#12 : Mystery Adventure Toolkit: Running Investigations in D&D 5e - The Three-Clue Rule, GUMSHOE Principles, and Scene-Based Design for Dungeon Masters

YOUR MYSTERY ADVENTURES KEEP FALLING APART AT THE TABLE

Players miss the crucial clue. The investigation stalls. You improvise desperately while they search the wrong location for the third time. The session ends with nobody knowing what to do next.

D&D 5e gives you twenty pages of combat rules but almost nothing about running investigations. No wonder mysteries fail.

THIS BOOK FIXES THAT

Mystery Adventure Toolkit teaches proven investigation frameworks that actually work at the table. No more players stuck because they failed one Perception check. No more mysteries that collapse halfway through.

WHAT'S INSIDE

• The Three-Clue Rule - Build redundancy so players never hit dead ends
• Secrets and Clues Method - Write flexible investigations that adapt to player choices
• Scene-Based Design - Structure investigations with clear phases and player agency
• Handling Magic Spells - Make Speak with Dead and Zone of Truth provide clues without solving mysteries
• NPC Interrogation Framework - Witness questioning with attitude systems and progressive revelation
• Investigation Skill Challenges - Know when to call for rolls versus giving information freely
• Three Complete Mystery Adventures - Fully playable one-shots with pre-generated characters and DM annotations (Levels 2-7)
• Blank Templates and Worksheets - Photocopy and reuse for your own investigations

WHO THIS IS FOR

• DMs who want to run mystery adventures but don't know where to start
• DMs struggling to make Candlekeep Mysteries and similar modules work
• Anyone who wants players to feel like brilliant detectives instead of frustrated treasure hunters

THE FRAMEWORKS THAT ACTUALLY WORK

This book teaches the Three-Clue Rule (Justin Alexander) and adapts GUMSHOE principles (Robin Laws) specifically for D&D 5e. These aren't theories - they're proven frameworks used in published adventures and successful home campaigns.

THREE COMPLETE MYSTERIES

• The Poisoned Diplomat (Levels 2-3) - Political murder demonstrating the Three-Clue Rule
• The Vanishing Heir (Levels 4-5) - Urban investigation with scene-based structure
• The Cursed Relic (Levels 6-7) - Investigation plus dungeon exploration with moral complexity
• Each includes pre-generated characters, stat blocks, clue flowcharts, and DM annotations.

-TO-USE TEMPLATES

Mystery Design Worksheet, Clue Flowcharts, NPC Suspect Sheets, Scene Planning Pages, and Investigation Trackers you can photocopy and reuse immediately.

THE MISSING INVESTIGATION GUIDE FOR D&D 5E

Combat has clear rules. Social encounters have guidelines. Investigations? D&D gives you almost nothing. This book fills that gap with practical, table-tested frameworks that make mysteries actually playable.

No more mysteries that fall apart. No more frustrated players. No more desperate improvisation.

Start running investigations that work.

Read the Review: https://anvilnink.com/mystery-adventure-toolkit-dnd-5e-investigation-guide/

Get the Paperback: https://amzn.to/3Z9V3sl