Downtime

v1.0, Updated 2020-12-15

After completing a session in the Polaris campaign, the character you played earns gold and downtime based on their rank. See the Rank tab of the Session Log and Character Tracking spreadsheet (requires player registration to view) for the amount of gold and downtime earned. Downtime is earned in workweeks, which are 7-day weeks with 5 workdays.

At any time outside of session, you can spend earned downtime on an activity of your choice. You can describe the downtime activity however you please, but you must choose the result of that activity from the list below. These options replace any downtime options in the Player’s Handbook and Xanathar’s Guide to Everything.

For example, you can say that your character spends 3 workweeks participating in an underground pit fighting ring in Woodruff. One of those weeks you “Make Money”; another you “Train a New Proficiency”, and another you “Earn a Favor”. Or you could have all 3 be “Make Money”. etc…

Ignore lifestyle expenses while spending downtime. Generally speaking, we’re ignoring lifestyle expenses in this campaign. However, DMs might ask you to pay for lifestyle expenses like food, drink, and lodging during a session.

Downtime Result Options:

  • Make Money
    • You earn 50 gp per workweek spent.
      • Want to craft an item? Flavor this option as crafting, then buy the item at the end of the downtime. Remember: you can buy and sell unlocked magic items and other equipment at any time outside of session.
        • For example, you can upgrade your character’s silvered longsword (which your great-grandpa used to kill a werewolf back in the day) into a +1 silvered longsword by working on it in the smithy. Spend 8 workweeks on this activity (to make 400 gp), sell the mundane silvered longsword for 115 gp, then buy the +1 silvered longsword for 515 gp.
  • Research an Item
    • Certain magic items are unavailable for purchase or crafting, listed in the Magic Item Catalog as "not unlocked". You can spend downtime researching that magic item to make progress towards unlocking it.
      • “Research” is a broad term that can include things like reading in a library, sneaking into a City to steal a copy of the item, or attempting to craft it yourself.
    • Each item notes how many workweeks of downtime have been spent researching that item. The amount of required research is based on item rarity.
  • Train a New Proficiency
    • You can train your character to gain proficiency with a new language, tool, skill, or weapon. It takes 10 workweeks of downtime to gain it.
      • You can train proficiency with as many languages and tools as you want. If you’re not sure whether you can learn a specific language or tool, ask Peter!
      • You can train proficiency in a new skill only 1 time with this character. After that, training into a new skill proficiency requires that you lose an old one.
      • You can train proficiency in a new martial weapon only 2 times with this character. (There is no limit for simple weapons.) After that, training into a new martial weapon proficiency requires that you lose an old one.
    • If you have proficiency with medium armor but not shields, you can spend 10 workweeks training to gain proficiency with shields. No other armor proficiencies can be gained by downtime training.
  • Earn a Favor
    • You spend time carousing with people in a specific town of your choice, making a contact in that town. For each workweek you spend in a town, you earn 1 favor from someone who lives or works there. The maximum number of favors you can be owed at one time (across all towns) is equal to your proficiency bonus.
      • If you would exceed your maximum number of favors owed, one favor of your choice expires. (This is useful if you have a favor owed in a town you don’t plan on visiting again.)
    • When you are in that town during a session, you can ask the DM if you can cash in an owed favor. Work with the DM to determine what that looks like. Ultimately, it’s up to the DM to determine the limits of who can owe you that favor and what they’ll do to repay it. Generally, contacts won’t risk their lives to repay a favor or do something that costs them more than 50 gp.
      • Examples of repaying a favor include: putting in a good word for the party, helping with some bureaucratic procedure, or casting a spell.
    • At the time of cashing in the owed favor, the player and DM should work together to specify who the contact is. Describe them a bit, giving them a name, race, age, occupation, personality, etc...
      • You and the DM should come up with why this contact owes you a favor.
      • After this contact no longer owes you a favor, they’re still likely to be on friendly terms with you, which may be helpful for roleplaying, but they will no longer be obligated to help you.
  • Help a Town
    • Helping a town with stuff for free makes them more likely to join the Alliance. There is no predictable mechanical benefit for spending downtime on this, but I’ll try to take your actions into consideration when deciding a town’s attitude towards the Alliance.
  • Relaxation
    • You relax for a whole week. Enjoy your time off! You earn a relaxation point for each workweek you spend relaxing. The maximum number of relaxation points you can have at one time is equal to your proficiency bonus.
    • At any time during a session, you can spend a relaxation point to gain inspiration.
  • Other
    • Want to do something not described here? Talk to Peter about what you want! You can look at the Player’s Handbook and Xanathar’s Guide to Everything for some inspiration.