Mystery/Good vs Evil arc?

[Euonia]

Mystery Role-play?
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Hello, so I have been working on an Ilvermorny RP and I have basically got all the background information done. But I have come into a slight problem, the main 'Story arc' will be the students banding together to defeat an 'evil' and solve the mystery of what is going on at their school. But I don't know how to run a mystery RP or how to properly do a 'Good vs Evil' arc so I was wondering if anyone could give me any advice?


I know I have been pretty vague but I am still working on the exact specifics of the mystery and how it will work. I have my villain and the students will either be hero's or will join villain and fight against their fellow students.


Main Questions:

• How do you run a mystery role-play without giving it all away straight away?
  
• How do you make it so the characters actually solve the mystery along with the reader?
  
• Is it possible for the reader to not be handed every clue?
  
• How do you do a Good vs Evil arc without it getting boring and cliche?
  
• And any general advice for running a role-play, as I'm quite worried considering this is going to be my first RP as a GM and I feel like I set the bar too high for myself.
  

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Well I dont know "mystery" specifically, or too well, but I do put "mysteries" in my rp (in basically all of them). The easiest way I know how to do "mysteries" or "revelations" is to foreshadow them in quite a few posts. Maybe its just something specific your character knows, or a specific word that leads to something. Or something. (no idea how to really do a full blown mystery lol), but foreshadowing is the easiest way to make any "revelation" later in the rp much more interesting and impactful.

 

[White Masquerade]

Mystery Group RPs are hard, as in they'd take a LOT of work. If you are a new GM, I would highly suggest against doing that. If you are not expecting it to go real well and only want to do it as a test, then go for it.


If you want to make a serious attempt of it this, don't do it as a roleplay. Do it as a quest. That is the answer to questions 1-3 for you. If you don't know about Quests, they are simply stories where players are given options and they pick from those options to move forward (or write one in).


What you could do is play the group RP like a Quest. Give the RPers options/scenarios to choose from instead of them posting what they want. This will give you the control you need to make a great mystery.


Question 4, do whatever you find enjoyable. There are not many new things you can with Good Vs. Evil. Put the focus on making the struggle fun and relatable; even if that struggle is at times what everyone already knows.


Question 5, that would be a long answer =P. I will say to look at the site's "Tutorial Section" where you'll find plenty of guides to answer that.