While I like the James Bond genre, most of my attempts at playing spies looks like "Johnny English". One of the things I like is the ability to reason likely courses of action, past or present. Much like Sherlock Holmes and Jack Reacher. While that skill would be heavily influenced by INT and EDU, how would you write it up so average characters could be better?
Deduction and Induction as skills?
- Thread starter Leitz
- Start date
Intelligence and Education are pretty key here. You can use the various sciences available to scientist characters as a back up (areas of specialty). I would either go for a straight roll against Int or Edu or divide each stat by 5, round down (the MegaTraveller way) and add it as a +DM for a saving throw.
Straight INT/EDU is one of the things I try to avoid. While I like playing brilliant characters, sometimes the average person who is very good at something is fun.
In the game I'm in, my character's stats are pretty average. Except for SOC, I don't think he gets any mods, and SOC is a negative mod! Arthur and I have chatted about taking the game to a James Bond genre and the other three characters are noticeably more intelligent and talented in that arena.
While I'm happy to keep my Marine going as a combat wombat, it would be nice if he had some options that worked with the rest of the group when no one was shooting at us.
Addendum: Of the four total players, one is Psionic. If you average stats, my character's come out to 6.33. The others are 8.0, 8.16. and 8.71. Thus, basing things off stats is not to my character's advantage.
Not whining, mind you, just trying to see how to merge what is into what could be.
In the game I'm in, my character's stats are pretty average. Except for SOC, I don't think he gets any mods, and SOC is a negative mod! Arthur and I have chatted about taking the game to a James Bond genre and the other three characters are noticeably more intelligent and talented in that arena.
While I'm happy to keep my Marine going as a combat wombat, it would be nice if he had some options that worked with the rest of the group when no one was shooting at us.
Addendum: Of the four total players, one is Psionic. If you average stats, my character's come out to 6.33. The others are 8.0, 8.16. and 8.71. Thus, basing things off stats is not to my character's advantage.
Not whining, mind you, just trying to see how to merge what is into what could be.
kilemall
SOC-14 5K
Well, you could always assign a skill literally called Investigation for a LE type character, or Logic to cover both deduction and induction. Some Traveller versions after CT have Investigation I believe.
Intelligence is obviously the ruling stat for this, in my case since my IMTU task rolls are stat+skill based +/- difficulty it looms rather larger then most system rolls.
Education however should be a big part of the deductive process and therefore roll(s). Having background knowledge that applies allows more rapid pattern recognition and previously noted modus operandis and/or professional knowledge about how specific people will act within their training.
A knowledge check for personally known background should include the education stat, and applying skills when appropriate (so Tactics for violent crime scene forensics, Administration for tracing embezzlement or fraud, Computers for hacking moves, Legal for figuring out what evidence or witnesses are critical for prosecution and thus targets, etc.).
Jack of all Trades can be a decisive skill here, and would handle superdetective/psychology rolls for Holmes and Reacher types.
Other more mundane/mortal people would consult experts on a given evidence/psych behavior/training issue, the extant Interrogation skill could be used by the deductive character to question experts and possibly gain a temporary + mod for specific knowledge applied to the current problem.
I also use a home rule of converting 1 Education stat into 4 knowledge specialties in whatever combination. I use this so people can have interesting hobbies or expertise not covered in base skills, so sometimes those can come into play, or this mechanism covers a consulted experts' knowledge. Other post-CT systems are apparently working this direction as well.
I usually have knowledge success modify difficulty level of the actual deductive intelligence roll- other systems require X amount of success checks for a particular investigation. Your solution may vary.
Final thought, you will need to have material prepared if your players develop a taste for or you make known that this sort of action is possible in your sessions, or at least know your NPCs well enough to make snap judgements about what they will do and why.
Intelligence is obviously the ruling stat for this, in my case since my IMTU task rolls are stat+skill based +/- difficulty it looms rather larger then most system rolls.
Education however should be a big part of the deductive process and therefore roll(s). Having background knowledge that applies allows more rapid pattern recognition and previously noted modus operandis and/or professional knowledge about how specific people will act within their training.
A knowledge check for personally known background should include the education stat, and applying skills when appropriate (so Tactics for violent crime scene forensics, Administration for tracing embezzlement or fraud, Computers for hacking moves, Legal for figuring out what evidence or witnesses are critical for prosecution and thus targets, etc.).
Jack of all Trades can be a decisive skill here, and would handle superdetective/psychology rolls for Holmes and Reacher types.
Other more mundane/mortal people would consult experts on a given evidence/psych behavior/training issue, the extant Interrogation skill could be used by the deductive character to question experts and possibly gain a temporary + mod for specific knowledge applied to the current problem.
I also use a home rule of converting 1 Education stat into 4 knowledge specialties in whatever combination. I use this so people can have interesting hobbies or expertise not covered in base skills, so sometimes those can come into play, or this mechanism covers a consulted experts' knowledge. Other post-CT systems are apparently working this direction as well.
I usually have knowledge success modify difficulty level of the actual deductive intelligence roll- other systems require X amount of success checks for a particular investigation. Your solution may vary.
Final thought, you will need to have material prepared if your players develop a taste for or you make known that this sort of action is possible in your sessions, or at least know your NPCs well enough to make snap judgements about what they will do and why.
perhaps stats could be broken down further into ... I dunno, traits. int could encompass insight, memory, social skills, pattern recognition, facial recognition, "sixth sense", perception - 2d6 for each. edu could encompass formal education, random reading, experience, "hard knocks", social setting - 2d6 for each. then deduction/insight could be implemented and managed objectively rather than subjectively.
"he says he met a duke and had a conversation with him. but you've never dealt with nobles so you have no way of evaluating his version of the conversation. roll a very difficult task vs your social skills stat." or "he says he met a duke and had a conversation with him. you frequently have dealt with nobles so you are able to evaluate his version of the conversation. roll an unusual task vs your social skills stat." etc.
