Interrogation

This house rule allows users of Interrogation to make their own rolls when using that skill. (If you like this house rule, you might also be interested in the Detect Lies house rule.)

Interrogation

IQ/Average
Defaults: IQ-5, Intimidation-3, or Psychology-4

This is getting a person to talk about something through mental and psychological persuasion. E.g. threatening to pursue perjury charges, offering amnesty to turn states evidence (your threats and offers need not be genuine), getting them to talk about something tangentially related so they slip up and reveal what you’re really after, etc. When they talk, they may or may mot be telling the truth. Interrogation Skill assumes the individual being questioned has a compelling reason to keep information from you. If getting the information is merely a matter of overcoming antisocial behavior, then a simple Influence Roll [p. B359] or Requests for Information [p. B560] will suffice.

A successful Interrogation roll gets someone to open up about a topic you’re interested in. The person being interrogated gets a chance to defend using their Will. If the victim makes their Will roll by more than you made your Interrogation roll, then they tell a believable lie; otherwise, they tell the truth. Since you won’t know the results of their Will roll, you won’t know for sure which. (For that, use Detect Lies.) An unsuccessful Interrogation roll means the victim doesn’t talk or doesn’t reveal anything new. A critical failure means you give up or the person you're interrogating clams up.

Interrogation vs Will Contests

	Will Roll Succeeds By More	Will Roll Succeeds By Less or Fails
Interrogation Roll Succeeds	Victim lies	Victim reveals the truth
Interrogation Roll Fails	Victim reveals nothing new	Victim reveals nothing new

Each use of Interrogation skill requires 5 minutes and effectively answers one question.

Since the Interrogation Skill assumes that the subject of an Interrogation will not simply get up and leave, a good reaction might first be required to get them to stick around. In that case, various influence skills can come in handy.

Interrogation and Fast-Talk [p. B195]: Fast-Talk is generally used as an Influence Roll [p. B359] whenever you’d prefer that to a Reaction Roll [p. B494]. As such, it can not be used as a substitute for Interrogation skill during an interrogation [p. B562]. It can, however, trick someone into talking so that you can then use Interrogation Skill on them. Of course, Fast Talk can be used as a Requests for Information [p. B560] when providing you the information poses no problems for the NPC.

Interrogation and Intimidation [p. B202]: Intimidation is generally used as an Influence Roll [p. B359] whenever you’d prefer that to a Reaction Roll [p. B494]. Interrogation defaults to Intimidation-3, so Intimidation can be used (at a -3) instead of Interrogation when appropriate. Intimidation can also be used to scare someone into staying put, so you can use then use Interrogation Skill properly.

Interrogation and Influence Rolls or Reaction Rolls for Requests for Information [p. B562]: Reaction Rolls [p. B494] can not be substituted for Interrogation skill during an interrogation [p. B562], and hence, neither can Influence Rolls (unless they can be used at a default for Interrogation).

Modifiers: see p. B202

Example 1: When You Also Have Detect Lies

You have Detect Lies at 13 and Interrogation at 14. You want to know if he stole the candy bar; he’s in the mood to talk to strangers. After 5 minutes of questioning, you roll against your Interrogation skill. If you succeed, you got him talking about the candy bar, but he gets a Will roll. If he makes his Will roll by more than you made your Interrogation roll, his conversation indicates he didn’t steal the candy bar; otherwise, something in his conversation indicates he did steal the candy bar, e.g. there are too many inconsistencies, he makes Freudian slip, he mentions something that he’d know only if he stole the candy bar, etc. Whatever he ends up saying, you could use Detect Lies to try and determine his veracity.

Example 2: When You Don’t Have Detect Lies

You’re a defense lawyer with Interrogation skill at 15; witness for the prosecution has Will at 10. You know the witness just lied under oath. You intend to “break her under the cross’”. You roll against your Interrogation skill. If you succeed, the witness elaborates, but she gets a Will roll. If she makes her roll by more, then she persists in her lie; otherwise she caves in or slips up, revealing the truth. Depending on the actual rolls, she might let slip a slight discrepancy or be reduced to a defeated blubbering wreck.

See Also

2d Damage optional | Combat Maneuvers | Detect Lies | Meditation | Stealth | Tactics

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