--- title: "DnD murder mystery inspiration" author: "Veselin Slavchev" date: 2019-05-02 tags: ["DnD session planning"] description: "A murder mystery one-shot for Dungeons and Dragons to borrow from: the pocket dimension setup, the map, the clues and the motive of every suspect." url: https://vsslavchev.com/blog/dnd-murder-mystery/ --- # DnD murder mystery inspiration **In short:** A one-shot for Dungeons and Dragons that pulls the characters into a pocket dimension, where a host is stabbed with a conjured spiritual weapon in his mansion. Below are the setup, the clues in the garden and the study, the scenes before dinner, and the motive, means and opportunity of every suspect. ![DnD murder mystery map planning notes](https://vsslavchev.com/img/dnd-map-planning.jpg) I wanted to make a murder mystery for my DnD group. When the moment came and I started preparing for the session I found there is a lot of advice, but not a lot of easy inspiration. There are a few prepared adventures, and those are not very polished or detailed. I used some of them for inspiration and a base and stole some ideas from them. Maybe you can take mine and improve it to have fun with your players. I had planned this for a long time as I expected that one of my players would not attend at some point. Perfect opportunity to throw the characters into a pocket dimension for a one shot without advancing the main story. I gave one of them this book with empty pages and a whirlpool on the cover. Make sure to have prepared statblocks for all the stuff they can encounter. I was greatly inspired by the adventure called ["How not to host a murder mystery"](https://www.dmsguild.com/product/181052/How-Not-to-Host-a-Murder-5e) I have not used names as I think it's easier to navigate the story with roles since we are looking at its structure and not for entertainment. Everything starts in a whirlpool in the sea, hence the cover of the book. The characters are on a small ship with Victim heading to the city on the coast. During the whirlpool another group of adventurers (goblins?), who read another book of the same type, are summoned on the ship. Victim, Innocent and his colleagues are on the ship, and the characters are offered to stay in the Victim's mansion. They were all summoned because he found this book and wanted to figure it out so cast some spells and activated all the books. Victim introduces Innocent as his brave but foolish, quick to act apprentice. The mansion, Victim explains was built thanks to his father's successful business of trading rapiers, short swords and daggers. His father died 6 years ago. Garden: Morning glory - a flower that blooms in the morning because of sunlight and its petals are closed when in shadow or darkness; a letter is hidden under the open petals in the day, but when darkness makes them close it is easy to spot. The letter is written with the same handwriting as the book of the Killer, it is to the girl of the apprentice saying that he will not give up on their love. This can be used to have the Killer try to frame Innocent. Time before dinner: the players are invited to do something before it is time for dinner: - With Killer and Innocent to practice spells [openly said] (so all 3 including the PC seem suspicious); Killer doesn't want to waste mana; The Innocent calls Killer by his middle-name. The other players will not know whom this name belongs when they see it. - With sister to show you around: offers a reward a knife from the father's collection of rare craftsman knives [openly said] (so the sister and the PC sound suspicious) In private they find that one specific knife is missing from its stand - Lord Kelnor's pearl dagger - With cook to help prepare the big dinner. [openly said]; In private he tells the motive of both Innocent and Sister. He is grumpy and very skilled with cutting meat with his knife; he says the sister has a necklace with a gem that allows her to seduce and control weak men The players are given the information separately through notes and they should get a bit confused and suspect each other. Dining room: During dinner the characters can talk to Innocent, Killer, Victim's sister who is a paid assassin, the cook, the old nanny Killer says he will go and help the cook to set up the table. Innocent says that he will go and find the host Victim because he should have been here already. He leaves the room and in a bit everyone hears him scream. Victim is stabbed in the heart in his study. There is no weapon there. Actually the knife Killer used was conjured by Spiritual weapon. Killer points the finger at innocent and explains his motive. Innocent explains that he had the choice to give up on his study, but made up his mind and was no longer interested in marrying the girl. Innocent has a fresh letter to her stating that he will find a way to be with her and won't give up on their love. The real killer has to be found before sunrise otherwise the framed Innocent will be hanged. Innocent is a young novice, brave but foolish, quick to act. Victim doesn't let Innocent marry the daughter of a blacksmith because she will distract him from his studies. Cook - not speaking a lot / low voice / bitter The study: Has a book with spells (belongs to:Killer's name on the inside cover), every page has notes in the margins. Some of the notes are crossed out and with another color and handwriting more notes are taken. The second notes match the handwriting on the papers on Victim's desk. On the spell Spiritual weapon there are a lot of scribbles and in all caps: HAVE TO ASK HOW TO CAST THIS! Trophies on a shelf saying: First place in spellcasting/conjuring/arcana competition - Victim Building the structure of the mystery: - Innocent has motive and opportunity(to go bring victim), but no means - Killer has motive(fame,praise), means(stabbing), opportunity(the fact that the apprentice and the sister now have a motive) - Cook has means(knife with blood), no motive and no opportunity - Sister has motive(she is younger and can inherit the mansion that she likes very much if her brother dies), but no means and no opportunity, but definitely suspicious being an assassin - Old nanny - no motive, no means, no opportunity