Research

To be forewarned is to be forearmed. This activity allows a character to delve into lore concerning a monster, a location, an enhanced item, or some other specific topic.

Resources

Typically, a character needs access to a library or some other academic institution to conduct research. Assuming such access is available, conducting research requires one workweek and at least 500 cr spent on materials, bribes, gifts, and other expenses. Spending more money increases your chances of finding noteworthy lore, as shown in Resolution.

Resolution

The character declares the focus of the research—a specific person, place, or thing. After one workweek, the character makes an Intelligence (Lore) check, with a +1 bonus per 1,000 cr spent beyond the initial 500 cr, up to a maximum bonus of +5. The character then consults the Research Roll Modifier table below.

Research Roll Modifier

The d100 Roll Modifier is added to the percentile dice rolled for the Research Results table, which is discussed below.

Once the player has determined their research roll modifier, they then roll percentile dice and consult the Research Results table below.

Research Results

Each piece of lore is the equivalent of one true statement about a person, place, or thing. Examples include knowledge of a creature's resistances, the method required to enter a sealed tomb, or the clandestine knowledge held by a specific person.

As GM, you are the final arbiter concerning exactly what a character learns. For a monster or an NPC, you can reveal elements of statistics or personality. For a location, you can reveal secrets about it, such as a hidden entrance, the answer to a riddle, or the nature of a creature that guards the place.

Alternatively, you can allow the player to determine what lore they've learned on the spot, after research. When the characters are in an area related to what was researched, a player can expend a lore to uncover something related to the location on hand, assuming it pertains to what was researched.

Using a mix of the two approaches is a good idea, since it gives you the added depth of specific lore while giving players the freedom to ensure that the lore they learn is useful.

At any time, a character can have a maximum number of unspecified lore equal to 1 + the character's Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1). Specific, learned lore doesn't count toward this limit—only ones that can be used at any time to learn something related to the original subject of study.

Complications

The greatest risk in research is uncovering false information. Not all lore is accurate or truthful, and a rival with a scholarly bent might try to lead the character astray, especially if the object of the research is known to the rival. The rival might plant false information, bribe scholars to give bad advice, or steal key information needed to find the truth.

Additionally, a character might run into other complications during research. Every workweek spent in research brings a 10 percent chance of a triggering a complication.

This is a great opportunity to create a rival to the party, or involve a previous rival.

Research Complications

Uptime

Conducting research is generally a long-term activity, requiring time and devotion, best suited to downtime.