Batman D&D campaign (murder mystery)

by iselsis

Summary:

Someone asked me to share the Batman D&D campaign arc I just finished running, so I thought I would leave it here for anyone who is interested in either running a similar arc or just seeing the weird things I get up to.

(Murder mystery)

Notes:

So, this first chapter is essentially a spoiler warning and an anecdote. If you think you might want to play this game as a player, reading the second chapter will spoil the entire mystery. Also, since this is a murder mystery plot, don't engage that's something that upsets you.

Just know that nothing went as I had originally planned, and I mean that in the best way. "Yes, and" led to a much better story than I had thought would be playing out. Never be afraid to "yes, and" your way to whatever is the best story for your players and their characters.

Chapter 1: Preface

It started off ambitiously: I had two friends, and I thought we could pull off a short, four-session mini campaign based in Gotham because the three of us all like Batman.

Here was the plan: session 0, have them solve a little problem to kind of get a feel for their characters and how their characters solve problems, and session 1, have the players stop an armed robbery of a gas station. After their success, they would be approached by baby stalker Tim Drake, who would tell them that Batman and Robin had been kidnapped, and he needed the players' help to save them.

The problem was that the little problem I had for my players—the Regina George type character in their school had pick pocketed one of the girls and locked the wallet in an empty classroom—was dealt with almost immediately. I wasn't planning for session 0 to go more than half an hour, but that lasted about five minutes. 

Luckily, my players had ideas to occupy their time: they were going to sneak into the Iceberg Lounge and pickpocket drunk strangers. They are, uh...interesting vigilantes to say the least. 

Due to a couple bad rolls and their budding relationship with a very friendly Russian bar tender, the girls left in a hurry with complimentary vodka sodas in hand. They didn't want to be walking around carrying alcohol (both characters are 15/16) so one character decided to throw the glasses into a dumpster nearby.

She opened the dumpster, and I jokingly said, "There's a body inside."

Pandemonium.

Sweet, sweet chaos descended. It was hilarious as both girls started screaming panicked gibberish both in and out of character, and then I said the dumbest thing. 

"I'm just kidding."

I realized in that moment that I had made a terrible mistake, and that more than anything, I needed there to be a body inside. I didn't even know who it was or would be, I just needed there to be some poor, hapless soul dumped inside. 

Backtracking and saying I was kidding about kidding or that I had changed my mind would take all the narrative wind out of my sails. As they started to calm down, I knew they would walk away in a moment, and I only had a split second to make my choice. 

"There's two bodies."