Detectives & Duty

DETECTIVES & DUTY brings serious detective work to the world of pen & paper RPGs. The system is loosely based on the 1981 Sleuth Publications game, “Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective”. 

Detectives & Duty emphasizes the challenge presented to the players over the challenge to their characters. Each case is a puzzle for the players themselves, who must use their wits to crack the case. It's not enough for your characters to have a high intelligence, or double proficiency in Perception.  Mysteries are solved by deduction and intelligent use of resources, not brute forced through skill checks. These guidelines are intended to provide an intellectual challenge to players well-versed in logic and the unraveling of mysteries, though they can also support a more kick-in-the-door style of play.

This supplement was developed within the context of 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons, so the documents use the terms of that system – DM instead of GM, 5e terms for skills, levels, and so on. But the general ideas can be easily adapted to any system.

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The first document below contains the rules and guidelines for the system. The second document is a description of Ancaster, a city designed as a setting for the system. The final document is a high-resolution map of Ancaster and its districts. Also included are three example cases set in the city.

(Warning! Reading the example cases will spoil you for being able to play them. Don’t read if you want to be able to play these cases! Check with your DM first.)