Lifestyle: From Squalor to the High Life! A Downtime Expansion

by OutrageousPages

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From Squalor to the High Life
A Downtime Expansion

Authors Notes

Why do this?

My love for being a Dungeon Master knows no bounds, and most of all I want my players to have fun. In my most recent campaign, I have added Downtime as a reprieve between adventures, but my players asked for more. I created this expansion as a way to make their characters Lifestyle matter, rather than simply choosing the cheapest option. Time matters, whether it is between adventures, or resting between events. In expanding on Lifestyles, I created charts of events that could occur. When running these events, feel free to add more nuance. Rivals, allied contacts, or hostile contacts may come into play in your character's lives, aiding them or setting up the obstacles that caused the rolled result. D&D's strength is in building characters and relationships that players care about.

Calendar, Prices, and Honor

My campaign's calendar uses a 10 Day Week.
Honor and your public and royal appearance matter. If you do not have enough Honor, you cannot purchase the titles and deeds needed to live Wealthy or Aristocratic Lifestyles. For every additional 100gp a month an Aristocrat expends, he/she may another +1 to his roll on the Fine Opportunities table, to a max of 13.
(See Tables Below)

Downtime Complications

Many of the Downtime activities presented in the DMG/Xanathar's Guide have a 10% chance to cause a complication. However, the poorer you are, the more life seems to conspire against you, and the richer you are, the more rivals or competitors may try to interfere with you. For this reason, depending on your lifestyle you have different Complication Chances.

Using the Lifestyle Table

Consult the Lifestyle Events Table and pay your expenses for time spent. After any downtime complications, roll for a Squalor or Fine Opportunities event every X weeks (depending on the DM.) Consult the tables below.
Optional -- If a player wants to improve Lifestyles between Downtime weeks, they must spend an additional Week of expenses for the Lifestyle that is changed into.

Contacts

Introduced in Carousing (XGE pg127), 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 well-kept 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, they stop meddling until the player character performs a favor or adversely upsets them. The contact remains friendly or hostile, which can influence roleplaying and how the characters interact with them, but doesn't come with a guarantee of help or harm.

When using contacts with this chart, a hostile contact could be used to add a +1 to a Squalor roll, or a -1 to a High Life roll. Adversely, an allied contact could provide a -1 to a Squalor roll, or a +1 to a High Life Roll.

Author's Notes

Lifestyle Events Table

Lifestyles Expenses per Day / Week / Month Downtime Complications Events / X Weeks
Wretched 1 cp / 1 sp / 3 sp 50% Squalor D10+3
Squalid 1 sp / 1 gp / 3 gp 40% Squalor D10+2
Poor 2 sp / 2 gp / 6 gp 30% Squalor D10
Modest 1 gp / 10 gp / 30 gp 20% Squalor D10
Comfortable 2 gp / 20 gp / 60 gp 10% Fine Opportunities D10
Wealthy (12+ Honor) 4 gp / 40 gp / 120 gp 20% Fine Opportunities D10+2
Aristocratic (14+ Honor) 10 gp / 100 gp / 300 gp 30% Fine Opportunities D10+3
Squalor
13 Brutish thugs and thieves ambush you in your sleep. They seize your possessions (up to 200gp) and leave you with a Lingering Injury.
12 Your equipment has been incredibly mistreated. All weapons and armors takes a -1 penalty. It costs 25% of the base price to restore. Rations spoil. Glass items have broken.
11 You might have eaten spoiled food or drank from a filthy well. Roll for a random disease and make the save at Disadvantage. For the next week you have the Poisoned condition.
10 Thugs beat you senseless as thieves steal your possessions (up to 100gp) and leave you with a Lingering Injury (On a 1-3 roll again).
9 Debt collectors arrive to take their payment. They make it clear what will happen if you don't cough up your monthly expenses.
8 Your equipment is falling into disrepair. One of your weapons or a set of armor gains a -1 penalty. It costs 25% of the base price to restore.
7 You gain a Low-Class Hostile Contact. They may place an obstacle in your way, such as a rival.
6 A pickpocket has decided to take interest. They may roll Sleight of Hand, stealing up to 50gp.
5 You gain a Low-Class Allied Contact. You can call upon them for aid when you need it.
4 Times were difficult this week, for one reason or another. Pay twice the weekly expenses.
3 Nothing of interest happens. Life goes on.
2 Ooh, lucky gold piece! It looks so lonely, just laying on the ground.
1 The kindness of those around you is heartwarming. They've created a pool, paying your monthly expenses and granting you an additional weeks worth extra.
Fine Opportunities
13 A procession or a parade is being held in your honor. You may make a speech to address them. If you have a Hostile Contact or a Rival, this may question you, prompting an Honor Saving Throw DC 16. On a success or if there was no Save, you gain 1 Point of Inspiration.
12 You must keep up your appearance. Pay your monthly expenses on a grand party, or make a DC 15 Honor Save, losing 1 Honor on a failure.
11 An opportunity presents itself to make a good impression through charity or donation. If you pay your monthly expenses to this cause, your Honor score is increased by 1.
10 You get invited to a high scale gala, showcasing a variety of art, or inventions, or people.
9 During a conversation, someone questions your understanding of laws and/or ethics. Make an Honor Saving Throw DC 14. On a success, you gain a an Upper-Class Allied Contact. On a failure, gain an Upper Class Hostile Contact or a Rival.
8 Difficult times have caused chaos in your life. Roll once on the Squalor table with a +2.
7 Life is good. Gain a temporary point of Inspiration. It expires after one week.
6 You meet a skilled Blacksmith and make a good impression. They offer to improve one of your pieces of equipment, at a discount.
5 You've somehow managed to insult someone in a position equal to yours. Gain a Mid-Class or Upper Class Hostile Contact.
4 You encounter an artisan in a good mood. They offer to ply their trade for you if you can best them in a contest.
3 A wealthy lifestyle has afforded you a burst of efficiency. You may partake in two Downtime Activities next week.
2 You are making inroads into High Society. You gain 1 Mid-Class Allied Contact.
1 You've managed to insult someone by accident. You gain 1 Mid-Class Hostile Contact.
Lifestyle Events

Credits

Artwork

Credit goes to Demizu Posuka. Check out his instagram here! https://www.instagram.com/demizuposuka/?hl=en

GM Binder

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I'll be posting anything new I have on my Reddit account, OutrageousPages, Many Isles, and on DM's Guild! https://www.reddit.com/user/OutrageousPages

Books Referenced

This document makes reference to the following books published by Wizards of the Coast.

Dungeon Master's Guide
Xanathar's Guide to Everything