Research at DR:MD

Research as Storytelling

At nearly every DR chapter, different mechanics for Research exist. In many places, this allows players to interact with a specific Zone of Mechanics or Mechanical Workstation for some period of time in order to gain additional insight into some plot or local ongoing phenomena, often in the form of specific questions asked of the Writers or Plot Team.

At Dystopia Rising: Maryland, we prefer to allow for a much more permissive approach. After all, just about anyone can look into something to various degrees of skill, and there are many ways to do that they may not involve pouring over a pile of reference books. From scouting an area, to looking for tracks, to performing a Nekrokinetic 'vibe check' on an area of the local Mortis, our world is full of ways our Characters can use their unique talents to experience and explore the world around them in ways that often defy even our expectations as people who write mechanics.

To that end, our research system doesn't care at all about what you have, only what you're doing. If your character is spending time looking into something, find a Staff Member with knowledge of the plot you are looking into, and tell them two things:

1. What you are trying to find out? (e.g. Which way did the Raiders go after they hit this Caravan? | Who is Senator Calvert's Great Great Grandfather? | What's the average distance I can get ramming this CarcinoGen with my Raider Ride off the Ellistown Landing Pier?)
2. How are you going about discovering the answer? (e.g. I am searching the area for tracks, and looking for recent signs of incautious passage - Pit Stop Raiders aren't the subtlest types. | I am digging through the town archives looking for either geneology records or maybe records of past politicians from the area. | I am taking this CarcinoGen that I tied up in that last mod, strapping it to my Ride and driving down to the docks and doing it.)

From that information, the Staff Member will do one of three things:

1. Answer your question outright: (e.g. The tire tracks from their looted Ride make it easy to tell that they tore off north. | Thankfully, a plaque located on the first shelf of the brand new library shelf reads "In memory of Douglas Calvert, Grandfather of Morris Calvert". Convenient! | Probably not very far, those dock mercs got a couple RPGs and a cannon.)
2. Tell you where you need to go to find out: (I don't have that info but let me check with Ops as soon as we get back and get it to you. | Writer Bob did the Senator's backstory, you should go check with him on if that information is available and how easily. | This isn't even close to my pay grade, I'll have to check with the Directors.)
3. Give you an appropriate cost to accomplish the task and get the answer (or at least an answer or clue to build on): (e.g. Spend 30 Seconds searching the area and 5 Mind to use Basic Awareness or Basic Hunting | Spend 30 Minutes and 10 Mind searching through dusty old tomes in the Research Area | Go home Hudson, you're drunk.)

If you come up with a research inquiry that this system does not handle, come find a Director. We will also try to have some paper forms on hand for this process both to keep it intuitive and to provide for an easier way to process the written-record or bench-experiement type results that don't require immediate attention of a Staff Member (we'll try to have a drop box at the Public Works or another easy to find public location).

(also, yes, before you ask, when you write it down and submit it to the box, time spent doing research RP while you wait counts towards any RP time costs for that research at the costs stage.)