Template:Examine Scene/Conceal Evidence

Examine Scene/Conceal Evidence (Investigation)

Whereas the Awareness Ability focuses on observing sensory details at the immediate level, Investigation operates on a dramatic time scale to actively hunt for clues and draw conclusions over the course of a scene. Characters must spend at least 15 minutes actively searching a location as a dramatic action in order for their players to make a single roll of (Perception + Investigation). The difficulty of the roll depends on whether anyone has attempted to deliberately tamper with or conceal evidence. If not, the difficulty is 1-5 as assigned by the Storyteller based on the subtlety of the crime scene and the scarcity of clues. For every success, the character uncovers one detail that is most plausibly relevant to the subject of his search (or one that is most unusual, if he's searching without a particular purpose in mind). These clues could be red herrings, though the Storyteller should make at least half the uncovered clues legitimate. If the character is reconstructing the events of a crime, rather than looking for contraband or incriminating possessions in someone's house, the Storyteller should also provide the most plausible explanation based on the evidence available. The player may also designate that an investigator is considering outlandish theories, in which case the Storyteller should suggest several to spark creativity, none of which need have the slightest bearing on the truth.

By default, these rules assume that a character is ransacking a scene, pulling out drawers, overturning mattresses, moving bodies and generally making a mess. If a character wishes to be subtle, she suffers an internal penalty of -4, but the players of characters who enter the scene later must make successful (Perception + Awareness) rolls against a difficulty of the searcher's Wits to notice anything amiss.

Concealing or tampering with evidence requires a (Wits + Investigation) roll at standard difficulty and takes as long to perform as a search. The successes on this roll replace the difficulty to search the scene if they are better. Each subsequent tampering beyond the first is at a cumulative +1 difficulty. Apply the highest number of successes or the natural difficulty of the scene as the difficulty, whatever is highest.