Surveillance & Investigation

Surveillance & Investigation Tech

AX.GHW.09.07

Investigation is as much of the job as the fight, often more. Modern technology provides tools that previous generations of hunters didn't have, and those tools create evidence management obligations that previous generations also didn't have.

Smartphone

Cost: $300–$1,000 (Basic, characters are assumed to have one) Effect: Photography, video recording, communication, navigation, information access. Standard communications device with no mechanical bonus in ordinary use. Notes: Every photo and video taken on a smartphone is automatically backed up to cloud services unless explicitly disabled. Evidence captured on a personal phone is potentially accessible to law enforcement, service providers, and anyone who has the character's credentials. Characters investigating supernatural events should use dedicated devices with cloud backup disabled, or accept the evidence management risk.

A smartphone in the presence of a Mothman, Jersey Devil, or active aberration-scale threat will malfunction (electromagnetic interference).

Dedicated Investigation Camera

Cost: $200–$800 (Basic to Advanced) Effect: +1D to Notice rolls involving photographic evidence analysis. Can capture details at distance that would not be visible to the naked eye or a phone camera. Notes: A standalone camera (not phone-connected) with manual settings, infrared capability, and no automatic cloud upload. Standard equipment for field investigators from any organization. Evidence stored on physical memory cards rather than networked storage.

Infrared camera capability (+$100–$300): allows the character to photograph heat signatures invisible to normal light. Some supernatural entities register differently on infrared than visible light, ghosts may not appear, certain fae appear brighter, Dimensional Spawns show inconsistent heat signatures that are immediately apparent as abnormal.

Audio Recorder / EVP Equipment

Cost: $50–$300 (Basic) Effect: +1D to Notice rolls when listening for supernatural audio phenomena (EVP, electronic voice phenomena). Documents audio evidence that is inadmissible conventionally but useful for investigation pattern analysis. Notes: EVP recording has a folklore history in ghost investigation circles, which provides useful civilian cover for carrying the equipment. Haunt-lineage characters and Mediumship practitioners occasionally confirm that EVP recordings capture real Liminal-layer audio that tradition-based perception missed; it is a useful secondary channel.

Night Vision Equipment

Cost: $300–$2,000 (Advanced to Restricted, depending on generation) Effect: Negates darkness penalties to Notice and attack rolls. Thermal imaging variant (+$500) allows detection of heat signatures regardless of light. Notes: Commercially available from hunting and outdoor retailers (low-generation monoculars), through military surplus (higher performance), or through organizational procurement. Generation 1 monoculars ($300–$500) are effective but bulky. Generation 3 goggles ($1,500–$3,000) are compact, head-mountable, and provide full hands-free operation.

Night vision is blinded by sudden bright light, a flash or UV discharge wipes the image for 1–2 rounds while it adjusts.

GPS Tracker

Cost: $30–$150 (Basic) Effect: Real-time location tracking for vehicles, objects, or individuals (when placed on them). Range dependent on cellular network coverage. Notes: Attaching a tracker to a target without their knowledge is a Speed + Stealth roll vs Notice or Security (Threshold 2 for an unattended vehicle; Threshold 3 for a guarded location; Threshold 4 for an aware, trained individual). Cell-network dependent trackers fail in areas of supernatural electromagnetic interference.

Lockpick Set / Bypass Tools

Cost: $50–$200 (Basic to Advanced, legally gray in most jurisdictions) Effect: Allows characters to attempt lock bypass (Speed + Technical or Speed + Tactics vs security Threshold 1–4 depending on lock complexity). Without these tools, improvised bypass is at -2D. Notes: Standard pin-tumbler locks: Threshold 2. Deadbolts and commercial security locks: Threshold 3. High-security or electronic locks: Threshold 4. Biometric or custom security: Threshold 4–5.

Electronic bypass tools (bump keys, RFID cloners, signal replay devices): $100–$500 additional; required for electronic security systems. Characters with Technical 2D+ can improvise these with parts (Wit + Technical vs Threshold 3, takes 30 minutes).

Portable Lab Kit

Cost: $800–$2,500 (Restricted) Effect: Allows field analysis of unknown substances, biological samples, and environmental anomalies. Wit + Medicine vs Threshold 2 (standard biological samples) to Threshold 4 (unusual supernatural compounds). Without the kit, field analysis is impossible without access to a lab. Notes: Covers: basic chemical analysis, biological sampling and preservation, pH and compound testing, luminol for blood trace evidence. Does not cover: supernatural signature analysis (that requires tradition abilities or Mediumship), entity genetic analysis (requires full laboratory), or Breach characterization (requires a Mediumship practitioner).

The Aldersham Institute and Grimoire Compact both field teams with portable lab capability. Independent operators typically carry a reduced version ($300–$600) covering the most common field analysis needs.