“I love doing research. It’s like cheating, but with permission.” – Greg Rucka

Delving into lore concerning a monster, location, magic item or a particular topic is what this downtime is used for. This downtime takes 5 days, 50 gp and access to a library (such as the Ouroboros guild) or sage.

Assuming such access is available, conducting research requires one workweek of effort and at least 50 gp spent on materials, bribes, gifts, and other expenses. The character declares the focus of the research — a specific person, place, or thing. Features, spells and items are allowed for this downtime activity. 

  • After one workweek, the character makes an Intelligence check with a +1 bonus per 50 gp spent beyond the initial 50 gp, to a maximum of +6.
  • In addition, a character who has access to a particularly well-stocked library or knowledgeable sages gains advantage on this check.

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 password needed to enter a sealed dungeon level,
    • Similarly, commonly prepared spells of caster and so forth. Information is always true but may be cryptic.

Dungeon Masters are the final arbiter concerning exactly what a character learns. Characters must be specific on what they are attempting to learn lore about to avoid gathering useless information.

    • 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.
Check Total Outcome
1-5 No effect.
6-10 You learn 1 piece of lore.
11-20 You learn 2 pieces of lore.
21+ You learn 3 pieces of lore.

How to Do Research Downtime

    1. Declare the focus (person, place or thing) of research in #downtime-log with all features, spells and items prefaced BEFORE rolling.
    2. Proceed to roll an Intelligence check (with advantage if circumstance has been met.)
    3. See the check success table to the left for outcome of the rolls.
    4. Roll for the chance of complication.
      • If the result is a 1 on a d10 or 1-10 on d100, refer to the section below.

Downtime Example: Tori will go to Risals’ village and help them research the notes recovered from the quest “Stealing Secrets” for 5dtds and spend 50gp

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. For more information, click here for the Hostiles & Rivals.

    • Hostile Contacts​ give -1 on every skill check involving downtime. Characters are required to spend these until no hostile contacts remaining.
    • Rival Contact give a permanent -1 to all checks involving the downtime performed by that character, until resolved.
D6 Complication Outcome
1 You accidentally damage a rare book. (Refer to tier multiplier of the character for price.)
2 You offend a sage, who demands an extravagant gift of a certain gold price. (Refer to tier multiplier of the character times the lore pieces gotten (minimum of 1).)
3 If you had known that book was cursed, you never would have opened it. (Character gains a curse. Ping Dungeon Master for curse.)
4 A sage becomes obsessed with convincing you of a number of strange theories about reality. (Hostile)
5 Your actions cause you to be banned from a library until you make reparations. (Rival)
6 You uncovered useful lore, but only by promising to complete a dangerous task in return. (Requires TRP quest to resolve)