Consult a Sage¶
Time¶
1+ days
Overview¶
Sages are highbrow academics, peculiar and eccentric, obsessed with their own fields of study. If the characters employ these idiosyncratic and frequently abrasive scholars, they can find out the true answers to any questions. These answers are the guaranteed objective truths of the campaign world. The sage is the in-game mechanism via which the players can force the Dungeon Master to relay true information.
Sages will have be located before they can be consulted, perhaps by Gathering Rumors.
There are three types of questions sages can answer: general questions, specific questions, and exacting questions. Each separate request for information counts as a question.
- General questions are questions of the yes or no type, simple and broad.
- Specific questions are those that can be answered with a single word or short phrase.
- Exacting questions provide an answer in as much detail as the players request.
Asking a Question¶
Characters may approach a sage and ask a question. A reaction roll must be made. This affects both the sage's behavior and price.
| Check | Reaction | Price Modifier |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Aversion | +50% |
| 3-5 | Dislike | +20% |
| 6-8 | Neutral | — |
| 9-11 | Like | -10% |
| 12+ | Admiration | -20% |
It can take the sage some time to answer a question. The price of each question depends on both the time it takes to find the answer, and how well-versed the sage is in the topic or area. The base cost to answer a question is 500 gold pieces.
If the question is a general question it can be answered in a single turn, and costs 500 gold pieces. Specific and exacting questions take longer, and have an additional cost per day. If the sage is employed by the characters for longer than 1 week, then he is unavailable after he finishes the current question for the following month.
| Topic | Specific | Exacting | Additional cost per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Out of fields of expertise | 2d12 days | — | 100 gp / day |
| Minor expertise | 2d10 days | 5d8 days | 1,000 gp / day |
| Major expertise | 1d12 days | 3d10 days | 500 gp / day |
| Specialization | 1 day | 2d6 days | 200 gp / day |
It costs a minimum of 500 gold pieces per question. If sage is more than 4 miles away from a city with a population of 10,000 or more, prices are doubled.
In most cases, the sage just knows the answer to the question, especially if within his specialty. If too many questions are asked, we can have the sage not have all the answers. Use the following table for success chances. The fee to ask the question must be paid before the answer is checked. Note that the players can always ask the sage to retry, paying the fee yet again.
If a sage is overworked, use the following percentages to determine if the sage can discover the answer:
| Topic | General | Specific | Exacting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Out of fields of expertise | 50% | 10% | — |
| Minor expertise | 75% | 50% | 25% |
| Major expertise | 90% | 75% | 50% |
| Specialization | 100% | 90% | 75% |