GLÅUGUST 2026 - 4

22 Aug, 2026

This is a continuation of my entries to the GLÅUGUST 2026 challenges. You can review all previous posts here:

• GLÅUGUST 2026 - 1
• GLÅUGUST 2026 - 2
• GLÅUGUST 2026 - 3

If you want to follow along, you can read the Nothic's Eye GLÅUGUST 2026 challenges here.

Challenge the Fourth

6 - System for legal arguments in a court of law

OK: I'm channeling my inner Ace Attorney, Danganronpa, Clue, and Kill Doctor Lucky (I am fully ignorant to the ways of a standard court of law).

In this game, you play the underdog prosecution against the horribly guilty accused and their richly vile defense attorney. If you fail to convince the jury that the accused is, in fact, guilty, then you lose and the bad guys win (notably worse than if you had simply just lost). The game relies on a heavy amount of creativity. Consider watching or reading a murder mystery beforehand.

Before beginning the trial, write down the following:

• DIFFICULTY: Difficulty is 4. Difficulty reduces when you convince the jury of something.
• THE ACCUSED: Who are they?
  • Examples: Megacorp Founder, Retired Billionaire, Athlete, Government Official, etc.
  • Give them an evil name: Max Vilian, Lucy Sneer, Will Kilieu.
• THE CRIME: What did the accused do?
• THE FIRST CLUE: Why did they get dragged to court?
  • Examples: They left their handkerchief at the crime scene, they came home covered in obvious fluids (blood?), their fingerprints/DNA were identified at the crime scene, a witness saw them, etc.

The trial begins with you presenting THE FIRST CLUE and THE CRIME to the jury. Roll a d6 to determine their reaction:

• 1: They aren't really paying attention. (Difficulty -0)
• 2-5: They nod their heads. Sure, it's plausible. (Difficulty -1)
• 6: They lean in. They're hooked and interested. (Difficulty -2)

The defense attorney speaks next. They present FALSE EVIDENCE to the jury:

• FALSE EVIDENCE: An alibi which suggests THE FIRST CLUE is incorrect.
  • Examples: The handkerchief was stolen earlier in the week, the fluids came from a coincidental accident, the DNA was obviously tampered with, the witness was inebriated, etc.

It's back to you to refute the FALSE EVIDENCE with THE MOTIVE.

• THE MOTIVE: Why did they commit the crime?
  • Examples: Jealousy, Profit/Greed, Revenge, Pure Villainy, etc.

Then, while the whole court is listening, present THE SECOND CLUE.

• THE SECOND CLUE: How can you negate the FALSE EVIDENCE?
  • Examples: Frequently visits the scene, knows the victim intimately, additional witnesses, etc.

Now, roll a d6 to determine the jury's reaction (roll twice and take the higher number if you came up with some bangin' good evidence):

• 1-2: They ponder your words. (Difficulty -0)
• 3-5: They whisper to each other. (Difficulty -1)
• 6: They shake their heads at the accused. (Difficulty -2)

The defense attorney has another chance to speak, this time with a witness who denies your FIRST and SECOND CLUES. The jury grumbles and whispers. They need something to knock their socks off.

You present the THIRD & FINAL CLUE. This has been in your back pocket the whole time, learned by speaking with several witnesses, visiting the crime scene, and perhaps even interviewing the accused themself.

• THE THIRD & FINAL CLUE: Undeniable revelation about the true nature of the crime. Rewrite a previous clue into something completely new.
  • Examples: The handkerchief was actually a gun cleaning cloth, the fluids came from before the crime and left a trace on the crime scene, their DNA was mixed with an accomplice's, the witness who saw them was bribed, etc.

The jury always reacts favorably to the THIRD & FINAL CLUE. Roll a d6 (roll twice and take the higher number if you came up with some bangin' good evidence):

• 1-3: The defense attorney interrupts you with a FALSE CLUE, reducing the effect of your argument. (Difficulty -1)
  • THE FALSE CLUE: One fragment of your THIRD CLUE is denied. If you can come up with an explanation to refute it, you can re-roll the d6.
• 4-5: They rub their chins thoughtfully. (Difficulty -2)
• 6: As one they stand and point at the accused. (Difficulty -3)

At this point, the judge and jury discuss the evidence and make a decision. If you reduced the Difficulty to 0, you win the case! The accused is convicted to a suitable punishment. If you failed to reduce the Difficulty to 0, then your evidence wasn't spot on and the jury wasn't fully convinced. Roll another d6 and subtract the remaining difficulty:

• Less than 3: The jury denies your evidence and you lose the case. The bad guys win. Better luck next time, champ.
• More than 3: The jury debates for hours. They demand one more piece of evidence. Present something reasonable, and you win the case. Fail to come up with anything, and you lose.

Final Thoughts

Yeah I failed the Speed Mode. This week and last week's posts were well over 500 words, but I promise I needed those extra 250 words! (No, you're right, I definitely did not need them.)

I was surprised I was actually able to finish the court of law prompt, by the by. I rolled it and my mind went blank as I tried to think of what to write about. I've never played Ace Attorney, though I know about it. I've played a couple hours of Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, and watched a few episodes of the anime. I like Clue and Kill Doctor Lucky, but I wouldn't say I'm a master at those games. Also, I've yet to serve jury duty and haven't watched any judge TV shows.

In the end though, I think I did a fine job presenting a game about the court of law. I dunno if it's a "legal argument" or whatever, but it seems relatively fun as a creative outlet. I definitely enjoyed writing the examples for clues and false evidence.

Things on my radar:

• SilverNightingale has a cool post on running factions so that your players actually feel like they matter.
• RedMageGM just started a Mystic Wood adventure jam on itch. If you want to write a magic forest adventure, there is still time to join and submit!
• EasyMachinations writes about another method of approaching the "set of X keys" quest type. I think this is a cool way to bring the non-key-shaped keys into the fiction.
• Finally, I really enjoyed Castle Grief's post on describing regions using something other than a hex map.