Fortean beta

Description

Stats: + Intelligence, + Sensory, + Reflex

“The truth is out there.”

Whether a skeptic or a believer, your job is the same – observe, analyze, and uncover the truth. A Paranormal Investigator doesn’t wield magic and they don’t face monsters head-on. Instead they rely on logic, sharp instincts, and years of fieldwork to piece together the inexplicable. Gather evidence, follow leads, and make connections that no one else has noticed.

When designing for a Paranormal Investigator, remember that they thrive when faced with the unknown. Steep them in mysteries, conspiracy, and unexplained phenomena. Encourage exploration: give them opportunities to snoop around crime scenes, question NPCs, and break into secure areas. They have strong plot control, so give them plenty of space to come up with wacky theories and make crazy connections. Paranormal Investigators are a highly social class, often relying on information gleaned from interactions with others. Therefore, it is important to provide them with ample opportunities to engage with non-player characters (NPCs).

The Paranormal Investigator draws inspiration from both real-life and fictional investigators of the unknown, blending classic procedural detective work with eerie, unexplained phenomena.

  • Fox Mulder and Dana Scully (The X-Files)
  • Olivia Dunham (Fringe)
  • Dale Cooper (Twin Peaks)
  • Carl Kolchak (Kolchak: The Night Stalker)
  • Agent K (Men in Black)
  • The Atlantic Paranormal Society (Ghost Hunters)
  • Ghost Huntin' Distribution (Phasmophobia)
  • Mystery Incorporated (Scooby-Doo)
  • Athenodorus (Pliny the Younger, "Letter to Sura")

Edition: Advent v1

Public: Yes

Owner: detour

Gear

Base Gear

Trenchcoat

Base

a long black coat granting some environmental protection. Pocketing an item will make it invisible. After interacting with a local authority figure or faction, may gain an Insight about that person or faction.

Flashlight

Base

a heavy-duty flashlight. May reveal traces of supernatural activity (visible to anyone nearby). Catching someone by surprise by suddenly shining the light in their face will confuse them for a moment, if asked a direct question they may make an unexpected confession, disclosure, or concession.

ID Badge

Base

a plastic ID badge with your face and name. You may update the credentials it provides via Pitch, credentials you have seen are easier to copy. (Low cooldown). Members of the organization you claim to represent are weakly compelled to accept your presence as ordinary.

Elective Gear

Frequency Analyzer

Elective

a handheld gadget that picks up on various frequencies. Allows you to detect a source of communication you could not otherwise detect (magical, technological, or otherwise). By fiddling with the machine you can hone in on the source, the longer you do so, the clearer your signal from the source.

Voice Recorder

Elective

a compact but outdated voice recorder. Record and replay audio. On playback, you may Pitch something having been recorded that wasn’t heard at the time. Effectiveness of the Pitch scales with how strange/garbled/otherworldly the recording sounds.

Neural Disrupter

Elective

a pen-sized chrome cylinder. Activate to emit a flash that renders targets unable to recall anything out of the ordinary over the last several minutes, Mid maximum duration on a single target, down to Low duration on a small group. Targets must be nearby, non-aggressive, and sentient. (Mid Cooldown)

Abilities

It’s Happening Again

You recall a cold case that bears an eerie resemblance to the scene.

(Low essence, Mid cooldown)
Pitch a historical crime, case, or other event from your character’s past that bears an uncanny resemblance to what’s currently happening.
You may make a free Deduction based on details that you discover at the current scene which are congruent with your Pitched event.
On success, you may receive an Insight about the scene that you may have otherwise missed.

Paired Action: Briefly describe another crime, case, or event and the coinciding details with the current scene. E.g. “This is exactly like the Davenport disappearances, 10 years ago…”

Slip Through The Cracks

Expertly slip into and briefly through a restricted area, bypassing both mundane and supernatural detection.

(Mid essence, Low duration, Mid cooldown)
You must Pitch the various ways in which you evade security or gain entry.
While active you are subtly ignored by all forms of surveillance.
Directly interacting with anyone for more than a moment or causing any kind of disturbance will cause the ability to end prematurely.
Backtracking through an area you've already been through will cause the ability to immediately end.

Paired Action: Time your approach carefully, observing the gaps in security, waiting for just the right moment before making your move.

Red String Theory

You make an outlandish connection between several elements – that somehow turns out to be true.

(Low-High essence, Low-High cooldown)
Pitch a connection between two or more elements of the mission. Conduit is encouraged to give Insights that suggest additional connections. You may repeat this once or twice, scaling cost/cooldown.

You must explain your theory out loud to someone and it must be based on evidence.

Paired Action: Describe the available evidence aloud while gesticulating wildly, then plausibly connect seemingly unrelated things.