Basic Moves

When you do something risky or face something you fear, name what you're afraid will happen if you fail or lose your nerve, then roll with an appropriate ability.

• 7-9: The Keeper will tell you how your actions would leave you vulnerable, and you can choose to back down or go through with it. If you go through with it, the Keeper describes what it looks like.

• 10-11: You do what you intended or you hold steady; describe what it looks like.

• 12+: You do what you intended or you hold steady, and the Keeper will tell you some extra benefit or advantage you receive. Describe what it looks like.

The Day Move is used when Mavens take risky actions during the day, or when they encounter something scary or unnerving during the day. The Keeper has the final say on which ability is used for the roll.

When you do something risky or face something you fear, name what you're afraid will happen if you fail or lose your nerve. The Keeper will tell you how it is worse than you fear. You can choose to back down or go through with it. If you go through with it, roll with an appropriate ability.

• 7-9: You do what you intended or you hold steady, but there is a complication or cost; the Keeper describes what it looks like.

• 10-11: You do what you intended or you hold steady; describe what it looks like.

• 12+: You do what you intended or you hold steady, and the Keeper will tell you some extra benefit or advantage you receive. Describe what it looks like.

The Night Move is used when Mavens take risky actions at night, or when they encounter something scary or unnerving at night. In Brindlewood Bay, nighttime is more dangerous than daytime, and so the Night Move is written to have more perilous outcomes for the Mavens than the Day Move. The Keeper has final say on which ability is used for the roll. 

When you search for a clue, conduct research, or otherwise gather information, describe how you're doing so and roll with an appropriate ability.

• 7-9: You find a Clue. However, there's a complication—either with the Clue itself, or a complication you encounter while searching. The Keeper will tell you what the Clue and that complication are.

• 10-11: You find a Clue. The Keeper will tell you what it is.

• 12+: You find a Clue. However, you also find a Void Clue or you learn something about the dark conspiracy in Brindlewood Bay (Keeper's choice).

The Meddling Move is the main way a Maven turns up Clues and is the most frequently triggered move in the game. The Meddling Move is written to cover all types of information-gathering actions, and the ability used for the roll should match whatever action is taken. For example, if a Maven is gathering information by sweet-talking a local law enforcement official, her player would roll with Presence. If they are gathering information by silently listening to a conversation they aren't supposed to hear, her player would roll with Composure. If they are digging through books at the local library, they'd roll with Reason. And so forth. The Keeper has the final say on which ability is used for the roll.

When you have an intimate moment with another Maven while one of you is engaged in your Cozy Activity, you may each clear an appropriate Condition. If it's your Cozy Activity, you can also stumble on a Clue relevant to the active mystery. Tell the Keeper what it is. The Clue cannot conclusively solve the mystery by itself.

This move serves the practical purpose of clearing Conditions, but is principally designed to show the close relationship between individual Murder Mavens, and to give a glimpse into their lives in the community of Brindlewood Bay. It's also a risk-free way to find a Clue.

Once per mystery, when any Maven says “This reminds me of something that happened to Amanda Delacourt!”, work with the other players to describe how something that is happening in the situation reminds the Mavens of an event from one of the Gold Crown Mysteries. At a minimum, you must provide the following information:

• The name of the Gold Crown Mystery in question (no repeats, please!).

• The problem or situation Amanda found herself in that is similar to what the Mavens are experiencing.

• How Amanda eventually overcame the problem or resolved the situation.

Then, take a 12+ to a single relevant roll or state a fact about the current situation that the Keeper must incorporate.

Note: Generally speaking, this move can only be used one per mystery, per group.

The Murder Mavens share a love for the Amanda Delacourt novels penned by the mysterious author Robin Masterson, and will frequently refer to Amanda's troubles when investigating mysteries of their own. This move is very powerful and, generally speaking, can only be used once—total—per mystery.

When you engage in an activity related to the supernatural or the occult for the first time, imagine what your actions would look like as a move. Say what triggers the move and roll with Sensitivity.

• 6-: It's not something the Mavens can ever do, and you also mark the Crown of the Void.

• 7-9: It works, but you must also mark the Crown of the Void. Work with the Keeper to write the move—it is now a move all Mavens can use for the rest of the game and your roll stands.

• 10+: It works; work with the Keeper to write the move—it is now a move all Mavens can use for the rest of the game and your roll stands.

Note: The Keeper can require you to have a strong fictional justification for doing so before attempting to trigger this move.

At the beginning of the game, the Murder Mavens have little to no familiarity with the occult, and they are entirely unaware of the dark conspiracy of the Midwives of the Fragrant Void. As the game progresses, they will become more attuned to the deeper mysteries, and may even begin to dabble in the occult themselves. This move helps cover those situations and creates new moves based on what the Mavens undertake. But beware! This move is incredibly dangerous: even a hit can push the Maven one step closer to retirement.

When the Mavens have an open, freewheeling discussion about the solution to a mystery once they have gathered a number of Clues equal to at least half the mystery's Complexity (rounded up)—and reach a consensus—roll plus the number of Clues incorporated into the theory or otherwise explained away, minus the mystery's Complexity.

• 6-: The solution is incorrect, and the Keeper reacts.

• 7-9: It's the correct solution, but the Keeper will either add an unwelcome complication to the solution itself, or present a complicated or dangerous opportunity to take down the culprit or save the day.

• 10-11: It's the correct solution. The Keeper will present an opportunity to take down the culprit or otherwise save the day.

• 12+: It's the correct solution. The Keeper will present an opportunity to take down the culprit or otherwise save the day. A person involved in the dark conspiracy of Brindlewood Bay also reveals themself to the Mavens.

Note: It doesn't matter who rolls Theorize when the time comes. Additionally, Theorize cannot be taken with advantage or disadvantage, nor is it subject to the effects of other moves. The success tier can be increased by putting on a Crown, but only if every Maven does so. Additionally, while the text of the move itself does not say this, the expanded materials suggest that the Keeper plays the role of a critical mediator and ensures the solution makes sense. This includes retcons and rewrites as necessary.

There are no canonical solutions to Brindlewood Bay mysteries—the solution is whatever the players come up with at the table, based on the Clues at hand. Theorize is meant to simulate those great scenes in mystery stories where the protagonists are puzzling aloud about who might have done it.