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fatal error 12-22-05, 03:53 PM

I posted this in the DM forums, but didn't get much response as to the actual rules, just 'why would you want these rules'. So, I'm posting it here, hoping that I'll get some actual feedback on the rules themselves. Information Brokering: In Kalnath knowledge is power, what your enemy is doing, what your rival has done, what your ally is going to do. The problem is of course, you might not be the best man for the job of gathering such information. This is where the information broker comes in. Result Broker lvl/skill 5-9 4th/+8 10-14 6th/+10 15-19 8th/+12 20-24 10th/+14 25-29 12th/+16 30+ 14th/+18 In game terms, an information broker is essentially hiring someone to make a skill check, just like you would hire a smith to make a sword, or a wizard to scry for you, so you can hire an information broker to tell you about something. First a gather information or knowledge (docks, market, commons, dwarven, little Gnomeragan or livery), and consult the following table as to your options on brokers: A high check result only gives you more options, you can still use, say, a 4th level broker even if you got an 18 on your skill check. This is also considered to find a variety of brokers with different knowledge skills, not just one with every knowledge skill. Once a broker is found and contacted, consult the following table on price for information. Once paid the broker will make one knowledge check on whatever subject his employers asked about. The broker will give all levels of information he finds with his check, unless some of them require additional ‘risk pay’ (see below). A broker can be paid again to either make a knowledge check on a different subject, but cannot make a new knowledge check on the same subject until at least a week has passed (representing the broker finding more information on that subject). Of course, some information is more valuable for one reason or another than other information. It might be dangerous to have, like information of a corrupt noble house. Or it might be a rare area of knowledge, which few choose to bother with. Broker lvl/skill Cost Risk Cost Modifier 4th/+8 32g Information is dangerous +5g x DC 6th/+10 60g Information is deadly +10g x DC 8th/+12 96g Information is especially common -5g x DC 10th/+14 140g Knowledge category is rare +5g x DC 12th/+16 192g Subject of information is a powerful faction* +2g x DC 14th/+18 252g Subject of information is the most powerful faction* +5g x DC *; faction is powerful/most powerful for that district Well, there's my first draft. I know a lot of games wouldn't have enough of this to make it necessary to have a true mechanical system. But currently there is NOTHING for this, to my knowledge anyway. And so what do you do when players suddenly say, "Hey, none of us know much about the Keepers of the Golden Vault, but I bet someone in this metropolis does, let's go ask them." Sure, you'd just throw out a random number and be happy. But that's not a reason not to have a system for it, just a reason not to put any effort into making one. And remember, this is a system for professional information brokers, the guys that sit in taverns overhearing conversation, making gather information checks, and hiring kids to scout for them. Not the random guard you want to bribe to find a way into the castle. In case you were wondering. First, because the campaign is city based, I've broken up knowledge (local) in to different districts of the city. Second, I plan to add little knowledge check DC charts to all my organizations so this system can be used easily.