Everybody likes a good mystery game. Let me take you through how I wrote one. It is, of course, Scooby Doo themed! Also SPOILERS if you're intending on playing this one-shot! Send this to your DM instead!

How to MAKE a Mystery?

We gotta start with some ground rules:

1. Pick a system. In this case, we're using D&D.
2. We want it to last about 3 hours, +/- an hour.
3. We want a cast of NPCs that are distinct, important, and have personalities.
4. Easy to pick up an play with one read through.

This is why I'm picking Scooby Doo as a base - many people are familiar with the tropes, it does exactly what we need it to do. A villain, 5 or 6 (if you include Scrappy!) good guys, and characters motivated to solve a crime. Scooby is also quite PG, so I'd say in theory, this game is child friendly. I've made the characters, but this blog post is not about the gang, so we'll go straight into the making of the one-shot.

To make a Mystery game, we'll need to figure out the following:

1. What's the crime?
2. Why does everyone look like they could have done the crime?
3. Who did the crime?
4. When does the crime occur?
5. How did the crime happen?
6. What (again) clues are available for the party?

Then organise this in a way that allows the game master to run the game and react to players on the fly. Since this is D&D, let's add:

       7.A BBEG to fight. 

I really do like Dungeons, and I kinda like Dragons too, so, we'll call this one-shot Dragon of the Forbidden Mountain. Cause... there might be dungeons in mountains I guess...

Maybe escape room was an oversell, but there are a few puzzles I have in mind - nothing too cerebral, and totally stuff that players can use stats to solve, instead of figuring it out themselves.

What's the Crime?

You could make it a murder, but for this quest, I was thinking that the gang has been invited by Daphne's uncle, Matt, to watch a play that he is funding for a private screening in his castle. He's rich. Daphne gives me rich girl vibes. Let's roll with it. Also insert references episodes - "Theater of Doom" and "The Backstage Rage" for vibes.

"All looks normal, until sparks fly! The illusory dragon grabs the main actress as if to consume her. How is this happening? An illusion shouldn't have the capabilities to pick up a real person! Fireworks go off, blinding everyone! And the lead actress, Vivienne is nowhere to be seen..."

More on Vivienne when we starting listing the cast of this one-shot.

The crime is simple - the Lead actress has been kidnapped! It's up to the crew to figure out who has taken her, and why!

Why Does Everyone Look Guilty?

Now we get to a fun part - creating NPCs! Generally, for a 3 hour game, I've found that between 9 to 12 suspects are good, with 2 or 3 of them being obviously not the criminals, and 2 or 3 of them being extra suspicious typically works. 

Let's make A WHOLE DAMN CAST:

Uncle Matthew Blake

Wealthy human merchant and arts patron in his mid 50s with salt and peppered hair and expensive taste. Gregarious and well-connected, Matthew invested a small sum in Leonard's theater as a favor and invited his niece Daphne to opening night, never expecting disaster. He's genuinely fond of the arts despite being a shrewd businessman. Knows everyone in high society and can provide introductions, alibis, or financial background on suspects. Trusts his niece completely and offers the party his townhouse as a safe base. Will be worried the dragon incident will hurt his reputation as a patron, and the OSHA violations that will proceed.

Vivienne Blackstage

Glamorous half-elf actress in her mid 30s to early 40s, former star now facing a fading career. Playing Lady Seraphina was her "comeback role". Dramatic but stoic, femme fatale in every sense. She treats every conversation like a performance, prone to theatrical gestures. Genuinely talented but desperately insecure about getting typecast as a lead independent action woman indefinitely. Owns the costume pieces of every character in the play stored in her wardrobe. Innocent but acts suspiciously guilty due to her dramatic nature.

Leonard Long

Dapper human in his 50s, always overdressed in expensive suits. Owns the theater after inheriting it from his father, mortgaged everything for this production. Charming but transparently desperate, laughs too loud and acts way too serious. Genuinely loves theater more than profit but terrible with money. The insurance claim is his only hope to survive financially, making him the obvious suspect. Actually innocent - he's being manipulated and has no idea about the mine shaft beneath Matthew's property. Wants to help the investigation but keeps information disorganized.

Garrett Kal

Cold, calculating human merchant in his 40s with bougie tastes and expensive tailored clothing. Funded the production as "investment in the arts" but actually discovered the mine shaft legend during research. Smooth talker who uses wealth to intimidate and bribe. Cool under pressure, never shows emotion except controlled anger. Has keys and access to everything as the primary investor. Secretly mining gold ore beneath the theater, using the dragon to scare away witnesses and devalue Matthew's property for purchase.

Torvin Suntukan

Gruff mountain dwarf in his 60s (by human standards, he's most probably like 400+!) with calloused hands and sawdust perpetually in his beard. Takes immense pride in craftsmanship, furious his elaborate sets were destroyed. Deep in student debts, accepted side payment from Garrett to add "special features" to the dragon, believing it was just for better stage effects. Didn't know about the conspiracy. Defensive and secretive about the modifications, fears being blamed. Skilled artisan but poor judge of character. Feels guilty when learning the truth, willing to testify against Garrett.

Mx. Whisper

Efficient non-binary tiefling with half-white half-black skin, neatly kept horns, and always-professional demeanor. Sees everything, knows everyone's secrets, maintains detailed schedules and records. Controls all backstage access and enforces rules strictly. Appears emotionless but deeply cares about the theater running smoothly. Has alibis for everyone based on meticulous time logs. Speaks in clipped, precise sentences. Keeps a perfect poker face, making them seem suspicious despite being innocent. Knows about various cast affairs, debts, and secrets but stays neutral.

Cassian Goldleaf

Pretentious high elf in his 200s (adult-aged for elves) with flowing silver hair and dramatic gestures. Calls "Dragon of the Forbidden Mountain" his "masterwork", obsessed with historical accuracy. Spent months researching the mountain's legends, visiting monasteries and archives. Devastated by the production's destruction but treats it like a personal tragedy worthy of poetry. Speaks in flowery, over-elaborate language. Genuinely discovered the mine legend through legitimate research for artistic authenticity, but believes it's a myth. Red herring - his extensive knowledge seems suspicious, but he's innocent. Has unwittingly provided information Garrett exploited. Wants the play remembered as art, not disaster.

Rufus Sisay

Excitable young gnome inventor with wild hair, singed eyebrows, and oil-stained fingers. Created all mechanical effects including the dragon's fireworks powered "fire breath" and movement systems of the various illusion stones. Workshop filled with half-finished contraptions made of wood and dangerous experiments. Genuinely proud of his work, heartbroken it was used maliciously. Talks rapidly about technical specifications, loses people in jargon. Has burns and minor injuries from testing effects. Innocent but his equipment knowledge makes him suspicious. Can identify modifications Torvin made to the illusion mechanism. Eager to help investigate because he wants to clear his reputation and prove his work wasn't faulty. Whatever he works on, he sends to Torvin to build.

Madame Esmeralda

Mysterious human woman wearing an emotionless mask with sharp eyes, elaborate tailor themed jewelry, and decades of theater experience. Knows everyone's secrets from forty years backstage. Created the elaborate costumes that Vivienne wears. May be Garrett's unknowing accomplice who operated the dragon during attacks, or another dupe depending on your preference. Notices everything - would have seen Garrett meeting with Torvin, spotted strange comings and goings. Her testimony can break or make the case.

Slip McGee

Shifty halfling in his 30s with quick hands and nervous energy, and is the one-halfling musician for the play. Actually WAS stealing - small props to sell for drinking money but didn't create the dragon. He's the right hand man to Whisper, helping with the backstage when he is not setting up his solo orchestra. He's very flirty to anybody who would speak to him, and could be useful in teasing information out of other people.

Marta Ironquill

No-nonsense female human in her 30s with cleanly tied up hair, practical clothing, and zero tolerance for fraud. Seen everything in decade of insurance investigation, deeply cynical but fair. Arrived to assess if the play matches OSHA standards, immediately suspicious of the new technology. Asks hard questions, takes detailed notes, threatens to deny claims and fine Matthew if she finds any irregularities. Actually helpful if players share evidence - she wants the truth, not to deny legitimate claims. Can provide financial background on all suspects, access to records, and official authority. Respects competence and doesn't suffer fools.

Brother Aldric

Weathered human monk in his mid 20s from the Monastery on Forbidden Mountain, keeper of regional history and legends. Shaved bald, simple robes, calm demeanor. Genuine expert on the dragon legend, the mountain's history, and the original mine operations from centuries ago. Can verify or contradict Cassian's play research. Knows the legend has basis in truth - there WAS a dragon (long dead) and there ARE potentially valuable minerals according to his scripture. Peaceful and helpful, offers the party access to monastery archives. Concerned the legend is being exploited for greed rather than preserved for knowledge.

Who's Guilty?

Garrett. It's Garrett. The moral of the story is human greed is the true evil of them all. Garrett is trying to commit some financial crime (my players called it insurance fraud when I was running the module), by bankrupting Matthew and buying the castle from him. Little do the rest of the characters know, there is a gold mine hidden under the castle. AKA Dungeon. A Gold Dungeon. Kidnapping Vivienne is just a means to an end. With all the money in the world, he intends to bribe her off or hire a hitman to kill her for him. I've left this relatively vague so you can choose your own family friendly outcome.

When Does She Get Kidnapped?

In the middle of the play - at the climax of the performance, when she is fighting the dragon, fireworks go off, blinding everyone. When vision returns, she is gone. These fireworks are seen as hazards, and Marta is going to report Matthew to The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and get him fined. 

This is a ploy - she was already kidnapped! The performance everyone watches is actually an illusion, one of the many recorded illusions that Vivienne had used while practicing. She's currently hidden underground, in the gold mines below.

Finishing this up

I'll post a part 2 for this next week, along with a document so you can run this one-shot for yourself. Don't forget, who's awesome? You're awesome.

Update: next next week cause I got busy T.T