Part Four - Downtime Activities

Downtime Summary

Every downtime activity listed here (with the exception of some crafted items) takes a minimum of a workweek (5 days) to completely resolve. A character is expected to spend a work day's work of time (8 hours) daily to count towards that activity's completion. In addition, most of these activities cost money and the amounts will be listed in the descriptions. Days required for this activity to be completed need not be consecutive: you may work on your activity for a longer time than recommended. Once you begin to delay this by more than twice the recommended number of days, complications will be introduced at the DM's discretion. These complications may spawn entire quests, introduce long-term rivals, or even result in a more advantageous situation for the party once resolved. When a downtime activity is resolved, the player will receive the boon they were after if successful.
To break it down in non-paragraph format:

• Nearly every activity requires minimum 1 workweek (5 days) to resolve.
• A character must spend 8 hours each day to progress.
• Pay the cost.
• Days need not be consecutive; take too long and complications happen.
• Resolve downtime through story-telling and rolling.

Complications

Any and all activities may result in an undesirable result, even on a success. Every activity on this list has a RAW 10% chance of causing a complication. Each activity has its own complications table, which the DM has taken liberty to edit as she sees fit. Complications in this game will be roleplay-oriented so that they will be a potential new story thread instead of an "Oops, you were robbed of everything you've ever had!" or "Oops, you actually gave that man your 10,000 gp to buy a magic item and he ran off with it!" or even, "Surprise, you're married!". The tables themselves can be found within Xanathar's Guide to Everything but have been amended to exclude results that may make players uncomfortable or are intentionally written to screw a player over severely. The examples I gave are featured in Xanathar's but will not be featured in game.
In short: at the end of every activity, the player will roll a d100. A roll equal to or less than 10 results in a complication. The player will roll off the table the DM shares with them in Foundry.

Storytelling Together

Downtime activities are meant to quickly cover the passage of time - something that Dungeons and Dragons 5e struggles to do in normal gameplay. For this game, downtime will be a back and forth between the player(s) and the DM to decide what the character has done and accomplished. This will be the player's chance to co-DM as they describe concisely what they've done and how they've interacted with the NPCs in question. This will be done in a bullet-point style conversation to keep these short and sweet. There may be moments where we zoom in to focus on a specific roleplay interaction, such as in the case of some complications or if interacting with a named NPC that will be an important contact moving forward. Ideally, each player's downtime activity should take no more than 15 minutes to figure out from start to finish in order to keep gameplay moving.

All Downtime Activities

Brewing Potions & Healing Potions.

The Alchemy Homebrew Rules will contain all information for my potion crafting system. In short, you will need Alchemists Tools to craft potions; proficiency is not required but will make this task easier. Healing potions will be dealt with separately to heighten availability. Times for crafting healing potions have been reduced significantly from RAW. This game uses an alternative pricing for healing potions known in the community as the "sane" price. This results in a decreased price for healing potions specifically which is meant to make it easier on the party to buy and create them. They are as follows:

Healing Potion Rarity	Time Required	Cost to Make	Sell Price
Common	1 day	25 gp	50 gp
Uncommon	4 days	100 gp	200 gp
Rare	1 workweek	250 gp	500 gp
Very Rare	3 workweeks	1,000 gp	2,000 gp

Buying a Magic Item

In order to purchase a magic item, you will have to seek out a contact capable of selling one to you. Depending on the area you are in this may be extremely difficult to fairly easy. There is no guarantee that the contact will have the desired magic item. You must spend minimum 1 week searching for a magic item to buy.

1. Make an Investigation(Int) or Persuasion(Cha) check.
2. You must spend a minimum of 1 week searching for the contact. For each week you choose to spend searching beyond the first, add +1.
3. You must pay your contact a minimum of 100 gp. For each 100 gp you choose to spend on the search, add +1. This gold will not go towards the item, but only help in determining items available.
4. Using the total number rolled (Skill Check + Weeks + Gold), the DM will roll off a magic item table corresponding to that number. The lowest being 1, and the highest being 41. Since this is a homebrew setting, the tables used contain homebrew magic items are different than those featured in the downtime activity described in the DMG.

Magical items are generally expensive. Here is a pricing breakdown:

Rarity	Asking Price*
Common	(1d6 + 1) x 10 gp
Uncommon	(1d6) x 100 gp
Rare	(2d10) x 1,000 gp
Very rare	(1d4 + 1) x 10,000 gp
Legendary	(2d6) x 25,000 gp

*Halved for consumables

Carousing

The goal of carousing is to gain contacts and increase social status. Carousing involves a workweek of drinking, socializing, charcuterie all with the goal of making powerful contacts. Lower class carousing costs 10 gp, middle class 50 gp, and upper class 250 gp. These NPC contacts now share a bond with the carousing character. Lower class contacts are typically criminals, laborers, mercenaries, members of the town guard/militia, or your local drunk. Middle class contacts include merchants, guild members, tavern owners, mages of moderate talent, and town officials. Upper class contacts are nobles and those close to nobility: servants, generals and the kind that take more than a few gold to buy the trust of. A contact may help or hinder depending on the roll of the die.

1. The player chooses the class of people they wish to carouse with.
2. If the player wishes to carouse with the upper class, the DM will decide if the player would be accepted in that class. If not, the DM will decide if a Charisma (Deception) check should be made if the player wishes to attempt to deceive the nobility. If the Charisma (Deception) roll fails, the player will have made a hostile contact with a guard, servant, or middle class individual they failed to deceive to gain access to nobility. In rare cases or massive fails, the player will gain a hostile contact with an upper class individual.
3. The player makes a Charisma (Persuasion) roll. Consult the table below for results.

Persuasion Check Results

Check Total	Result
1-5	Player has made a hostile contact.
6-10	Player has made no new contacts.
11-15	Player has made an allied contact.
16-20	Player has made two allied contacts.
21+	Player has made three allied contacts.

Crafting an Item

Please refer to Crafting Homebrew Rules.

Crafting a Magic Item

Please refer to Enchanting Homebrew Rules.

Crime

Want to make some dirty money? Need intel but the law is getting in your way? Time to do a crime about it. Planning the perfect crime takes a workweek of time and money: 25 gp to be exact. This money is used to gather tools and pay off informants.

1. The player spends the week planning, pays 25 gp.
2. The player chooses their target. The DM determines which category this fits into.
3. The player makes 3 total rolls: A Dexterity (Stealth), a Dexterity (Thieves' Tools), and choice of either Intelligence (Investigation), Wisdom (Perception), or Charisma (Deception).
4. Each check must pass the DC. If any fail, the character is caught and potentially jailed. The character must pay a fine equal to the profit of the crime and spend one week in jail for each 25 gp the crime was worth. The party may pay to get the player out of jail if the local constable permits.

DC	Value
10	50 gp, robbery of a struggling merchant or lower-middle class individual.
15	100 gp, robbery of a prosperous merchant or middle class individual. Robbery of a poor man's home.
20	200 gp, robbery of a noble or upper class individual. Robbery of a middle class man's home.
25	1,000 gp, robbery of the richest person/group in town. Robbery of a noble's home.
30	5,000 gp, robbery of the richest person/group in town's estate.

Gambling

Gambling involves placing bets in games of chance in order to make or lose money. This activity requires one weeks worth of effort plus a minimum stake of 10 gp. The maximum bet is based on the region/settlement you are in and the DM's discretion.

1. The player selects an amount to bet. The maximum is determined by the DM. The minimum is 10 gp.
2. The player performs three rolls: Wisdom (Insight), Charisma (Deception), and Charisma (Intimidation). Should the player have gambling set proficiencies, one of the checks may be replaced by that proficiency bonus instead.
3. The DC for each check is 5+2d10; a separate DC for each check is generated.
4. The below table is consulted for results.

Result	Cash Out
0 successes	Lose all the money you bet, and accrue a debt equal to that amount.
1 success	Lose half the money you bet.
2 successes	Gain the amount you bet plus half.
3 successes	Double the amount you bet.

Gladiatorial/Pit Fighting

Pit fighting includes boxing, wrestling, and all non-lethal forms of combat in an organized setting with predetermined matches. Gladiatorial fighting is a typically more lethal form of combat which typically comes with higher payouts. This activity requires one workweek of effort from the character.

1. The player performs three different rolls: Strength (Athletics), Dexterity (Acrobatics) and a Constitution check (plus a bonus equal to a roll of their highest hit die).
2. A large part of entertainment fighting is not knowing your opponent ahead of match. The DC for each check is 5+2d10; a separate DC for each check is generated.
3. The below table is consulted for results.

Result	Cash Out
0 successes	Earn nothing.
1 success	Win 50 gp.
2 successes	Win 100 gp.
3 successes	Win 250 gp.

Joining a Guild/Finding a Crafting Mentor

A player may join one of the crafting guilds as their downtime activity. As all the crafting guides I have linked in this article require guild membership or a mentor, joining during downtime would be an excellent use of time spent.

1. A character may spend a workweek finding and courting a mentor or a guild.
2. The fees to join a guild are 25 gp, which will be paid upon a successful entry.
3. t is up to the DM's discretion if you can find someone to teach you based on the region the character is selling in. If there is no available guild/mentor, the DM will offer the player the option of choosing a different downtime activity.
4. A Tools Check with the tools associated with the type of crafting you wish to do will be required for all new members.

Tools Check	Outcome
1-10	Membership/Mentorship is granted, but no one is overly impressed.
11-20	Membership/Mentorship is granted, and you gain access to one recipe and it's ingredients.
21+	Membership/Mentorship is granted, and you can access to two recipes and their ingredients.

Performance and the Arts

It can be hard to find the time to write or sing when saving the world. Fortunately, a week can help to contribute to a work. This downtime activity directly relates to fame and gaining notoriety within a town. Your performance can be anything you like it to be. There are three main types of artistic expression that may occur: illustration, stage performance, and writing.

1. The character must acquire paper/canvas and ink to write their music, script, or book. The minimum cost is 10 gp.
2. Additional costs incur of the player needs to hire other actors, a guard to watch over them as they seek out nature as a muse, or if they require a rental instrument, backup dancers/vocalists, higher quality paint (blue), partnering with a publisher, etc. If a character needs any of these, an additional 100 gp may be added to the base cost for each addition. For each addition, they may add +1 to one of their rolls of their choosing.
3. Optionally, the character may try to solicit a patron to cover cost. This can be found in the Carousing section and will take an additional workweek. A patron may only be of middle or upper class.
4. This activity requires a minimum of 1 workweek. Each additional workweek spent improves the quality of the work, and the player may add +1 to a roll for each week spent.
5. The DC for each check is 5+2d10; a separate DC for each check is generated.
6. Consult the list and table below for rolls and results, respectively.

Consult the list below for the respective rolls required:

• Illustration: an artist may make a work of visual art using any medium they wish. The rolls required are Performance (Charisma), Perception (Wisdom) and a Tools roll of their preferred medium.
• Acting Stage Performance: The world's a stage. You may perform your original work for a crowd of townsfolk. The rolls required are Performance (Charisma), Deception (Charisma), and a Disguise Kit roll.
• Dancing Stage Performance: The rolls required are Performance (Charisma), Acrobatics (Dexterity) and Constitution (add hit die to roll).
• Singing Stage Performance: The rolls required are Performance (Charisma), Perception (Wisdom) and Instrument roll of choice.
• Writing: The rolls required are Performance (Charisma), History (Intelligence) and Persuasion (Charisma).

For illustration and writing work may be sold for fame and coin, or donated to an estate or library for a larger amount of fame at a certain level. Performances may be done pro-bono for the same effect. The maximum amount of fame a character can gain per downtime is +2 and most to lose is -1.

Result	Fame Earned
0 successes	The character loses -1 fame and gains 10 gp.
1 success	The character gains 0 fame but gains 50 gp in payment.
2 successes	The character gains +1 fame and gains 100 gp in payment. Alternatively a player may perform pro-bono at this level and gain an additional +1.
3 successes	The character gains +2 fame and gains 250 gp in payment.

Please consult the Fame and Reputation section of Part Three - House Rules for further information on fame.

Relaxation

Relaxation is the only downtime activity where there are no complications if done in a non-harmful way. During one workweek, a character must maintain a modest lifestyle while they relax in the way they see fit. For some, this involves napping. For others, it may involve a smattering of binge-drinking, hiring prostitutes, or some other vice. If a character indulges in a vice they may be asked to roll on the complications table. The character gains:

• Advantage on saving throws to recover from long acting disease or poison.
• Relaxation will clear all exhaustion levels at the end of a workweek.
• At week's end, the character can end an effect preventing it from regaining hit points OR can restore one ability score that has been reduced to less than it's normal value. This can only be done if the reduction or prevention was caused by a non-magical effect with an ongoing duration, such as Bestow Curse.

Religious Services

Characters that come from religious backgrounds may seek the sanctuary of the temple. This may result in a character gaining favor with the local clergy or temple leaders. The goal is to earn a favor, which in broad strokes represents future aid at an aligned temple. In Xanathar's the benefit is called a "favor" but in this game they will be called Writs of Favor. A Writ of Favor may be exchanged at any temple so long as the clergy is aligned with the leadership where the writ was awarded. These wax-sealed parchments are valuable as they can result in discounted prices on services or aid in a quest. A character may have up to 1 + Charisma modifier unused writs at a time.

1. The character must have access to a temple where it has overlapping beliefs at minimum.
2. Religious service requires one workweek of dedicated service which includes attending rites, interacting with the community, and aiding in temple duties. There is no required cost.
3. The character makes an Intelligence (Religion) or a Charisma (Persuasion) check. The total of the check determines the benefits.

Total	Result
1-10	No effect. Your efforts fail to make a lasting impression.
11-20	You earn one writ.
21+	You earn two writs.

Examples of Potential Boons
Provide guidance on a current quest.
Give directions or a map of the current area.
Provide the players with an NPC contact for something they may need.
Gain low-level cleric spell scrolls.
Gain healing potions.
Offer temple services at 50% off, potentially greater at the DM's discretion.
Offer to get them a discount at a local vendor who shares the faith.
Give access to a protected area (an archive, a locked tomb, audience with nobility, etc).
Give an omen or vision of what is to come.

Research

Discover lore of a monster, region, specific location, magic item, or other area of interest.

1. The character must have access to a library or sage, which is left to the DM's discretion.
2. Research costs 50 gp minimum to spend on materials, bribes, gifts, and other expenses.
3. For each 100 gp spent in addition, a player may gain +1 to the roll (max of +6).
4. The character must spend 1 workweek researching.
5. At the end of 1 workweek, the player makes an Intelligence check + additional gold spent. If the character has access to a well stocked library or learned sage, they gain advantage on the check.

Check Total	Result
1-5	No effect.
6-10	You learn one piece of lore.
11-20	You learn two pieces of lore.
21+	You learn three pieces of lore.

Scribing a Magical Scroll

Transcribe your magical prowess onto a sheet of paper to be used at a later date or to sell.

1. A character who wishes to create a spell scroll is required to be proficient in the Intelligence (Arcana) skill.
2. A character must provide all spell components for the given spell.
3. The spell must be prepared or in the character's known spell list. You cannot transcribe innate ability spells (IE: spells that come from feats, race, divine gifts/boons, etc.)
4. The character must cover the costs associated with scribing the spell scroll, which is determined by the level of the spell. Costs include specialty paper, enchanted inks, gold powders to hold enchantments, perfumed oils to treat the paper, and a quill capable of writing magic.
5. Each spell requires time to scribe, which increases with spell level.

Spell Level	Time	Cost to Make
Cantrip*	1 day	15 gp
1st	1 day	25 gp
2nd	3 days	250 gp
3rd	1 workweek	500 gp
4th	2 workweeks	2,500 gp
5th	4 workweeks	5,000 gp
6th	8 workweeks	15,000 gp
7th	16 workweeks	25,000 gp
8th	32 workweeks	50,000 gp
9th	48 workweeks	250,000 gp

*Treated as a 1st level spell

Selling Magic Items

Sell an item that your party no longer wants or needs.

1. A character must pick ONE magic item to sell.
2. The magic item must be identified by a magic user or via attunement. Items suspected to be magical with no identifiable magic may not be sold.
3. Finding a buyer for an item takes one workweek and costs 25 gp to advertise the desired sale.
4. It is up to the DM's discretion if you can find someone to sell to based on the price of the item and the region the character is selling in. If there is no available buyer, the DM will offer the player to choose a different downtime activity.
5. The character makes a Charisma (Persuasion) check to determine what kind of offer comes in. If the offer is unfavorable, the decision to wait until later to sell can be made.

Rarity	XGTE Base Price*
Common	100 gp
Uncommon	400 gp
Rare	4,000 gp
Very Rare	40,000 gp
Legendary	200,000 gp

Check Total	Offer
1-10	50% of base price
11-20	100% of base price
21+	150% of base price

Training

Given enough time and a competent instructor, a character may learn a language or gain a tool proficiency.

1. The character must find an instructor. If the instructor is within their party, the player acting as the instructor must take an equal workweek of downtime to teach the student character.
2. Training takes 10 workweeks, minus a number of workweeks equal to the character's Intelligence modifier. A negative modifier does not negatively impact learning; the minimum value is 0.
3. Training costs 25 gp per workweek. If the character is learning from a party member they may discuss a rate, if any.
4. Alternate: a character may train a skill proficiency instead over the course of 20 workweeks. The trainer must be a specialized instructor and not a party member.

Working

Working for a workweek requires the availability of jobs in your region. This is a simple way to potentially build relationships and earn coin. This activity is more open ended than most in that the player may describe what work they are looking for and the DM will require a skill check.

Roll	Example Honest Jobs
Strength (Athletics)	Bouncer, Construction, Guard, Laborer, Miner
Dexterity (Acrobatics)	Street Performer, High-rise Worker
Dexterity (Sleight of Hand)	Street Performer
Intelligence using Tools	Mason's Tools, Woodworker's Tools, etc.
Investigation (Intelligence)	Small Time Bounty Hunting, Consultant to Guards, Private Investigation
Charisma (Performance)	Street Performance, Tavern Performance
Intelligence	Assistant Librarian, Secretary

The following tables are adjusted the the economy in my world. There is a greater access to wealth/inflation and the players have access to great wealth. Each table gives information on how much wealth a person(s)/community from a given class would be able to pay out. Adjust for your world accordingly.

Check Total	Earnings (Lower Class)
0-9	1 gp
10-14	5 gp
15-20	10 gp
21+	20 gp

Check Total	Earnings (Middle Class)
0-9	5 gp
10-14	10 gp
15-20	25 gp
21+	50 gp

Check Total	Earnings (Upper Class)
0-9	10 gp
10-14	25 gp
15-20	50 gp
21+	100 gp