vaelora/Rules/Ability Trees/Skills/Social/Inquire (Wit) - Whispers & Wires.md

Description

Those who master the art of Inquire understand that information is the most dangerous weapon. They can turn idle chatter into leverage, peel back falsehoods, and connect threads others overlook. This tree represents the gradual honing of questions into scalpels, and networks into webs that no secret escapes.

Whether as spies, interrogators, or social chameleons, these specialists move unseen in the flow of information, their power rooted in what they know—and what they can make others reveal.

Overview of Tiers and Progression

• Tier 1 (Inquire 1+): Learn to dig deeper and notice unintended truths.
• Tier 2 (Inquire 2+): Develop pressure tactics and access to rumor networks.
• Tier 3 (Inquire 3+): Wield secrets like weapons and leverage trust.
• Tier 4 (Inquire 4+): Become an apex extractor of information, bypassing obstacles and sensing secrets at a glance.

Abilities

Cost: Each tier costs Tier × 3 Marks, spent from Inquire or other leading Social skills.
Advancement: You must unlock Tier 1 before accessing later tiers.

Tier 1 Abilities (Inquire 1+)

Name	Type	Action/Duration	Roll (if active)	Description
Probing Question	Effect	Uses the same action as the social roll	Attaches to any social roll using Inquire	Mark one die as Effect. If the marked die succeeds, you learn something the target didn’t intend to reveal.
Blend Into Gossip	Effect	1 Scene (gathering information)	Attaches to Cunning + Inquire (or Streetwise)	Mark one die as Cooperative. If it succeeds, allies who act on your leads in the same scene gain +1 die.
Targeted Inquiry	Passive	Always on	—	When focusing on a single specific topic, gain +1 die to all Inquire rolls until you switch focus.

Tier 2 Abilities (Inquire 2+)

Name	Type	Action/Duration	Roll (if active)	Description
Push Too Far	Effect	Uses the same action as the social roll	Attaches to Inquire vs. Spirit + Focus	Mark a die as Corrupted. If it succeeds, the target is forced to reveal the truth but suffers 1 Slight toward you.
Rumor Net	Active	10 minutes downtime or 1 Scene	Cunning + Inquire or Streetwise	Once per scene, declare the existence of a relevant rumor. Extra successes let you pinpoint who spread it or where it leads.
Line of Questioning	Passive	Always on	—	After asking three questions in one scene, the target suffers –1 die to resist further questioning.

Tier 3 Abilities (Inquire 3+)

Name	Type	Action/Duration	Roll (if active)	Description
Expose the Lie	Effect	Uses the same action as the social roll	Presence + Inquire vs. Deception + Cunning	Mark a die as Persistent. If the marked die succeeds, call out the lie and the liar suffers 1 Slight. You may later cash in the Persistent die for +1 success when pressing them further.
Interrogator’s Edge	Active	1 Action	Presence + Inquire + Intimidation (combined pool)	Combine Inquire and Intimidation into one roll. On success, deal 2 Slights. If margin ≥ 3, the target cannot regain composure this scene.
Information Broker	Passive	Always on	—	You may “bank” secrets as leverage. Once per scene, trade one secret to shift an NPC’s attitude by one step in your favor.

Tier 4 Abilities (Inquire 4+)

Name	Type	Action/Duration	Roll (if active)	Description
Perfect Extraction	Meta	1 Action (social encounter) or 1 Hour (downtime)	Automatic success	Once per session, guarantee success when extracting the truth from a target.
Master of Secrets	Passive	Always on	—	You instinctively know who in a room has the most valuable information, even without asking questions.
One Step Ahead	Active	Retroactive declaration; counts as 1 Scene of prior effort	Cunning + Inquire	Declare you have already “asked around.” On success, bypass one information-based obstacle entirely.