Check: By succeeding at a skill check (DC 10), given an evening with a few gold pieces to use for making friends by buying drinks and such, the character can get a general idea of what the major news items are in a city, assuming no obvious reasons exist why the information would be withheld. The higher the check result, the better the information.

If the character wants to find out about a specific rumor, specific item, obtain a map, or do something else along those lines, the DC is 15 to 25 or higher.

Retry: Yes, but it takes an evening or so for each check, and characters may draw attention to themselves if they repeatedly pursue a certain type of information.