Use this skill for making contacts in an area, finding out local gossip, rumormongering, and collecting general information.
Check: An evening’s time, a few gold pieces for buying drinks and making friends, and a DC 10 Gather Information check get you a general idea of a city’s major news items, assuming there are no obvious reasons why the information would be withheld. (Such reasons might include racial enmity—if you are an elf hanging out in an orc city, for example—or your inability to speak the local language.) The higher your check result, the better the information.
If you want to find out about a specific rumor (“Which way to the ruined temple of the Dark God?”) or a specific item (“What can you tell me about that pretty sword the captain of the guard walks around with?”), or obtain a map, or do something else along those lines, the DC for the check is 15 to 25, or even higher.
Action: A typical Gather Information check takes 1d4+1 hours.
Try again: Yes, but it takes time for each check. Furthermore, you may draw attention to yourself if you repeatedly pursue a certain type of information.
Special: A half-elf has a +2 racial bonus on Gather Information checks, thanks to her ability to relate well to others.
If you have the Investigator feat, you get a +2 bonus on Gather Information checks.
Synergy: If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (local), you get a +2 bonus on Gather Information checks.
Source: Player’s Handbook (version 3.5), page 74.
The character can gather information without eliciting suspicion.
| Task | Check Modifier |
|---|---|
| Avoid suspicion | –20 |
Avoid Suspicion: By accepting a –20 penalty on his or her Gather Information check, a character can avoid any suspicions that might otherwise be aroused by someone pursuing sensitive information.