david j rodger

" I wrote this murder mystery game for a friend’s birthday dinner party. I normally write novels so this was a good challenge and a lot of fun to create. The reaction from the dinner guests was really positive. I wanted to provoke argument and debate against a background of fun and laughter. I wanted people to really fight their corner to prove their innocence, with tongues firmly planted in cheek, or avoid suspicion by pointing the accusatory finger at somebody else. This is a game of wits and cunning, and above all, casting a sparkle of delight over any dinner gathering." - David J Rodger (Bristol, UK))"

It can be set in any time-period. The story itself takes place at the lavish and arcane mansion of Dr Black. A man adored by the heartless and hated by the worthy. The guests arrive for dinner and quickly establish who is who. Dr Black seems to revel in the tensions simmering below the barely maintained facades of civility. After dinner Dr Black excuses himself to retrieve a bottle from his renowned champagne collection but never returns, and is not seen alive again. The police are called.

The game begins with the arrival of the Special Agent in Charge, plus any extra players in the role of Agent-Investigators. As they interrogate the guests, the guests themselves will ask questions, either to find out the person(s) responsible for the murder, or to deal in subterfuge and ensure they avoid suspicion, or even shoulder it onto somebody else. There are no rules on what can or can’t be asked. There are some tips, which are revealed at the start. As the questions force guests to talk about where they were and what they were doing, between the hour of 9pm and 10pm, other players will have a chance to spot inconsistencies, expose lies, and direct further questioning to make suspects as uncomfortable as possible. Even if you’re innocent, you may fall victim to foul-play of the guilty.

The game is written to last a little under an hour. Forensic updates arrive every 7 minutes, each update providing clues derived from crime-scene-analysis. However, the organiser of the game can chose to shorten or extend these timescales depending on how they feel the pace of the investigation is going.

Half the fun is the anticipation that comes after everyone has received their invitation packs and the waiting begins, waiting for the night to arrive with a nervous flutter of growing excitement. Whoever hosts the dinner party / murder party can chose to be any of the characters below. They can also decide which guest should play which character when sending out the invitation packs – there is information about each character that will allow you to match your knowledge of your friends to the characters described.

Dr Black, eminent physician for the small and affluent township of Sharky Point; he made a name for himself in annals of science for his work in genetics, developing a bio-chemical mechanism for delivering body-altering retro-viruses of recombinant DNA. This work also made him the enemy of many religious groups who saw his work as tampering with the Gods sacred design. He has also been criticised by other scientists for “going too far” and by charities working with war torn states who fear his work may lead to a new “Bio Weapon”. Charming, arrogant, intellectual, Dr Black has often been a contentious individual, but always a perfect host.

Sadly, he dies within the hour following dinner (at some time between 9pm and 10pm within the story included in this murder mystery). So there is no role for Dr Black in this game other than as a body.

By Andrew Corrieri (4th Oct 2010): "I’ve always been a fan of mystery games and books, I own the entire collection of Sherlock Holmes and read it rather often, but before I played this I never had the opportunity to participate in a real Murder Mystery Party, so when I got invited I was quite the happy person! Aside of being ever so slightly, okay maybe more then slightly, nervous about the whole idea it was easily one of the funniest parties I have ever been to! Especially once things really got rolling and the accusations started flying! Practice your short hand people cause you gotta write rather quickly when everyone is at each others throats! The packet is detailed and lines everything out wonderfully with lots of… More >twists and surprises in there that caught me by such surprise my jaw must have dropped a few times. I loved playing and hope to play again and again! Definitely one to add to the game shelf, or bookshelf as it were. Thanks so much for writing and making this available for us Mr. Rodger! I look forward to any more you do in the future!"

These photos were taken at a playing of Murder At Sharky Point in an incredible house, in Bath’s Royal Crescent (UK), a place that’s almost 250 years old.

Over 80 pages containing:

Simply download and print it out to play or order the printed version and tear out the pages to start

Purchasing and shipping is handled through LULU the publisher of my novels and role-playing game.