Establish Information Network

Establish Information Network

A character may cultivate an information network as a downtime action, deliberately seeking to find those who are either sympathetic or willing to take coin in order to provide the character with information. Networks are rated in size encompassed, from Neighborhood to Regional. Once a network is established (at Neighborhood size), the character can continue to expand that network. Each stage has a threshold of both time and gold necessary to get it to a given level. When work begins on a network by a PC, the DM should roll to determine what these thresholds are, but not reveal this information to the player. Taking this action, then involves investing both downtime and coin towards these goals, hoping to increase the size and utility of a given network.

• Small: Your network covers a small village or a single neighborhood in a larger community (i.e. the Old Temple neighborhood).

• Modest: Your network covers a town or a single district within a larger community (i.e. the Castle Ward). It can also encompass several villages across a wider area.

• Large: Your network covers the whole of a major city, or several towns and villages across a larger area.

Network Size	Required Time	Required Gold Pieces
Small	1d10+10 days	4d6 gp
Modest	+(1d4)x10 days	+(4d6)x5 gp
Large	+(1d4)x20 days	+(1d10)x20 gp

Utilize Information Network (Downtime Action)

Information networks serve a single purpose: to provide a source of information. Acquiring this involves "chasing down" your contacts, setting them to the task of what you're looking for, and then waiting to see what they bring back to you. This involves a roll on the following table, with the following modifiers:

• Time: For each day less than a tenday of chasing leads (-1% per day less than 10)

• Size: Small (-10%) • Modest (+0%) • Large (+10%)

• Coin Spent: Inquiries cost 1d10 gp (x.5 for Small, x2 for Large).

  • For each gp spent below this, gain -1%. For each gp spent above it, gain +1% (max +10%)

• Specific Info: If you are seeking specific information, there is a chance your network might discover it. This is considered a Secret, but your network takes a modifier based on the scale of the Secret: +10% for Minor Secrets • +0% for Moderate Secrets • -10% for Major Secrets

  • Minor Secrets: These secrets are considered embarrassing or personal. They do not endanger either life or social standing, but knowledge of them can be a source of embarrassment.

  • Moderate Secrets: These secrets are considered scandalous or devastating. They do not endanger the life or freedom of the one they are about, but they do threaten his social standing.

  • Major Secrets: These secrets are considered dangerous or illegal. Open knowledge of them could result in danger to the one the secret is about.

d100 roll	Result
Below 20	False Information: Bad information is passed to you, whether deliberately by an upset informant or fed to your network by someone scheming. You gain a Rumor and a Secret, but the Secret is false or incorrect.
21-30	Lost Informants: You do something to lose informants - get them killed, chased from the city, or placed under close scrutiny such that they cannot help you any more. Either way, you lose 2d10 days and 2d10 gp from your Required Time and Required Gold Pieces investments.
31-40	Upset Informants: You do something that causes your informants to become upset with you - embarrassing them, revealing their identities, etc. You lose 1d6 days and 1d6 gp from your Required Time and Required Gold Pieces investments.
41-50	Nothing Useful: You don't get any real useful information from your informants.
51-65	Scuttlebutt: You gain a Rumor.
66-85	Of Interest: You gain two Rumors.
86+	Secrets: You gain 1d3 Rumors and a Secret.

Sow Network Rumors (Downtime Action)

If you have an information network, you can direct them to spread a rumor. This mimics the "Sowing Rumors" downtime action, except that the network itself takes the time to spread it, without you having to do anything during that time yourself. This still takes the normal amount of time and cost, but frees you up to do other things. You must simply spend 1 day establishing the rumor with your people.