Research in downtime is a great way to learn new things about the game world, both in and out of character. By spending time finding buried lore on a topic of interest, a player can learn many beneficial things that aren't immediately apparent. The topic of research can be anything besides magic items, some examples being:

• a specific character or NPC.
• a game location that is not quite what it seems.
• the weakness of a particular breed of creatures.
• the locations of portals, dungeons, and other oddities.
• secret passages and hidden rooms.

Research takes at least seven days of downtime, as well as 50 gp in various bribes, materials, and gifts to sages and other institutions. After declaring a topic of research and filling out the appropriate forms, a GM will ask you to roll an intelligence check. On this check, you receive an additional +1 for every extra 100 gp you spend, up to a maximum of an extra 600 gp. Spending more than one week on research allows you another roll for each week you spend past the first, allowing you to earn more information at once.