In many games, especially in those with a more modern flavor, the characters may often partake in activities that are, shall we say, unsavory. Less than legal would be another way of putting it. Indictable yet another way.
So what happens when they do these things and the local constabulary get involved? The cops investigate, that's what! This happened to my group recently; let me explain.
Modern day game, and they are all investigators for a particular agency. They have tracked down their quarry to a Quonset hut, and are attempting a rescue. One of them breaks into the building. I have been a nice GM (for once) and a very large freight train has begun moving down the tracks that run right behind the building, so when she trips the motion sensors that sets the alarm bell ringing, no one hears it... except for the four goons left behind as guards.
In the ensuing conflict, all four of the guards are made dead, two with coup de grace bullet holes in their craniums. The characters are not spies, they do not have a license to kill or any such nonsense; they are PI's! They take their rescued targets, set the building on fire, and run like hell.
Now I gotta figure out how the cops are gonna react! So I sat down and devised the following little system. Then I figured I should share it! And so I am. Enjoy!
Constabulary Investigation System
This system is geared for the d20 system, but with simple changes in nomenclature alone, it would be sufficient for nearly any system out there (the easiest fix would be to change Difficulty Class (DC) into Target Number).
Quality
The constabulary in whose jurisdiction the crime has been committed have two major tasks to accomplish before an arrest can be made; they must examine the evidence and then piece together who did what to whom. And so, they have two skill checks they will need to make; Investigate and Gather Information. The number of ranks they have in these skills is dependent upon how good of a police department they are, and can be shown on the chart below.
Constabulary Quality
Skill Ranks Base Investigation Duration
Incompetent 1 rank 3d10 weeks
Poor 5 ranks 2d10 weeks
Average 10 ranks 1d10 weeks
Good 15 ranks 1d6 weeks
Excellent 20 ranks 1d4 weeks
The two skills may have different qualities; the investigating officers may be really on the ball (thus giving them a Good rating for Gather Information), but their forensics team may be troubled by internal politics or budget issues (thus giving them a Poor rating). This is up to the GM to determine.
The qualities of a particular constabulary also determine how long it will take them to reach a conclusion with their investigation. On the chart is a listing for Base Investigation Duration. Each quality has a listing, and the durations for both qualities are added together.
Size
Larger metropolitan police forces will often have large departments dedicated to certain types of crimes; on the other hand, small towns may have only a sheriff and three or four deputies. Because of this disparity, there is a Unit Size modifier. This acts as a modifier for the Constabulary's Gather Information skill.
Unit Size
Podunk -3
Small -2
Average 0
Above average +3
Large +5
Unwieldy (-6 to +6)
The listing for Unwieldy is for those organizations that are so huge that they can often become a hindrance to their own investigations due to combined inertia. These organizations can, conversely, be so large that they, in fact, work better and cover more ground. The modifier then ranges from -6 to +6. The actual determination is up to the GM.
Efficiency
Some police and crime lab / forensics units are models of efficiency, while others are slovenly and accident prone. The Unit Efficiency modifier reflects this. These modifiers are applied to the Constabulary's Investigate skill.
Unit Efficiency
Slovenly -1
Poor 0
Low +1
Average +3
High +5
Excellent +7
"Grissom" +10
Corruption
Some police departments are nigh-on uncorruptable (i.e. Elliot Ness during the American Prohibition Era), while some are so dirty that nothing ever gets done (i.e. Gotham in the Dark Knight movies). The Corruption Modifier acts as a modifier for both the Investigate and Gather Information skills.
Corruption Modifier
Controlled -5
Not all bad -4
Some good left -3
Could be worse -2
A few bad apples -1
Arrow straight 0
Crime Rate
Cities and towns all have their good spots and their bad ones. The worse off an area is where crime is concerned, the harder it becomes for law enforcement to do their job. A higher crime rate in a particular area means less cooperation from the locals and an increase in workload for those officers dedicated to patrolling it. This is combine with the greater risk of crime scene contamination and the stresses of a higher workload. The Locale Crime Rate Modifier is applied to the constabulary's Investigate skill.
Locale Crime Rate Modifier
"Crime Alley" -10
Gang Land -6
High -5
Higher then Average -3
Average 0
Below Average +3
None +5
Inconceivable +6
Reputation
The local police will often have a reputation throughout it's jurisdiction, one that may be deserved or not. This reputation can change from place to place within that jurisdiction, and this can effect the constabulary's ability to investigate a crime that occurred within a particular locale. The Locale Police Reputation modifier reflects this, and is applied to the constabulary's Gather Information skill
Locale Police Reputation Modifier
"@!#@$^&$ PIGS!" -10
Low -5
Bad -3
Not Good -1
Meh... 0
Good +1
Repected +3
High +5
And now, by adding up all of the pertinent modifiers, you can calculate the final skill levels for the police department working on this case. You determine their total Investigate and Gather Information skills, and these skills are used by the police to solve the crime that the PCs have perpetrated.
Come back tomorrow, and I'll tell you how these skills are used to catch a PC!
No comments:
Post a Comment