Downtime Actions

Downtime actions represent specific activities undertaken by pilots between missions. Unless the downtime takes place over an especially long period, players usually only get to make one downtime action per downtime.
Unlike skill checks, downtime actions have specific outcomes depending on whether you succeed, fail, or roll 20+, and most ask you to choose from a list of possible outcomes. Even though downtime actions aren’t skill checks, triggers can still be used to get bonuses when rolling. For example, the GET A DAMN DRINK action might benefit from Survive (alcohol tolerance), Charm (impressing the locals), or Word on the Streets (eavesdropping for gossip).
Although the outcomes of downtime actions depend on the roll, it’s up to the GM and player to flesh out the details using the provided prompts. You can go into as much detail as you want about what actually takes place.
In addition to the downtime actions provided here, you can also easily create new ones that are more relevant to your particular game or story. Use these ones as starting points!
Power at a Cost When you seek POWER AT A COST, you’re trying to get your hands on something. Name what you want. You can definitely get it, but epending on the outlandishness of the request, the GM chooses one or two:

• It’s going to take a lot more time than you thought.
• It’s going to be really damn risky.
• You’ll have to have to give something up or leave something behind (e.g., wealth, resources, allies).
• You’re going to piss off someone or something important and powerful.
• Things are going to go wildly off-plan.
• You’ll need more information to proceed safely.
• It’s going to fall apart damn soon.
• You’ll need more resources, but you know where to find them.
• You can get something almost right: a lesser version, or less of it.

Buy Some Time When you BUY SOME TIME, you try to stave off a reckoning, extend a window of opportunity, or merely buy some time and breathing room for you and your group. You might be trying to dodge some heat, survive stranded in the wilderness, or cause a distraction so another plan can reach its climax. You can use that distraction or bought time as RESERVES for the next mission.
Describe your plan and roll:
On 9 or less, you can only buy a little time, and only if drastic measures are taken right now. Otherwise, whatever you’re trying to stave off catches up to you. On 10–19, you buy enough time, but the situation becomes precarious or desperate. Next time you get this result for the same situation, treat it as 9 or less. On 20+, you buy as much time as you need, until the next downtime session. Next time you get this result for the same situation, treat it as 10–19.
Gather Information When you GATHER INFORMATION, you poke your nose around, perhaps where it doesn’t belong, and investigate something – conducting research, following up on a mystery, tracking a target, or keeping an eye on something. You might head to a library or go undercover to learn what you can. Whatever it involves, you’re trying to GATHER INFORMATION on a subject of your choice. You can use information gained as RESERVES.
Name your subject and method, and roll:
On 9 or less, choose one: • You get what you’re looking for, but it gets you into trouble straight away. • You get out now and avoid trouble. On 10–19, you find what you’re looking for, but choose one: • You leave clear evidence of your rummaging. • You have to dispatch someone or implicate someone innocent to avoid attention. On 20+, you get what you’re looking for with no complications.
Get a Damn Drink When you GET A DAMN DRINK, you blow off some steam, carouse, and generally get into trouble. You might be trying to make connections, collect gossip, forge a reputation, or even just to forget what happened on the last mission. There’s usually trouble.
State your intention and roll:
On 9 or less, decide whether you had good time or not; either way, you wake up in a gutter somewhere with only one remaining: • Your dignity. • All of your possessions. • Your memory. On 10–19, gain one as RESERVES and lose one: • A good reputation. • A friend or connection. • A useful item or piece of information. • A convenient opportunity. On 20+, gain two from the 10–19 list as RESERVES and don’t lose anything.
Get Creative When you GET CREATIVE, you tweak something or try to make something new – either a physical item, or a piece of software. Once finished, you can use your new creation as RESERVES.
Describe your project and roll:
On 9 or less, you don’t make any progress on your project. Next time you get this result for the same project, treat it as a 10–19. On 10–19, you make progress on your project, but don’t quite finish it. You can finish it during your next downtime without rolling, but choose the two things you’re going to need: • Quality materials. • Specific knowledge or techniques. • Specialized tools. • A good workspace. On 20+, you finish your project before the next mission. If it’s especially complex, treat this as 10–19, but only choose one.
Get Focused When you GET FOCUSED, you focus on increasing your own skills, training, and self-improvement. You might practice, learn, meditate, or call on a teacher. Name what you want to learn or improve (e.g., a skill, technique, academic subject, or language). The GM will give your pilot a new +2 trigger based on your practice and training. For example, the trigger could be +2 Playing Chess or +2 Dancing. You can also improve a trigger from +2 to +4 or +4 to +6 by taking this downtime action.
Get Organized When you GET ORGANIZED, you start, run, or improve an organization, business, or other venture. State your organization’s purpose or goal, and choose a FOCUS: military, scientific, academic, criminal, humanitarian, industrial, entertainment, or political. It begins with +2 in either EFFICIENCY or INFLUENCE and +0 in the other, with a maximum of +6. EFFICIENCY determines how effectively your organization conducts activities within its scope (e.g., a military organization with high efficiency would be good at combat). INFLUENCE is its size, reach, wealth, and reputation. When your organization directly assists with an activity, you may add either its EFFICIENCY or INFLUENCE as a statistic bonus to your skill check. EFFICIENCY is used when performing activities related to your organization’s FOCUS. NFLUENCE is used when acquiring assets, creating opportunities, or swaying public opinion. Advantages gained with the help of your organization can be used as RESERVES.
Each downtime after the first, roll:
On 9 or less, choose one or your organization folds immediately: • Your organization loses 2 EFFICIENCY and 2 INFLUENCE, to a minimum of 0. If both are already at 0, you may not choose this. • Your organization needs to pay debts, make an aggressive move, or get bailed out. You choose which, and the GM decides what that looks like. On 10–19, your organization is stable. It gains +2 EFFICIENCY or INFLUENCE, to a maximum of +6. On 20+, your organization gains +2 EFFICIENCY and +2 INFLUENCE, to a maximum of +6.
Get Connected When you GET CONNECTED, you make connections, call in favors, ask for help, or drum up support for a course of action. You can use your contacts’ resources or aid as RESERVES for the next mission.
Name your contact and roll:
On 9 or less, your contact will help you, but you’ve got to do a favor or make good on a promise right now. If you don’t, they won’t help you. On 10–19, your contact will help you, but you’ve got to do a favor or make good on a promise afterwards. If you don’t follow through, treat this result as 9 or less next time you get it for the same organization. On 20+, your contact will help you, no strings attached. Treat this result as 10–19 next time you get it for the same organization.
Scrounge and Barter When you SCROUNGE AND BARTER, you try to get your hands on some gear or an asset by dredging the scrapyard, chasing down rumors, bartering in the local market, or hunting around. You might want some better pilot gear, a vehicle, narcotics, goods, or other sundries. It needs to be something physical, but doesn’t necessarily have to be on the gear list. If you get it, you can take it on the next mission as RESERVES.
Name what you want and roll:
On 9 or less, you get what you want, but choose one: • It was stolen, probably from someone who’s looking for it. • It’s degraded, old, filthy, or malfunctioning. • Someone else has it right now and won’t give it up without force or convincing. On 10–19, you get what you want, but choose the price you need to pay: • Time. • Dignity. • Reputation. • Health, comfort, and wellness. On 20+, you get what you’re looking for, no problem.

Evergreen Downtime Activites
DIG UP THE PAST You pick apart the wreckage of old Hercynian Crisis ships and mechs around Evergreen for useful gear, sifting through rusted metal and the old, scarred skeletons of long-dead juggernauts.
Create a six-segment Salvage clock on your character sheet then roll:

• On 9 or less, fill in one segment.
• On 10 - 19, filli n two segments
• On 20+, fill in three segments.

From now on, you can clear segments on the Salvage clock for the following benefits:

• 1 segment: while resting, restore your mech to full HP using salvaged materials.
• 3 segments: While resting, restore 1 structure.
• 6 segments: Permanetly gain the HA Genghis MK 1 Frame as Exotice Gear

TALK A WALK You spend some time hitting the streets of Evergreen and the walks around the city, listening, watching, and taking in the air. Before long, you’re practically a local.
Name where you walk, then roll:

• On 9 or less, you walk somewhere you’re not supposed to be. Describe how you get out of the situation, or spend an uncomfortable night at the Governor’s Farm until Patience can smooth the situation out. Take +1DIfficulty to interactions with Evergreen colonists and administrators (including Patience!) until the next downtime.
• On 10–19, permanently gain either STREETWISE or LOCAL DIALECT (see below).
• On 20+, permanently get STREETWISE and LOCAL DIALECT.

STREETWISE: Gain +1 Accuracy on any check outside of mech combat for getting around Evergreen safely and securely.
LOCAL DIALECT: Gain +1 Accuracy when trying to talk to or persuade people from Evergreen.
R&R DOWN THE WELL You spend some time relaxing at the Bottom of the Well. Name anyone else you spend this time with and choose an activity from below. Other PCs don’t have to spend downtime actions to join you, but only one PC can take this action each downtime.
R&R

1. Musical Performance.
2. Karaoke.
3. Movie night. The holos are pretty old, though Landmark has acquired a surprisingly good selection.
4. Group dinner or breakfast. Ingredients are readily available though limited in stock.
5. Poetry reading.
6. Drinking contest.

Decide who is performing at or organizing the event (it doesn’t have to be you), then that person makes a skill check:

• On 9 or less, it was embarrassing or a little awkward, though people may have enjoyed it regardless. Take 1d6.
• On 10–19, it went pretty well. Take 2d6.
• On 20+, it went fantastically. Take 3d6.

These d6s represent the goodwill generated by the event. During the next mission, the person who organized or performed can spend them to give +1 Accuracy to any skill check (in or out of mech combat) made by someone who was present. They are lost when they are spent or at the end of the mission. Spending them does not count as an action or reaction.
Put in the Work You set about repairing, rebuilding, and reaching out to the citizens of Evergreen - shoring up defenses, running errands, and using every tool available to you, mech and all, for healing and reconstruction.
Name your approach and roll:
on a 9 or less, you're unable to help for now, due to either resentment from the community or a simple lack of resources, time, or support. Next time you take this action, upgrade your result to the next best result.
on 10-19, tick a segment on the Defense of Evergreen clock, but only if you do one of the following:

• get additional help from someone
• sacrifice some of yourr health, dignity, or sanity
• undertake an especially difficult/hazardous project

Play out a scene or two to see if you can do it or not.
on 20+, your efforts are greatly appreciated. Tick a segment on the Defense of Evergreen clock.
If multiple characters take this action, roll once for each character and take the best result instead of applying each result individually.
Evergreen Reserves Roll 1D20
1-2 AMMO CRATE Once, while resting, spend this reserve to restore 1 charge for your entire party’s LIMITED systems and weapons.
3-4 SHIELDING Get a mech tune-up from the folks at the Governor’s Farm. Spend this reserve to start the next combat only with OVERSHIELD 5.
5-6 WEATHERING Spend this reserve to grant your mech IMMUNITY to difficult terrain and SLOWED for the next mission.
7-8 SCOUTING Spend this reserve to look at one encounter and learn all information about the NPCs and sitrep involved before it starts. You must spend this at the start of combat.
9-10 HIGH CALIBER AMMO Spend this reserve at the start of any combat scene to give all your weapons AP until the end of the scene.
11-12 STASH OF PRIVATE MOONSHINE Trade with someone in the colony for favors owed. Gain +1 Accuracy on all non-combat skill checks as long as that person can help you. This effect ends at the end of the following downtime.
13-14 COLONY DROP Spend this reserve to have you and your allies drop from a Landmark cargo drop ship, allowing you all to deploy anywhere on the map in the next encounter.
15-16 GOVERNOR’S FARM ADVANCED ACCESS Permanently gain +1 Accuracy on all non-combat skill checks to gather information, write new programs, or hack as long as you take those actions at the Governor’s Farm.
17-18 FIELDING’S WORKSHOP ACCESS Permanently gain +1 Accuracy and fill in an extra segment whenever you make progress on clocks to invent, create, or repair items or gear as long as you do it at Fielding’s Workshop.
19-20 PATIENCE HOOKUP You have a direct line to Patience. Spend this reserve to gain +1 Accuracy on all skill checks and saves for a scene (even in combat) as Patience helps you out. Evergreen Reserves Roll 1D20
1-2 AMMO CRATE Once, while resting, spend this reserve to restore 1 charge for your entire party’s LIMITED systems and weapons.
3-4 SHIELDING Get a mech tune-up from the folks at the Governor’s Farm. Spend this reserve to start the next combat only with OVERSHIELD 5.
5-6 WEATHERING Spend this reserve to grant your mech IMMUNITY to difficult terrain and SLOWED for the next mission.
7-8 SCOUTING Spend this reserve to look at one encounter and learn all information about the NPCs and sitrep involved before it starts. You must spend this at the start of combat.
9-10 HIGH CALIBER AMMO Spend this reserve at the start of any combat scene to give all your weapons AP until the end of the scene.
11-12 STASH OF PRIVATE MOONSHINE Trade with someone in the colony for favors owed. Gain +1 Accuracy on all non-combat skill checks as long as that person can help you. This effect ends at the end of the following downtime.
13-14 COLONY DROP Spend this reserve to have you and your allies drop from a Landmark cargo drop ship, allowing you all to deploy anywhere on the map in the next encounter.
15-16 GOVERNOR’S FARM ADVANCED ACCESS Permanently gain +1 Accuracy on all non-combat skill checks to gather information, write new programs, or hack as long as you take those actions at the Governor’s Farm.
17-18 FIELDING’S WORKSHOP ACCESS Permanently gain +1 Accuracy and fill in an extra segment whenever you make progress on clocks to invent, create, or repair items or gear as long as you do it at Fielding’s Workshop.
19-20 PATIENCE HOOKUP You have a direct line to Patience. Spend this reserve to gain +1 Accuracy on all skill checks and saves for a scene (even in combat) as Patience helps you out.