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Source Starfinder #25: The Chimera Mystery pg. 41
Your main goal and primary obstacle in a mystery adventure is information. You likely have a roster of suspects, each with their own personality and history with the victim. Take notes about your suspects and what you know about them, keeping in mind the three pillars of a mystery. Is this suspect capable of committing the crime? Are they motivated to commit the crime? Were they actually anywhere near the scene of the crime? In other words, did they have the opportunity?

You might also want to draw a map of the relationships between the suspects and the victim, as well as each other. By consulting this big picture, you might spot a motive that has previously eluded you. See the Establish Relationships section of Running Mysteries below for a way this map might work out. The GM probably has one too.

Keep a separate list of the physical clues you’ve found so you don’t forget an important piece of information. When you find a new clue, you can compare it to this list to see how it relates to other evidence you’ve already discovered. Connections between the clues might make themselves apparent when you analyze the list.

In addition to helping you solve the mystery, your records can help you along in other ways. If the adventure runs multiple sessions, you can refresh your perspective by going over the evidence before each session—that way you won’t forget an important clue because of the time between games.

Archives of Nethys

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