[Basic] Skill of the week: Criminology

johndallman · 12-27-2014, 10:24 AM

Criminology is the IQ/A skill that represents understanding of crime and the criminal mind. It takes penalties for lack of Cultural Familiarity and for Low Empathy, because understanding the motives of criminals is very important. It allows you to find and interpret clues, guess what criminals might do, and so on: it seems to be the main measure of competence for detectives. Skills that may be complementary include Forensics, Observation, Research, Search and Streetwise. Criminology defaults to IQ-5 or Psychology-4 and provides defaults for Forensics and Search. It can also be used in place of Perception to penetrate a disguise, and to recognise punishment marks in low-tech justice systems.

Mysteries is the oldest 4e source on Criminology, and explains that clues are found with sense or Forensics rolls and interpreted with Criminology. How to be a GURPS GM is more modern and uses simple Criminology for finding macroscopic evidence, although it seems to me that Per-based Criminology might often be useful. Mysteries also points out that while Criminology can be studied academically, many learn it on the street. Action has it in several lenses, and has advice on using it. Fantasy has the specialisation of Criminology (Occult) with defaults in both directions at -4 and Horror has a good section on doing investigations. Monster Hunters touches on it lightly and Powers mentions using it with Psychometry in Skills Enhancing Abilities. Social Engineering has several applications of the skill, as does Pulling Rank. Supers includes it in traditional crime-fighting, and Thaumatology: Magical Styles has it as a recommended skill for users of the Protection and Warning college.

Criminology appears on templates or lenses in Action, Banestorm, Abydos, Bio-Tech, Fantasy, Horror, Madness Dossier, Infinite Worlds, Martial Arts, FCCS, Monster Hunters, i, Reign of Steel: Will to Live, Space, Supers, and Thaumatology: Urban Magics. PU3: Talents and PU7: Wildcard Skills have examples that include Criminology.

A few characters of mine have had Criminology, but haven't rolled it very often. Having it on the sheet makes me more confident about making deductions myself on the assumption that having the skill means the GM will correct the obvious errors: this may seem like "using player skill, not character skill" but doing everything by rolling skills isn't very interesting.

Where has a lack of this skill led you astray?

12-27-2014, 10:24 AM	#1
johndallman Night Watchman Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cambridge, UK	[Basic] Skill of the week: Criminology Criminology is the IQ/A skill that represents understanding of crime and the criminal mind. It takes penalties for lack of Cultural Familiarity and for Low Empathy, because understanding the motives of criminals is very important. It allows you to find and interpret clues, guess what criminals might do, and so on: it seems to be the main measure of competence for detectives. Skills that may be complementary include Forensics, Observation, Research, Search and Streetwise. Criminology defaults to IQ-5 or Psychology-4 and provides defaults for Forensics and Search. It can also be used in place of Perception to penetrate a disguise, and to recognise punishment marks in low-tech justice systems. *Mysteries* is the oldest 4e source on Criminology, and explains that clues are found with sense or Forensics rolls and interpreted with Criminology. *How to be a GURPS GM* is more modern and uses simple Criminology for finding macroscopic evidence, although it seems to me that Per-based Criminology might often be useful. *Mysteries* also points out that while Criminology can be studied academically, many learn it on the street. *Action* has it in several lenses, and has advice on using it. *Fantasy* has the specialisation of Criminology (Occult) with defaults in both directions at -4 and *Horror* has a good section on doing investigations. *Monster Hunters* touches on it lightly and *Powers* mentions using it with Psychometry in Skills Enhancing Abilities. *Social Engineering* has several applications of the skill, as does *Pulling Rank. Supers* includes it in traditional crime-fighting, and *Thaumatology: Magical Styles* has it as a recommended skill for users of the Protection and Warning college. Criminology appears on templates or lenses in *Action, Banestorm, Abydos, Bio-Tech, Fantasy, Horror, Madness Dossier, Infinite Worlds, Martial Arts, FCCS, Monster Hunters, i, Reign of Steel: Will to Live, Space, Supers, and Thaumatology: Urban Magics. PU3: Talents* and *PU7: Wildcard Skills* have examples that include Criminology. A few characters of mine have had Criminology, but haven't rolled it very often. Having it on the sheet makes me more confident about making deductions myself on the assumption that having the skill means the GM will correct the obvious errors: this may seem like "using player skill, not character skill" but doing everything by rolling skills isn't very interesting. Where has a lack of this skill led you astray?