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 include poring over dusty tomes and crumbling scrolls in a library or buying drinks for the locals to pry rumors and gossip from their lips.
When you begin your research, the GM 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 GM 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. Once those conditions are met, you learn the information if it is available.
For each day of research, you must spend 1 gp to cover your expenses. This cost is in addition to your normal lifestyle expenses (as discussed here).
Spell Research
Adapted from Giffyglyph’s Class Compendium
Characters who store spells in a spell book are able to learn new spells through careful study, research, and magical experimentation. By spending downtime experimenting, you can expand your spellbook with new arcane knowledge.
To perform arcane research, there are four basic steps:
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Define your Research Topic: Choose a spell from your spell list that you want to learn. The spell must be of a level that you have spell slots for.
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Setup your Laboratory: Assemble your research equipment and laboratory. At a bare minimum, you must have access to your spellbook, inks, magical components and some peace. Favourable conditions, such as help from an assistant, high quality equipment, or detailed reference material can grant advantage on your research check.
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Make a Research Check: Once you have everything set up, you can begin your research. After each period of, study make an Intelligence (Arcana) check of DC 10 + double the spell level of your target spell. Compare your margin of success relative to the Spell Research DC with the Spell Research Results table.
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Complete your Research: Once you have accumulated a total of 40 hours per spell level of the spell being researched, you may pay the spend the scribing cost of the spell in gp to add it to your spellbook.
Spell Research Results
| Margin of Success | Outcome |
|---|---|
| −10 or less | Critical Failure: Your research hits a dead end. The full amount of time invested in this research check is subtracted from the progress that you have made. |
| −5 to −9 | Exceptional Failure: Your research hits a dead end. Half the time invested in this research check is subtracted from the progress that you have made. |
| −1 to −4 | Failure: Your research falters, making no progress towards completion. |
| +0 to +4 | Success: Your research is adequate, advancing towards completion as per the amount of time invested in researching. |
| +5 to +9 | Exceptional Success: Your research has a breakthrough, advancing towards completion as per the amount of time invested in researching. Additionally, you gain a research credit. |
| +10 or more | Critical Success: Your research is excellent, advancing twice as much towards completion as the time invested in researching. |
If you roll a 1 on your research check, your research causes an immediate, automatic complication. If you roll a natural 20 on your research check, increase your margin of success by one step. Additionally, you can increase your margin of success by one step, by making a complication check.
Complications
When a complication occurs, make a roll on the Spell Research Complications table:
Spell Research Complications
| d100 | Complication |
|---|---|
| 1-20 | Destruction: There was a small fire and you accidentally singed your spellbook. Lose one random spell from your spellbook (or the spellbook itself if you have no spells to lose). |
| 21-50 | Noticed: Your experiments have drawn unwanted attention from someone or something who will make your life more difficult, such as: 1. A demon. 2. A higher power. 3. A noble of the land. 4. A thief. 5. A mage hunter. 6. A wild monster. 7. A rival wizard. 8. A zealous cleric. 9. A furious druid. 10. An angry mob. |
| 51-80 | Backfire: An experiment backfired and you now suffer from a magical affliction. For example: 1. You have turned yourself into a frog. 2. Your skin turns a random color. 3. All of your hair falls out. 4. Your teeth turn sharp and black. 5. Your head swells to twice its normal size. 6. You periodically vomit up living slugs. 7. Your hands turn things red for 1 hour. 8. Your body grows a thick layer of animal fur. 9. Your hands are turned into crab-like pincers. 10. Words you speak are reversed. |
| 81-100 | Accident: Your research has caused an accident. You owe 1d10 x 10 gp per spell level to cover the damages. |
Research Credits
During your experiments and adventures, you may find research notes made by other spellcasters. These research credits can help you during your studies.
When you make a research check, you can spend one research credit to add +1d4 to the result. For every additional research credit you spend, you increase the size of the die by one step (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12) to a maximum of 1d12.