Information Grids for Mysteries & Investigations
Note: This post contains spoilers for the Mothership scenario Another Bug Hunt. I love running mystery and investigation scenarios. Designed well, they allow players to engage in open-ended problem solving, often putting together the clues in ways I could never have anticipated. I like using the node-based scenario design approach for planning and running these types of situations, but one thing I often struggle with at the table is remembering who knows what. I've got my NPC notes in front of me at the table, but oftentimes the players ask questions that I didn't anticipate. I'm also frequently inventing new NPCs on the fly as the players look for clues or information. That's all well and good, but sometimes when this happens I either give out clues and information too readily or overlook obvious information the character would have known. To help, I came up with this play aid to keep at the table: a simple grid showing NPCs on one axis and information on the other...