Flynn's Guide to Recreational Times

This document is for the storytellers and world-builders in the world of the Dungeon & Dragons. It's meant to be your go-to homemade downtime activity guidelines and much more with how exactly time is spent outside of adventuring.

Between adventures, you might want to consider asking your players what their characters are interested in pursuing during his or her downtime. They might choose to study another class, increase their constitution, practice a new skill, or just simply buy a few items. Whenever a player selects a downtime activity, from what's available according to the Dungeon Master (DM), it's their duty to make sure they have the resources to complete their objective. These resources can be: time, money, knowledge, and or status. Then finally, the DM controls thw activity's resolution, informing the player of the results and any complications that have ensued.

Lifestyles (as described in the 5th chapter of the Player's Handbook) provide the players with a simple way to describe how their characters are living. Each lifestyle has an expense which covers all necessities and pleasantries their characters would ever need or want. At the beginning of each session, state a number of weeks that would have occurred since the last session and require them to pay the price they are used to living, determined by their background according to the Background Condition table below and pay the price to sustain that lifestyle across the sessions. The DM may determine an otherwise cheaper or more expensive lifestyle expense.

Acolyte: Shelter the Faithful

As an acolyte, you command the respect of those who share your faith, and you can perform the religious ceremonies of your deity.

Initial Feature. While near a temple with an established presence of your faith, you can call upon the priests for assistance, provided the assistance you ask for is not hazardous and you remain in good standing with your temple.

Achievement. As an acolyte, when you get at least ten citizens self-actualize (See Religious Service), those people will begin to support you (but only you) at a modest lifestyle and offer you and your allies free healing and care at any place with an established presence of your faith.

Charlatan: False Identity

You can tease out ones' desires after a few minutes of conversation, and with a few leading questions you can read them like they were children's books. It’s a useful talent, and one that you are perfectly willing to use for your advantage.

Initial Feature. When viewing an official document from an organization, you can flawlessly recreate and forge document another document under that organization's name.

Achievement. As a charlatan, after you make at least ten allied contacts (See Carousing) under a new persona (fake form of identification and unique disguise), any Charisma (Persuasion) check for any downtime activity, can be substituted with a Charisma (Deception) check to use your second identity.

Criminal: Criminal Contact

You are an experienced criminal with a history of breaking the law. You have spent a lot of time among other criminals and still have contacts within the criminal underworld.

Initial Feature. You have advantage on the Charisma (Persuasion) check used to find a messenger (See Messaging).

Achievement. After sending at least ten messages through the same messenger, you can send messages to and from a specific contact from great distances in half the time.

Entertainer: By Popular Demand

A good entertainer is versatile, spicing up every performance with a variety of different routines. Your poetics can stir the hearts of those who hear you, awakening grief or joy, laughter or anger.

Initial Feature. Whenever you perform it makes you somewhat of a local figure. When strangers recognize you in a town where you have performed, they typically take a liking to you.

Achievement. After ten performances, finding place to perform is a lot easier in circuses, theaters, or even in a noble’s court. At such a place, you receive free lodging and food depending on the quality of the establishment, as long as you perform each night of stay.

Folk Hero: Rustic Hospitality

The people of your home village already regard you as their champion, others call for you to stand against the tyrants and monsters that threaten the common folk everywhere. Since you come from the ranks of the common folk, you fit in among them with ease.

Initial Feature. You can find a place to rest or recuperate among other commoners, gaining the opportunity to roll a Recuperation dice which is determined by the class which the character has the most levels in and add it to your Sanity Point pool or any Charisma check involved with communicating with commoners during downtime.

Achievement As a folk hero, after protecting a village from at least five potential danger, the common folk of that village will shield you from anyone searching for you (except from the law), though they will not risk their lives for you.

Guild Artisan: Guild Membership

You are a member of an artisan’s guild, skilled in a particular field and closely associated with other artisans. As an established and respected member of a guild, you can rely on certain benefits that membership provides.

Feature. You must pay dues of 5 gp per workweek to the guild to remain in the guild’s good graces. In some cities and towns, your guild may have a guildhall which offers a central place to meet other members of your profession, which can be a good place to meet potential patrons, allies, or hirelings. If you are accused of a crime, your guild will also support you if a good case can be made for your innocence or if the crime is justifiable.

Travel Pace

While traveling, a group of adventurers can move at a normal, fast, or slow pace, as shown on the Travel Pace table. The table states how far the party can move in a period of time and whether the pace has any effect.

Resources

Every downtime activity requires and exchange of resources from the character pursuing it. These resources are often either gold or the time to do said activity. The downtime activities below require a workweek to complete. The player can split up the time spent in days. For example, Flynn can begin the workweek by attending Religious Service for a day, and pursue a career thereafter. The character spends 8 hours of each day engaged in the downtime activity.

Resolution

The description of each activity tells you how to resolve it. Many activities require an ability check, so be sure to note the character’s relevant ability modifiers. Follow the steps in the activity, and determine the results.

Complication

Each downtime activity should have the risk of triggering a consequence. The consequences of a complication may introduce new smaller antagonists, give the characters a new obstacle, or majorly inconvene players in number of other ways. To determine when a complication should be triggered, have the player roll a DC 6 Intelligence saving throw, only upon failure should a complication occur.

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.

Resources. The activity takes one workweek of time.

Resolution. At the end of the required time, the character must make an Intelligence (Religion) check. The total of the check determines the benefits of service, as shown on the Religious Service table.

Training

Given enough free time, a character can home their skills or choose to learn a new language, skill, or pick up proficiency with a tool.

Proficiency Training. Receiving training in a language or tool typically takes at least three workweeks, but this time is either reduced (if the modifier is positive) or increased (if the modifier is negative) by a number of workweeks equal to the character’s Intelligence modifier. The cost for this training is equal to the character's level multiplied 25 gp per workweek.

Experience Training. The time to develop a new level is dependent on the current level of the character. The cost for this training is equal to the character's level multiplied 50 gp per workweek.

Working

Working in Xanathar's Guide to Everything describes working as an honest trade to earn a living. While not guaranteeing a predictable wage.

Resources. Simply one workweek.

Resolution. To determine how much money a character earns, the character has makes an ability check relevant to the job they decide to work. For example, a Bard preforming at a local tavern will need to make a Charisma (Performance) check. Consult the Wages table to see how much money is generated according to the total of the check.