +½ to +2 when you usethem. Use the Equipment Cost table to determinethe experience point cost of a special weapon.You can reduce the cost by assigning theweapon a Strength Required. Normally you mayattack every turn. But if your Strength is less thanthe requirement you must spend every other turnrecovering your balance.Instead of (or in addition to) a StrengthRequired, you can assign a Dexterity score neededto use the weapon effectively. If your Dexterity isless than Dexterity Required you must reduce anydamage you do with the weapon by one level, to aminimum of Light.43 43

Chapter 5: Playing the GameA Strength Required is appropriate for heavierweapons such as large caliber handguns or heavyshotguns. Lightweight weapons that requirefinesse, such as a well-balanced dagger or highlyaccurate pistol would be more suited to a DexterityRequirement.Cost AdjustmentStrength orDexterity RequiredExperience Cost0 -02 -14 -26 -38 -410 -5Weapons are classified as Shooting, Fightingor Thrown, based on the ability that you will use toattack with it.Shooting weapons can have a range of short,medium, long or extreme. Greater range mayenable you to attack your target without fear ofretaliation. The range of your shooting weapon willincrease its cost.Additional Weapon FeaturesShort range (pistols, shotguns, Thrown): +0Medium range (machine gun, bow): +2Long range (rifle, assault rifle): +4Extreme range (sniper file): +6Requires 2 hands: -2Fighting weapon can also be thrown: +1Area effect: +3Armor PerksYou can augment your Health by wearingarmor. When you take damage, if you have anarmor level that exactly matches the wound levelyou may mark the wound against your armorinstead of your health. Once you armor is out ofarmor levels it is useless until it is repaired.By paying one experience point betweenmysteries you can repair all your armor to itsoriginal condition.Armor is bulky, uncomfortable, and mayrestrict your movement or limit vision. You maywear more than one piece of armor, within reason,but the penalties are compounded. Typically youwill only want to wear armor when you know youare going into combat.No one piece of armor can have more thanfour wound levels.Example: You are wearing a heavy jacket witharmor or L M M. You take Light damage and markoff the L on your armor. Later you take anotherLight wound. The L on your armor is already gone,so you must apply the damage to your health.Sample Armor:Football Helmet: H H cost 10Bulletproof vest: M H S C cost 25Heavy jacket: L M M cost 7Heavy duster: L L M M cost 8Armor CostArmor LevelExperience CostL 1M 3H 5S 7C 10D 15Vehicle PerksFast cars, boats and airplanes are expensiveboth in terms of cash and experience points.44 44

Chapter 7Interacting With SuspectsSuspectsSuspects are the characters controlled by thenarrator. The sly bellhop who spies on the dame inroom 210 is a suspect, so is the seemingly friendlycodger who gives the detectives a hot tip.The narrator never rolls to see if a suspect canaccomplish something. Instead, detectives use theirabilities to influence, resist, or gain informationfrom suspects. The narrator uses the suspect’straits as a guideline in setting the difficulty of theplayer’s ability rolls.When not interacting with a detective, asuspect can do whatever the narrator deemsfeasible based upon the suspect’s traits.Suspect DescriptionsThe most important aspects of a suspect areappearance, personality, attitude toward thedetectives, and secret knowledge.Appearance is immediately obvious to anyonewho looks, and it can reveal much about thesuspect’s personality and emotional state. Thenarrator uses loaded words can help shade thesuspect with nuance. A filthy bum in soiled andsmelly rags evokes a more extreme image than aunkempt unfortunate in old clothing.Personality reveals itself in the way thesuspect behaves and speaks. Many factors about asuspect can be shown through the suspect’sinflection and vocabulary. Other elements ofpersonality come out in what the suspect does.Attitude toward the detectives establishes thekinds of interactions the players are likely to havewith the suspect. A hostile suspect will be muchharder to elicit information from than a helpfulsuspect.Secret knowledge is the information pertinentto the mystery that the suspect possesses.Extracting this information always requires someeffort on the detective’s part—typically an abilityroll of some sort.Difficulty RatingsSuspects do not have abilities. Instead, theyhave difficulty ratings.Each attribute is assigned a difficulty ratingthat applies when a player uses any ability underthat attribute against the suspect. It’s important toremember that although they share similar namesthey are not the same as a detective’s attributes.They are simply a shorthand method for assigningdifficulties to a group of abilities.In fact, difficulty ratings describe somethingquite the opposite of the attribute they are namedafter. For example, if you are trying to spot anambush, you would use the suspect’s Awarenessdifficulty as a modifier to your Alertness skill.Obviously the Awareness difficulty does notrepresent the suspect’s perception. It’s their abilityto counter perception.These ratings are not the sole determiningfactor when the narrator sets the difficulty. Thesuspect’s ratings are just one element of many.Example: You are trying to sneak up behind aguard so you can knock him unconscious withoutbeing detected. The narrator decides this will take aStealth roll. Stealth is a Coordination ability, so thesuspect’s +2 Coordination difficulty applies.You would normally roll Stealth +2, but thenarrator, deciding the full moon favors the suspect,asks you to roll Stealth +1.The narrator does not need to explain how thedifficulty rating was derived. It could be the guard’skeen hearing, the quality of the moonlight, thegravel on the ground, or the stillness of the air thatcarries every sound.45 45

Chapter 7: Interacting With SuspectsDifficulty ratings can also allow the narrator todecide what the suspect is capable of when thedetectives are not involved.HealthSuspects have health ratings just likedetectives and wounds are recorded in the sameway. The narrator marks off the correspondinglevel on the suspect’s Health. If the appropriatelevel is already marked off, the narrator crossesout the next available Health level to the right.Once the rightmost Health level is marked off, thesuspect is incapacitated, dead or mortally woundedat the narrator’s discretion. It’s up to the narratorto decide how bad off they are. Perhaps they havebroken bones, or maybe the fight’s been knockedout of them and they simply surrender. One thing’sfor sure, they won’t be giving the detectives anymore trouble.• A suspect cannot attack on the same turnafter taking a heavy wound.• Players receive +1 difficulty wheninteracting with a suspect that has taken aheavy or critical wound.AttacksA suspect’s Attack rating is the maximumnumber of detectives a suspect may damage in oneturn.When a detective attacks a suspect and rollsMixed or lower, the detective takes damage. Thiscounts as one of the suspect’s attacks. So a suspectattacked by three detectives who each rolls poorlycan potentially damage all three on the same turn.Example: A suspect with two attacks is beingshot at by three detectives. The detectives all rollPoor. The first two detectives would take lightwounds from the suspect’s counter-attacks. Thethird detective would take no damage because bythen the suspect has already used up all his attacks.DamageThe suspect’s damage rating shows themaximum damage the suspect can inflict on anattack. Use this to decide which column of the ARTapplies when the detective takes damage from thesuspect.Guard DogSample SuspectsHealth: L M HAttacks: 1 (bite)Damage: HAwareness: +1Coordination: +3Creativity: +4Ego: +0Fitness: +4Intelligence: +6Average PersonHealth: L M H SAttacks: 1 (unarmed)Damage: S (stun)Awareness: +4Coordination: +4Creativity: +4Ego: +4Fitness: +4Intelligence: +4Armed GuardBearHealth: L M H SAttacks: 2 (9mm pistol)Damage: SAwareness: +4Coordination: +4Creativity: +4Ego: +4Fitness: +4Intelligence: +4Health: L L M M H H S C DAttacks: 3 (claws, bite)Damage: DAwareness: +6Coordination: +4Creativity: +4Ego: +4Fitness: +046 46

Chapter 7: Interacting With SuspectsIntelligence: +6Police OfficerThugHealth: L M H S C DAttacks 3 (service revolver)Damage: CAwareness: +4Coordination: +4Creativity: +4Ego: +2Fitness: +3Intelligence: +4Health: L M H S CAttacks 2 (.38 special)Damage: SPunkAwareness: +4Coordination: +4Creativity: +4Ego: +4Fitness: +4Intelligence: +5Health: L M H SAttacks 2 (.22 pistol)Damage: SAwareness: +5Coordination: +5Creativity: +4Ego: +5Fitness: +4Intelligence: +647 47

Chapter 8CombatCombatAlthough some mysteries will never erupt inviolence, others may require you to defendyourself or your companions. Whether it’s a brawl,knife fight or shoot out, the following rules apply.To speed play, it’s assumed detectives andsuspects carry plenty of ammunition and reload asnecessary during a firefight.Combat can be resolved as a group effort,individual efforts, or a blow-by-blow narrative.How an individual combat is resolved is up to theplayers and the narrator.The Basic AttackTo attack with your weapon, simply tell thenarrator who you are attacking and what weaponyou are using or if you’re using your bare hands.The narrator will tell you the difficulty of yourBrawling, Shooting, Fighting or Throwing roll.If you roll Mixed or better you hurt yourtarget. See the Suspect Damage column of the ARTfor the damage you inflict.If you roll Mixed or lower you are injured asshown on the Detective Damage column of theART. This assumes the suspect was attacking backand you are within their range. If the suspect wastrying to do something else or cannot reach youthen you do not take any damage. The narratormay devise other results for especially low rolls,such as hitting a friend by accident, tripping, ordropping your weapon.Any suspects that were not attacked get toattack back at the end of the turn.Combat as a Group EffortNormally you’ll use a group effort for smallfights with inferior forces where all the players canagree to the same approach. The combat is veryabstract and may feel too brief. This type of combatis always resolved in one round of ability rolls.The players must agree on what they aretrying to do. A “win” could be driving off theenemies, killing them, getting them to surrender,escaping them, or incapacitating them.As usual, the players decide in what order theywill take their turns. All the players will roll againstthe same ability with the same difficulty.The narrator sets the difficulty based on whatthe players are trying to accomplish. If the sidesare equally matched, the difficulty would be +4. Ifthe detectives are outnumbered or up againstsuperior weapons, the difficulty would be +3, +2 orlower. Conversely, if the detectives have the upperhand the difficulty could be +5 or +6.The players add the results of their abilityrolls as a Group Effort (see Chapter 5: Playing theGame). Any player who rolls Mixed or lower takesa wound as shown on the Detective Damagecolumn of the ART. The damage is lethal, and mustbe marked off with an X.The narrator doesn’t bother recording thewounds the suspects take. Instead, the final rollrepresents the outcome of the conflict and isinterpreted using the normal guidelines, based onwhat the players intended.Example: Three detectives comes across twoarmed thugs looting a jewelry store.The players decide they will try to capture thethugs. The narrator decides the thugs will open fireto defend themselves as they try to escape to theirvan.Both groups are armed with handguns, but thethugs are outnumbered so the difficulty will favorthe players. Since the players are attempting tocapture the thugs the narrator decides they mustroll Restrain and sets the difficulty at +5 because theplayers have the advantage of numbers.Player a goes first and rolls Poor. The detectivetakes a light wound and the next player has to add1dp to their roll.48 48

Chapter 8: CombatPlayer b goes next. He also rolls Restrain +5, buthe must add a penalty die. He rolls Good. Thedetective is unharmed and the next player gets toadd +1 to his attribute.Player c rolls Restrain +5 +1 and gets aPassable result. The group outcome is Passable.The narrator decides they managed to captureone thug but the other thug escaped with thejewelry. To make matters worse, the thug theycaught was just a hired gun with no real knowledgeof the operation.Combat as Individual EffortsLike a group effort, the combat is resolved inone round of die rolls. Players do not have to all bedoing the same thing. Some could provide coverfire while others creep forward to take theiropponents by surprise. Players may roll againstdifferent abilities and the narrator may assign adifferent difficulty to each player’s action. Theplayers do not need to agree in advance on whatthey are doing.On your turn, decide how many enemies youwill confront. Enemies may be confronted by morethan one player in a turn. However, all enemiesmust be confronted by at least one player. The lastplayer must always confront any enemies that havenot been confronted by anyone else that turn.Next, decide what you want to accomplish. Doyou want to run away? Shoot your enemies? Fightthem in close combat? Take them prisoner? Chasethem away? Kill them? What you want to do andhow many enemies you are facing helps thenarrator set the difficulty.Make your ability roll. What you rolldetermines the outcome. The outcome must havesome degree of finality.Any damage a detective takes is lethal, andmust be marked off with an X (assuming thesuspects are armed and fighting back).As with Group Efforts, the narrator does notrecord damage on the suspects but resolves resultsaccording to the gradations of the ART.Example: Same as above, three detectivescomes across two armed thugs looting a jewelrystore.Player a goes first. He draws his gun andcommands the thugs to drop their weapons. Thenarrator asks him to roll Bully +5. He rolls Poor .Oneof the thugs hesitates but the other answers hiscommand with gunfire. The detective takes a lightwound.Player b goes next. He returns fire on the thugthat’s shooting. It’s an even fight so the narrator tellshim to roll Shooting +4. He rolls Good, dropping thethug with a shot to the leg.Player c goes last. He tries to tackle theremaining thug. The narrator asks him to make aRestrain +4 roll. He gets a Passable result. He barelymanages to wrestle the suspect to the ground. As acomplication, the narrator decides he drops hiswallet in the scuffle without realizing it.Blow-by-blow CombatBlow-by-blow combat allows a lot moreopportunity for tactical maneuvering and dramaticnarrative, but can take many rounds to resolve.The combat continues until all the players or all theenemies are defeated.When you use blow-by-blow combat, damageis normal and must be marked off with a slash. Inaddition, the narrator must track damage taken bythe suspects.On your turn you can attack one or moreenemies. The narrator must combine the difficultyrating of all the enemies you attack.Enemies that do not act in response to aplayer’s roll get to act at the end of the turn. Theirattacks may be combined into one roll.Example: Same as above, three detectivescomes across two armed thugs looting a jewelrystore.Player a goes first. He draws his gun andcommands the thugs to drop their weapons. Thenarrator asks him to roll Bully +5. He rolls Poor .Oneof the thugs hesitates but the other answers hiscommand with gunfire. The detective takes a lightwound.Player b goes next. He returns fire on the thugthat’s shooting. It’s an even fight so the narrator tellshim to roll Shooting +4. He rolls Good. The thugtakes a medium wound.Player c goes last. He tries to tackle thewounded thug. The narrator asks him to make aRestrain +5 roll (normally it would be +4 but sincethe thug is wounded the narrator grants an extradie). He gets a Passable result. He barely manages towrestle the suspect to the ground.49 49

Chapter 8: CombatThe second thug still hasn’t done anything, sohe hops into the van.A second turn now begins. Player a tries toorder the suspect from the van. The narratorreminds the player that he already tried that and hecan’t try the same thing twice. The player insteadtries to shoot out a tire to stop the van. The narratorcalls for a Shooting +4 roll to see how effective theshots are. The player gets a Great roll. The front tireblows out, the driver loses control, and the vancrashes against a light post. This counts as an attackon the driver, so the narrator consults the SuspectDamage column of the ART and sees that the drivertakes a heavy wound and loses his next turn.Player b runs to the van to pull out the suspect.He rolls Restrain +5 and gets a Pathetic roll. Thethug grabs the detective, holds a gun to his head,and uses him as a human shield!Player c, meanwhile, has barely restrained theother thug. He can feel the thug starting to breakfree. Because of the one roll rule he can’t roll againto restrain him, so he will have to think of somethingelse. Desperate, he tries to knock him unconsciouswith a fist to the jaw. The narrator calls for aBrawling +4 roll. The player gets a Good result. Thiscorresponds to a Medium wound on the SuspectDamage column of the ART. This thug has alreadytaken a medium wound, so the narrator records aheavy wound instead. It’s just stun damage, but it’senough to stop the thug from struggling for a turn.The third turn starts with player a facing thethug from the van who has player b as a hostage.Player c is sitting on a groggy thug on the ground.Crimes People Play is more about style than gaininga combat edge.Pathetic Attacks: If you roll Catastrophicon your attack, you must roll Dexterity +4. If youroll Catastrophic your weapon breaks; on Patheticit jams, and on Feeble or Poor you drop yourweapon.Hitting Friendly Targets: If you’reusing a gun on a foe who is adjacent to a friend, youmay hit your friend instead. If you roll Catastrophicyour friend must roll Defense +2 to avoid takingdamage. If you roll Pathetic your friend must rollDefense +3; if you roll Feeble your friend must rollDefense +4..Combat Modifiers: Your tactics willaffect how well you fight. Foolish maneuvers willresult in a penalty, while imaginative attacksshould give you a bonus. Here are some suggestedmodifiers:+2 when attacking a prone foe in hand tohand combat-1 when shooting at a prone foe-1 when attacking from a prone position(except rifles)+1 when firing a rifle from a prone position-3 when attacking a foe you can’t see-1 if targeting a specific body part+1 if taking a complete turn to aimOptional Combat RulesThe narrator may use any of the followingrules.Attacking More Than One Enemy:You may attack more than one enemy on your turnbut this will increase the difficulty. Reduce damageby 1 level for each enemy. So if you do H woundyou would do H on one enemy, M on another and Lon a third.Using Two Weapons:A characterholding a one-handed weapon in each hand stillgets just one attack roll. Using two weapons inUnconscious Suspects:Unconsciousfoes are automatically dispatched by a characterwith a hand to hand weapon or by a characterfiring a gun at point blank range.Destroying Objects: Some objects, suchas mirrors and pottery, can be easily smashed. Formore sturdy objects, such as a barricaded door or alocked cabinet, the narrator assigns a roll requiredto destroy it. If your damage roll equals or exceedsthe roll required, you destroy the object.Stand Up: You may choose to stand upslowly by taking a full action. Or you may try tostand up quickly by making an Agility +4 roll. On aPassable or better roll you may stand up and act on50 50

Chapter 8: Combatthe same turn. On a Feeble or worse roll you can’tstand up that turn.Draw/Pick up Weapon: You maychoose to draw or pick up a weapon slowly bytaking a full action. Or, you may try to do it quicklyby making a Dexterity +4 roll. On a Passable orbetter roll you may attack on the same turn. On aFeeble or worse roll you can’t draw or pick up theweapon that turn.51 51

Chapter 9Examples of PlayBasic Role-PlayingWayne and Terri are playing detectives. Theyare on their way to the home of a witness, but arestopped outside the house by a police officer.Narrator: The officer says, “You can’t go in.The place has been sealed off.”Terri: I’ll talk to the policeman and see whatinformation I can get out of him.Wayne: Meanwhile, I’ll slip away and sneakaround the back of the building. Are their any openwindows?Narrator: Wayne, it will take you a couple ofminutes to get around back. Terri, what do you sayto the cop?Terri: I’ll ask him what happened here.Narrator: He says, “The police haveeverything under control. You’ll have to movealong.”Terri: Attempting to gain more information,Terri starts speaking as if her detective were talkingto the police officer. “On, no! My uncle, is he allright?”Narrator: “Your uncle was Mr. Dickerson?”Terri: “Has something terrible happened tohim?”Narrator: “There was an incident last night.He must have come home late and interrupted aburglar.”Terri: Feigning her reaction. “How awful! Tellme, what happened? Is he all right?”Narrator: “Well, he didn’t suffer. The burglarshot him and fled without taking anything.”Terri: Aside to Wayne. That’s what theyalways say. In other words, they don’t know athing.Narrator: While you’re talking to the cop,Wayne circles around to the back of the building.There’s a back door and some windows, but all areshut.Wayne: I’ll check the back door. Is it locked?Narrator: Yes, but a panel of glass is broken. Itlooks like you could easily reach in and open thelock. As you step on the porch, you hear crunchingnoises.Wayne: I’ll look down.Narrator: You’re standing on broken glass.Wayne: The glass was broken from the inside?Strange. I’ll let myself in and see what clues I canfind.The game continues in this fashion, with thenarrator alternating between Wayne and Terri untilthey reunite.Using AbilitiesNarrator: Lord Marmaduke has been caughtin a bear trap. He’ll slowly bleed to death unlesssomeone can free him.Terri: I’ll try.Narrator: Roll your Strength.Terri: Rolls against her Strength of 3 + 4(default difficulty) = 7 and gets 3, 3, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6 for atotal of 6. She consults the Action Results Tableprinted on her character sheet. I did Good.Narrator: That’s good enough to open thetrap, but his leg is pretty messed up.Terri: I’ll free Lord Marmaduke and help himback to the mansion.Narrator: Marmaduke can’t walk. You’ll haveto carry him. He’s pretty heavy, all those crumpetsyou know, so you’ll have to roll your Strength +2.Terri: Rolls her Strength of 3 + 2 and gets 1, 1,1, 5, 6 for a total of 3. Oops. That’s Poor.Narrator: You make it halfway to the mansionbefore you have to sit down and rest. LordMarmaduke has passed out from blood loss, andhis skin is growing cold.Terri: I’ll use a strip of my skirt to bind his leg.Narrator: Roll your First Aid to see if you stopthe bleeding.52 52

Chapter 9: Examples of PlayTerri: Since the difficulty wasn’t specified, it’sassumed to be at +4. Terri’s First Aid is 0. She rolls 2,3, 4, 4 for a total of 5. I did Passable.Narrator: Well, he won’t die right away. Butyou can tell he needs better medical attention thanyou can provide.Terri: Now that I’ve rested a little, can I makeanother try to carry him to the mansion?Narrator: Since Terri failed her first attempt tocarry Lord Marmaduke to the mansion, the narratorwon’t let her try again. He’s too heavy for you tocarry him all that way.Terri: All right, I’ll leave him here and go forhelp.Narrator: When you reach the mansion, youfind the door is locked and no one answers yourknock.Terri: I’ll try to jimmy the lock with my creditcard.Narrator: Roll Unlock +2.Terri: Rolls her Unlock of 3 + 2 and gets 1, 1, 2,4, 5, 6 for a total of 6. I got Mixed. She puts aninspiration point next to her Unlock ability becauseof the Mixed result.Narrator: You fiddle with the lock for fifteenminutes, but it doesn’t open. You worry that LordMarmaduke might not have much time left...Interacting WithSuspectsWayne wants to know where Jimmy the Latinois hanging out, so he’s grilling Jimmy’s girl, Sally, forinformation.Wayne: I’ll give her one of my best leers. Thatusually melts them like butter.Narrator: Roll your Charm +2. Sally is prettyloyal to Jimmy.Wayne: Wayne rolls 3, an Poor result. Inferior.Narrator: Sally tells you to blow it out yourear. She turns and flounces out of the bar.Wayne will never impress Sally with his looks.She will find him unappealing no matter what hedoes. He needs to try a different tactic to get herattention.Wayne: Before she gets to the door, I’ll strideafter her and drop a twenty down the front of herdress. “There’s another twenty in it for you if youtell me where Jimmy’s holed up.”Narrator: Now you’re talking her language.Deciding that Sally is more greedy than loyal, thenarrator asks Way to make a Bargain +4 roll.Wayne: Rolls a 6. I did Good.Narrator: Sally softens. “I guess you ain’t sucha bad guy after all. Jimmy’s staying with Quiet Calover on Velmont St.”CombatNarrator: The two of you come across twopunks looting an electronics store.Terri: I pull out my gun and yell freeze!Mike: Forget that. I start shooting.Narrator: You’ve got the drop on them, so youget the first shot. Roll your Shooting.Mike: He rolls at the default of +4. Good.Narrator: The narrator assigns the thugsHealth ratings of LMH. He crosses off the M on one ofthe thugs. You wing one of them. Terri, the thugsare drawing their guns. What do you do?Terri: I’ll shoot one. She rolls her Shooting. Igot Mixed.Narrator: Which punk did you shoot?Terri: The uninjured one.Narrator: Marks off a L on the uninjured thug’sHealth. He’s wounded, but not bad enough to keephim from returning fire. You take a light wound inthe exchange. This is because on the ART a Mixedcombat result means both the attacker and thetarget takes a light wound.Terri: Marks off an L on her Health.Narrator: Both players have now taken theirturn. One of the thugs has fired. The first thug nowhas a chance to do something. Mike, the thug youshot crouches behind a car and fires back at you.Roll your Defense +4 to avoid his bullets.Mike: Mike rolls. I did Pathetic.Narrator: You take a heavy wound and loseyour next turn as you recover. Terri, what do youdo?Terri: Keep shooting, of course. Rolls herAttack. I got another Good roll.Narrator: A Good roll corresponds to a mediumwound on the ART. The punk already has a mediumwound so the narrator marks off the next Healthlevel to the right. It’s a heavy wound, the punk’s last53 53

Chapter 9: Examples of Playhealth level. The punk spins around, the gun flyingfrom his hand. He drops to the ground. His buddyswears and shoots at Mike, who’s still recoveringfrom the heavy wound he took last turn. Mike,make a Defense roll.Mike: Mike makes a Pathetic roll. I got anotherPathetic.Narrator: You take another heavy wound.Mike: Since he already has a heavy wound, hemarks off the next one to the right, which is critical.That’s it. I’m knocked out.Narrator: Be sure to subtract an experiencepoint for being knocked out. Terri, what do you do?Terri: I’ll take another shot at the gunman.Narrator: The lightly wounded punk hastaken cover behind a car. You’ll need to roll yourShooting +3.Terri: Rolls. That’s Mixed.Narrator: You inflict a light wound. The punkalready has alight wound, so the narrator marks offmedium, the next available wound to the right. Thepunk already attacked Mike this turn, but becausehe can make up to two attacks per turn he can alsoshoots back at Terri. Terri, you also take a lightwound as he shoots back at you.Terri: She already has a light wound so hebumps the wound up to medium. By now he must bepretty badly wounded. I’ll try to convince him thatit’s not worth ending up dead over a fewelectronics. After seeing his buddy killed, it mightgive him pause.Narrator: The narrator considers this veryreasonable. Roll your Persuade +5 to convince himto surrender.Terri: Rolls. I got a Poor result.Narrator: The punk makes a break for it. Hescrambles into his car and slams on theaccelerator. You have just a moment before heescapes.Terri: I’ll shoot out a tire.Narrator: Make a Shooting +3 roll.Terri: Rolls. It’s a Passable roll.Narrator: The tire blows out, but the thugkeeps the pedal to the metal. Strips of rubber peelfrom the tire as he drives on his rims. You slowedhim, but he’s still getting away.Terri: I’ll let him go. I’d better see what I cando for Mike.At the end of the battle, Terri has a light andmedium wound. Mike has a heavy and criticalwound.Following the rules for healing, Terri erases herlight wound. She erases the medium wound and putsan X through the wound to its immediate left. Sheends up with a light wound that will not heal untilthe end of the mystery.Mike erases the critical wound and puts an Xthrough the heavy wound.54 54

Chapter 10Running the GameWarning to DetectivesThis section addresses the prospectivenarrator. It is not intended for detectives to readthis section. So if you’re not a would-be narrator,turn back now!MysteriesA Crimes People Play mystery is your blueprintfor a night of sleuthing. It presents suspects, cluesand the solution to a case in an easy-to-referenceformat. As the narrator, you prepare for a game byreading the mystery in advance. The detectives arenot allowed to read the mystery.It’s necessary to read the complete mysterybefore running it. That way, when the players areinterrogating a witness, you will be able to answertheir questions appropriately even if the questionsaren’t specified in the adventure.Parts of a MysteryA mystery is made up of certain buildingblocks:• Introduction• Clues• Settings• Suspects• Timeline• ExhibitsIntroductionThe introduction briefly explains how thedetectives became involved in the mystery andwhere they are at the start of the game. A casenormally begins with a client calling the detectiveagency or arriving at their office. The introductionwill suggest people to talk to or places toinvestigate. Quite likely, the detectives will alreadybe speaking to a key suspect: the person hiringthem.Most importantly, the introduction includesthe objective the players must achieve to solve themystery and thereby win the game.The TextMost of a mystery is a description of importantsettings, suspects, and clues.Mysteries are written in a two column format.The main text and clues are in the right column.The information in the left column comments uponthe main text. It gives you additional details to helpyou answer the player’s questions when they areexamining a clue. The information in the leftcolumn may not always make sense to you at first.It often mentions suspects described later in thetext. By the time you finish the mystery, theinformation in the left column will fall into place.The mystery describes the results of actionsthe players are likely to perform. Relay thisinformation only if the players perform therequired action. It’s up to you, using the ART, todetermine the results of actions the players takethat are not specified in the mystery.CluesA clue can be a hidden object, or a piece ofinformation a suspect must be prompted todivulge. Clues should be checked off as they arerevealed to the players. This helps you toremember what information the players havealready uncovered, allowing you to repeat animportant fact if needed.Clues are presented in the order they willmost likely be uncovered. The players won’t55 55

always visit locations or interview suspects in theorder they are listed in the mystery, so be preparedto jump around.It’s impossible for a mystery to predicteverything the players might ask. You’ll have torely on common sense and your knowledge of thecase to answer some of their questions. By having afirm grasp on the plot, you can ad-lib as neededwithout contradicting vital evidence or the laws ofnature.Say Alvin, a suspect, stood in the rain watchinga murder from the garden window. Immediately,he steps into the foyer where he meets thedetectives. You had better mention that Alvin iswet and his feet are covered in mud. Players willlook for such circumstantial evidence, and it’s yourjob to provide it accurately.But what if you accidentally give a clue thatsends the detectives in the wrong direction? It’s allright to occasionally mislead the detectives so longas there’s a reasonable explanation. But if, basedon your information, the detectives prove thewrong person committed the crime, you had bettergive that suspect an airtight alibi, or else yield tothe detectives’ creativity and change the solution tomatch their surmise.SettingsDuring a mystery, the detectives will travel toa variety of locations. If nothing important happensalong the way, you should immediately shift theaction to the new setting.When the players enter a location, brieflydescribe what they can immediately see. Eitherread the description from the mystery write-up, ordescribe it in your own words. Later, if thedetectives search the place, disclose any clueshidden there. If there’s nothing special to be found,simply tell them they find nothing.A mystery may include maps of somelocations. These maps are for your eyes only, tohelp you track the movements of the detectives.Show these maps to the players only if it won’treveal any hidden clues. Otherwise, sketch lessdetailed maps for the players to study.SuspectsThe real fun of Crimes People Play is when thedetectives question a suspect. The players mustChapter 10: Running the Gamefigure out who to interrogate, what questions toask, and how to elicit reliable answers. You muststrike a balance between the information a suspectwill offer freely, and what will require prodding bythe players. Is the suspect friendly or hostile? Willthe detectives have to bribe, intimidate or sweettalkthe suspect into talking?A mystery will describe the suspect, giving asynopsis of the suspect’s personality and the cluesthe suspect knows. The players must extract eachclue by careful questioning. Some suspects willhide essential clues behind a facade of lies. A lyingsuspect will admit the truth only if the detectivesprovide accurate, conflicting information from areliable source.You should make your suspects as interestingas possible. If the players run into a rabbitylibrarian, make your voice timid and weak. If theyencounter a nightclub bouncer, a gruff, low voicewill convey the character’s menace.The detectives may question suspects notlisted in the mystery. Perhaps they decide to grillthe gardener-a suspect you’ve not prepared for inthe least. Just do the best you can. Who knows?Maybe the gardener can provide an important cluethe detectives would otherwise miss (taken,perhaps, from the description of another suspect).Or, have the gardener suggest they speak to one ofthe suspects you’ve prepared, and then makecertain that character gives them a lead to another.While interacting with a suspect, the playerswill ask roundabout questions designed to findinconsistencies in the suspect’s statements.Answer these questions as best you can. By readingthe mystery in advance, and knowing the timeline,you can usually arrive at a reasonable answer.With this knowledge, you can embellish themystery as you play.Detectives will often accuse a suspect of acrime to see the character’s reaction. Obviously, asuspect will deny the charges unless the detectivescan prove their accusation. This is done bydetailing how the suspect committed the crime andwhy. If the detectives correctly describe whathappened, the villain may break down and confess,or else pull a gun and try to shoot a path tofreedom.56 56

Chapter 10: Running the GameTimelineThe timeline is a chronological list of all theimportant events connected to the mystery. Itincludes events that happen both before and afterthe detectives were called in on the case. Thetimeline shows where a suspect was at any giventime during a crime, and where suspects will be atdifferent times during the investigation. Thismakes it easy for you to tell the players where asuspect can be found.When the players wish to question a suspect,they must know where to find the character. Theycan ask another suspect who knows, or simply lookup the address in a phone book. Sometimes findinga suspect can be part of the mystery.ExhibitsExhibits are visual clues that can be handed tothe players, such as letters, coroner’s reports, floorplans and notes. They may also be pictures ofimportant items, maps of locations or portraits ofsuspects. Players love to examine evidence forthemselves. Instead of reading the contents of adocument aloud, give your players a copy of thedocument at the time it is discovered. Not onlydoes this save you the trouble of reading the cluealoud, it also allows them to refer back to it asneeded.The text of a mystery will specify when youshould give the players an exhibit.TroubleshootingProblem: The players are off the right track.Solution: To get the players back on the righttrail, simply give them an obvious clue. If they’rewandering around, asking passersby forinformation, have someone suggest they speak toone of the suspects you’ve prepared.Problem: The players insist on splitting intotwo or more groups.Solution: Crimes People Play requires thedetectives to stay together. Players who insists onleaving the rest are removed from the game untilthey rejoin the others. Instead of splitting thegroup, the detectives can send a trusted friend orrelative to perform simple tasks in their stead.Problem: You need the results of a roll to beunknown to the players.Solution: In most cases, the players should beallowed to make their own rolls. Sometimes, asituation requires you to make a roll without theplayer knowing the result. This happens when youdon’t want a player to know the roll failed. Forinstance, a detective may wish to examine adiamond to see if it’s genuine. The narrator decidesthe roll required and rolls against it secretly, thentells the player “You’re sure the diamond is real,”even though the result was a failure, and thediamond is actually a fake.Problem: Your players are failing their dierolls and missing clues.Solution: You’re probably asking your playersto make too many rolls. Players should never haveto roll to find a clue; if they search an area, theyshould find whatever is hidden there. Likewise, if adetective asks a friendly suspect a question, thesuspect will answer.Problem: The players ask you for hints.Solution: If a player asks, “Did so-and-so doit?” they need to ask a suspect, not you. Suspectswill answer according to how much they know andwhat they want to reveal. Be careful not to giveaway too much with your voice or expression.Sometimes, players will talk among themselves,making suggestions and brainstorming thesolution. They’ll watch to see how you react.Keeping a poker face may be hard when theplayers are close to guessing the right solution.Problem: The players solve the mystery tooquickly. After fifteen minutes, they accuse asuspect, and they’re right.Solution: Do the players know why and howthe culprit committed the crime? If not, then thesuspect will deny the charges. The players willhave to come back with more evidence to maketheir charges stick. In the meanwhile, an importantwitness could vanish, or a valuable clue could bedestroyed. By pacing how quickly you give outclues, you can stretch or compress a mystery to fitinto any given time frame. A mystery normallylasts about four hours.57 57

Chapter 10: Running the GameProblem: You don’t know how muchinformation to give the players.Solution: What makes a mystery fascinating isthat the detectives see only a piece of the wholepicture and must confirm the rest. As they discoverclues, they’ll come up with a hypothesis. You mustconfirm or contradict parts of their hypothesis,slowly guiding them to the right answer.Your most important tool is your control overinformation. No single clue should give away theentire mystery, yet you must give the detectivesenough information to keep them interested. Ifthey are doing too well, throw in a red herring tomislead them. If they appear stuck, give them anobvious clue to get them restarted, or repeat animportant point until they take notice. Make a trialof clues, like breadcrumbs through a forest, andyour detectives will not stray.Writing a MysteryOnce you have become familiar with thestructure of Crimes People Play, you may wish tocreate your own mystery. Perhaps you’ve beeninspired by a book, TV show or movie.You’ll soon realize that developing achallenging mystery isn’t easy. Below are some tipsfor creating an entertaining, exciting adventurethat will be fun to play and narrate.Have a Goal in MindWhen you start a mystery, the introductionclearly states what the players must accomplish towin the game. Whether it’s finding the location of akidnapped child or discovering the murderer ofLady Witherspoon, the goal should be obvious toyour players. A clear objective at the beginning ofthe case gives your players lasting motivation,allowing them to work toward a common goal. Italso enables you to tell when to end the mystery.When the players achieve their objective, or theobjective becomes impossible, the game is over.Not all mysteries involve a murder. Restoringa stolen heirloom, preventing a robbery oruncovering a political conspiracy are allappropriate challenges for a detective agency.Whatever the objective, it must be interestingenough to drive the detectives into action. It shouldbe achievable as well. No one wants to spend hourssearching for a purloined letter only to discoverthat the letter was burned the previous day. Youmay think it’s a great joke, but your players willnot. They should be challenged but notdiscouraged.Many mysteries have a time limit, either a fewhours or a few days (game time). To win, theplayers must meet the objective within the timelimit. Finding a nuclear bomb before it takes out acity could be just the case for a covert agency.Incorporate BackgroundMaterialBefore writing your mystery, take a look at thedetectives who will be playing in it. Are they toughguys or demure old ladies? Do they have anyskeletons in their closets? What about theirrelatives, any problems there? How aboutenemies?A detective’s background can be a greatspringboard for a mystery. If one of the charactershas a twin, you could make it an evil sibling out toruin the other. Maybe a detective’s historyindicates that an enemy stole something. Perhapsit’s a will that could make the detective amillionaire!Work with the players to develop intriguingstory hooks. They will be more interested in themystery if their characters are personally involved.Money is poor motivation unless the detectiveshave a desperate, immediate need for it.Suspects, Clues & SettingsA good rule of thumb is to have at least tensuspects, twenty clues and five locations. Suspectsand clues should never dead end, one shouldalways lead to the other. For example, a torntheater ticket found in a victim’s coat could lead toan usher who remembers a strangely dressed manwho insisted on sitting in the third balcony, wherethe detectives find a knife covered in bloodyfingerprints.Players will not discover every clue you haveplanted, so be sure to provide more than one wayfor the players to reach the solution of the mystery.Important facts should be available from several58 58

Chapter 10: Running the Gamesources. Not only will this guarantee that theplayers learn the clue, its repetition will convincethem of its importance.No single clue should answer all the questionsin the objective. But when all the facts are takentogether, the answer is evident.Have Your Props ReadyPlayers love props. If your mystery mentionsan illicit love letter, type one up and circulate itaround the table. Cut photographs out ofmagazines to illustrate your suspects. You may alsouse items found in your own home as props. Amatchbook, ticket stub or the Complete Works ofWilliam Shakespeare could be used to make thegame more interesting.Maps are also important. If the detectives aregoing to spend some time in a room or building,you may wish to draw a quick sketch of the area.Let them know where the furniture, suspects andvisible items are. You will have fewer arguments(“I thought the gunman was standing in the corner,not by the door!”) if you run a mystery with plentyof maps.59 59