A handful of RPG Bloggers  (myself included) were given the opportunity to preview the Kobold Guide to Game Design, Volume II: How to Playtest & Publish, by Wolfgang Baur with Nicolas Logue. The catch is that we were only given one chapter to review, and each of us a different chapter. To get an overview of the whole product, you’ll have to travel around the RPG Bloggers Network (or just follow this link to all of the reviews). While the book is ultimately geared toward folks who want to get their stuff published, it’s also chock full of generic advice for gamemasters.

The section I received is titled “Mystery of Mysteries”. It was written by Logue, who has written a few GameMastery modules for Paizo as well as articles material for Wizard of the  Coast and Dragon magazine (you can actually see him in action here, running a game at GenCon Indy in 2007). This is someone who knows what he’s talking about, and his tips are drawn from his experience as a gamemaster and a published game writer. The section is devoted to advice on how to create a good mystery within a fantasy roleplaying game. It’s simple and straightforward, broken down step by step and with bullet points. None of the rules are hard-and-fast, it’s more like a checklist of bases you need to make sure are covered when setting up a mystery. A good portion is devoted to how to handle things when the players think of things you haven’t, which anyone who’s ever run a game know never, ever happens.  I’ve written articles on running mysteries in roleplaying games myself, and I’ve read a few good articles, and this covers all of the good points I’ve seen elsewhere.  I really don’t see how you can fail by following the formula laid out here.

Mystery of Mysteries takes it a step farther, however, and addresses issues I’ve never seen mentioned before. Plan for Divination, Logue writes, or the mystery will be solved before the adventure has even begun. He also reminds us that while the players will be using magic to try to uncover clues, the murderers will also have access to magic that can be used to cover their tracks. There’s also a small commentary by Ben McFarland on how murder mysteries can be effective in a setting where the dead can be resurrected. All of this can be used to add depth to an adventure, raising it above the simple “find the bad guy, beat the crap out of him, and take his stuff” mode. In addition to tactical challenges, a solid mystery can offer some good opportunities for character interplay. Excellent stuff.

For me, the section I read would be worth the price of the book by itself.  It’s only one of 12 chapters in the book, covering topics that range from “The Infinite Onion: Creating Play Depth” to “How NOT to Design a Magic Item”. Good, pithy stuff that anyone writing a fantasy setting or running a fantasy game can benefit from. I look forward to seeing the rest of the book (and reading the rest of the blog reviews).

From Kobold Quarterly:

Harry, over at Capturing Fantasy, is going to start things off by taking a look at our chapter, “Talent Won’t Save You.”

Phil, the Chatty DM, reviewed our chapter on “How to Playtest.”

Michael, author of Chgowiz’s Old Guy RPG Blog, considers our chapter on “The Infinite Onion, Creating Play Depth.”

Jonathan, at the Core Mechanic, provides us his opinion on “Promises, Promises. How to Pitch.”

Berin Kinsman, the voice of Uncle Bear, delves into our chapter by Nick Logue — “The Mystery of Mysteries.”

Danny Rupp, of Critical Hits, lends his thoughts on “The Magic Bullet of Publication.”

Finally, Michael Brewer of Mad Brew Labs gives us a gracious review of a topic certain to interest any RPGSuperstar participant, “How NOT to Design a Magic Item.”