Downtime Activities
Between adventures, the presumption is in Fifth Edition, adventurers take part in a number of activities in order to account for their sudden increase in level and their abilities that takes place while adventuring. Basically you do a lot of training in your downtime, and then put it into practice in your adventures- and thus you gain levels.
A Downtime Day
Think of your Downtime Days as being units to spend, a Downtime Day by the way means 8 hours of (intense-ish) activity. The DM tells you how many days you have to spend between adventures (or else other activities), you allot these to any of the tasks below, obviously feel free to make up your own activities. Note you can start projects during one Downtime session and then continue them during your next.
Also note you can hire other people to help you with these activities, this however increases the cost of the activity but lessens the time that it takes- this only applies to some Downtime activities.
You can also combine the Downtime activities of multiple characters to get things done quickly, again this only applies to some Downtime activities.
Last bit- a Downtime Day costs money, don’t worry overly about this- the point is you need access to libraries to do research, and food to eat, and a place to stay, and money for bribes (maybe), and… well lots of stuff. The cost for some of the activities below are specified- however these can vary wildly depending on the complexity and difficulty of the activity.
Remember!
Downtime activities are NOT supposed to give you bonuses- they are a narrative conceit, a necessary part of being in a world in which adventuring is not a constant activity- you need to rest and recuperate, to learn new things.
My point- you will not receive rewards for your downtime activities, it just sets you up for the next adventure, and any levels that you acquire during it.
That said, I will award bonuses for smart play- because I am a merciful DM.
Also Remember, Class Specific Training is mandatory to obtain new abilities.
Possible Downtime Activities
Building a Structure
- Build a defensible half-stone, half-wood Residence, or Shop, or Trading Post (20 feet tall)- Cost = Deeds + Land + 5,000gp Construction costs. Construction Time = 60 days.
- Build a fortified stone Tower (30 feet tall)- Cost = Deeds + Land + 15,000gp Construction costs. Construction Time = 100 days.
- Build a fortified large stone Fortress (Four Towers each 30 feet tall, Keep 50 feet tall, Gatehouse 30 feet tall, Crenellated Battlements, Four wooden Outbuildings)- Cost = Deeds + Land + 500,000gp Construction costs. Construction Time = 1200 days.
Carousing
Carousing is a default downtime activity for many characters. Between adventures, who doesn’t want to relax with a few drinks and a group of friends at a tavern?
Resources
Carousing covers a workweek of fine food, strong drink, and socializing. A character can attempt to carouse among lower-, middle-, or upper-class folk. A character can carouse with the lower class for 10 gp to cover expenses, or 50 gp for the middle class.
Carousing with the upper class requires 250 gp for the workweek and access to the local nobility.
A character with the noble background can mingle with the upper class, but other characters can do so only if you judge that the character has made sufficient contacts. Alternatively, a character might use a disguise kit and the Deception skill to pass as a noble visiting from a distant city.
Resolution
After a workweek of carousing, a character stands to make contacts within the selected social class. The character makes a Charisma (Persuasion) check using the Carousing table.
Carousing Result Table
| Check Total | Result |
|---|
| 1-5 |
Character has made a hostile contact |
| 6-10 |
Character has made no new contacts. |
| 11-15 |
Character has made an allied contact. |
| 16-20 |
Character has made two allied contacts. |
| 21+ |
Character has made three allied contacts. |
Contacts are NPCs who now share a bond with the character. Each one either owes the character a favor or has some reason to bear a grudge. A hostile contact works against the character, placing obstacles but stopping short of committing a crime or a violent act. Allied contacts are friends who will render aid to the character, but not at the risk of their lives.
Lower-class contacts include criminals, laborers, mercenaries, the town guard, and any other folk who normally frequent the cheapest taverns in town.
Middle-class contacts include guild members, spellcasters, town officials, and other folk who frequent wellkept establishments.
Upper-class contacts are nobles and their personal servants. Carousing with such folk covers formal banquets, state dinners, and the like.
Once a contact has helped or hindered a character, the character needs to carouse again to get back into the NPC's good graces. A contact provides help once, not help for life. The contact remains friendly, which can influence roleplaying and how the characters interact with them, but doesn’t come with a guarantee of help.
You can assign specific NPCs as contacts. You might decide that the barkeep at the Wretched Gorgon and a guard stationed at the western gate are the character’s allied contacts. Assigning specific NPCs gives the players concrete options. It brings the campaign to life and seeds the area with NPCs that the characters care about. On the other hand, it can prove difficult to track and might render a contact useless if that character doesn’t come into play.
Alternatively, you can allow the player to make an NPC into a contact on the spot, after carousing. When the characters are in the area in which they caroused, a player can expend an allied contact and designate an NPC they meet as a contact, assuming the NPC is of the correct social class based on how the character caroused. The player should provide a reasonable explanation for this relationship and work it into the game.
Using a mix of the two approaches is a good idea, since it gives you the added depth of specific contacts while giving players the freedom to ensure that the contacts they accumulate are useful.
The same process can apply to hostile contacts. You can give the characters a specific NPC they should avoid, or you might introduce one at an inopportune or dramatic moment.
At any time, a character can have a maximum number of unspecified allied contacts equal to 1 + the character's Charisma modifier (minimum of 1). Specific, named contacts don’t count toward this limit—only ones that can be used at any time to declare an NPC as a contact.
Complications
Characters who carouse risk bar brawls, accumulating a cloud of nasty rumors, and building a bad reputation around town. As a rule of thumb, a character has a 10 percent chance of triggering a complication for each workweek of carousing.
Lower-Class Carousing Complicaitons
| D8 | Complication |
|---|
| 1 |
A pickpocket lifts 1d10 x 5 gp from you |
| 2 |
A bar brawl leaves you with a scar. |
| 3 |
You have fuzzy memories of doing something very, very illegal, but can’t remember exactly what |
| 4 |
You are banned from a tavern after some obnoxious behavior |
| 5 |
After a few drinks, you swore in the town square to pursue a dangerous quest |
| 6 |
Surprise! You're married |
| 7 |
Streaking naked through the streets seemed like a great idea at the time |
| 8 |
Everyone is calling you by some weird, embarrassing nickname, like Puddle Drinker or Bench Slayer, and no one will say why. |
Middle-Class Carousing Complications
| D8 | Cpmplication |
|---|
| 1 |
You accidentally insulted a guild master, and only a public apology will let you do business with the guild again |
| 2 |
You swore to complete some quest on behalf of a temple or a guild. |
| 3 |
A social gaffe has made you the talk of the town |
| 4 |
A particularly obnoxious person has taken an intense romantic interest in you |
| 5 |
You have made a foe out of a local spellcaster |
| 6 |
You have been recruited to help run a local festival, play, or similar event |
| 7 |
You made a drunken toast that scandalized the locals |
| 8 |
You spent an additional 100 gp trying to impress people |
Upper-Class Carousing Complications
| D8 | Complicatinos |
|---|
| 1 |
A pushy noble family wants to marry off one of their scions to you |
| 2 |
You tripped and fell during a dance, and people can't stop talking about it |
| 3 |
You have agreed to take on a noble’s debts |
| 4 |
You have been challenged to a joust by a knight |
| 5 |
You have made a foe out of a local noble |
| 6 |
A boring noble insists you visit each day and listen to long, tedious theories of magic |
| 7 |
You have become the target of a variety of embarrassing rumors |
| 8 |
You spent an additional 500 gp trying to impress people |
Crafting
- Making any nonmagical object, including adventuring equipment and works of art
- You must be proficient with the necessary tools to make the item (and have access to them, perhaps including a specialist area- like a forge), you will also need to acquire materials necessary to craft the item.
- One Downtime Day of this activity costs 1gp- during this time you craft 5gp worth of goods.
- Using this example a Swordsmith could craft a new nonmagical shortsword (value 10gp) in 2 days, and at the cost of 2gp.
- An Armourer would take 300 days to make a suit of nonmagical Full Plate armour (value 1500gp), and at the cost of 300gp to produce.
Crafting a Magic Item
To make any magical item you must first be proficient with the necessary tools to make the item (and have access to them, perhaps including a specialist area- like a magical forge), you will also need to acquire the formula and materials necessary to craft the item.
One Downtime Day of this activity costs 25gp- see below for details.
| PC Level | Item Rarity | Creation Cost | Time |
|---|
| 3rd |
Common |
100gp |
4 days |
| 3rd |
Uncommon |
500gp |
20 days |
| 6th |
Rare |
5,000gp |
200 days |
| 11th |
Very Rare |
50,000gp |
2,000 days |
| 17th |
Legendary |
500,000gp |
20,000 days |
Note, as with many Downtime activities you can reduce the creation time by hiring in other experts, or by combing the activities of multiple PCs.
Gaining Renown
If you are a member of a Faction, or some other organisation (like a Guild or a Council, or a Government etc.) you can spend Downtime days improving your standing within the organisation.
Generally this can only be attempted once during any Downtime, it also requires a minimum of 10 days activity. It can also be expensive, although the base rate is only 1gp/day.
Success increases your chance of promotion, or access to more (and better) information or resources from the organisation. In terms of Factions it can also increase your Renown points by one, which in turn can lead to promotion.
Performing Physical, Mental, Arcane or Sacred Rites
Any class can spend Downtime days conducting Physical, Mental, Arcane or Sacred Rites. Basically this means you spend time practising, or praying, or else testing yourself in combat, or climbing, running, jumping, etc. This is above an beyond any Class Specific Training that you MUST complete, note you cannot attempt this activity unless you are up to date with your Class Specific Training.
Generally this can only be attempted once during any Downtime, it also requires a minimum of 10 days activity. It can also be expensive, although the base rate is only 1gp/day.
Success gains you an additional number of Inspiration points which can be spent during future adventures, or other activities.
Practising a Profession
You can work between adventures of course, go back to whatever it was that you did previously- doing this means that you can earn money rather than spend money. The DM will obviously decide if you can find work, you may negotiate the rate.
Likewise this same activity can be used to describe other more artistic (or illegal) endeavours- an adventurer who is a skilled singer could quite literally sing for their supper, or else busk the streets of the city to earn money. An adventurer could employ their skills to other ends- by robbing people, breaking into places or else stealing things.
One Downtime Day of this activity costs 5sp- during this time you earn a minimum of 5sp- you at least break even, you can however earn considerably more.
Recuperating
A badly injured adventurer, or else one that is suffering some lingering harm, is more likely to recover while recuperating. They may also wish to have a healer or an otherwise skilled individual help with this process. Recuperating can speed up healing, and allow the individual to gain advantage on any saving throws needed because of ongoing conditions (like disease, or long-lasting poison).
One Downtime Day Recuperating can be expensive- depending on situation and the complexity of the injuries suffered, in general it costs 1gp/day however.
Researching
Forewarned is forearmed. The research downtime activity allows a character to delve into lore concerning a monster, a location, a magic item, or some other particular topic.
Resources
Typically, a character needs access to a library or a sage to conduct research. Assuming such access is available, conducting research typically requires at least one workday of effort and at lesat 5gp spent on materials, bribes, gifts, and other expenses. However, it can be done much more effectively if the character spends at least a workweek
Resolution
The character declares the focus of the research—a specific person, place, or thing. Then, the character declares how long they will research the item. After that length of time passes, the character makes an Intelligence check. The amount of lore a character learns is determined by using the Research Outcomes table.
- For each day a character spends researching, they can spend 100gp on extra materials, bribes or gifts to gain a +1 bonus, up to a maximum of +10 to their final check
- A character who has access to a particularly well-stocked library or knowledgeable sages gains advantage on this check, and is told beforehand by the DM
- A character researching a topic that is either very hard to find or would not belong in a particular library gains disadvantage on this check, but it told beforehand by the DM
- For each day spent researching below one tenday workweek, the character recieves a -2 penalty to their check. This stacks up to a -18 if only one day is spent researching
Running a Business
If you have a Business, or else if some entrusts a business to you, you can spend Downtime performing the day to day tasks of doing so- ordering and selling etc.
One Downtime Day of this activity costs 1gp- during this time you earn a minimum of 5sp, you can however earn considerably more (on the good days).
Selling Magic Items
Few people can afford Magic Items, there are however fewer still Magic Items for sale- therefore there is always a demand for these items. However selling them takes time and effort on your part, in order to put the word out that the item is for sale, furthermore the more time you devote to it the more (and better) offers you will receive for the item.
Selling a magic item is by no means an easy task. Con artists and thieves are always looking out for an easy score, and there’s no guarantee that a character will receive a good offer even if a legitimate buyer is found.
Resources
A character can find a buyer for one magic item by spending one workweek and 25 gp, which is used to spread word of the desired sale. A character must pick one item at a time to sell. Note in order to sell magic items you need to have a suitable audience- meaning you need to be situated in a large town or city.
Resolution
A character who wants to sell an item must make a Charisma (Persuasion) check to determine what kind of offer comes in. The character can always opt not to sell, instead forfeiting the workweek of effort and trying again later. Use the Magic Item Base Prices and Magic Item Offer tables to determine the sale price.
Magic Item Base Prices
| Rarity | Base Price* |
|---|
| Common |
100gp |
| Uncommon |
400gp |
| Rare |
4,000gp |
| Very Rare |
40,000gp |
| Legendary |
200,000gp |
*Prices are halved for consumables
Magic Item Offer
| Check Total | Offer |
|---|
| 1-10 |
50% of base price |
| 11-20 |
100% of base price |
| 21+ |
150% of base price determined by DM |
Purchasing Magic Items
Purchasing a magic item requires time and money to seek out and contact people willing to sell items. Even then, there is no guarantee a seller will have the items a character desires.
Resources
Finding magic items to purchase requires at least one workweek of effort and 100 gp in expenses. Spending more time and money increases your chance of finding a high-quality item.
Finding Magic Items to Purchase
- A character seeking to buy a magic item must first find a seller
- A character makes a Charisma (Persuasion) check to determine the quality of the seller found
- The character gains a +3 bonus on the check for every workweek beyond the first that is spent seeking a seller and a +1 bonus for every additional 100 gp spent on the search, up to a maximum bonus of +10. The monetary cost includes a wealthy lifestyle, for a buyer must impress potential business partners.
- As shown on the Buying Magic Items table, the total of the check dictates which table in the Dungeon Master's Guide to roll on to determine which items are on the market. Or you can roll for items from any table associated with a lower total on the Buying Magic Items table.
Finding a Specific Magic Item
- Based off of your check mentioned in the section above, you are able to focus your search on a particular magic item based off the Buying Magic Items table below
- Each time you roll on the specified magic item table, the top X numbers on the D100 get turned into the item you are searching for until you get that item
- For example, if you get "Search 10", a d100 result of 91-100 will grant you that magic item
Additional Info
- The DM has final say in determining which items are for sale and their final price, no matter what the tables say
- All items that grant flying are considered at least rare
- Gamebreaking items cannot be found- such as the deck of many things, luck blade, and etc.
Buying Magic Items Table
| Check Total | Items Found | Common Search | Uncommon Search | Rare Search | Very Rare Search | Legendary Search |
|---|
| 1-5 |
Roll 1d6+1 times on Magic Item Table A |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 6-10 |
Roll 1d4+1 times on Magic Item Table B |
Search 10 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 11-15 |
Roll 1d4+1 times on Magic Item Table C |
Search 20 |
Search 10 |
- |
- |
- |
| 16-20 |
Roll 1d4+1 times on Magic Item Table D |
Search 30 |
Search 20 |
Search 10 |
- |
- |
| 21-25 |
Roll 1d4+1 times on Magic Item Table E |
Search 40 |
Search 30 |
Search 20 |
Search 10 |
- |
| 26-30 |
Roll 1d4+1 times on Magic Item Table F |
Search 50 |
Search 40 |
Search 30 |
Search 20 |
- |
| 31-25 |
Roll 1d4+1 times on Magic Item Table G |
Guarenteed |
Search 50 |
Search 40 |
Search 30 |
Search 10 |
| 36-40 |
Roll 1d4+1 times on Magic Item Table H |
Guarenteed |
Guarenteed |
Search 50 |
Search 40 |
Search 20 |
| 41+ |
Roll 1d4+1 times on Magic Item Table I |
Guarenteed |
Guarenteed |
Search 70 |
Search 50 |
Search 30 |
Magic Items Price
- Pricing magic items by rarity is not fair
- Magic item price is determined individually
- Prices vary based of the seller as well
RELAXATION
Sometimes the best thing to do between adventures is relax. Whether a character wants a hard-earned vacation or needs to recover from injuries, relaxation is the ideal option for adventurers who need a break. This option is also ideal for players who don’t want to make use of the downtime system.
Resources
Relaxation requires one week. A character needs to maintain at least a modest lifestyle while relaxing to gain the benefit of the activity.
Resolution
Characters who maintain at least a modest lifestyle while relaxing gain several benefits. While relaxing, a character gains advantage on saving throws to recover from long-acting diseases and poisons. In addition, at the end of the week, a character can end one effect that keeps the character from regaining hit points, or can restore one ability score that has been reduced to less than its normal value. This benefit cannot be used if the harmful effect was caused by a spell or some other magical effect with an ongoing duration.
Complications
Relaxation rarely comes with complications. If you want to make life complicated for the characters, introduce an action or an event connected toa rival.
SCRIBING A SPELL SCROLL
With time and patience, a spellcaster can transfer a spell to a scroll, creating a spell scroll.
Resources. Scribing a spell scrol] takes an amount of time and money related to the level of the spell the character wants to scribe, as shown in the Spell Scroll Costs table. In addition, the character must have proficiency in the Arcana skill and must provide any material components required for the casting of the spell. Moreover, the character must have the spell prepared, or it must be among the character's known spells, in order to scribe a scroll of that spell.
If the scribed spell is a cantrip, the version on the scroll works as if the caster were 1st level.
Spell Scroll Costs
Spell Level Time Cost Cantrip 1 day 15 gp Ist 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
Complications. Crafting a spell scroll is a solitary task, unlikely to attract much attention. The complications that arise are more likely to involve the preparation needed for the activity. Every workweek spent scribing
brings a 10 percent chance of a complication, examples of which are on the Scribe a Scroll Complications table.
SCRIBE A SCROLL COMPLICATIONS
| D6 | Complication |
|---|
| 1 |
You bought up the last of the rare ink used to craft scrolls, angering a wizard in town. |
| 2 |
The priest of a temple of good accuses you of trafficking in dark magic |
| 3 |
Awizard eager to collect one of your spells in a book presses you to sell the scroll. |
| 4 |
Due to a strange error in creating the scroll, it is instead a random spell of the same level |
| 5 |
The rare parchment you bought for your scroll has a barely visible map on it |
| 6 |
A thief attempts to break into your workroom |
RELIGIOUS SERVICE
Characters with a religious bent might want to spend downtime in service to a temple, either by attending rites or by proselytizing in the community. Someone who undertakes this activity has a chance of winning the favor of the temple’s leaders.
Resources
Performing religious service requires access to, and often attendance at, a temple whose beliefs and ethos align with the character's. If such a place is available, the activity takes one workweek of time but involves no gold piece expenditure.
Resolution
At the end of the required time, the character chooses to make either an Intelligence (Religion) check or a Charisma (Persuasion) check. The total of the check determines the benefits of service, as shown on the Religious Service table.
Religous Service Check Table
| Check Total | Result |
|---|
| 1-10 |
No effect. Your efforts fail to make a lasting impression |
| 11-20 |
You earn one favor |
| 21+ |
You earn two favors |
A favor, in broad terms, is a promise of future assistance from a representative of the temple. It can be expended to ask the temple for help in dealing with a specific problem, for general political or social support, or to reduce the cost of cleric spellcasting by 50 percent. A favor could also take the form of a deity’s intervention, such as an omen, a vision, or a minor miracle provided at a key moment. This latter sort of favor is expended by the DM, who also determines its nature.
Favors earned need not be expended immediately, but only a certain number can be stored up. A character can have a maximum number of unused favors equal to 1 + the character's Charisma modifier (minimum of one unused favor).
Complications
Temples can be labyrinths of political and social scheming. Even the best-intentioned sect can fall prone to rivalries. A character who serves a temple risks becoming embroiled in such struggles. Every workweek spent in religious service brings a 10 percent chance of a complication, examples of which are on the Religious Service Complications table.
RELIGIOUS SERVICE COMPLICATIONS Table
| D6 | Complication |
|---|
| 1 |
You have offended a priest through your words or actions |
| 2 |
Blasphemy is still blasphemy, even if you did it by accident |
| 3 |
A secret sect in the temple offers you membership |
| 4 |
Another temple tries to recruit you as a spy. |
| 5 |
The temple elders implore you to take up a holy quest |
| 6 |
You accidentally discover that an important person in the temple is a fiend worshiper |
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