Ever Hear of "Weird Detective Mystery Adventures"? Well, Neither Had I!

One of the fun things about going to conventions is that it allows you to discover unique things you would never come across in your day-to-day experience. Even though I spend most of any given day up to my elbows in RPG content, I never would have come across Weird Detective Mystery Adventures, and I feel confident in saying the same for all my readers out there.

So if you've been looking for a game with gangsters, gun mals, masked vigilantes, super heroes, mad scientists, and more, this is a game you could use to scratch that itch.

An offer that might be tough to refuse.

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Let's Start With The Good

The best part of any proposal.

Right off the bat, what is Weird Detective Mystery Adventures? Well, it's an RPG that uses 2d6 and a lot of charts to help you tell stories that are just what it says on the tin. If a story can be found in the canon of weird or pulp fiction, then you could emulate it with this RPG. Whether you want to do gritty private eyes digging into gangland deals, masked vigilantes stopping bank robbers, or superheroes fighting supernatural cultists and their dark gods, all of that is possible within this system.

Aside from power scaling, which is quite important for any game, the rule book is pretty thorough when it comes to all your options. Everything from contacts you can call on, to a superhuman accuracy with firearms, to mastery of disguises, to being filthy rich, or being bulletproof and able to fly is covered in here. And while there are sequels and extra content planned for future installments, the core book is all you need to play the game.

As to the system itself, it has a decidedly old-school feel to it. A single chart is used to determine success or failure for a majority of actions, ranging from stunts and tricks with metahuman abilities, to standard punch-ups with goons in a bar. The base stats all have their own unique names one needs to get used to, but once you get in the groove figuring out success, failure, and your odds of either, the game becomes pretty easy to manage.

Now Onto The Bad

You didn't see nuthin', got it smart guy?

Nothing is perfect, and I wouldn't want anyone tracking this game down without making them aware of the flaws it has, as well as its benefits.

First and foremost, if you came into gaming via d20 games, this is going to be like learning a whole new language for you. While I've seen games with similar systems before, if you're more used to various editions of DND, or even the World of Darkness, this will be something of a rough start for you. Additionally, this book is thick... we're talking old-fashioned Yellow Pages thick. While you may not need to read all of it depending on the game you want to play, there's a lot of material in there, which will not be to a lot of players' tastes. Particularly in this age of short rulebooks and minimal mechanics gaming. Lastly, for all of the material the book does give you, this game isn't meant to take place in a particular setting or world; details like that are left largely up to the storyteller to figure out for themselves. So while you have a big skeleton with a lot of moving parts, everything from the era, to the lore, to the world is on you to figure out.

Lastly, and this is the one that struck me strange, this book is damn near impossible to come across. To get yourself a copy you must go to the Weird Detective Mystery Adventures website and buy one, or come across the game's booth at a convention. You can't find copies of it on DTRPG, nor can you locate it on Amazon. Even stranger, there is no PDF version of the game available at time of writing, and the physical copy is rather large at just under $50 for a paperback version. For someone who hasn't played the game themselves and is only curious to check it out, that is a rather large risk to take.

The Ugly

You knew this was coming.

I want to start this section by making one thing clear; I didn't dislike my read-through of this game system. While it's certainly a heavy game in terms of options, it has a certain nostalgic quality that will draw you in a bit, and it presents a lot of interesting ideas that would be fun to play with.

However, this game is definitely not going to be for everyone. Worse, though, it feels like this game is attempting to re-invent the wheel in a lot of ways.

As a for instance, everything I mentioned about different game styles, scaling power, power sets and abilities, etc., could also be said of Mutants & Masterminds. Also, while not a simple game, M&M was far easier for me to grasp when I was presented with it, and it has a great deal of supporting material one can choose to use if they want, like the Player's Guide To Emerald City, Hero High, or the Supernatural Handbook, depending on the needs of your game. And if one wanted a simpler game with easier-to-digest mechanics, but which still boasted all of those positive aspects already mentioned, then Savage Worlds Adventurer Edition would work just as well. Especially since one could add in all the other material they want for their game piecemeal, such as hunting monsters with the Rippers Resurrected player guide, Weird War I player's guide, Arcana and Mysticism, or any of a dozen other books and supplements that are available to customize one's playing experience.

Both of these other options are available as digital copies, they're easier to learn, and they're easier on your wallet if you're looking for a game of pulpy adventure that's all over the board in terms of what you can bring to the table.

Again, WDMA isn't a bad game. But if you're interested in giving it a closer look, I would definitely recommend looking through the homepage to make sure it's going to appeal to you and your play style. Because as of this moment there isn't a free sample or a starter's guide to let you try before you buy, and it's got a pretty hefty price tag attached to it.

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That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

The Noir Investigator

This town's full of big names, and walking legends. The golden and the chosen. But when you rise up that high, you cast deep shadows. That was where guys like me lived. Skulking in the alleys, watching doorways to see who came and went with their hoods up and an eye on their back trail. I found people who didn't want to be found, and ferreted out secrets people would rather keep hidden away. It didn't pay much, but it wasn't usually as dangerous as breaking open lost tombs, or starting trouble with dragons.

Usually being the key word.

I was leaning up against a post outside a cathouse, trying to look like a drunk minding his own business, when a fist came out of nowhere. Old instincts kicked in, but not soon enough to duck the punch entirely. I hitched up against the grimy bricks, my head ringing like a fight bell. I shook the echoes out of my ears, and saw two burly bully boys facing me. One gave me a smile, flashing a hint of a tusk with a gold cap on it.

"Stay away from this corner, old man," the half-breed said. "Folks round here don't like pokers. You hearing what I'm saying?"

I fished a flask off my hip, and took a nip. My tongue tingled, and the elixir started doing its work. I gave the bruiser another look over, and ran my tongue over my teeth. They were all still in place. I straightened up slowly, and pulled my collar straight. Then I drove my fist up hard under his jaw, right in the sensitive spot where the bone met muscle. His mouth clacked shut, and I heard teeth splinter as he fell back into the post. I thumbed my nose, and spit blood from my split lip into the gutter. I rolled my shoulders, and brought my fists up.

"Sorry, I don't listen all that good," I said. "Care to say it again?"

"If you can get it out, that is."

Performance and Mechanics

A big part of this particular concept is in how you roleplay it, and in the story you're trying to tell. Heroes in noir stories tend to be hard-edged, hard-boiled, and unshakable. They've led hard-knock lives, and they usually have a black mark or two on their history. They're smarter than they look, they're good at their work, and no matter how hard you try to scare them off they always come back with just one more question.

And while you can make all kinds of classes into noir heroes, in this case, we're focusing on the Investigator. You get access to alchemy, you can disable traps, and there are archetypes that even give you access to firearms if you want to pull your gat and stick it in a mug's face when he tries to jump you. You could even throw in a mix of other classes, like brawler for combat prowess, or the thug archetype for rogue to show that you know how to make a threat stick. Whether you mix or go straight, though, you've got enough skill points to sneak around, make some threats, and wheedle a favor or two from people who can help you unravel a mystery.

Perhaps the most common feature of noir detectives is that they used to be part of a violent profession of one stripe or another. If you were a prize fighter who just didn't have the skill to make big purses, and your nose got broken one too many times to keep getting in the ring, then the trait Heavy Hitter might be appropriate, giving you a +1 trait to unarmed strike damage. If you used to be a cop, or a soldier, then you could take a trait like Eyes and Ears of The City to get a +1 to Perception while making it a class skill, or you could take something like Reactionary to get a +2 trait bonus on Initiative checks to show that you're always operating on high-alert.

It's not just that you are used to rough work, though. Noir heroes also tend to be damaged goods in some way, shape or form. That very damage might be the reason they find themselves following philandering husbands, and scaring off stalkers. If they used to be a fighter, maybe they couldn't leave the violence back in the right, and it started scaring off friends and loved ones, breaking trusts in ways they couldn't repair. If they used to be a soldier, or a guardsman, they might have started drinking to cope with the things they'd seen and done. When the drinking got out of hand, though, they were discharged. Or maybe they were used to getting results with a heavy hand, but when they broke a drunk's collarbone, the boy turned out to be the son of a judge instead of just another loudmouth, and suddenly you found yourself with skills, but nowhere to employ them.

And, in some circumstances, your preferred methods of getting results simply weren't acceptable as a member of an official force. As a private operative, though, people are more than willing to look the other way as long as you don't get caught.

So ask who you used to be, and if that reputation still follows you around. And was that reputation better, or worse, than the person you've become? The Small Legend: Character Reputation in RPGs talks a lot about this as a potential tool for making your PC known to others you end up working with. Then ask what you did, or what happened to you, that brought you low. Was it pushing too hard on a case where you were sure they arrested the wrong guy, but the powers-that-be cut you off rather than listen to the truth? Did your vices get out of control? Were you betrayed by the organization you worked for, whether it was secular or religious, leaving you to go your own way? Or is this just the best work someone like you can get in a town like this (if you're a half-elf or half-orc, a commoner in a town with a heavy noble family presence, etc.)?

Most importantly, though, ask where your from. What place do you call home, and how has it molded you? Whose streets have you wandered, and what mark have they left on your speech, your habits, and the company you keep? Because while we often think of the wilderness when we head out on adventures, but noir heroes tend to call the stone canyons of big cities home. Doesn't mean they can't leave, or that they don't know what to do once they're in the rough, but they're most definitely an urban class of bruiser.

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned For More!

That's all for this installment of Unusual Character Concepts. Hopefully this one gave you something to chew over, whether you're a player, or a game master.

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my alley cat noir novel Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my most recent collection of short stories The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!