Research Projects and Extended Checks

In the war against technologically advanced beings with exotic physiology, knowledge is power and scientific research is vital. Agents conduct research by attempting to achieve a number of breakthroughs or successes. Some research projects require only a single success to be fruitful, while others may require many, accumulated over an extended period of time. This is accomplished with an Extended Task. The Handler decides on the number of Success Levels required to make a breakthrough in the project. This can be modified depending upon the quality of the research area, the hastiness of the researcher, or additional external criteria.

As an example, trying to crack a difficult code in an alien language could require eight to ten Success Levels. The agents working on the project would make Language (Linguistics) Check; any Success Levels gained would be put toward the number needed for a breakthrough.

Multiple agents may contribute, although any additional researchers would contribute only half of the Success Levels they gain. The Handler should determine how long each attempt will take, or how much time should elapse between attempts, although a tricky project such as the example above could take a week for each attempt.

Extended Tasks can be used to reflect any continuous attempt to achieve something, whether a scientific discovery, the translation of an occult tome, or the extension of the agent’s Influence. When the necessary number of Success Levels is reached, the “breakthrough” is achieved. Handlers may even ask for multiple breakthroughs for various parts of a project for it to be complete.