Inquiry

Secrets abound on Scarterra be they the identity of the power behind the king’s throne, or the method of smuggling illicit goods into a city, or the reason for a brutal murder or the gathering place for a group of heretics.   Investigation involves looking for clues, talking to informed parties, and making leaps of logic. The base roll for looking for physical clues is usually Perception + Investigation.   Talking to people for clues involves Charisma + Investigation unless they are reluctant to share information directly in which case Manipulation + Investigation is called for.   Difficulty varies with both the thoroughness of the investigator and the obscurity of what is being sought. A day of methodical searching would typically be a difficulty 4 roll. Roughly a scene of investigation would be a difficulty 5 roll and a few minutes of searching followed by deduction would be difficulty 7.   One success provides basic details while multiple successes provides detailed information and may allow for deductions based on physical evidence. On a botch, assume the investigator overlooked obvious clues or even destroyed some clues. Sometimes a botch leads the investigator on a wild goose change in an erroneous and often dangerous direction.   At the game master’s discretion, investigation could represent an extended roll over several days’ work as the investigator gradually gets closer to his goal.