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Unearthed Arcana Explores Downtime Activities
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<blockquote data-quote="smbakeresq" data-source="post: 7715394" data-attributes="member: 28301"><p>Downtime can be very big in your campaigns today thanks to email. I am old, 30+years ago downtime was a big thing because you didn't have computer games or cable to go to. Everyone was doing something in their downtime, and I do not know anyone who didn't design their own stronghold or hideout and equipment. </p><p></p><p>Today it's making a comeback thanks to email. Downtime should be the perfect way to check in on PC via email and keep the story moving. </p><p></p><p>I have been using 1 real day is 2-3 days game time, expanding it out to about 7-10 days for each real day to provide enough in game time for PC to advance. </p><p></p><p>By being diligent about downtime it increases the treasure on adventures, PC will now search for rare ingredients that have value so you don't have to worry so much about putting shineys in. The eyes of the Umber Hulk are more valuable the any coins he would have laying around. </p><p></p><p>Players really enjoy this, and will start to load up on collection stuff like jars and such to gather the ingredients. It is entirely appropriate for a PC to order a magic item be built and pay for it in rare ingredients, the item is being built contemporaneous with the PC adventuring so the long build times can be gotten around.</p><p></p><p>PC with craft skills like dwarves can be part of the construction, they can start the item construction process and then let the NPC keep working on it and then check in and accelerate the process. Or they can work on it for a few weeks of downtime and then take it with them and work on it "on the road." This allows the PC to ingrain his personality on the item. I have had a PC start work on a special guan-do (halberd) for his PC at first level and then use the level up your magic item rules in (dragon magazine 292 IIRC) to improve it along the way. This is great for the DM, as you never have to worry about the random magic item being a good fit for your PC. This works exceptionally well for magic using PC to build themselves a custom staff or wand or something. Sort of essential for the warlock types and rods for warlocks are few and far between.</p><p></p><p>PC running a business is a great idea, just make sure it's a SUCCESS asap. Success breeds contempt and jealousy, that's what creates adventures and plot lines. In addition any successful business shoehorns into someone else's business, that someone else should be a neutral or good aligned person or group so the PC can't just kill them. </p><p></p><p>Good businesses that can lead to fun times is a butcher shop run by someone with access to the polymorph spell. Everyone eats, but exotic tastes and special orders (including special magic ingredients) are a spell away with polymorph on the dead. A butcher shop who uses polymorph can also have a very high level magic user to open a portal to another plane or have some other access to a plane where meat can be exported for profit. Is it an evil act to polymorph a cow into a Pegasus then kill it and export it through the infinite staircase to the lower planes for profit? I don't know but your PC can find out.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Sent from my iPhone using EN World</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="smbakeresq, post: 7715394, member: 28301"] Downtime can be very big in your campaigns today thanks to email. I am old, 30+years ago downtime was a big thing because you didn't have computer games or cable to go to. Everyone was doing something in their downtime, and I do not know anyone who didn't design their own stronghold or hideout and equipment. Today it's making a comeback thanks to email. Downtime should be the perfect way to check in on PC via email and keep the story moving. I have been using 1 real day is 2-3 days game time, expanding it out to about 7-10 days for each real day to provide enough in game time for PC to advance. By being diligent about downtime it increases the treasure on adventures, PC will now search for rare ingredients that have value so you don't have to worry so much about putting shineys in. The eyes of the Umber Hulk are more valuable the any coins he would have laying around. Players really enjoy this, and will start to load up on collection stuff like jars and such to gather the ingredients. It is entirely appropriate for a PC to order a magic item be built and pay for it in rare ingredients, the item is being built contemporaneous with the PC adventuring so the long build times can be gotten around. PC with craft skills like dwarves can be part of the construction, they can start the item construction process and then let the NPC keep working on it and then check in and accelerate the process. Or they can work on it for a few weeks of downtime and then take it with them and work on it "on the road." This allows the PC to ingrain his personality on the item. I have had a PC start work on a special guan-do (halberd) for his PC at first level and then use the level up your magic item rules in (dragon magazine 292 IIRC) to improve it along the way. This is great for the DM, as you never have to worry about the random magic item being a good fit for your PC. This works exceptionally well for magic using PC to build themselves a custom staff or wand or something. Sort of essential for the warlock types and rods for warlocks are few and far between. PC running a business is a great idea, just make sure it's a SUCCESS asap. Success breeds contempt and jealousy, that's what creates adventures and plot lines. In addition any successful business shoehorns into someone else's business, that someone else should be a neutral or good aligned person or group so the PC can't just kill them. Good businesses that can lead to fun times is a butcher shop run by someone with access to the polymorph spell. Everyone eats, but exotic tastes and special orders (including special magic ingredients) are a spell away with polymorph on the dead. A butcher shop who uses polymorph can also have a very high level magic user to open a portal to another plane or have some other access to a plane where meat can be exported for profit. Is it an evil act to polymorph a cow into a Pegasus then kill it and export it through the infinite staircase to the lower planes for profit? I don't know but your PC can find out. Sent from my iPhone using EN World [/QUOTE]
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