Investigation | fallen-is-gotham

INVESTIGATION

Intellect • Trained Only

You know how to search for and study clues, gather in- formation through interviews and surveillance, and ana- lyze evidence to help solve crimes. The GM may make In- vestigation checks for you in secret, so you do not know exactly what you have found, or if you may have missed something.

You can search an area for clues, hidden items, traps, and other details. Perception allows you to immediately notice things, while an Investigation check allows you to pick up on details with some effort.

To determine how long it takes to search a given area, take the total area measurement (in square feet, yards, or miles), find the time measurement for that distance, and add 4. So searching 60 square feet (roughly an 8 ft. by 8 ft. room) takes the time rank of 60 feet (rank 1), plus 4, or 4 minutes (time rank 5). Searching a square mile takes the time rank of 1 mile (rank 8), plus 4, or eight hours (time rank 12). The DC for an Investigation check to find a concealed ob-ject is usually opposed by the Stealth or Sleight of Hand check of the character who hid it.

GATHER EVIDENCE

To collect a piece of evidence for analysis, make an Investi- gation check (DC 15). If the check succeeds, the evidence can be analyzed (see the following). If the check fails, an analysis can be done, but with a –5 penalty for highly unfavorable circumstances. With more than one degree of failure, the evidence is ruined and no analysis can be done. On the other hand, two or more degrees of success provide a +2 circumstance bonus to later analysis.

ANALYZE EVIDENCE

You can make an Investigation check to apply forensic knowledge to evidence. This function of Investigation does not give you clues where none exist. It simply allows you to extract useful information from evidence and clues you have found.

The base DC 15 is modified by the time elapsed since the evidence was left, and whether or not the scene was dis- turbed. Success gives you information based on the clue (as determined by the GM). Two or more degrees of failure may provide misleading or confusing evidence, also at the GM’s discretion.

GATHER INFORMATION

You know how to make contacts, collect gossip and ru- mors, question informants, and otherwise get information from people.

By succeeding at a DC 10 Investigation check and taking at least an hour, you get a feel for the major news and rumors in an area. This assumes no obvious reasons ex- ist why information would be withheld. The degree of the check result determines the completeness and detail of the information. Information ranges from general to pro- tected, and the DC increases accordingly for the type of information, as given on the table. Failure on the Investigation check means you waste time turning up nothing of value. An additional degree of fail- ure means you also alert someone who may be interested in your inquiries, perhaps even someone you are investi- gating!

SURVEILLANCE

You can set up surveillance of a particular area, watching from a stationary location. The DC of the subject’s Stealth check to evade your notice is equal to the result of your Investigation check. For actively following a subject, see Tailing in the Stealth skill description.