Downtime Overview
Downtime turns the campaign world between adventures. It lets characters recover, research, craft, train, build relationships, pursue personal goals, and create consequences that matter when the next adventure begins.
- State how much time is available and whether the characters can choose how to spend it.
- Ask each player for one focused goal, not a shopping list of unrelated tasks.
- Set the cost in time, money, access, risk, or favors.
- Resolve uncertainty with checks only when failure or complication would be interesting.
- Bring results back into play through contacts, clues, items, reputation, enemies, obligations, or changed locations.
Use downtime to clear injuries, replace gear, settle debts, prepare spells, and breathe after dangerous arcs.
Training, crafting, research, faction work, and relationship building all give players ways to shape the world.
Downtime is strongest when clocks advance elsewhere. Rest should have benefits, but time should still matter.
Start with time. Tell the players whether they have days, weeks, months, or an uncertain pause before the next pressure arrives.
Resolve one meaningful project. A clean downtime turn usually works better than letting every character attempt a dozen minor actions.
Return with consequences. Put the result on screen later: a finished item, changed contact, useful clue, angry rival, or altered settlement.
Keep downtime visible and concrete. If a player invests in a contact, project, or location, show the result in a later scene.