New Skill(?): Investigate

[Gemphyre]

I have a character in the game that I am running that is planning on buying a new skill or two for his character. The character in this case is basically a physically tough and durable detective. He has Deduction, Conversation, Persuasion, Shadowing, Stealth, and Tracking. The next skill that he wants is the Investigate skill, which is not in any of the books I have for the Hero System. (I do not yet have The Ultimate Skill.) For the moment, I have suggested that he take Criminology, which covers some of the same things.

 

What I am going to do in the near future is ask him to write out exactly what he considers the Investigate skill should be and include, and see if it works as a new skill, or if it is covered by other skills.

 

My question to the more experienced heads here is what YOU think an Investigate skill should include, and what it shouldn't. Or, if appropriate, what other skills already exist that cover the breadth of what you think the Investigate skill would or should include.

 

Gemphyre

[ghost-angel]

Re: New Skill(?): Investigate

 

I would be interested what you see this getting you (Investigate is not in TUS as a separate skill).

 

I see this being a function of Streetwise, with any number of other possible skills being Complimentary depending on the specific situations at hand.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: New Skill(?): Investigate

 

What I am going to do in the near future is ask him to write out exactly what he considers the Investigate skill should be and include' date=' and see if it works as a new skill, or if it is covered by other skills.[/quote']

 

You should do this.

 

Edit: I see nothing at all wrong with making it its own skill, but at the moment no one knows what the player means by "the Investigate skill". There's really not a lot more can be said until we do know more.

[Nolgroth]

Re: New Skill(?): Investigate

 

Investigation is actually more a function of role-playing all the skills you listed in the act of gathering evidence (Criminology and/or PS: Forensic Evidence Gathering) and testimony (Conversation, Persuasion and/or Interrogation). The other skills you mentioned, Shadowing, Stealth and Tracking help follow suspects or potential witnesses in order to apply any of the above skills. Streetwise lets you create and deal with Contacts in order to get information from snitches.

 

I really don't see a need for a new skill to do all that. Of course, if you want to add that to your game, go ahead. This is HERO after all.

[Gemphyre]

Re: New Skill(?): Investigate

 

I would be interested what you see this getting you (Investigate is not in TUS as a separate skill).

 

I see this being a function of Streetwise, with any number of other possible skills being Complimentary depending on the specific situations at hand.

 

As do I, with Criminology and Research. However, that is why I asked the player to define what he meant by it. He is an experienced gamer, just not as much with the Hero System. With knowledge of his viewpoint, I can make a decision. I figure I will get something back from him by the end of the week.

 

Gemphyre

[Gemphyre]

Re: New Skill(?): Investigate

 

You should do this.

 

Edit: I see nothing at all wrong with making it its own skill, but at the moment no one knows what the player means by "the Investigate skill". There's really not a lot more can be said until we do know more.

 

Which is why I asked him to write out what HE meant by it. The "near future" in this case was this evening, after I wrote the post.

 

I was interested as well as what others thought that this skill might entail.

 

Gemphyre

[ghost-angel]

Re: New Skill(?): Investigate

 

As do I, with Criminology and Research. However, that is why I asked the player to define what he meant by it. He is an experienced gamer, just not as much with the Hero System. With knowledge of his viewpoint, I can make a decision. I figure I will get something back from him by the end of the week.

 

Gemphyre

 

Bribery, Conversation, High Society, pertinent KS and Deduction might also be appropriate to any given situation involving Streetwise.

 

If you have Pulp Hero the Detective Package Deal has some good suggestions. As does the Private Investigator Package Deal in Dark Champions.

 

Basically, "Investigate" is what the PC does, the other skills are how he does it in game. I really don't see "Investigate" being a separate skill.

[Trebuchet]

Re: New Skill(?): Investigate

 

Bribery, Conversation, High Society, pertinent KS and Deduction might also be appropriate to any given situation involving Streetwise.

 

If you have Pulp Hero the Detective Package Deal has some good suggestions. As does the Private Investigator Package Deal in Dark Champions.

 

Basically, "Investigate" is what the PC does, the other skills are how he does it in game. I really don't see "Investigate" being a separate skill.

I agree. "Investigate" is something one does, not a skill one possesses.

 

I view Investigate as being similar to the new skill "Research" in TUSK. It might help you figure out how to find a particular bit of information, but you'll still need other skills to interpret that data. I would think PS: Investigator or PS: Detective would suffice; with other skills as Supplemental.

[Gemphyre]

Re: New Skill(?): Investigate

 

Bribery, Conversation, High Society, pertinent KS and Deduction might also be appropriate to any given situation involving Streetwise.

 

If you have Pulp Hero the Detective Package Deal has some good suggestions. As does the Private Investigator Package Deal in Dark Champions.

 

Basically, "Investigate" is what the PC does, the other skills are how he does it in game. I really don't see "Investigate" being a separate skill.

 

Most of those he has already. High Society would be out of character for him, and Bribery might be next on the list.

 

I just got Dark Champions a couple days ago, but I have not read it yet. So I did not know about the package deal.

 

And I agree that Investigate probably should not be a separate skill, but I want what the player sees the skill as as well as comments from more experienced heads, which is why I started this thread. After knowing what the player sees the Investigate skill as being, I will have a better idea how to approach the question. Most likely, it will be a case of most of the pieces are actually covered by other skills.

 

Gemphyre

[ghost-angel]

Re: New Skill(?): Investigate

 

I agree. "Investigate" is something one does, not a skill one possesses.

 

I view Investigate as being similar to the new skill "Research" in TUSK. It might help you figure out how to find a particular bit of information, but you'll still need other skills to interpret that data. I would think PS: Investigator or PS: Detective would suffice; with other skills as Supplemental.

 

Well, the new Research skill states it is almost exclusively a Complimentary Skill.

 

Research is knowing where to look, not what to look for.

 

I actually see Research as the Intellect version of Streetwise, you know who to ask, where to go to talk to them. But another skill actually gets you the information (Conversation with the drug dealer in the case of Streetwise, a KS in the case of Research).

 

I rather like it that way.

 

In that line of thought .... renaming Streetwise to "Investigate" could be a genre appropriate flavor change.

[gojira]

Re: New Skill(?): Investigate

 

There used to be a skill called Detective, I think. It basically was Criminology and Deduction rolled into one. PS: Detective is a good idea; it could be used to allow the player to get advice from the GM. I.e., if the *player* isn't a very good detective, he could make a roll to have the GM slip him some hints.

 

Ditto with Investigate. Use it as a player hint guide. Allow it to be a complimentary skill for Criminology and Deduction too. Maybe call it PS: Investigator or PS: Crimefighter if appropriate.

[Mad Fnorder]

Re: New Skill(?): Investigate

 

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Concealment yet as part of a detective package- the same skill that's used to hide things is used to spot those hidden things.

[Alibear]

Re: New Skill(?): Investigate

 

If he wants to know the latest way of investigating used by Police officers you could let him buy a PS or KS Detective Work depending how you saw that skill being used.

 

A PS might mean he would know how to tick all the right boxes when building a case for prosecution and didn't make any errors which might quash a convition etc. He would know which departments handled which jobs for the detectives etc.

 

A KS might mean he would know all the latest techniques used by Detectives and perhaps think of ways of staying one step ahead of the law. he would know which methods are used to gather trace evidence and what he might do to stop himself leaving any behind for example.