So I'm working on the first adventure for a campaign I'll be starting up in eight weeks and I wanted the first adventure to be different to the usual.
I'm working on having them all be staying at a massive inn, there's a massive storm outside so nobody can leave and there's a serial killer in the building with them.
Any suggestion/ideas from anyone would be greatly appreciated!
The pathfinder society scenario "Murder on the Throaty Mermaid" may have some mechanics and plot hooks that you can draw from, for a solid whodunnit type of encounter.
Sounds like it could be a lot of fun, but the play style of your group will be what makes or breaks this game, as will how you handle introduce the idea to them. PCs being PCs after all, don't be surprised when the "heroes" starting violently interrogating NPCs, casting spells on unwilling creatures, forcibly conducting searches of hotel rooms for evidence, or get bored and just go out into the storm anyways.
Let us know how it goes. ;)
I suggest that you look into the GUMSHOE expansion for pathfinder. It will make your game better.
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The biggest thing to watch out for is how you pace out the game and the clues you give them. The last thing you want is your party to discover who the killer is and just gun him down night 1. Remember that unlike normal mystery narratives your players are both the viewers and the main actors so giving things away to them and not the characters or vice versa can quickly lead to the aforementioned.
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Keep the game low level. Its VERY hard to have a mystery plot with high level characters who have access to both the victims body and the suspects.
So this will be a 1st level adventure? Low level is where it is at for murder mysteries as you avoid most of the spells that can ruin such an adventure. I would make sure that multiple NPC's are pretty clearly tough so the PC's don't think they can just bully through as mentioned above. They need evidence to gain the support of the other NPC's.
I've got a traveling noble and his bodyguards, two in house rent-a-cops and a few mercenary traveling types
Keep the game low level. Its VERY hard to have a mystery plot with high level characters who have access to both the victims body and the suspects.
Or at a certain point: When the party just has their name and a way to set up a direct line to their favorite deity.
Steal from Kindaichi.
I was planning on having the twist being that the killer is just a faceless murdered. Not one on the Guests or Staff, just a crazed killer stalking the halls.
Mostly because this group overthinks everything. Everything must be planned to the smallest detail and yet they always miss the most obvious, glaring problem.
I've got a traveling noble and his bodyguards, two in house rent-a-cops and a few mercenary traveling types
That sounds good. I suggest a holy man of some sort who could fill one of three roles: shepherd for the scared people; antagonist/flame thrower (we are all doomed for our sins); or even surprise killer (ala silver bullet where the werewolf is the priest)
Don't forget the rule of three!
If there is a crucial piece of information the party MUST discover, make sure to put in at least 3 different ways they can learn it.
Holy man, check. Rule of 3, check.
I've been itching to do Law and Order: Sword&Sorcery but have been at a loss as to where to start, these resources might help me as well.
Check out Lorefinder, the Gumshoe Pathfinder adaption.