Researching
The time between adventures is a great chance to perform research, gaining insight into mysteries that have unfurled over the course of the campaign. Research can be done by pouring over dusty tomes and crumbling scrolls in a library, after long hours of empirical deduction. Or, you may Gather Information instead, which involves socializing with the locals and sometimes bribes.
Gather Information is better suited to finding out local or regional knowledge, whereas Researching is better suited to learning large scale, conceptual things. For example, studying several dusty old tomes may reveal to you a new dialect of Dwarven runes, but it wont tell you who was stealing at the tavern last Thursday night - and vice versa. To that extent, its important to keep in mind what type of information you're looking for, so you know which check is best to make.
Once you have created a thread in downtime-rp (see Downtime Rules for rules and formatting), the character declares the focus of the research—a specific person, place, thing or concept. Typically, a character needs access to a library, historical archive, sage, scholar or other reputable source of information to conduct research.
When you begin your research, the DM determines whether the information is available, how many days of downtime it will take to find it, and whether there are any restrictions on your research (such as needing to seek out a specific individual, tome, or location). The DM might also require you to make one or more ability checks, such as an Intelligence (Investigation) check to find clues pointing toward the information you seek, or a Charisma (Persuasion) check to secure someone's aid or access to their books. Once those conditions are met, you learn the information if it is available.
For each day of research, you must spend 5gp to cover your expenses. This cost is in addition to your normal lifestyle expenses.
When creating a thread for this activity in the downtime channel (as per Downtime Rules), if you make it public then any new information you learn may be added to the codex and available for the entire party. If you decide to research in private, then the learned knowledge is only known by you.
Gather Information is better suited to finding out local or regional knowledge, whereas Researching is better suited to learning large scale, conceptual things. For example, studying several dusty old tomes may reveal to you a new dialect of Dwarven runes, but it wont tell you who was stealing at the tavern last Thursday night - and vice versa. To that extent, its important to keep in mind what type of information you're looking for, so you know which check is best to make.
Once you have created a thread in downtime-rp (see Downtime Rules for rules and formatting), the character declares the focus of the research—a specific person, place, thing or concept. Typically, a character needs access to a library, historical archive, sage, scholar or other reputable source of information to conduct research.
When you begin your research, the DM determines whether the information is available, how many days of downtime it will take to find it, and whether there are any restrictions on your research (such as needing to seek out a specific individual, tome, or location). The DM might also require you to make one or more ability checks, such as an Intelligence (Investigation) check to find clues pointing toward the information you seek, or a Charisma (Persuasion) check to secure someone's aid or access to their books. Once those conditions are met, you learn the information if it is available.
For each day of research, you must spend 5gp to cover your expenses. This cost is in addition to your normal lifestyle expenses.
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