Researching

Downtime Activity: Researching PHB p187 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 DM 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 DM 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 in chapter 5).
Source: PHB, page 187

Downtime Activity: Research XGE p132 Forewarned is forearmed. The research downtime activity allows a character to delve into lore concerning a monster, a location, a magic item, or some other particular topic.
Resources [–] Typically, a character needs access to a library or a sage to conduct research. 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.
Resolution [–] The character declares the focus of the research—a specific person, place, or thing. 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. Determine how much lore a character learns using the Research Outcomes table.

Check Total	Outcome
1–5	No effect.
6–10	You learn one piece of lore.
11–20	You learn two pieces of lore.
21+	You learn three pieces of lore.

Check Total Outcome 1–5 No effect. 6–10 You learn one piece of lore. 11–20 You learn two pieces of lore. 21+ You learn three pieces of lore.


Research Outcomes Check Total Outcome 1–5 No effect. 6–10 You learn one piece of lore. 11–20 You learn two pieces of lore. 21+ You learn three pieces of lore. 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, the spells commonly prepared by an order of wizards, and so on.
As DM, you are the final arbiter concerning exactly what a character learns. 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.
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. The rival might plant false information, bribe sages to give bad advice, or steal key tomes needed to find the truth.
In addition, a character might run into other complications during research. Every workweek spent in research brings a 10 percent chance of a complication, examples of which are on the Research Complications table.

d6	Complication
1	You accidentally damage a rare book.
2	You offend a sage, who demands an extravagant gift.*
3	If you had known that book was cursed, you never would have opened it.
4	A sage becomes obsessed with convincing you of a number of strange theories about reality.*
5	Your actions cause you to be banned from a library until you make reparations.*
6	You uncovered useful lore, but only by promising to complete a dangerous task in return.
*Might involve a rival

Research Complications d6 Complication 1 You accidentally damage a rare book. 2 You offend a sage, who demands an extravagant gift.* 3 If you had known that book was cursed, you never would have opened it. 4 A sage becomes obsessed with convincing you of a number of strange theories about reality.* 5 Your actions cause you to be banned from a library until you make reparations.* 6 You uncovered useful lore, but only by promising to complete a dangerous task in return. *Might involve a rival Source: XGE, page 132


https://www.thievesguild.cc/core/downtime/research