Investigation

Investigation
Investigation is the ability to look for things and, hopefully, find them. This is the skill you use to actively look for something—like searching a crime scene or trying to spot a hidden enemy that you know is somewhere near. Characters with a high Investigation discover the most hidden clues; when they focus their attention on something, they can perceive details more fully and deeply than others. These people include private investigators, reporters, and cops.



Eavesdropping
''You can use Investigation to focus attention on a target in order to perceive details that you might normally miss. For example, when trying to hear something that might be difficult to pick up on casually, roll Investigation. This makes a strong Investigation skill paramount for eavesdroppers and gossip hounds. All it requires is the investment of time and attention. ''

  

Examination
''Deliberately using an assessment action to look for clues, deep patterns, or hidden flaws in something most commonly calls for the Investigation skill. This makes Investigation the flip-side of Alertness: it is mindful, deliberate perception, in contrast to the passive perception of Alertness. An equivalent Investigation effort is nearly always going to yield better, more in-depth information than an Alertness effort would. The downside is that Investigation is far more time consuming—“ minutes to hours,” as opposed to “seconds to minutes.” ''

''<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Also, this is the trapping used to verify the truth of information, whether it’s checking up on a rumor you got via Contacts  or spotting a forged document in a pile of paperwork. ''<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">

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<span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">Surveillance
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal;margin-left:24px;">''<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Surveillance is the art of using Investigation to keep track of a target over an extended period of time, whether by watching a fixed location or by following the target on foot through busy city streets. ''<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal;margin-left:24px;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">''If the investigator is looking to keep an eye on his target without being seen, a second roll is necessary (using Stealth), per the Shadowing. Long-term Surveillance may call for Endurance rolls as you begin to find it difficult to stay awake or keep from running off to a nearby bathroom. Equipment can aid the roll or remove the need for it entirely; a thermos of coffee and an empty bottle are practically “musts” in the professional surveillance business. Having a second person help out so you can take a break is a plus as well.''