Not all of one’s time in Gränsland is spent exploring the wilderness and fighting enemies both familiar and alien. Sometimes there is room for respite, even in the chaotic land that is Gränsland. When behind the safety of town and city walls, characters can choose to pursue a downtime activity. All downtime activities require a workweek - five days. During this time characters must also pay lifestyle expenses.
As such, these activities are usually available after the end of a session, to maintain the flow of the game. When ending off in a civilized place such as a village, town, or city, the players may be presented what downtime activities are available, and choose which activity they wish to pursue.
CAROUSING
A favorite pastime among all sorts of folk. Picking the carousing downtime option represents your character partaking in a more lavish kind of lifestyle - fine drink, scrumptious food, song and dance, and the most comfortable room in the local inn - for a workweek (5 days).
Required Resources
- Carousing with the lower class requires 2gp to cover one’s expenses for the day (10gp for the workweek). Lower class folk that can be encountered while carousing include poor freemen, serfs, criminals, militiamen, and mercenaries.
- Carousing with the middle class requires 4gp to cover one’s expenses for the day (20gp for the workweek). Middle class folk that can be encountered while carousing include well-to-do merchants, low-ranking officials, business owners, and guild members.
- Carousing with the upper class requires 20gp to cover one’s expenses for the day (100gp for the workweek). Upper class folk that can be encountered while carousing include an all manner of nobility, rich merchants, and other individuals that make up the top ring of society. Only those with access to the nobility or sufficient reputation/contacts can partake in upper class carousing.
Results
After a workweek of carousing, a character stands to make one or more contacts in the selected social class. The character makes a Charisma (Persuasion) check using the following table.
Roll |
Result |
1-5 |
Character has made a hostile contact. |
6-12 |
Character has made no new contacts. |
12-18 |
Character has made an allied contact. |
19-20+ |
Character has made two allied contacts. |
Contacts are individuals that have made some sort of bond with your character, either owing you something or holding a grudge against you for whatever reason.
Hostile contacts work against the character, putting up obstacles in their path however they can. However, hostile contacts generally will not commit violent acts against the character.
Allied contacts work to help the character, providing aid or a favor. However, allied contacts will not assist the character at the risk of their lives.
A hostile contact puts up a hindrance only once, and an allied contact only provides help once, not help for life. Formerly allied contacts remain friendly, but this does not guarantee any benefits.
GAMBLING
An easy way to make a fortune, and just as often an easy way to lose one. Picking the gambling downtime option represents your character participating in a variety of games where money (or sometimes, other items) are at stake.
Required Resources
A minimum stake of 5gp, up to a maximum of 100gp.
Results
After a workweek of gambling the character must make three skill checks: Wisdom (Insight), Charisma (Deception), and Charisma (Intimidation). If the character has proficiency with an appropriate gaming set, tool proficiency can replace one of the required skills. The DC for each check is generated randomly.
Successes |
Result |
0 |
Lose all of the money you bet, and lose an additional amount of money equal to half of the bet. |
1 |
Lose all of the money you bet. |
2 |
Gain the amount of money you bet, and gain an additional amount of money equal to half of the bet. |
3 |
Gain double the amount of money you bet. |
CHEATING AT GAMBLING
Sometimes, cheaters do prosper. If a character wishes to cheat at gambling, they may make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check to tilt the odds in their favor while trying not to get caught. On a success, the character gains another success point in gambling.
On a failure, the character is caught cheating, and is kicked out from the game, losing all of the money they betted and attaining a negative reputation in the community. Attaining a negative reputation in the community means a character can no longer participate in gambling as a downtime activity until 1d4 workweeks have passed, at which point the character may make a Charisma (Persuasion) check to be let back into the gambling scene.
If a character has been caught cheating five times, they become a known cheat and are permanently barred from gambling in the community. |
RELAXATION
Sometimes, the best thing to do is nothing. Picking the relaxation downtime option represents your character choosing to do little more than eat and drink, and recover from the stresses of adventuring, as well as any injuries.
Required Resources
A character that chooses to relax must maintain at minimum a modest lifestyle for a workweek (1gp per day, 5gp for the workweek).
Results
After a workweek of relaxation, a character gains advantage on their next saving throw against poison or disease for the next week, and gains a single d4 inspiration die that lasts until the end of the next week.
This inspiration die can be applied before a character makes an attack roll, skill check, or saving throw, and can be stacked with other die bonuses such as the cleric’s
Bless spell or a bard’s
Bardic Inspiration. A character can have only one such inspiration die at a time.
RESEARCH
Picking the research downtime activity represents your character seeking out information and lore concerning a place, item, monster, or some other topic that isn’t in common knowledge.
Required Resources
- A character must have access to a library or a sage to conduct research. Libraries can often be found in towns and cities in the form of private collections, while travelling sages can be found in a variety of places.
- At least 20gp spent on materials, bribes, gifts, and other expenses.
Results
Before beginning their research, a character declares the focus of their efforts: a person, place, thing, or event/legend. Sometimes, the subject of one’s research is not covered in a library or sage’s scope of knowledge. If this is the case, the character may either declare a different research focus, or a different downtime activity entirely at no loss.
After one workweek, the character makes an Intelligence check with a +1 bonus for every additional 20gp spent on research, up to a maximum of +3. Additionally, a character with access to a particularly well-stocked library or knowledgeable sage gains advantage on the check.
Roll |
Result |
1-5 |
Research unsuccessful; nothing learned |
6-10 |
Learn one piece of lore. |
11-20 |
Learn two pieces of lore. |
21+ |
Learn three pieces of lore. |
A piece of lore represents a single true statement about the research effort, if the character is researching a person, place, or thing.
If a character is researching an event or legend, a piece of lore represents a significant fraction of the event or legend.
WORK
Keeping one’s hands busy usually ensures they keep out of trouble. Picking the work downtime option represents your character attempting to find some temporary work, quality and wages varying wildly.
Required Resources
Results
To determine how much money a character earns, the character makes an ability check: Strength (Athletics), Dexterity (Acrobatics), Intelligence using a set of tools, or Charisma (Performance) using a musical instrument.
Roll |
Result |
1-8 |
2sp per day, 1gp for the workweek. |
9-13 |
1gp per day, 5gp for the workweek. |
13-17 |
2gp per day, 10gp for the workweek. |
17-20+ |
3gp per day, 15gp for the workweek plus an additional 5gp bonus. |
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