The Murder at Waverly Manor

The year is 1893, and the location is Derbyshire County, England. The Lord of Waverly Manor has been murdered. It happened just after you all had arrived for a dinner gathering at the Manor. As the butler showed you into the dining room, you are shocked to see that your host Lord Darby Waverly, Earl of Litchurch, has been murdered. The Lord’s body is slumped face down on the table while still seated. Another of the dining room chairs is observed to have been turned over.

The butler is sent to summon the local Constable. As all the horses have somehow been released, the butler must walk all the way to town. It will be sometime before the Constable arrives, and as such you cannot wait – you must apprehend the murderer yourselves.

You and your fellow guests know enough about this unusual manor to know it has no sizable windows and only the one exterior door that you all just came in. Thus, you know that the murderer is still somewhere in the manor, as he would have had to pass by you to get out.

Just looking at the manor you can see that he did not believe in having large windows, or any window at all in some rooms; and seems to have only one door into, or out, of the manor. Upon arrival, you all have only seen the entry way, the receiving room and the dining room. No one in your group really knows much about the manor other than what is known by way of rumors. Folks in town and in the surrounding area openly tell how eccentric Lord Waverly was. Supposedly he has eclectic collections including exotic animals. The manor is said to be decorated and organized in an illogical manner, with absolutely no regard to organization, or taste.

So do you stay together as a group, or separate to search more quickly? Whatever you decide, watch your back, watch for traps or hazards, and beware when you get the murderer cornered – he will want to escape! Once you do discover the murderer, he will bolt for the front door. You must apprehend him before he escapes. All the doors in the manor are closed, some are locked, some are totally blocked. Who knows, there may even be secret passageway.

You will be playing as one of Lord Waverly’s dinner guests. Each guest has a set of Ability Ratings: Brawn, Wits, Knowledge and Grace. Plus, each guest has a Health total, and an Initiative Rank. Throughout the game, checks will need to be made against these Ability Ratings. Struggles with advisories will use these same Ability Ratings. Some items found in the manor can be used to enhance these Ability Ratings. Also, each guest has their own quirk, or an ability unique to them. Use them to survive and help capture the villain.

Winning condition: first, you must find the murder weapon, the motive, and a means of restraint. Then you need to locate the murderer himself, and restrain him for one complete round.

Losing condition: the game can be lost in one of three ways: 1) all the guests are knocked out at the same time, 2) the murderer escapes from the manor, or 3) the wrong weapon or motive was found.

The rules for this game may be downloaded - either as 8.5 x 11 sheets or as a 11 x 17 booklet.