Pursue a Lead synergy with Detective Kit?

[Sliska Zafir]

*Pursue a Lead*
Concentrate,Exploration,Investigator

You spend 1 minute examining the details of one potential clue, designating the subject related to that clue as the target of your active investigation. This subject is typically a single creature, item, or small location (such as a room or corridor), but the GM might allow a different scope for your investigation. You don't need to know the identity, purpose, or nature of the subject, but you do need to be aware of its existence. For instance, finding a footprint is enough to investigate the creature that left it, and seeing a hasty sketch of an item or location can be enough to start your investigation of that subject.

Whenever you attempt a Perception or skill check to investigate a designated subject, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to the check. The exact checks this applies to depend on the actions you use to investigate and are determined by the GM, but checks to investigate are typically Perception checks or skill checks that use Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.

************************
Detective's Kit

Hands 2; Bulk 1. This leather satchel contains empty vials, a pair of tweezers, a supply of small linen cloths, a set of brass calipers and a knotted string for measuring distances, several pieces of chalk, a pen, and a blank notebook for keeping notes. Every component of a detective's kit is of exceeding quality, and thus a detective's kit adds a +1 item bonus to checks to investigate a crime scene, a clue, or similar details.
************************

Question: I'd like to assume, for the sake of easy ruling as a GM, that the kit bonus always applies to the Pursue a Lead's skill checks. They are bonuses of different types. Do you see any reason why it shouldn't/wouldn't?

[shroudb]

i'd say that it depends on the actual check you are trying.

trying to search (perception) an area for a clue? sure
trying to use deception against your target of investigation? probably no

[Sliska Zafir]

Ah, but deception against your target - you have a notebook with notes, presumably that contain details that are helpful in that check...

[Cordell Kintner]

Are you going to have your kit out when talking to your target? If it becomes a hostile situation, you would have to drop the kit and draw a weapon, or put it away so that it stays safe. On top of that, if you already have an item bonus to deception it wouldn't help.

the kit would help more with Diplomacy, where you are interviewing witnesses, rather than deception checks against your Lead subject.

[Thezzaruz]

Looking at the wording of them I have a hard time seeing when one would apply but the other wouldn't tbh. If the check is investigative in nature then both should, if it isn't then neither would.

Cordell Kintner wrote:

the kit would help more with Diplomacy, where you are interviewing witnesses, rather than deception checks against your Lead subject.

As per the above I'm not sure I see the difference.

The one situation I could possibly see is if you are talking directly to the subject and is trying to convince it that you are NOT investigating it (but then I'm not sure you'd get the Pursue a Lead bonus either).

Cordell Kintner wrote:

Are you going to have your kit out when talking to your target? If it becomes a hostile situation, you would have to drop the kit and draw a weapon, or put it away so that it stays safe. On top of that, if you already have an item bonus to deception it wouldn't help.

These seems like red herrings tbh. "What if somethings happens!" aren't relevant until that something does happen and by then you aren't doing investigative checks any longer.

[Cordell Kintner]

My point was you aren't able to benefit from a kit's item bonus without holding and using it. Just having note in your back pocket won't help you at all.