Marching from Golarion; Research

Source Gamemastery Guide pg. 154

When the PCs are trying to discover important information while challenged by a time limit or other interesting twist, the research subsystem is just the right thing to lend their efforts more urgency and weight.

In the research subsystem, PCs accumulate Knowledge and learn new information or gain other benefits upon reaching specific thresholds. Use this subsystem if the PCs face a time constraint, rival research group, or other forms of external pressure or condition that could end the PCs’ efforts early. Otherwise, you can simply use the rules in the Core Rulebook since the PCs are free to keep rolling until they uncover everything there is to find.

In this subsystem, time passes in rounds spanning several hours to a day of research. Each round, the characters use the Research exploration activity to gain Knowledge. As time passes and the party earns more Knowledge, they gain information and rewards but also might face consequences or events. Some of these events might interrupt the round with a different kind of encounter (disrupting the Research activity), such as a social encounter with an intelligent book or a combat encounter with a guardian.

Research

 

CONCENTRATE

EXPLORATION

LINGUISTIC

 

You comb through information to learn more about the topic at hand. Choose your research topic, section of the library, or other division depending on the form of research, and attempt a skill check. The skills to use and the DC for the check depend on the choice you made.

Critical Success You gain 2 Knowledge.

Success You gain 1 Knowledge.

Critical Failure You make a false discovery and lose 1 Knowledge.

Running Research

Source Gamemastery Guide pg. 155

When running the research subsystem, think about the two factors that set the pace of the research and allow you to break it up: the length of each round of research and the thresholds in the research. Use both of these in tandem to breathe life into the session and draw the players into the game. Ideally, the PCs are aware of whatever pressure requires them to finish the research, so as rounds pass, the tension increases. As long as the PCs are able to get the information they came for, it’s fine if they don’t learn everything the library has to offer; in fact, you might intentionally create a situation allowing the PCs time to glean only some of a list of special rewards, forcing them to prioritize their favorites.