Agriculture

Farming is hard work, and with this downtime activity a character can try their hand at agriculture. It may be to produce a specific crop, or it may be just to earn some extra gold, but agriculture is a long and arduous process.

Resources. The resources required for this downtime activity differ drastically depending on what goal the character has. First, the character must decide if they wish to cultivate a specific crop, or grow whatever is in season for profit. If the character wishes to cultivate a specific kind of crop, the character must provide gold equal to half of the cost of the crop, as represented in bought land and seeds. The crop chosen cannot have a gold value that is over 200gp.

If a character wishes to grow whatever is in season for profit, they must state a gold value as their expected yield, up to 200gp and provide up to half of the stated gold as represented in bought lands and seeds.

For every 15gp spent, one workweek (rounded up) is needed for the crop to grow properly.

Resolution. To successfully produce the crops and farm efficiently, a series of three ability checks are required. The average of these checks will be compared in the Agricultural Yields table which will determine the according yield. If a character has access to the Plant Growth spell, and can cast it at least once during this downtime activity, they gain a +5 bonus to all of these ability checks.

These ability checks are an Intelligence (Nature or Herbalism Kit) check, a Wisdom (Survival) check, and a Strength or Constitution check to represent overall manual labor.

Artisan Work

By using your expertise in your craft, this downtime activities involves creating, commissioning, and selling your artisan work. Be it paintings, woodcarvings, or metallurgy, this allows a character to use their proficiency or expertise in tools to become a renown artisan.

Resources. This activity requires one workweek of effort and 25gp worth of raw materials needed for your craft.

Resolution. The character must make a series of checks, with the DC for all the checks chosen by the character according to the quality of the work chosen. The chosen DC can be 10, 15, 20, or 25. Successful completion of your craft yields a number of gold pieces, as shown on the Artisan Value table.

The character makes three ability checks, a Dexterity or Strength check using your proficiency of the tool chosen representative of the hard labor, a Wisdom or Intelligence check using your proficiency of the tool chosen representative of your design and skill, and a Charisma (Persuasion) check representative of your ability to bargain, sell, and find good clientele that appreciate your craft.

If none of the checks are successful, the character fails in making their craft and it cannot be sold.

If one or two of the checks is successful, the craft is unsuccessful but the character can gain back the 25gp worth of raw materials as they can scrap their unfinished craft.

If all three checks are successful, the character earns the full value of the payout.

Black Market Dealings

Sometimes it pays to be bad. Sometimes it pays even more to go deeper into the underground of a city. A character that wishes to delve into black market dealings involves selling or buying illicit substances,selling stolen goods and items, or even the trade of exotic and dangerous livestock.

Resources. A character must spend one week and at least 75gp gathering information, getting necessary supplies, and finding contacts to partake in this downtime activity.

Resolution. To go into black market dealings, the character must make a series of checks, the DC of the checks chosen by the character according to the amount of profit desired.

The chosen DC can be 15, 20, 25, or 30, and the amount of profit or illicit substances obtained is noted below in the Loot Value table.

The three checks necessary for black market dealings are a Charisma (Persuasion or Deception) check to gain clientele, a Charisma (Intimidation) check or attack roll made to deal with unfavorable clients and potential trouble-makers, and a Charisma (Deception, Forgery Kit, or Disguise kit) check made to cover up from authorities to stay under the radar.

If none of the checks are successful, the character is caught and punished by the local crime organization within the city. The character suffers a lingering injury and must immediately roll on the complications table.

If only one check is successful, the character is caught by the local authorities, and must pay a fine equal to the profit they would’ve gained in the Loot Value table and must spend 1 week in jail for each 25gp of the fine.

If only two checks are successful, it is considered a partial success and they gain half of the payout.

If all three checks are successful, the character earns the full value of the payout.

Learn Basic Spellcraft

Learning spellcraft is an incredibly difficult and arduous process, especially for those who are not as well-versed in the art of spellcasting. With that being said, it is possible for a character to learn the absolute fundamentals of spellcraft given enough time and practice.

Resources. A character who wishes to learn basic spellcraft must have a willing teacher present who is at least a 5th level caster and provide 50gp worth of arcane supplies. Taking this downtime activity requires 10 workweeks, but this time is reduced by a number of workweeks equal to the character’s Intelligence modifier (an Intelligence penalty doesn’t increase the time needed).

Resolution. Learning to cast a cantrip and the basics of spellcraft is incredibly mentally arduous and draining, and requires a series of checks, with a DC determined at random based on the teaching ability of the caster and how well some subjects may come easier to the character, and how other subjects may not.

The character makes three checks, an Intelligence (History, Nature, or Religion) check depending on type based on the spellcasting ability of the teacher, an Intelligence (Arcana check), and an ability check that is the spellcasting ability of the teacher. A character who has the ability to cast spells that match with the teacher’s spellcasting ability has advantage on this last check. The DC for each of these checks are 3d8 + 5; generate a separate DC for each one.

All three checks must be successful in order to succeed in learning basic spellcraft. Upon success, the character learns a cantrip that the teacher knows, using the spellcasting ability of the teacher.

A character can only learn an amount of cantrips from taking this downtime activity equal to 1 + their Intelligence modifier (minimum 2).

Complications. Learning basic spellcraft is a fairly safe task, however there is always a chance of complication. Every workweek spent learning basic spellcraft brings about a 10% chance of complication.

*Might involve a rival.

Meditation

Sometimes, the life of an adventurer can be stressful. A character can be exposed to extraplanar horrors, alien forces, the slaughter of innocent lives, and much more. This downtime activity allows a character to realign themselves in a spiritual and holistic way, to become more themselves and shake off any of the mental troubles or spirits that may be plaguing them.

Resources. To partake in this downtime activity, a character must spend 5 workweeks in a comfortable space, meditating. No other resources are required.

Resolution. The character makes a Wisdom check to see how successful they are in aligning themselves, reducing the amount of time it takes to fully achieve the benefits of deep meditation as listed on the Meditation Focus table. At the end of the meditation, you gain one of the following benefits,

• If your alignment was changed due to an outside influence, your alignment can revert back to its original alignment.
• If you have a personality trait, ideal, flaw, or bond that was added or removed due to an external force, you can remove one of these or regain your original personality trait, ideal, flaw, or bond.
• If you are possessed, you are no longer possessed.
• If you are attuned to a magic item that is Cursed, you can remove your attunement to the magic item.

Medical Work

When a character is injured, or a character has in-depth knowledge in the medical field, a character can partake in Medical work, either to curry favor for an organization by working as a competent medical unit, showcase good faith for a clerical organization, or to simply help stitch up whatever lingering injuries may exist in their party.

Resources. Taking this downtime activity requires one workweek of effort and 50gp worth of medical supplies. If you are taking this downtime activity to heal a lingering injury, the character you are healing must be present for the entirety of the workweek. If you are performing medical work for an organization, they cover for half of the medical supplies.

Resolution. The character must succeed on three separate Wisdom (Medicine) checks, where each DC is determined randomly by the DM who rolls 2d10 + 5 for each individual check. If a character can heal using spells, they gain a bonus to each of these checks equal to 2 times the spell’s level.

If none of these checks are successful, the chances of a complication rises to 25% and you spend an additional workweek simply repairing some of the additional damage done to your patients.

If one of these checks is successful, you spend an additional workweek simply repairing some of the additional damage done to your patients.

If two of these checks are successful, you gain one favor from the organization you had helped if you were choosing to do so. If you were attempting to heal a lingering injury, roll a d20. On a 10 or higher, the lingering injury is healed.

If all three checks were successful, you gain two favors from the organization you had helped if you were choosing to do so. If you were attempting to heal a lingering injury, the lingering injury is healed.

A favor, in broad terms, is a promise of future assistance from a representative of the organization you had helped. It can be expended to ask the organization for help in dealing with a specific problem, for general political or social support, or to reduce the cost of one of their services by 50 percent.

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. You may not be a practiced surgeon or medical officer, and sometimes when working with such things as delicate as the human anatomy, things can go wrong. Every workweek spent doing Medical Work brings a 10% chance of complication, examples of which are below.

*Might involve a rival.

Mining

With a strong arm, a hardy constitution, and a willingness to get down and dirty in the mines, an adventurer’s constitution can be most beneficial when applied seriously to a mining operation. This downtime activity gives a character the opportunity to get some extra cash, and to potentially get their own gemstones and valuable material components for the casting of certain spells.

If a character is looking for a specific type of gemstone, for example a diamond worth at least 50gp for the spell Chromatic Orb, the gemstone can be acquired as opposed to miscellaneous ores and gemstones, provided they rolled high enough. For example, a character who had an average of 10 will not be able to attain such a diamond since they only gained 30gp worth of raw ores and gemstones, but a character who had an average of 20 would be able to attain the diamond as well as 50gp worth of raw ores and gemstones as the diamond is only worth 50gp.

Resources. Partaking in this downtime activity requires one week of manual labor and 15gp worth of mining gear and supplies.

Resolution. The character must make a series of ability checks, taking the average of all three checks and compare their results to the Mining Results table to determine how much raw ores and potential gemstones were attained. These three ability checks are a Constitution check, made to withstand the heavy environment of deep caves filled with particulates, a Strength (Athletics) check, made to see how much work can be done, and a Wisdom (Survival) or Intelligence (Investigation) check, representative of how well one can prospect and find the actual ores and valuable gemstones.

Monster Hunting

By utilizing your skill as a hunter, tracker, or just a good fighter, this activity gives a character the chance to make some extra cash, or even snag specific monster parts from creatures, at the risk of more time spent than intended.

Resources. A character must spend one week finding a contract that is willing to pay them, and 25gp in various materials per level of the DC that the character chooses that may be necessary for travel; including carriages, horses, mercenaries, and so on. (Ex; DC 10 = 25gp, DC15 = 50gp, DC 20 = 75gp, DC 25 = 100gp)

Resolution. The character must make a series of checks, with the DC for all the checks chosen by the character according to the danger of the creature they are attempting to hunt.

The chosen DC can be 10, 15, 20, or 25. Successful completion of the hunt yields a number of gold pieces, as shown on the Loot Value table. To attempt a Monster Hunting, the character makes two checks and an attack roll that represents combat: an Intelligence (Nature) check, a Wisdom (Survival) check, and an Attack Roll.

If none of the checks are successful, the character gains a Lingering Injury, and an additional week is spent in a failed attempt to find the creature.

If only one check is successful, the hunt fails but no injuries are sustained.

If two checks are successful, the hunt is only a partial success, netting the character half the payout.

If all three checks are successful, the character earns the full value of the payout, or the specific monster part they were hunting for.

Subsist

When it comes to downtime some characters simply don’t feel as comfortable living in the city or in a town, and some don’t have a choice due to exile or their immediate surroundings. This downtime activity allows a character to fish, hunt, and gather what they need to survive by subsisting off the land.

Resources. This downtime activity requires 1 workweek to complete and no other resources.

Resolution. To successfully subsist off of the land, the character makes a series of checks to determine their overall well-being when it comes to survival and how well they can survive in the wilderness. Then, they take the average of the results and compare it to the Subsist Success table to gain their results.

These checks are an Intelligence (Nature) or Wisdom (Animal Handling) check, an Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) check, and a Wisdom (Survival) check.

Subsist Success

Complications. Surviving in the wilderness, just focusing on your own survival can be difficult, and since it involves surviving in the wild, there is always a chance of complications. For each week spent Subsisting, there is a 10% chance of a complication occurring.

*May involve a rival.

Mastery Feats

Although downtime activity can offer players gold, contacts, and even some new proficiencies; many players may still not see downtime activity as worthwhile, and only see it as a way of gaining a little extra money to get some more magic items to be better in combat. This optional rule of Mastery Feats, encourages a player for spending a lot of time in downtime, by giving them tangible benefits through miniature feats. If a character does the same downtime activity 5 times in a row and succeeds 4 out of those 5 times, consider offering them a Mastery Feat.

Hard Laborer

Prerequisites: Take the downtime activity Work 5 times in a row, gaining an average roll of 15 4 out of those 5 times.

• You may not be doing anything as flashy as selling magic items or doing crime, but you sure as hell know how to work hard and do work well.
• Given 1 hour of time to do research and speak around, you can find a job that will cover Comfortable lifestyle expenses due to your past recommendations.
• You gain a +1 bonus on saving throws made to resist exhaustion, and you only suffer exhaustion if you fail to sleep for 48 hours as opposed to 24 hours.

Inner Peace

Prerequisites: Take the downtime activity Meditation or Relaxation for 5 workweeks, or roll a 25 or higher on your Wisdom check when taking the Meditation downtime activity.

• Time spent in isolation and meditation has granted you an inner peace that allows you to realign yourself spiritually in tough situations.
• When you are frightened, you can use your action to attempt to shake off the effect by repeating the initial saving throw with disadvantage, ending the frightened effect upon success. You can take this special action even if you cannot normally take an action due to restrictions of the frightening effect.

Lucky Gambler

Prerequisites: Take the downtime activity Gambling 5 times in a row and gain at least 2 successes 4 out of those 5 times.

• You may or may not know when to quit, hold, or bet; but luck certainly seems to be on your side when it comes to gambling.
• You gain a +1 bonus to ability checks that involve a gaming set and you also gain a +1 bonus on Wisdom (Insight) checks made to determine if a creature is withholding information or lying.
• You have advantage on rolls made in games of chance.

Magic Item Salesman

Prerequisites: Take the downtime activity Selling a Magic Item 5 times in a row, attaining an average roll of 15 4 out of those 5 times when getting magic item offers.

• You are known far and wide as a magic item salesman, and you know exactly what type of clients want magic items and how to get it to them.
• You gain a +1 bonus to Charisma checks made to haggle when selling a magical item.
• Given 1 hour of downtime in a local settlement, you can attain the names and general locations of individuals interested in the sale of magic items.

Master Artisanry

Prerequisites: Take the downtime activity Artisan Work or Crafting an Item 5 times in a row, and succeed on creating your craft 4 out of those 5 times.

• You have become an unrivaled expert when it comes to your craft, and many individuals understand that your work is of unrivaled quality.
• You gain a +1 bonus to all ability checks that use your proficiency with the tool you have been practiced in.
• You can accurately appraise the price of any art piece, and if it is of a similar work you have worked with, you can increase its price by 10% given 1 hour of work as you improve its quality.

Monster Hunter

Prequesities: Take the downtime activity Monster Hunting 5 times in a row, and succeed on your hunt 4 out of those 5 times.

• You are an expert hunter, and your extended time tracking, hunting, and slaying exotic creatures has given you an edge over other hunters.
• You gain a +1 bonus to Wisdom (Survival) checks made to track creatures and you can track a creature while travelling at a normal pace without suffering any penalties.

Pious

Prerequisites: Take the downtime activity Religious Service 5 times in a row and attain an average of 15 on your religious service checks at least 4 out of those 5 times.

• Whether or not you draw from the power of a God, you have made it abundantly clear that you are a pious individual, and you are a representative of the God you worship.
• You gain a +1 bonus to Intelligence (Religion) checks.
• You can always gain an audience with local religious organizations if they are aware of the religious organization you assisted.

Practiced Surgeon

Prerequisites: Take the downtime activity Medical Work 5 times, and succeed on your medical work 4 out of those 5 times.

• You may not have gone to medical school, but your continued work in the medical field has made you a practiced surgeon.
• You gain a +1 bonus to Wisdom (Medicine) checks involving wounds and injuries.
• During the course of a short rest, creatures of your choice can regain 2 additional hit points for each hit die they expend as you practice basic medical work and offer sound medical advice.

Reigning Champion

Prerequisites: Take the downtime activity Pit fighting 5 times in a row and gain at least 2 successes 4 out of those 5 times.

• You’ve climbed the ladder of pit fighting and are known as the reigning champion of the arena, which has honed your martial prowess.
• You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls.

Socialite Presence

Prerequisites: Take the downtime activity Carousing 5 times in a row, getting an average of 15 4 out of those 5 times.

• Regardless of how hard you’ve worked as an adventurer, you know how to play hard and get as involved as you can within the partying circles of a city.
• You have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks with your contacts gained from carousing.
• You can always secure an audience with local authorities with minor standing (like priests, nobles, politicians, etc) and you can always gain entry to social events even if you were not invited.

Spellscribe

Prerequisites: Take the downtime activity Scribing a Spell Scroll 5 times in a row, with 4 out of the 5 scrolls being 2nd level or higher.

• Thanks to your time spent making scroll after scroll, you have a better understanding of how spellscrolls function and how to get the most out of your magical powers.
• Over the course of 1 hour you can create a temporary scroll that lasts for 8 hours. This temporary scroll can cast a cantrip or 1st level spell.
• You have advantage on all ability checks when it comes to interacting with scrolls (activating, identifying, making, etc)

Studious

Prerequisites: Take the downtime activity Research 5 times in a row and attain an average of 15 on your research checks at least 4 out of those 5 times.

• Knowing is half the battle, and you know at least half of the opponents you will be facing in the near future.
• You can read and write twice as fast.
• You gain a +1 bonus to Intelligence checks made to do research or find information in books or other lexical containers.

Changelog

• Version 1.4
  • Added clause to Learn Basic Spellcraft to limit the amount of cantrips learned
• Version 1.3
  • Added Mastery Feats and optional rule addendums
• Version 1.2
  • Removed Fishing and replaced it with Subsisting
  • Added Artisan Work, Medical Work, Meditation, Agriculture, Black Market Dealings, and Learn Basic Spellcraft
• Version 1.1
  • Added Mining and Fishing
• Version 1.0
  • Initial version released