Adventurers often have time between their epic quests. Some might spend it practicing their sword fighting techniques or enchanting magic items. Others may pray to their gods, try to earn a few coins in town, spend time with their friends, or aid locals in need.
When to Use These Rules: When the party has at least a week between adventures.
The Basics: Each player chooses one of the activities below and gains its benefits.
When the Game Master decides there’s Downtime, you can choose one of the following activities. Each provides a benefit of some sort, from financial rewards to limited but valuable skill bonuses. Narrate what your hero is doing then follow the instructions under each activity.
Unless an option says otherwise, its effect may only be gained once regardless of how long the downtime lasts.
Carousing characters spend their time socializing with friends, making new ones, or cementing relationships with their contacts. This usually involves considerable cost and time spent at local restaurants and taverns.
During her Downtime, the character spends 50 gp in food, drink, and entertainment. Double that for each Rank thereafter: 100 gp for Seasoned, 200 gp for Veteran, 400 gp for Heroic, and 800 gp if she’s Legendary.
In exchange, she gains a local favor she can call in at any time. The greater her Rank and her overall standing in the community (GM’s call), the greater the favor.
The hero focuses on whatever brings her happiness. That might include quality time with friends, a solitary hunt through a secluded forest, riding a favorite horse, painting, reading, writing, performing, dancing, or courting a romantic interest.
Whatever the activity, the goal is inner peace and happiness. Taking a week to enjoy the fruits of one’s labors grants the character Conviction.
The hero earns currency in some way. Perhaps he takes on odd jobs, kills rats in the local tavern, or even "procures" it from the local thieves' guild!
The hero must make a relevant skill roll to earn her reward—Thievery for scoundrels, Fighting for Mercenaries, Performance for entertainers, etc. Use an appropriate attribute for more mundane jobs.
A Critical Failure means the character doesn't make any money and embarrasses herself somehow. If the job was dangerous, she also takes d4 Wounds. Failure means she doesn't make any money and takes Fatigue from Bumps & Bruises.
Success earns her 100 gp if she's Novice Rank, 200 gp if Seasoned, 300 gp if Veteran, 400 gp for Heroic, and 500 gp if she’s Legendary. Double the reward with a raise.
A character with the Artificer Edge can spend her time at a workshop creating magic items.
A character can spend her Downtime developing or learning new powers. This doesn’t permanently give her a power, but allows her to use any spell or miracle from her available powers list and of her Rank or lower for one entire encounter.
The character may also temporarily change the Trapping of a power she already has for one encounter—turning a fireball into an ice blast, for example.
The spell is cast at a -2 penalty, but is otherwise treated just like one of the caster’s regular powers. This can be particularly useful if the mage or priest must prepare to face a threat with a particular weakness.
Finally, Research can also be used to reveal deep information about a particular subject. No Trait roll is required. The GM decides just how much the investigator can learn in a week given the topic, the location, and resources at hand.
Those who have suffered grievous Wounds might need to do so during Downtime to recover their health.
Use the Natural Healing rules during the week. Any healers in the group can provide Support, as can other allies or hired professionals such as priests at a temple, or physicians in a nobleman’s employ.
Characters may choose to Rest even if they have no Wounds. This provides the same benefits as Centering, with the hero doing nothing but resting mind and body to recover from the stress of adventuring.
An adventurer can practice a specific skill or attribute to temporarily increase its effectiveness. A character might train Fighting by sparring with a swordmaster, Persuasion by public speaking, Occult by studying forbidden tomes, Strength or Vigor with vigorous exercise, and so on.
The character must possess at least d4 in any skill chosen for training. Afterwards, she gets one free reroll when failing that skill or attribute for one entire encounter. This stacks with any other rerolls she may have from other sources.
The player chooses when to activate her rerolls as a free action.
If she Trains again, the previous focus is lost.