Study
Your ability to learn from observation, through scientific research, or by reading and learning.
Check
The Character can use Study to observer and learn from behavior, analyze a clue, collect and learn from evidence, and preforming research and science.
A Character will generally use a Perception check to discover clues and the Study skill to analyze the information or attempt to learn from it in some way. Perception is used to find the obvious clues in a room things that my stand out. But Study can reveal information in a room that is not obvious or is inherently complicated.
Observe Behavior
The Character can watch and learn about a Character from a distance. Giving them the ability to pick up on the nuances of a targets action that would otherwise be hidden from the untrained eye. This is useful to learn clues during a 'stack out' or while 'stalking' a target. The DC is up to the GM but normally its base is 15. It can normally take all day or all night and thus is cannot be tried again until next stack out.
Analyze Clue
The Character can make a Study check to apply forensics knowledge to a clue. This function of the Study skill does not give the character clues where none existed before. It simply allows the character to extract extra information from a clue he or she has found.
The base DC to analyze a clue is 15. It is modified by the time that has elapsed since the clue was left, and whether or not the scene was disturbed.
| Circumstances | DC Modifier |
|---|---|
| Every day since event (max modifier +10) | 2 |
| Scene is outdoors | 5 |
| Scene slightly disturbed | 2 |
| Scene moderately disturbed | 4 |
| Scene extremely disturbed | 6 |
A Character cannot Try Again to Analyze a Clue. They can submit it as Evidence and have a Lab 'Research' it or 'Research' it themselves. See below.
Collect Evidence
The character can collect and prepare evidence material for a lab. This use of the Study skill requires an Evidence kit.
To collect a piece of evidence, make a Study check (DC 15). If the character succeeds, the evidence is usable by a crime lab. If the character fails, a crime lab analysis can be done, but the lab takes a –5 penalty on any necessary check. If the character fails by 5 or more, the lab analysis simply cannot be done. On the other hand, if the character succeeds by 10 or more, the lab gains a +2 circumstance bonus on its checks to analyze the material.
This function of the Investigate skill does not provide the character with evidence items. It simply allows the character to collect items he or she has found in a manner that best aids in their analysis later, at a crime lab.
Researching a Topic/Item/Event
Researching a topic takes time, skill, and some luck. The GM determines how obscure a particular topic is (the more obscure, the higher the DC) and what kind of information might be available depending on where the character is conducting his or her research.
This is similar to Gather Information (Diplomacy check) however Gather Information requires communication with people while Researching is something one can do by themselves and depends on a different Ability Score. This can be done on Evidence collected using the 'Collect Evidence' check noted above.
Information ranges from general to protected. Given enough time (usually 1d6 hours) and a successful skill check, the character gets a general idea about a given topic. This assumes that no obvious reasons exist why such information would be unavailable, and that the character has a way to acquire restricted or protected information. The higher the check result, the better and more complete the information. If the character wants to discover a specific fact, date, map, or similar bit of information, add +5 to +15 to the DC.
Try Again
Generally, analyzing a clue again doesn’t add new insight unless another clue is introduced. Evidence collected cannot be recollected, unless there is more of it to take. A character can take 10 and 20 when making an Study check. Analyzing a clue is a full-round action. Collecting evidence generally takes 1d4 minutes per object. Lab work and research can take 1d6 hours.
Special
- Collecting evidence requires an Evidence Kit from General Equipment. If the character does not have the appropriate kit, the character takes double disadvantage penalty on his or her check.
- Researching a topic or event only requires a computer or to be at a Library. Special Access Computers or certain Libraries (with maybe a Librarian assistant) can provide bonuses. Helping someone one Research a topic or event can not only provide a bonus to the outcome but also decrease the time it takes.
- Researching an object like Evidence requires a Lab of some sort. A Science Lab or Crime Lab are two good examples. Without a lab the Character can only 'Analyze' it.
- Feats:
- A Character with the Attentive Feat, gets a Misc +1 bonus to Study and Sense Motive skills. At level Character Lvl 12 this turns into +2 for both Study and Sense Motive skills.
- A Character with the Meticulous Feat, gets Misc +1 bonus to both the Decipher Script and the Study skill.
- A Character with the Studious Feat, gets Misc +2 bonus on the Study skill and a Misc +1 to any Knowledge skill.