"All our advancements are built off the back of innovation. With your assistance, we can push these boundaries further still"
This is an optional downtime activity for members of the Guild of the Eternal Flame, or the Machinists Guild. Both of these organisations will have available projects you can assist with, or you can pitch one yourself.
This downtime activity is unique in that it has the greatest impact upon the canon of the game. Moreover, completing research projects is a great way to advance amongst a faction.
Doing a research Project
First, you need to choose where you focus your research, which will depend on the faction. For example, for the machinists guild you can assist their development of trains, mechanical soldiers, etc. The Guild of the Eternal Flame has options such as new weapons and spells.
If you choose to start a new research project (ie, you aren't choosing a preset option) you will need to justify this choice to the Guild's leaders (see justification below)
After completing the justification phase, or if you pick a preset project, you enter the development phase.
Potential Projects:
Machinists:
- Automatons - Artificial soldiers to act as guards and warriors, supplementing the army of the Lords Alliance. A thoroughly unpopular idea amongst the Guild of the Eternal flame (who are the current guards of the old city, and a part of the standing army)
- Phandalin Canal - Extending the canal system from port Llast and central Neverwinter to the mining outpost at Phandalin, bringing huge amounts of coal and iron ore to the city
- Submersibles - A new undetectable weapon from beneath the waves
- Steam Locomotion - Steam engines are getting smaller with each passing year. Soon, they'll be light enough to carry loads on tracks.
Eternal Flame:
- Enhanced Wards - The wards of silverymoon have long been researched for their incredible power - they prevented any spells from being cast in the city of SIlverymoon. As silverymoon fell to Cormyr, these enchanted stones were brought to New Neverwinter to be researched. So far, no progress has been made.
- New Celestial observatory - The construction of a new observatory in the mountains south of Neverwinter could advance divination studies within the Guild
- Leyline harmonisation - The magic of leylines has not been tapped by many, but could be used to enhance the magic of all spells cast by members of the guild
- Elemental Golems - Rather than tempramental Automatons, the Guild could work on conjuring stone golems infused with the powers of elementals, which would offer great offensive and defensive abilities.
Justification
These first few weeks are critical in getting a potential project off the ground. In this first phase, you'll likely be on your own persuading as many people as you can through promises, bribery and schmoozing. Each workweek spent in this phase costs 25gp.
Make a relevant charisma-based check to determine the success of this phase. You gain a bonus equal to the number of weeks spent in this phase, and for every 50gp spent beyond the mandatory 25gp per week. These extra bonuses cap at +6.
Results:
| check total | Outcome |
|---|
| 1-5 |
Failure; project denied |
| 6-10 |
Project approved. You'll be paid 10gp per week for your research |
| 11-20 |
Project approved. You'll be paid 20gp per week for your research, and gain a +1 to checks in the development phase. |
| 21+ |
Project approved. You'll be paid 30gp per week for your research, and gain a +2 to checks in the development phase. |
Development
Once a project has been decided on, you move onto the development phase. If you went through the justification phase, use the results detailed above. For a preset project, take a result of 10.
At the end of each workweek, make an intelligence check.
| check total | Outcome |
|---|
| 1-5 |
-1 Progress |
| 6-10 |
+1 Progress |
| 11-20 |
+2 progress |
| 21+ |
+3 progress |
- Once 10 progress has been made, the project is sucessfully completed. This number can be changed by the DM as per their infinite wisdom.
Complications
Each week there's a 5% chance of a complication occuring, or if you roll a nat 1 on any checks which are part of the work. Complications which could occur in the research project activity include:
| Roll (1d6) | Complication |
|---|
| 1 |
Change of management - A new project leader or overseer is far less interested in your project, and seeks to divert funding to a project they see as more profitable. |
| 2 |
Espionage - A spy from a rival faction or nation infiltrates the guilds workshop, seeking to steal plans or prototypes of the new invention, or even sabotage your progress. |
| 3 |
Resource Shortage - The sudden scarcity of a vital resource needed for the project causes delays and complications. You might need to manage trade negotiations, or undergo an expedition to secure the necessary materials. |
| 4 |
Industrial Action - Your colleagues and/or subordinates on the project have had enough - terrible pay and a lack of respect mean they're now on strike. You must decide whether you agree with their demands, or if the project must be completed at all costs. |
| 5 |
Regulatory Hurdles - Bureaucratic red tape and stringent regulations have slowed progress to a crawl. |
| 6 |
Catastrophic Failure - Despite meticulous testing, a deadly accident occurs during a critical phase of the project. This could damage the workshop, the workers, and/or your reputation within the Guild. |
Any of these complications may involve a rival in some way
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