Player Research Rules (Guild Dogs)

The following research system is intended to be used by these guys, but will probably work with any d20 based tabletop system with a setting that allows such things, so I thought I would share.

Research: Before embarking on a research project a player will be notified of the projects difficulty level. This determines how long research takes, and how well resourced the project needs to be. Once the resources have been sourced and the research time passed, the researching Guild Dog will attempt a INT test to see if research is successful. Most research projects will have a penalty to the INT test to reflect their difficulty. A failed research attempt may be reattempted after d6 days have passed. Research can be paused, but a full day of research is required for progress to be made on a project (ie, a Guild Dog must spend a full 24 hours researching, they may not engage in other activities in that time). Samples are used up and exhausted in the research process.  Research equipment  must be tested on a usage die after a successful project to see if it needs replacing. Each 1000 gold worth of equipment must be tested on a d6, a result of a 1 or 2 means that equipment needs replacing. If the equipment does not need replacing it may be re-used for new projects.

Sages, Mossen Crafters, Wizards and the like may all be hired to undertake research for a Guild Dog, but this will be expensive. Some research projects may draw the ire, interest and attention of specific Guilds...

Research project difficulty:	Research Project Requirements :
1, Banal.	Research Time: 1d6 days. Completion INT Test Penalty: None. Sample Requirements: d10 handfuls. Equipment Requirements: A flat bench, with 1000 gold worth of researching equipment.
2, Interesting.	Research Time: 1d20 days. Completion INT Test Penalty: +4 to roll. Sample Requirements: d6 sackfuls. Equipment Requirements: A room, with 5000 gold worth of research equipment.
3, Innovative.	Research Time: 1d6 weeks. Completion INT Test Penalty: +6 to roll. Sample Requirements: d10 sackfuls. Equipment Requirements: d4 rooms, with 10’000 gold worth of research equipment.
4, Evolutionary.	Research Time: 1d10 weeks. Completion INT Test Penalty: +8 to roll. Sample Requirements: d20 sackfuls. Equipment Requirements: d6 rooms and an additional room for storage,  with 10’000 gold worth of research equipment
5, Revolutionary.	Research Time: 1d6 months. Completion INT Test Penalty: +10 to roll. Sample Requirements: 1d4 room fulls. Equipment Requirements: d8 rooms with an additional d4 rooms for storage and d4 researching assistance staff, with 15’000 gold worth of research equipment
6, Paradigm Creating.	Research Time: 1d10 months. Completion INT Test Penalty: +12 to roll. Sample Requirements: 1d8 room fulls.   Equipment Requirements: d10 rooms an additional d6 rooms for storage and d6 researching assistance staff, with 20’000 gold worth of research equipment. A project specific magical field or ancient entity is also required to help guide and reshape reality waves.