Downtime
When not actively adventuring, members of the group can partake in various activities during their downtime. For the day to count toward a downtime activity, you must spend at least 8 hours on it. Downtime activities require a specified number of days to gain any benefit from them, and the days do not have to be consecutive. Any downtime activies not listed below may still be possible; simply ask the DM when they inquire about which downtime activities you wish to partake in (or beforehand).
Lifestyle Expenses
When passing time in a civilized area, such as a town or city, members of the party expend a set amount of gp per day to cover food, drink, accomodations, equipment maintenance, & other neccesities. If completing downtime activities, these will be your expenses during each day of this period. The expense per day is based on the chosen quality of life during that time, detailed in the following table:
Lifestyle |
Price/Day |
Wretched |
- |
Squalid |
1 sp |
Poor |
2 sp |
Modest |
1 gp |
Comfortable |
2 gp |
Wealthy |
4 gp |
Aristocratic |
10 gp minimum |
Lifestyle expenses only occur when residing/performing downtime activities in a civilized area. If the party is out in the wild, these expenses are waived. However, the party will be responsible for traveling, foraging/hunting for food and drinking water (or bringing rations of both), eating/drinking, and resting appropriately (see Adventuring section for details).
- Food: One pound per day. Can split rations in half to make it last longer, counting as half a day without food. Can go without food for 3+Constitution mod (limit of 1) days. At the end of each day beyond that limit, the character suffers one level of Exhaustion. A normal day of eating will reset the character's hunger.
- Water: One gallon per day, or two if its hot out. Drinking only half that much triggers a Constitution saving throw (DC 15) or suffering one level of Exhaustion. Having less that half a gallon causes a character to suffer one level of Exhaustion. If the character has already suffered one or more levels of Exhaustion, they will suffer two levels regardless of whether they drank half a gallon or less.
Crafting
You can craft nonmagical objects, such as adventuring equipment or works of art. While crafting, you can enjoy a modest lifestyle for no cost, or a comfortable lifestyle for 1 gp/day. Nonmagical crafting during downtime will require the following things:
- Proficiency with the tools related to the object you are trying to create (artisan's tools, herbalism kits, blacksmith's tools, etc.). If crafting with multiple people, proficiency in the relevant tools is required for at least one of them.
- Specified location of crafting (ex. needing a forge & anvil to craft a sword). If working in a specified location for the craft, you will have access to all the raw materials you need.
- For every day of downtime spent crafting, you can craft one or more items with a total market value of 10 gp. If it requires more than one day of time, progress in 10 gp/day increments until complete
- Must expend raw materials worth half the market value per day of crafting (iron, wood, wool, etc.).
- If a specific ingredient is required, the recipe will specify how much of it is needed per item.
- If multiple characters contribute to crafting a single item/set of items, they each contribute 10 gp worth of effort to the project (reducing the total crafting time)
Crafters experience with the arcane or divine arts can enchant nonmagical objects or craft new magical items from raw materials & ingredients. These crafters must be proficient in the requisitve tools and be a spellcaster (or work on the project with one). They follow the same rules as nonmagical crafting with a few caveats:
Enchanting Existing Objects
- Will take [3 + Spell Level - Spellcasting Ability Modifier] downtime days to enchant (minimum of 1). Given the raw, untamed nature of magical energy, existing objects can only be enchanted with specific spells, not a raw magical effect or attribute.
- The crafter must know the spell they wish to enchant it with and require one cast of the spell to start the enchantment process. The spell won't need to be cast again during the craft period, but they must have it prepared whenever they are spending their downtime crafting the object.
- Enchanted objects will need time in between casts to regenerate their magic. As such, objects can be enchanted with [total enchanting time/spell level] charges of the chosen spell
Crafting New Magical Items/Magitech
- Character must complete the crafting process for the nonmagical item in accordance to the rules of crafting (see previous section), using the same physical crafting time as the nonmagical object would require.
- The crafter must imbue the object with a spell or desired magical effect. If it is a spell, the user follows the rules specified in the previous section.
- To imbue a magical effect, the crafter must either capture the arcane magical effect in its raw form (ex. containing a dragon's fire in an Arcane Vial) or perform a ritual with appropriate knowledge of the magic. If the character would have no natural way of previously understanding this magic (determined by DM through character evaluation or Arcana ability check), they can either study an existing object with this magic (costing 1 downtime day with a succesful Arcana check, 2 with a failed one), expend an existing object with this magic (costs no downtime), or spend [7 - Arcana check modifier] research days (minimum of 1) to learn it
- When using research to learn about a magical effect, you can either perform the research BEFORE starting the project (as a downtime activity), as part of the crafting project (if you can perform the research using readily available resources in your crafting location, such as tomes or knowledgeable people), or during non-downtime gameplay (searching for a tome/object during your adventures, seeking out specific people and asking them relevant questions, etc.)
- Those who gain their magical power from a divine connection through a deity, patron, or nature itself (clerics, druids, paladins, rangers & warlocks) can choose to forgoe acquiring or learning about the magical effect they wish to imbue. To do so, they must pray to their deity/patron (or meditate in the raw state of nature) once per day of downtime that is required to craft the object, requiring a Religion check each time (DC of 10). The magical effect desired must be something that the deity/patron/nature would have access to. At the end of the crafting period, the user tallies up their Religion checks; if they passed a majority of the checks, their divine entity blesses the object with the desired magical effect. If they failed a majority, they roll a d4. If they score a 3 or 4, their divine entity blesses the object; if they score a 1 or 2, the entity does not respond. As long as the object to be imbued remains unused and isnt significantly tampered/destroyed, the crafter can attempt the d4 roll once per day. They attempt the roll more than once per day, but the second attempt will bear higher stakes; success blesses the object, failure angers your deity and causes them to turn their back on the project completely.
- The crafter partakes in the magical portion simultaneously with the physical crafting portion, and is assumed to multitask. Therefore, the time of the longest portion (physical or magical) will determine the total crafting time of the object.
Recuperating
You can use downtime between adventures to recover from a debilitating injury, disease, or poison. After three days of downtime spent recuperating, you can make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a successful save, you can choose one of the following results:
- End one effect on you that prevents you from regaining hit points.
- For the next 24 hours, gain advantage on saving throws against one disease or poison currently affecting you.
Researching
- The time between adventures is a great chance to perform research, gaining insight into mysteries that have unfurled over the course of the campaign. Research can include poring over dusty tomes and crumbling scrolls in a library or buying drinks for the locals to pry rumors and gossip from their lips.
- When you begin your research, the DM determines whether the information is available, how many days of downtime it will take to find it, and whether there are any restrictions on your research (such as needing to seek out a specific individual, tome, or location). The DM might also require you to make one or more ability checks, such as an Investigation check to find clues pointing toward the information you seek (Arcana if they are mystical clues), or an appropriate Charisma check (Persuasion, Deception, Intimidation or Performance) to secure someone's aid. Once those conditions are met, you learn the information if it is available. If these conditions can be met during the course of regular gameplay, downtime will not be required.
- For each day of research, you must spend 1 gp to cover your expenses. This cost is in addition to your normal lifestyle expenses.
- You can use research to study mysterious or magical objects that you acquire throughout your journey, with the potential benefit of unlocking their secrets and/or wielding their magical power. You can also use research to study an interesting object (ex. a special arrow) and gain the knowledge to craft it yourself.
Practing a Profession/Trade
- You can work between adventures, allowing you to maintain a modest lifestyle without having to pay 1 gp per day (or taking 1 gp per day off of a higher lifestyle). This benefit lasts as long you continue to practice your profession.
- If you are a member of an organization that can provide gainful employment, such as a temple or a thieves' guild, you earn enough to support a comfortable lifestyle instead (or take 2 gp off of a higher lifestyle).
- If you have proficiency in the Performance skill and put your performance skill to use during your downtime, you earn enough to support a wealthy lifestyle instead (or take 4gp off of a higher lifestyle).
Training
- You can spend time between adventurings learning a new language, skill, set of tools, or weapon
- For weapons, tools & skills, you can train on your own, with a relevant tome, or an instructor. Usage of the weapon/tool/skill in live combat or adventures will knock 10 days (per successful hit/skill or tool check) or 5 days (failed hit/skill or tool check) off of your total time required to train. Time required to train is based on the following table:
Method |
Training Days Required |
Value of Downtime Days |
Cost |
Self-taught |
250 training days |
1 training day per downtime day |
none |
Tome or Written Guide |
200 training days |
2 training days per downtime day |
initial cost of book |
Instructor |
100 training days |
5 training days per downtime day |
1 gp per day |
- For languages, a tome or instructor must be used, requiring 250 training days with a tome or 125 training days with an instructor. If you are in a settlement or region where the desired language is the dominant one, you knock 10 days off your total time per day spent in the fluent area.
Comments