Last Odyssey

Investigation

Players who arrive in a new area will often be ignorant of the traits of warriors, the local weather patterns, the Lore of the world an/or an area, or other information pertinent to their objectives. This information can be worked for, traded for, bartered for, or be handed out as a quest reward, but at bare minimum players may learn things about their surroundings by making an investigation. When a player wants to learn something new about their immediate surroundings or about a topic about which they have access to information, they first pick the attribute that is most relevant to the manner in which they are gathering information and then cast the outcome die. If the result is equal to or below their current value in that attribute, with a 10 or above in a given attribute counting as a 9, they will be able to ask 2d6 questions about the topic for the GM to answer. If the result is above their target number, they do not “fail” but instead are able to ask 1d6 questions about the fiction. Once the investigation is made, the player may continue to learn more information about the fiction, but must do so by directly narrating their characters’ actions.

When the GM answers a player’s question during an investigation, they should always respond with either the truth, or with a hint. For example, if the players are looking for a particular NPC, and a player’s first question is where that NPC is, the GM is not obligated to tell them, but might instead tell them that they overhear a conversation about their whereabouts suggesting they won’t be found at home. Whether to tell the players the answer or give them a hint is up to the GM. The author recommends that hints be given when the GM wants the investigation to go on for longer, and the truth be given when it feels like it’s time to move on to the next phase of play.

Types of Investigation

Type Description
Tracking When attempting to find information by making direct use of their character’s five senses, the player should receive a result equal to or under their character’s Body.
Research When attempting to find information using technical or academic knowledge such as reading and mathematics, the player should receive a result equal to or under their character’s Mind.
Insight When attempting to find information based on social insight, such as interrogation or light conversation, the player should receive a result equal to or under their character’s Spirit.

If players do not have any questions in mind, they can participate in a directionless investigation. During a directionless investigation, a player declares what their character does rather than ask any questions of the GM. They will then learn 1d4 pieces of information of the GM’s choice. Undergoing a directionless investigation also expends the same amount of time that a normal investigation related to the same topic would take.

Investigation During Discovery

Whether a Hero’s attempts to gather information count as investigation depends on context. Investigations are appropriate in situations when characters must spend a great deal of time finding information, such as when they go to the library or when they spend the night in a crowded tavern. They are also appropriate for handling any instance of active observation, such as investigating a crime scene or sizing up a possibly dangerous individual. Finally, they are also useful for helping provide puzzle clues to players to help them get started. Beyond that, any additional types of investigation that would not be covered by other rules are a matter of GM fiat.

If another Hero aids the character whose player is making an investigation, each additional investigating character does not increase the total number of questions asked. Instead, each of the participants makes the same check separately, and if at least one of the receives a result equal to or under the relevant attribute, they may all ask 2d6 questions in total. If none of the results are equal to or above the required number, they may only ask 1d6 questions in total instead.

If certain kinds of information are not accessible via a standard investigation, players also have the option of earning it as a reward for tasks or directly buying it with ¤. When taking this option, a question that is common knowledge for people in the area is worth 1 ¤, a question that is only answerable by a professional is worth 5 ¤, and a question that is rare or unique is worth at least 100 ¤, if not more, in addition to the blood, sweat, and tears involved in figuring out whom to ask. Not everyone can be bribed, of course, but people of influence and people whose professions revolve around knowledge gathering will be happy to accept money in exchange for sharing what they know.

Investigation During Travel

When contextually appropriate, characters may make one single investigation during the Camping Phase of the travel round in addition to the main action they are taking. For example, if they take the Watch action, they could make a Tracking investigation to use their senses to ask questions about the area around their campsite. In addition, any time they spend a long time with an NPC during either the Camping Phase or an equivalent amount of time, such as when resting, they can always make a directionless investigation to learn a few things the NPC knows. Learning information in this manner is referred to as Gossip. Note that the outcome of an investigation does not affect the outcome of any of the travel actions the Heroes take during the travel round. So for example, an investigation could not in and of itself prevent an ambush.

What Counts As An Investigation?

Not every question that the players ask will be worthy of an investigation. If a piece of information is common knowledge or it is reasonable that a player would know it due to their particular background, the GM should simply provide it to the players directly. However, there are several categories of question that will always require an investigation to answer. These are: