During downtime, you can often sum up the significant events of a whole day in a matter of minutes, often with minimal need for dice rolls or ability checks of any kind. In some cases, the passage of time is something that occurs with little fanfare or description. When starting a new adventure, the GM might simply declare that a certain amount of time has passed and allow you to describe in general terms what your character has been doing. At other times, the GM might want to keep track of just how much time is passing as events beyond your perception stay in motion.
Most periods of downtime are measured in days, weeks/quarters (7 days), months (28 days), or sometimes even years.
Downtime Activities
Downtime activities are tasks that usually take one or more workdays to perform. You can select or describe a downtime activity and the GM helps you determine the time and money required to resolve it.
A
workday is any day where you spends at least 8 hours of the day engaged in the desired downtime activity.
When working on a downtime activity, your devoted workdays need not always be consecutive, they can be broken up with periods of adventuring or attention devoted to another downtime activity. This may result in repercussions for certain activities. For example, the eligible bachelor may not be so easily courted if you frequently abscond in the midst of your social engagements.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle expenses provide you with a simple way to account for a character's cost of living. They cover your accommodations, food and drink, and all your other necessities. Furthermore, expenses cover the cost of maintaining your equipment so you can be ready when adventure next calls.
At the start of each downtime, choose a lifestyle from the Lifestyle Expenses table and pay the price to sustain that lifestyle. The prices listed are per day, so if you wish to calculate the cost of your chosen lifestyle over a longer period of time, simply multiply the listed price by that amount. Your lifestyle might change from one period of downtime to the next, based on the funds you have at your disposal, or you might maintain the same lifestyle throughout your character’s career. You can change your lifestyle if you desire at the start of each day.
Your lifestyle choice can have consequences. Maintaining a wealthy lifestyle might help you make contacts with the rich and powerful, though you run the risk of attracting thieves. Likewise, living frugally might help you avoid criminals, but you are unlikely to make powerful connections.
Lifestyle Expenses
| Lifestyle | Price/Day |
|---|
| Wretched |
- |
| Squalid |
1 sp |
| Poor |
2 sp |
| Modest |
1 gp |
| Comfortable |
2 gp |
| Wealthy |
5 gp |
| Aristocratic |
10 gp minimum |
Wretched. You live in inhumane conditions. With no place to call home, you shelter wherever you can, sneaking into barns, huddling in old crates, and relying on the good graces of people better off than you. A wretched lifestyle presents abundant dangers. Violence, disease, and hunger follow you wherever you go. Other wretched people covet your armor, weapons, and adventuring gear, which represent a fortune by their standards. You are beneath the notice of most people.
Squalid. You live in a leaky stable, a mud-floored hut just outside town, or a vermin-infested boarding house in the worst part of town. You have shelter from the elements, but you live in a desperate and often violent environment, in places rife with disease, hunger, and misfortune. You are beneath the notice of most people, and you have few legal protections. Most people at this lifestyle level have suffered some terrible setback. They might be disturbed, marked as exiles, or suffer from disease.
Poor. A poor lifestyle means going without the comforts available in a stable community. Simple food and lodgings, threadbare clothing, and unpredictable conditions result in a sufficient, though probably unpleasant, experience. Your accommodations might be a room in a flophouse or in the common room above a tavern. You benefit from some legal protections, but you still have to contend with violence, crime, and disease. People at this lifestyle level tend to be unskilled laborers, costermongers, peddlers, thieves, mercenaries, and other disreputable types.
Modest. A modest lifestyle keeps you out of the slums and ensures that you can maintain your equipment. You live in an older part of town, renting a room in a boarding house, inn, or temple. You don't go hungry or thirsty, and your living conditions are clean, if simple. Ordinary people living modest lifestyles include soldiers with families, laborers, students, priests, hedge wizards, and the like.
Comfortable. Choosing a comfortable lifestyle means that you can afford nicer clothing and can easily maintain your equipment. You live in a small cottage in a middle-class neighborhood or in a private room at a fine inn. You associate with merchants, skilled tradespeople, and military officers.
Wealthy. Choosing a wealthy lifestyle means living a life of luxury, though you might not have achieved the social status associated with the old money of nobility or royalty. You live a lifestyle comparable to that of a highly successful merchant, a favored servant of the royalty, or the owner of a few small businesses. You have respectable lodgings, usually a spacious home in a good part of town or a comfortable suite at a fine inn. You likely have a small staff of servants.
Aristocratic. You live a life of plenty and comfort. You move in circles populated by the most powerful people in the community. You have excellent lodgings, perhaps a townhouse in the nicest part of town or rooms in the finest inn. You dine at the best restaurants, retain the most skilled and fashionable tailor, and have servants attending to your every need. You receive invitations to the social gatherings of the rich and powerful, and spend evenings in the company of politicians, guild leaders, high priests, and nobility. You must also contend with the highest levels of deceit and treachery.
The wealthier you are, the greater the chance you will be drawn into political intrigue as a pawn or participant.
Shopping
During downtime, you have the opportunity to visit markets, shops, and craftsmen to purchase or acquire new equipment and items. Shopping is typically handled through passive role-playing whereby the GM describes the shopping location, players can then describe what they're looking for, deduct the costs, and the GM briefly narrates the interaction.
If PCs are looking to peruse local shops, or engage in negotiations before making a purchase, then shopping will usually switch back into active role-play.
Work
During most adventures, PCs account for what they might spend on day-by-day basis. They spend most of their time traveling, dealing with high stakes situations, and collecting rewards. Without exception, even the most adventurous characters find themselves in the lower stakes environment of daily living. Having to cover the cost of a roof over their head and food in their belly, they might need to do an honest day's work in between their less lucrative adventures.
Finding a Job
To earn a living, a character can leverage any of the following skills or abilities.
| Ability | Job Examples |
|---|
| Charisma (Engagement) |
- Street Performer: Entertaining crowds with music, juggling, acting, or storytelling.
- Bardic Teacher: Offering music or performance lessons to aspiring artists or fellow adventurers.
- Court Jester: Entertaining nobles and royalty with comedic routines and songs.
- Public Speaker: Addressing crowds, giving motivational speeches, or advocating for a cause.
|
| Charisma using a musical instrument |
- Tavern Musician: Playing in taverns and inns to create an ambiance for patrons.
- Composer: Writing and arranging music for various occasions, such as festivals or ceremonies.
- Wedding Musician: Performing at weddings and other celebrations to enhance the festive atmosphere.
- Ceremonial Musician: Playing during religious ceremonies, funerals, or significant events.
|
| Dexterity (Acrobatics) |
- Courier: Delivering important messages and packages quickly by navigating through crowded streets.
- Window Cleaner: Climbing and maneuvering on ropes or ladders to clean windows in cathedrals or other tall buildings.
- Daredevil Performer: Participating in daring stunts and acrobatic performances that thrill audiences.
|
| Intelligence using any tools |
- Blacksmith: Forging weapons, armor, and tools for local militias, adventurers, and craftsmen.
- Perfumer: Creating unique fragrances and scents for perfumes, incense, and aromatherapy products.
- Tailor: Crafting clothing, costumes, and garments tailored to individual clients.
|
| Strength (Athletics) |
- Laborer: Loading and unloading cargo, stacking crates, lifting and moving materials, and assisting with construction projects.
- Bodyguard: Using your strength to provide security and maintain order in establishments or for individuals.
- Lumberjack: Cutting down trees, hauling logs, and assisting in processing timber.
|
For each
workday, the character makes an ability check and consults Wages table to see how much money they can earn each day. For periods of downtime longer than 3 days, the GM might have the character take their passive ability score instead.
Wages
| Check Total | Earnings |
|---|
| 9 or lower |
2 sp |
| 10-14 |
1 gp |
| 15-20 |
3 gp |
| 21 or higher |
5 gp |
A high level or uniquely skilled character may be able to negotiate even higher wages for a day's work. Working directly with an affluent noble or merchant, a character could work as a consultant, diplomat, or an elite guard with wages as high as 10 to 15 gp per day.
Buying Magic Items
A local alchemist may carry a handful of magical potions in their stock, but merchants that engage in the sale of truly powerful magic items are few and far between. Even the merchants that do deal in magic items seldom keep significant inventory, though you might be able to commission the item for pick-up in the future (with a down payment, of course).
Purchasing a magic item usually requires time and money to seek out and make contact with willing sellers. To start, announce to your GM the type of magic item you're seeking, or a specific magic item you're aware of. You might have to make have to make an Intelligence (Arcana) check to see what you know about such an item if it's an item you haven't encountered before.
Looking for a Seller
For each workday spending seeking a seller, make a cumulative Charisma (Engagement) check or use your passive Charisma (Engagement) rating. At the end of each workday spent seeking a seller, you can attempt to secure a deal with an interested party. When you do so, you're given an asking price for the item based on your Charisma (Engagement) check, as show in the Item Seller tables.
Each workday spent seeking an item costs 20 gp which is used to pen inquiries, hire couriers, and maintain a wealthy lifestyle that allows you to brush elbows with potential sellers.
Uncommon Item Seller
| Outcome | CD |
|---|
| No seller found | < 10 |
| Capable crafter found | 11-24 |
| Seller found | ≥ 25 |
Epic Item Seller
| Outcome | CD |
|---|
| No seller found | < 100 |
| Capable crafter found | 101-199 |
| Seller found | ≥ 200 |
Rare Item Seller
| Outcome | CD |
|---|
| No seller found | < 50 |
| Capable crafter found | 51-99 |
| Seller found | ≥ 100 |
Legendary Item Seller
| Outcome | CD |
|---|
| No seller found | < 200 |
| Capable crafter found | 201-399 |
| Seller found | ≥ 400 |
Complications
The magic item trade attracts all sorts of thieves, con artists, and other unsavory characters. Whenever you attempt to secure a deal, the GM will secretly roll percentile dice and introduce a complication (described in Chapter 5) if they roll a number equal to or lower than your cumulative check divided by 10 (minimum of 1). For example, if you have a cumulative check of 50, you have a 5% chance to trigger a complication.
Selling Magic Items
Selling a magic item is just as difficult as buying one. Con artists and thieves are plentiful while legitimate buyers with sufficient coin are few and far between.
You can find a buyer for a magic by item by marketing the desired item. Pick one magic item to sell, for each workday spent marketing that item, make a cumulative Charisma (Persuasion) check or use your passive Persuasion rating. At the end of each workday spent marketing the item, you can attempt to close the deal with a prospective buyer. When you do so, you receive an offer for the item based on your Charisma (Persuasion) check, as show in the Magic Item Offer table.
Each workday spent marketing an item costs 5 gp which is used to pen pamphlets at spread word of the desired sale.
Uncommon Item Buyer
| Outcome | CD |
|---|
| No buyer found | < 30 |
| Buyer offers 50% of base price | 30-99 |
| Buyer offers 100% of base price | 100-199 |
| Buyer offers 150% of base price | ≥ 200 |
Epic Item Buyer
| Outcome | CD |
|---|
| No buyer found | < 100 |
| Buyer offers 50% of base price | 100-199 |
| Buyer offers 100% of base price | 200-399 |
| Buyer offers 150% of base price | ≥ 400 |
Rare Item Buyer
| Outcome | CD |
|---|
| No buyer found | < 200 |
| Buyer offers 50% of base price | 200-399 |
| Buyer offers 100% of base price | 400-599 |
| Buyer offers 150% of base price | ≥ 600 |
Legendary Item Buyer
| Outcome | CD |
|---|
| No buyer found | < 400 |
| Buyer offers 50% of base price | 400-599 |
| Buyer offers 100% of base price | 600-999 |
| Buyer offers 150% of base price | ≥ 1000 |
The availability of Mythic items, and the difficulty of finding a buyer or seller for them is largely at the GM's discretion, but these items should be at least twice as difficult to move on the market compared to Legendary items.
Complications
Marketing the sale of a magic item comes with the risk of attracting unsavory characters. Whenever you leverage your marketing efforts to close a deal with a buyer, the GM will secretly roll percentile dice and introduce a complication if they roll a number equal to or lower than your cumulative check divided by 10 (minimum of 1).
Networking
You can spend your downtime engaging in a variety of social activities such as attending parties, carousing, tavern hopping, gambling, and generally having a good time.
Each day of networking covers a workday of lavish food and drink. You can attempt to network among the commonfolk, middle-class, or aristocracy. The cost and details of each group can be found in the Networking table.
Networking
While networking, you have an opportunity to make contacts within the selected social class. For each workday, make a cumulative Charisma (Engagement) check or use your Passive Charisma (Engagement) rating. At the end of each workday spent networking, you can choose to leverage your efforts to establish a new contact. When you do so, you gain a contact based on your cumulative Charisma (Engagement) check as as shown in the New Contact tables, then reset your cumulative check back to 0.
New Contact (Commonfolk)
| Outcome | CD |
|---|
| You fail to make a contact | < 10 |
| You make a random contact of that social class (for example, a commoner). | 10-29 |
| You make a random contact of that social class relevant to your interests (for example, a dock worker). | 30-49 |
| You make a contact of your choice of that social class (for example, Harold, the dock worker unloading a specific shipment). | ≥ 50 |
New Contact (Middle-Class)
| Outcome | CD |
|---|
| You fail to make a contact | < 40 |
| You make a random contact of that social class (for example, a guild member or neighborhood guard captain). | 40-79 |
| You make a random contact of that social class relevant to your interests (for example, a mage capable of casting Sending). | 81-199 |
| You make a contact of your choice of that social class (for example, Vestigar, the mage in the employ of a specific noble house). | ≥ 200 |
New Contact (Aristocrat)
| Outcome | CD |
|---|
| You fail to make a contact | < 100 |
| You make a random contact of that social class (for example, an aristocrat). | 100-199 |
| You make a random contact of that social class relevant to your interests (for example, a noble from Westermount). | 200-499 |
| You make a contact of your choice of that social class (for example, Lord Griswald Raventree). | ≥ 500 |
You can add the new contact to your Bonds. They have a
friendly disposition towards you and may help you achieve your goals.
Complications
Each workday you spend networking comes with the risk of tavern brawls, upper class faux pas, or the accumulation of nasty rumors among others. Whenever you leverage your networking efforts, your GM will secretly roll percentile dice and introduce a complication if they roll a number equal to or lower than your cumulative check divided by 10 (minimum of 1).
Research
In order to conduct research, you typically need access to a library, academic institution, or an NPC well versed in the subject you're looking into. Assuming such access is available, each workday spent conducting your research requires 10 gp spent on materials, library privileges, scholarly assistance, and other expenses.
Tell your GM the focus of your research, whether that be a specific person, place, or thing. For each workday, make a cumulative Intelligence (Investigation) check or use your Passive Investigation rating. At the end of each workday spent researching a topic, you gain a bonus to your Intelligence checks to
Recall Knowledge on that topic. The bonus is equal to your cumulative Intelligence (Investigation) check total divided by 10. For example, if you have a cumulative 100 check total, you gain a +10 to your attempt to recall knowledge. This bonus lasts for a number of weeks equal to your Intelligence score.
Researching a Magic Item Formula
Before
crafting a magic item, you must familiarize yourself with its formula. To do this, you conduct research as normal, declaring the formula you're researching, and making a cumulative Intelligence (Investigation) check or using your Passive Investigation rating at the end of each workday. The CD to learn the item's formula is determined by the item's rarity, as shown in the Magic Item Formulas table.
Magic Item Formulas
| Item Rarity | Formula CD |
|---|
| Uncommon | 200 |
| Rare | 400 |
| Epic | 800 |
| Legendary | 1600 |
If you are in possession of the magic item you're seeking to learn the formula for, the CD to learn the formula is halved.
Crafting
A character who has the time, resources, and skills with the necessary tools can fashion armor, weapons, clothing and even powerful magic items.
Crafting involves purchasing or gathering materials, having the necessary tools and relevant proficiencies, and then making cumulative ability checks with those tools to produce the desired item. Whether you're blacksmithing a sword or brewing powerful potions, each item has its own crafting requirements.
Crafting Requirements
An item's crafting requirements are the the combination of resources, skill and time needed to craft it. Most item's descriptions contain a crafting requirements card at the bottom of the item description, describing what the crafting requirements are for that particular item. The requirements are as follows:
Materials
The specific objects that will in some way be molded into the item being crafted. Materials for most items will have a gold cost listed next to them indicated the average cost to purchase the material. Your GM may change this cost based on where you are in the world and the availability of the materials in question. All materials are consumed in the process of crafting the intended item.
Some materials are rare and difficult to purchase. A party may even need to embark on quests to track down and obtain rare and exotic materials.
Tool Proficiency
A character needs to be proficient with the tools needed to craft an item and have access to the appropriate equipment. In addition, this section of an item's crafting requirements will note the Ability Score most relevant to the creation of the item. When crafting an item, a character will use this indicated Ability Score alongside their tool proficiency to make ability checks towards the item's completion.
Certain items require specific facilities, such as a forge in order to craft them. Access to the appropriate facilities might also expedite the crafting process, giving you advantage on your crafting ability check.
Completion Difficulty
The combination of time and skill needed to craft an item is represented in its CD. When crafting an item, a character makes cumulative ability checks towards the items indicated CD. At the end of each workday the character dedicates to crafting the intended item, they make an ability check with the the relevant tools, keeping track of the results and adding them up as you work towards the CD. Once your cumulative total is equal to or greater than the CD, the item is successfully crafted.
A character can always opt to use a passive check for their cumulative ability check when crafting an item. The GM may also make this decision on the character's behalf for an item that is likely to take more than 5 workdays to craft.
Collaboration
Multiple characters can combine their efforts to craft and item more efficiently. Everyone who collaborates needs to have the appropriate tool proficiency and tools of their own to assist in the crafting. Each collaborator can make an ability check with the relevant tool at the end of each workday, adding their check to the progress towards the item's CD.
The GM determines how many characters can collaborate on an item. A tiny item, like a bracelet, might only allow for one or two workers, whereas a large, complex item might allow for many more.
Crafting Example
William is crafting a
Potion of Healing. You can see it's crafting information card below.
Crafting Information
Completion Difficulty: 50
Tool Proficiency:
Materials Requires:
- Crushed Fly Amanita Mushrooms (15 gp)
- 4 Ounces of Boiled Water
|
He has an intelligence score of 16 and has proficiency with a
herbalism kit(with a proficiency bonus of +3) which he has already used that to gather and crush the required Fly Amanita Mushrooms.
He gets to work, taking his passive Intelligence score with his
herbalism proficiency, 10 + 3 (for his Intelligence modifier) + 3 (for his proficiency bonus) = 16. For each workday, William can add 16 towards his cumulative check total. Once the check total reaches 50, the potion is successfully crafted.
For William, this process would take four days. If he finds that his party is expecting to take off on their next adventure, he might opt to try and complete the potion quicker, rolling at the end of each
workday instead of taking his passive score.
Simplified Crafting
For the sake of simplicity, many mundane items don't have a crafting requirements card at the bottom of their item description. You can still craft these items and other items without explicitly listed crafting requirements. To do so, you can work with your GM to quickly come up with crafting requirements by following the following steps:
- Determine if you have an appropriate tool proficiency to craft the desired item.
- Obtain or purchase materials worth half the item's selling cost. This can be done with little fanfare for most mundane items.
- Begin work on crafting the item. The item's Completion Difficulty is equal to twice its gold piece cost.
Commissioning an Item
Instead of trying to craft an item yourself, you can commission skilled artisans to do the job for you. If you're commissioning a magic item, the artisan must have Proficiency in Arcana. An Item of a higher rarity requires increasingly skilled artisans required to craft it as described in Commissioning Items Table. The cost per day described in the Commissioning Items table only accounts for labor, not the materials required to produce the item. If you aren't providing the materials to the artisan, you may be able to pay for their procurement depending on the rarity of the materials and the connections of the artisan.
Commissioning Items
| Item Rarity | Minimum Crafter Skill | Ability Check per Workday | Cost per Workday |
|---|
| Common | Typical Artisan | 10 | 1 gp |
| Uncommon | Expert Artisan | 15 | 2 gp |
| Rare | Master Artisan | 20 | 5 gp |
| Epic | Gifted Artisan | 25 | 10 gp |
| Legendary | Legendary Artisan | 30 | 20 gp |
Typical Artisan. A typical artisan demonstrates proficiency in their craft, able to produce quality work within established norms and standards. Such artisans are plentiful, and can be found throughout the world.
Expert Artisan. An expert artisan surpasses the typical level, displaying exceptional skill, precision, and creativity in their craft, often sought after for their superior workmanship. Commonly found in towns and cities offering their services at local marketplaces or guilds.
Master Artisan. A master artisan is a recognized authority in their field, producing works of unparalleled quality and innovation, setting new standards for their craft. May be found in renowned artisan communities within major cities.
Gifted Artisan. A gifted artisan possesses a natural aptitude and innate talent, displaying a level of creativity and skill that transcends conventional training, often creating truly unique and awe-inspiring pieces. Such artisans are exceptionally rare, often remaining in hidden enclaves or prestigious arcane academies.
Legendary Artisan. A legendary artisan is a once-in-a-generation talent, their name becoming synonymous with excellence in their craft. Such artisan are often the pride of their guild, or the head of an organization. Gaining an audience with such an artisan requires not only vast wealth, but also great feats of valor or unparalleled influence.
Mastery
You can spend time between adventures learning a new language, practicing with a set of tools, or reorienting your skills and abilities.
Tell your GM what you'd like train for, choosing an option from the Mastery table. For each workday you spent training, you can make a cumulative skill check or use your passive rating. The ability or skill used for this check, and the CD required to complete the training can also be found on the Mastery table. If you're working with an appropriate instructor, you have advantage on these checks.
Each workday spent practicing costs 1 gp in practice materials, or 5 gp if working with an instructor.
Mastery
| Training Task | Ability or Skill | Completion Difficulty |
|---|
| Learn a new language. | Intelligence | 600 |
| Gain proficiency with a tool. | Intelligence | 600 |
| Replace a fighting style you know with another available to your class. | Strength or Dexterity | 200 |
| Replace a spell or cantrip you know with another available to your class. | Spellcasting Ability | 200 |
| Replace a maneuver you know with another available to your class. | Maneuver Ability | 200 |
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