I'm planning to use Genesys to run an investigation-based game along the lines of Call of Cthulhu . Indeed, I'm planning to adapt some CoC scenarios to Genesys and want to preserve some of the flavor without introducing new skills.

One of the sticking points is CoC's Library Use. In that game, one of your team's go-to moves is to head to the library, town hall, the newspaper archives, the police station, etc. to dig up information on people, places, or events you'd like to know more about. However, rather than adding a Library Use skill to Genesys, I'd like to simply roll this type of thing into the various Knowledge skills. That said, I'd like to still encourage PCs to head to the library or the archives to do these sorts of checks. To that end, I was hoping for some feedback on the following, a slight codification of why it might be beneficial to go to a library rather than just doing a vanilla Knowledge check. Here goes:

Quote

Each library or archive has at least one area of focus based on the resources it holds. This focus determines the specific Knowledge skill or skills that the repository supports. When using these resources while making one of these Knowledge skills, characters always count as having the right tools for the job (see page 93 of the Genesys Core Rulebook). Libraries and archives may add one or more boost dice to these checks to represent particularly extensive collections, intuitive collections organization, or dedicated research staff.

Generally, librarians, archivists, and other custodians of records are too busy to add more than a boost die to checks within their establishment. However, Triumph or several Advantage on a social check versus a librarian, archivist, or clerk NPC may be enough to convince the professional to take a more direct interest in the PCs' research, allowing for a combined check with the PCs. Assume that most such professionals have at least three ranks in the Knowledge skill or skills in which their institution specializes.

Look good? Any other benefits I might be overlooking? Anything you'd tweak?

I'm a little confused about the second part.

What if you want to use a social skill to ask the librarian for help? Would you still need the Triumph or advantage in addition to a success to get the to help you? If so, what does the bare success give me?

1 hour ago, kaosoe said:

I'm a little confused about the second part.

What if you want to use a social skill to ask the librarian for help? Would you still need the Triumph or advantage in addition to a success to get the to help you? If so, what does the bare success give me?

Good question. I'm torn between wanting to abstract the process while still allowing social characters to help with the process.

Part of the solution is to add something about how certain collections will be off-limits to folks without the right credentials. For instance, a random schlub off the street won't be able to access confidential police files without the proper credentials, unless they somehow convince the desk officer to grant them access via a social check.

So what happens with something like a public library that has research staff? I'm inclined to say that staff assistance is abstracted into the Knowledge check as a boost or two. The research staff won't do your research for you, and a default visit to the library probably shouldn't involve an opposed Charm check.

But perhaps there should be an option to allow such a social check if the PCs desire. On success (rather than a Triumph), the PCs get to make a combined check with the librarian or archivist. Simple failure means the professional is too busy to help, while Threats and Despairs might indicate that they take you down a blind alley and actually hinder you in some way (probably via time lost).

If this were Star Wars , I'd be inclined to allow Respected Scholar to help with such checks. Indeed, perhaps that talent could downgrade the difficulty of any Knowledge check made while in an "institution of higher learning."

I adapted the Investigation rules from the EotE No Disintegrations book. This might be helpful for you.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hktmfxn2rp622vk/Investigations v1.0.2.pdf?dl=0

2 hours ago, drainsmith said:

I adapted the Investigation rules from the EotE No Disintegrations book. This might be helpful for you.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hktmfxn2rp622vk/Investigations v1.0.2.pdf?dl=0

Yep, those are very helpful, and I'm taking them into account. The Star Wars rules adapted there sort of imply that libraries and archives are involved in Knowledge (or Computers) checks, but not to the degree that I'd like to encourage their use. For instance, a Daunting (PPPP) Knowledge check would be to find "obscure information that requires significant research by only experienced people within a profession or known to a very few select persons." But it's unclear whether you have to be in a library or archive to even attempt such a roll, or if you can just make the roll on the fly. Most GMs seem to default to allowing such a check no matter where the PCs are located geographically, so I want to add some incentive for the PCs to visit the library or archive to improve their chances of passing such a check.

Instead of having a said described effect why not just make it an investigation scene ? Pc can work together maybe as a skill challange or just make the points being investigated not tied to a specific knowledge check.

Just hint at them there might be more for you to discover at the local librarie when they ask if they can make knowledge checks. Then make a investigation scene some might research books other can flirt with the librarian or make perception checks while flipping through old newspapers.

5 hours ago, Archellus said:

Instead of having a said described effect why not just make it an investigation scene ? Pc can work together maybe as a skill challange or just make the points being investigated not tied to a specific knowledge check.

Just hint at them there might be more for you to discover at the local librarie when they ask if they can make knowledge checks. Then make a investigation scene some might research books other can flirt with the librarian or make perception checks while flipping through old newspapers.

That's not a bad idea. But I think I'd reserve that for plot-critical moments. Like, say the heroes are trying to find the one ledger in the kingdom that proves that the king is actually an imposter. Someone runs interference while another searches for it, etc.

It'd be too much to do that every time the PCs just want to make a Knowledge check with no penalty. I mean, in CoC, PCs often visit a library or town hall and roll Library Use to do simple things like trying to find the property record of the house they're investigating, to see if someone has a criminal record, etc. I wouldn't want to RP out every little scene like that.

You might consider reducing the difficulty of the checks instead of simply giving boost dice. After all finding a piece of information in a library is probably easier than finding it elsewhere. You might reserve the social checks for getting access to the restricted or uncatalogued areas which reduce the difficulty twice instead of once (so really important if you need to make a daunting or formidable check). Triumph could get you an introduction or connection to an author, witness, or an expert on the subject beyond the library- providing a new opportunity for social checks or encounters.

Those are good ideas. I agree that the social checks should be used for getting access to restricted areas, or for crucial scenes as opposed to background research. The amount of difficulty reduction might depend on the size of the library; you'll have a lot more luck at the Harvard library than a neighborhood regional library, although the latter could still remove some setbacks for research on local topics.