The system is used across various genres and settings, primarily published by Pelgrane Press :
The system divides character capabilities into two distinct categories to ensure the story always moves forward: Based on the GUMSHOE System by Robin D. Laws
: Players can spend points from their general ability pools before rolling to add a +1 bonus per point spent to their result. Popular GUMSHOE Games The system is used across various genres and
: These require rolling a single six-sided die (d6) against a difficulty number, typically 4. : Players can "spend" points from an ability's
: Used for action-oriented tasks where the outcome is uncertain, such as combat, athletic feats, or driving.
: Players can "spend" points from an ability's pool to gain "special" clues—extra information that isn't required to solve the case but provides significant advantages or deeper narrative flavor.
The , designed by Robin D. Laws, is a tabletop roleplaying game engine specifically engineered for investigative scenarios . Its core philosophy is that investigative games should not be about finding clues—which can grind to a halt if a player fails a dice roll—but about interpreting them. Core Mechanics