"A lie runs around the world before the truth puts its boots on"? Not if you can have a word about it. And you just happen to have a few hundred of them, already proofread and ready to be typeset and printed in the morning edition. You travel the world, looking for The Truth to be in tomorrow's paper, in black and white. Because someone has to.
- Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from among Insight, Investigation, Perception, or Persuasion
- Tool Proficiencies: Thieves’ tools or Disguise kit
- Languages: One additional language
- Equipment: A notebook and a pencil, a scrapbook with some of your best published articles, a set of common clothes, and 15 gp
Specialization
Every journalist specializes in certain stories. While you might be able to write other articles, your editor usually sent you out to write these kinds of stories because you're good at them. When it comes to your area, you can find clues easily and get to the bottom of the cases faster than even some detectives.
| d8 |
Specialization |
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1
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Human interest stories. You have a feel for which tales of the common folk would make the best headlines.
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2
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Political news. You have a talent for reading between the lines of political lingo.
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3
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Financial news. Following the money comes as second nature to you and you're good at finding discrepancies in the books.
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4
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Cultural news. Your reviews are often regarded as more entertaining than the shows and exhibitions you're reviewing.
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5
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Sport reporting. Your readers could swear that they can smell the blood and the sand when they read your reports of the arena.
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6
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Touristic recommendations. It is said that no-one visits another country without finding your articles about it first.
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7
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Criminal journalism. If it bleeds, it leads, and you can smell the blood like a shark.
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8
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Gonzo journalism. Objectivism is for wusses, you'd rather be in the middle of the action and write about it first-hand!
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Feature: The Power of the Press
People know that you work for the press, and this can be reflected in their attitudes. Some might be eager to share their stories with you, hoping that you will tell them to the world. Others, you might be able to intimidate by threatening to write unflattering articles about them. Beware, however; some people might not want you around.
Suggested Characteristics
Characters in an investigative campaign might have their own reasons to find the truth. You can use the tables below, either directly or as inspiration.
| d8 |
Personality Trait |
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1
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Local Journalist Thinks Aloud in Headlines; Bystanders Baffled.
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2
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I feel naked without a pencil behind my ear.
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3
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I often draw sketches of people I'm talking to.
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4
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I correct the spelling and punctuation of graffiti I come across.
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5
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I can instinctively determine the length of any text (in inches) depending on the typeface, font size, and number of columns.
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6
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I swear that my shorthand is the most efficient, even though I can barely read it myself.
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7
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Everybody has a secret, and I'll keep prodding and bluffing until I find out what it is.
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8
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I love asking inconvenient questions. The memory of the faces some corrupt politicians made when they realized just how much I know keeps me warm on cold nights.
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| d8 |
Ideal |
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1
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Adrenaline. Assassins after me, and a deadline approaching fast... that's the only way I feel alive.
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2
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Legacy. I want to have an award named after me when I retire.
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3
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Adoration. I love meeting my fans!
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4
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Obsession. If you cut me, I'll bleed black and white. Journalism is not a job, it's a way of life.
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5
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Integrity. My readers trust me, and I would never let them down.
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6
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Big Picture. All this is connected somehow, and I'll be the one who reveals it.
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7
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Vengeance. Someone powerful wronged me, and I'll have my revenge by airing all their dirty laundry.
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8
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Truth. I care about the truth above all else, even if it doesn’t benefit anyone.
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| d8 |
Bond |
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1
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I am working on a story left unfinished by a late colleague of mine.
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2
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My editor trusts me, and I won't let them down.
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3
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My mentor disappeared mysteriously, and I need to uncover the full story.
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4
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I was once falsely accused but a news article exonerated me, I'm looking to pay it forward.
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5
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I am in love with the heir/heiress to my newspaper, and I hope that my work will prove me worthy in their eyes.
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6
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One day, I hope to start my own newspaper.
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7
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My family collects all my front page articles, they are the main reason why I'm doing this.
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8
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I know about a coverup done by the most powerful people in the land, and I'm collecting evidence to write the exposé of the century.
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| d8 |
Flaw |
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1
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Sometimes I omit details for the sake of a good story.
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2
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I can't stop asking questions, even at inappropriate times.
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3
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I will bluff even when I really shouldn't.
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4
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I don't really care how my articles will affect people in them, even if they are innocents.
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5
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I believe there is a truth behind every myth and urban legend, and spend way too much time chasing after them.
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6
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I pretend that I'm a hot-shot but honestly, I'm really a laughingstock.
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7
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I see conspiracies even where there are none.
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8
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I scrutinize and criticize every story I hear as if they were articles.
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