Information Gathering
This proficiency represents the ability to gather information from the underworld, most commonly about roguish "jobs" and characters. A character with this proficiency, in appropriate circumstances, will be aware of any major rumors circulating among the lowlife of an area; and with a successful proficiency check, specific information about a person or place can be gathered. (The DM must decide how specific the information is.)
The following modifiers may adjust the proficiency check:
Characters' reaction adjustments (based on Charisma) should benefit or penalize the roll, assuming contact with people is involved in the search.
Thieves' guild members receive a bonus of +2, because they are assumed to have more and better-informed contacts than freelancers. Also, their "territory" (below) is considered to be that of the guild, not just their own area of operation.
Since this proficiency depends on a network of informants and contacts, the thief will be at a disadvantage trying to use it in an area other than his own territory. "Territory" refers to his regular base of operations—a town, one neighborhood of a city, or even a whole province or countryside. Outside this territory the thief does not hear rumors automatically (a normal proficiency roll is required), and gathering specific information suffers a penalty of at least -3. The DM may make it greater in truly foreign areas (e.g., a thief of Waterdeep trying to gather information in Calimshan), due to great differences in language, culture or race.
Finally, any time a proficiency check is required for information gathering, a small investment of money for drinks, bribes, and so forth must be made, or an additional penalty of -3 is imposed. A total of 1d10 gp is typical, and it is lost whether or not the desired information is found. (If the information is still unknown, the character can continue his search the next day, spending more money and making another proficiency check.) The DM is free to increase the cost of using this proficiency if it suits the campaign.
Examples:
1. Urlar is hanging around the local tavern in his neighborhood when he hears rumors of a dragon to the north, recently slain as it raided a village. The dragon's cave and treasures are as yet undiscovered. But some bragging adventurers are said to have found a map to them. Urlar's contacts provide this information to him automatically, while another PC would need to approach people, talk with them, and probably buy them several drinks in order to learn of the map and treasure.
2. His greed sparked, Urlar wants to know who these adventurers are, so that he can steal their map and find the dragon's hoard for himself. This requires a couple of drinks (a 2 gp investment and the proficiency check has a -1 penalty because of Urlar's low Charisma (7). Urlar's Intelligence is 10, so he needs to roll a 9 or lower to find out who the adventurers are. If they are not very well known, he may need to make additional checks to track them down (find where they are staying, what temples they visit, or whatever).
3. Julina the Silent is hired as a spy to infiltrate the emperor's palace. She needs to find an easy way in—a sewer, service exit, or the like. She has an expense account from her employers for bribes. Her Intelligence is 14 and her modifiers are: +1 (for Charisma 13 reaction adjustment), +2 (thieves' guild member), and -3 (for this not being her home territory so she must roll 14 or lower on 1d20 to get the information she needs.
It's best to role-play information searches whenever possible.
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