Creative Responses to Gather Information Checks

[ccfRobotics]

I am still learning a lot of the little detail things that go into good DMing, and one thing I'd like to improve upon is what I give players in response to Gather Information checks. I am encouraging them to do them more often (instead of just spoon-feeding plot), and would like some suggestions for more engaging responses.

For example, I currently might say "You find out that _____". That seems a little immersion-breaking. I thought maybe something like "you overhear two farmers talking about ____", but that still feels a little flat.

Any suggestions/pointers/suggested resources for this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[AzazelSephiroth]

"You approach the local inn keeper and from amongst many complaints about his obnoxious daughter, the local tavern wench, you also glean ______"
"The gruff and perpatually scowling dwarven smith claims to know nothing about the bandit raids, but whenever you pressed about their weapon supplies you noticed he always glanced towards the mayor`s house"
"A small and easily ignored sign board bears a strange notice...________"

These are just some of the few I have pulled out for my games. It can be difficult to make every gather info check interesting but remember, the skill is not always asking questions but can also be chatting up the local barman, gambling with some farmers, or even brawling with the local barbarian... all these can lead to info being given in new and unique ways.:smallsmile:

[LansXero]

Some examples of rumours you may find in, say, a marketplace:

- Turns out the local blacksmith is a woman. His husband was hanged last month because he was doing a shoddy job on the guard's equipment, so she has taken over the business alongside her older son. Prices have been discounted since then as well, since her reputation took a hit, and she is trying to get business back. The son doesnt like it one bit, since he was one shoe-in for cleric school before it all went down.

- There is a local 'traveler's fee' to be paid in the Thieves' Guild office that the guards forgot to tell you about when you entered. Citizens are free of petty crime due to their annual payments to the guild, but travelers need to make special arregements, or they are free game. Sometimes its even taken as a sign of defiance of the system and a direct offense to the guild, specially since the new guildmaster took over.

- One of the wenches in the tavern is the mistress of a town council member. Dont know exactly who, but its not the pox-marked one that was serving us, as she was overheard resenting the mistress; aparently, she is due to be out of the tavern next month, once her patron has paid off her debt to the tavern's manager. The guy is kinda old and married though, so where is she off to form here is anyone's guess.

- Children are deathly afraid of the local priest; they say he eats evil children and does bad things with spirits when no one is looking. It might just be children being dumb, but there are several counts of missing orphans and street kids, and the local temple is right by the graveyard. The man's thin and pasty complexion doesnt help matters one bit, either.

- Gossiping old ladys tell of a young bard that comes at every full moon at some noble's house. He sings to his unknown love, leaves a gift, then departs. Little does the poor fool know, the man's only young daughter has been carted off to a temple a few months ago. Or perhaps he is after the man's wife? :O

- Old soldiers playing cards reminisce a war that not many people in the area are familiar with. When drunk enough they admit to be deserters, having fled a confrontation against an enemy necromancer in the nearby swamps and having since then taken a new life in the city; they originally hail from a small country from beyond the mountains, which has since then been razed to nothing, probably because of its army deserting when things get tough. What they will only mention when very very drunk though is their deep regret of not having had the courage to drag their spoils wagon with them, having pushed it into the swamp instead. Every now and then one of them yells out loud he will recover it and become richer than a king, but no one believes it seriously, since they are all very old and the swamp is very dangerous.

[OracleofSilence]

Simply work it into the roleplaying. Don't have players role for gather information, have them ask question of people around them, and simply role when gather information (ie information they would not get out of a casual conversation with a willing person) would come up.

Also as a side note. You have players that TAKE gather information as a skill? Dear god how i envy you. Mine don't and then complain to high Celestia when i don't just tell them when the secret headquarters of the local assassins guild is.

[ccfRobotics]

Thanks!

I definitely think one of the main things I see as common in your replies is that expanding the process of them getting information is a great way to make it more immersive - and can allow me to have them get the information through not just rumors, but character actions (something I was struggling with trying to do and also have them notice/attach importance to).

I think my next session just got a whole lot better :)