Criminal Profiling

[Bolon]

Has anyone ever done a skill based on criminal profiling for Dark Champions? I have been watching Criminal Minds and have been picking up details on what could be used for a Profiling as a Science skill in the Psychology branch. I would make it up as a pseudo science since I am sure that we will not have or want to have all the details to make it totally accurate but could be a great way to create clues and info for the crimefighters. Has anyone done anything on this? I am compiling a list and might create an article on this.

[Panpiper]

Re: Criminal Profiling

 

I have no idea, but I look forward to what you come up with.

[Ragitsu]

Re: Criminal Profiling

 

Psychological Limitation: Obsessed with figuring out killer's motive.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Criminal Profiling

 

Criminology

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminology

[Bolon]

Re: Criminal Profiling

 

As an obsession or disadvantage, the need to find the killer's motives would require roleplaying or something where the hero would be tempted or do things that would allow the criminal to get away in order to trade the information. This would be interesting but is not what I am looking for.

 

If you used actual criminology, I think it would be too dragging down in the game for those without a criminology background and might go towards too realistic to be managable for the gamemaster unless he/she is a criminologist. I plan to look at profiling in a format that would simplified and more game friendly than highly realistic although would work. The gamemasters and players would have a simple reference and another way to gather information to solve crimes. Dark Champions, the Hero System and roleplaying in general, have a difficulty with creation of clues that keep the game interesting. The games are better designed for combat and roleplaying in less deductive aspects. The profiling will give the players more options to encounter the villain rather than show up for the battle of the week. This is the idea of what I am working on. I am wondering if anyone has looked at this before or tried to create rules. Thanks.

[Bolon]

Re: Criminal Profiling

 

Here is the beginning of what I am working on.

Criminal Profiling is a subskill of Criminology and would be at a -2 to use with criminology as it is specialized. There are 3 rolls that can be used to determine information about a criminal. This works to find out the pattern of a criminal behavior. Simple street crime for wealth is without the same patterns and may turn up the results that it is motivated by simple motivations rather than sociopaths and psychopaths. This will also help with psychotic killers or extreme mental cases.

The Method of Crime will give details on the type of person committing the crime and what the unknown suspect is getting from the act. This can give details of motive or delusion that the suspect is looking to create with each act. This can give other details in the suspect’s life.

Target Selection would be about how the unknown suspect is choosing his victims and from where. This will also come from the scene of the act. This can also determine the area the suspect will hit next or where the suspect is likely to be based in.

Victimology is looking at the victim to determine what makes the victim a good target or a susceptible target to the method of the unknown suspect. This can be done by looking at the home and belongings of the victim to see what the suspect sees that makes the victim a target. It can be as simple as hair colour or as detailed as a character trait that makes them an easy victim.

[Bolon]

Re: Criminal Profiling

 

Update on Criminal Profiling

As stated before, it seems that the skill would have rolls based on specific areas. The target selection and victimology are so similiar that they would end up as the same roll. It would be accomplished in 2 separate ways though. There would also be a criminal geographical profiling. This would develop a zone or area that the criminal would use as a search area or territory for all their crimes. A good roll can be used to give details or even give an enhanced patrolling chance of finding the unknown suspect. The method of the crime including the advanced tracking skill would bring forward details about motive and therefore help to locate the suspect. All of this information can be used to reduce the suspect pool through known data bases. Depending on the depth of your campaign and knowledges, the gamemaster can decide on what can be found with the skills.

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Criminal Profiling

 

I think this might also be reflected as a variation on Analyze Motive.

 

(Just a suggestion.)

[Lucius]

Re: Criminal Profiling

 

Analyze: Crime

 

Lucius Alexander

 

PS: Palindromedary Rider

[Vondy]

Re: Criminal Profiling

 

Incidentally, the FBI has no formal "profiler" position. They have a behavioral sciences unit, which is its proper name. The agents don't specifically have to have psychology backgrounds, but most do as its highly competitive to get in. Instead, there is an extensive array of seminars and coursework they have to take to get certified. The notion of "criminal psychology" is relatively fractuous and unpopular despite the commonality of the term in popular parlance. Individual behaviors common to criminals are often common to honest citizens, including police officers. "Criminal Profiling" is really a combination of abnormal pyschology and tracking statistical norms for violent crimes. Profiling is essentially identifying likely offenders based on statistics and modus operandi based on pattern.

[megaplayboy]

Re: Criminal Profiling

 

Yeah, Abnormal Psych would work pretty well, as would PS: Forensic Psychologist, KS: Criminal Profiling Procedures, and so forth. It's a combination of psychology, compiled case studies, and educated guesswork. But, when paired with good forensic evidence collection, it can be highly effective.

[Tasha]

Re: Criminal Profiling

 

I wonder if a bunch of Knowledge Skills that cover different kinds of crime would also be part of criminal Profiling ie KS Serial Killers, KS Spree Killers, etc. Perhaps look at the characters in TV shows (esp the Real Crimes shows on cable) and characters in books (Fiction and non-fiction) with an eye toward noticing what expertise/knowledge they have. Then you can work on a package with similar skills.

[Bolon]

Re: Criminal Profiling

 

As it develops, you could involve numerous other subskills or complimentary skills. I am currently reading the "Numbers behind Numb3rs" book that details how the mathematics of Numb3rs is actually being done. The idea of adding subskills or complimentary skills would make your rolls that much better and therefore would require your gamemaster to give more details if such was available to you at such a time. I would say no as a GM if you show up and don't do any investigation but just throw out the dice roll. If your GM is one of these people who has a large variety of clues and likes to have numerous twists and turns in the case, a skill such as this would straighten out the road and keep the players on the right track. The same skill could also be used effectively by the GM to give the necessary information to liven the game by creating encounters and "leads" that end in exciting play.

 

Personally, I am thinking of going through the Dark Champions villain book and look at creating criminal profiles towards each entry. I would use it as a suggestion and might help me sort out how to make the villains more realistic or easier to see their motives and Modus Operandi. It would also cause me to see how these criminals avoid going to jail. I would be willing to discuss adding such a section to future editions of the villains once done. I do find the campaign usage section is more of ideas for adventures without really giving a section on how to effectively use a criminal.

[Ragitsu]

Re: Criminal Profiling

 

Happy One Year Anniversary to this thread!

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Criminal Profiling

 

Happy One Year Anniversary to this thread!

Happy First Anniversary!

[Bolon]

Re: Criminal Profiling

 

I am currently reading the Numbers Behind Numb3rs book and have started to write up how mathematics could be used as a skill for Dark Champions and how the game master can assign modifiers based on the role-playing to avoid just roll playing. Hope to get this done soon to add to this thread.