D&D 5E Revised Xanathar's Downtime Rules (Finalized)

[abirdcall]

Editing the OP to present the finalized rules.

I have revised Xanathar's Downtime rules.

Keep in mind these rules are designed to be used with limited downtime. All of the activities are overpowered if the PCs have a lot of downtime available to them. In my games I like to have 1 week of downtime between every level.

I had 3 goals.

1) Support for all classes/archetypes
2) Balanced magic item prices
3) Worthwhile rewards for many activities past level 3

My actions:

1) Add in activities. Provide choices between abilities on almost all activities.

Ability and skill breakdown (number of times it shows up in an activity at least once):

Strength: 2
Dexterity: 3
Constitution: 1
Intelligence: 6
Wisdom: 5
Charisma: 6

Athletics: 2

Acrobatics: 1
Sleight of Hand: 1
Stealth: 1
Thieves' Tools: 1

Investigation: 2
Arcana: 2
History: 2
Nature: 2
Religion: 2

Insight: 4
Survival: 1

Deception: 3
Intimidation: 2
Persuasion: 3

2) Changed the formula.

• Consumables went from 1/2 to 1/10th the price of a permanent item.
• Permanent items now go x/2x/5x rather than x/10x/100x.
• The floor for permanent items was raised 10x.

The effect is that getting any magic item costs more. Just having a +1 Sword is a big deal. Reducing the progression however allows the rarer items to be purchased. So that +2 Sword is now within reach. It isn't a great of a step up as getting the +1 Sword in the first place, but worth the x2 cost where at x10 it wasn't.

3) Activities such as pit fighting and crime didn't provide exciting rewards. Now those activities have gold rewards increased as well as providing rolls on consumable magic item lists for fun rewards.

Spoiler

Gathering Allies:

This may take the form of carousing, politicking, information gathering, etc.
Choose a social class and spend GP accordingly: 10gp for lower class, 50gp for middle class, or 250gp for upper class.
Make a Charisma (Persuasion) or Charisma (Deception) check.

11-15 - 1 Favour
16-20 - 2 Favours
21+ - 3 Favours

The player may spend 1 favour to request the help of a person from the chosen social class for 1 task.
A player may have no more than 3 favours at any time.

Alternative: Instead of a social class the player may choose a specific group such as a religious community, faction, or thieves’ guild. Cost determined by DM.

Research:

Spend 100gp
Make an Intelligence (Investigation) check.

11-15 - 1 Piece of Lore
16-20 - 2 Pieces of Lore
21+ - 3 Pieces of Lore

The player may spend 1 piece of lore to ask the DM 1 question regarding a person, place, or thing. The DM must answer truthfully if it is something that could have been learned.
A player may have no more than 3 pieces of lore at any time.

Alternative: Choose 1 of Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion. Gain advantage on all checks of the chosen skill. You lose this benefit the next time you perform a downtime activity.

Religious Services:

The character spends time performing deeds in service of their god, oath, or ideal.
Make an Intelligence (Religion) or Wisdom (Insight) check.
11-15 - 2 dice
16-20 - 3 dice
21+ - 4 dice

The player gains d4s which may be spent to add to the total of an Attack Roll or Saving Throw. You may choose to spend the die after the roll. These dice cannot be used in conjunction with the Bless spell and only 1 die may be spent on each roll.
A player may have no more than 4 of these dice at any time.

Crime:

Choose a DC. Choose 2 of the 3 following checks: Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools), Intelligence (Investigation), and Charisma (Deception).
Make the 2 chosen checks plus Dexterity (Stealth) at the chosen DC.

0 successes – player is caught and fined
1 success – failure
2 successes – half payout
3 successes – full payout

Payout (full/ half/ fine)
DC 10 – 200gp / 100gp / 200gp
DC 15 – 400gp, 1 Table B roll / 400gp / 400gp
DC 20 – 800gp, 1 Table C roll / 800gp / 800gp
DC 25 – 1600gp, 2 Table C rolls / 1600gp / 1600gp

Arena Fighting:

Make 3 d20 rolls and add the following bonuses:
Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics)
Wisdom (Insight) or Charisma (Intimidation)
Constitution Mod + Hit Die

Roll 2d10+5 for each roll to generate DCs.

0 successes – lose
1 success – 150gp
2 successes – 300gp, 1 Table B roll
3 successes – 600gp, 1 Table C roll

Gambling:

Choose a GP amount (up to 2000gp) to wager.
Choose 3 of the 4 following checks – Dexterity (Sleight of Hand), Wisdom (Insight), Charisma (Deception), and Charisma (Intimidation).
Make the checks and roll 2d10+5 for each check to generate DCs.

0 successes – lose all gold wagered
1 success – lose half of gold wagered
2 successes – keep wager and win half more
3 successes – keep wager and win that amount more

The player may trade in winnings of 250gp for 1 Table B roll or 500gp for 1 Table C roll.

Relaxation:

You may reroll 1 die on an Attack Roll, Saving throw, or Ability Check. You must use the new roll.

Community Aid:

Perform tasks to help members of the community. Make an Intelligence (History) or Strength (Athletics) check.

11-15 - 2 dice
16-20 - 3 dice
21+ - 4 dice

You gain insight and contacts within the community.
The player gains d6s which may be spent to improve either their own or an ally’s roll during a downtime activity. You may choose to spend the die after the roll. Only 1 die may be spent for each activity.
You may only have up to 4 of these dice at any time.

Foraging:

Search for medicinal ingredients. Make an Intelligence (Nature) or Wisdom (Survival) check.
If you have and are proficient with an Herbalism Kit then you may forgo the cost.

11-15 - 1d4+1 Healing Potions – Cost 25gp
16-20 - 1d4+1 Greater Healing Potions – Cost 50gp
21+ - 1d3 Superior Healing Potions – Cost 100gp

Spell Research:

Spend 25gp per day for use of a library (plus the usual costs for adding spells to spell books).
Level 1 – 1 day
Level 2 – 3 days
Level 3 – 7 days

Scribe Scroll:

Level 1 – 1 day – 75gp
Level 2 – 3 days – 150gp
Level 3 – 7 days – 300gp

Magic Item Values:

Consumable: Buy/Sell

Uncommon 1d6x100gp / 200gp
Rare 1d6x200gp / 400gp
Very Rare 1d6x500gp / 1000gp
Legendary Unknown

Permanent: Buy/Sell

Uncommon 1d6x1000gp / 2000gp
Rare 1d6x2000gp / 4000gp
Very Rare 1d6x5000gp / 10000gp
Legendary Unknown

Buy Magic Item:

Spend 100gp plus up to 500gp more.
Make a Charisma (Persuasion) or Intelligence (Arcana) check with a bonus of up to +5, 1 for every additional 100gp spent.

5-10 - 1d4+1 rolls on Table B
11-15 - 1d4+1 rolls on Table C
16-20 - 1d4 rolls on Table F
21-25 - 1 roll on Table G
26+ - 1 roll on Table H

The player may choose to take a lower result. Once items have been chosen and prices determined the player may purchase 1 permanent item or up to 2 consumable items.

Sell Magic Item:

Spend 100gp.
Make a Charisma (Persuasion) or Wisdom (Insight) check.

1-10 - Offer is 50% value
11-20 - Offer is 100% value
21+ - Offer is 150% value

 

[Lanefan]

A somewhat generic (as in, anyone can do it) and always-useful activity might boil down to this:

Information Gathering:

Declare how many days you intend to spend at this. Spend 10 x number of days in g.p. to gather useful information regarding your choice of:
--- the last adventure you were on
--- the next adventure you're intending to do
--- both

The specific means by which the information is gathered are up to the player/PC. Some common methods include listening for rumours in local pubs, bars and gathering places; checking with any established organizations related to your class (e.g. thieves' or wizards' guilds, gyms or training grounds, mercenaries' hangouts, colleges, monasteries, and so forth); and-or visiting any people in town who might have relevant knowledge.

Information gathered in this way is, of course, only as accurate as the knowledge of its source. Deeper research or accurate corroboration comes under "Research", detailed elsewhere.

 

[abirdcall]

A somewhat generic (as in, anyone can do it) and always-useful activity might boil down to this:

Information Gathering:

Declare how many days you intend to spend at this. Spend 10 x number of days in g.p. to gather useful information regarding your choice of:
--- the last adventure you were on
--- the next adventure you're intending to do
--- both

The specific means by which the information is gathered are up to the player/PC. Some common methods include listening for rumours in local pubs, bars and gathering places; checking with any established organizations related to your class (e.g. thieves' or wizards' guilds, gyms or training grounds, mercenaries' hangouts, colleges, monasteries, and so forth); and-or visiting any people in town who might have relevant knowledge.

Information gathered in this way is, of course, only as accurate as the knowledge of its source. Deeper research or accurate corroboration comes under "Research", detailed elsewhere.

Thanks.

How is this different than Carousing? The way I'm reading it, it sounds just like Carousing using your favours for information.

One thing I changed about Carousing was to allow the player to choose a community or organization to carouse in rather than just a social class. That's what this sounds like to me.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

How is this different than Carousing?

You spill less ale.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

2) Sane magic item prices

Price depends on supply and demand. What would be sane for Eberron, where magic items are plentiful, is very different to a sane price for Greyhawk, where magic items are rare.

 

[NotAYakk]

How about meta resources?

Renown
Contacts
Research

Get both points and a concrete thing from "tracks". So you'd earn Contact points, and pick up a Contact, on successful downtime.

Contact points can be spent to give a boost to a roll.

Pit Fighting grants Renown, as does Good Deeds. Sage types can do Research; this earns Research Points and immediate information.

 

[DWChancellor]

Did someone say sane magical item prices?

I've been slavishly following this:


Using it for years and very happy with how the prices were balanced.

As for the rest you're doing great work and I'm grabbing your whole write up! Not totally happy with Xanathar's, Acq. Inc., or Strongholds & Followers.

 

[Lanefan]

Thanks.

How is this different than Carousing?

Intent.

Carousing implies just having a good time and if some info happens to fall into your lap, so be it.

Information Gathering implies the primary intention is to (try to) learn stuff. In the fiction, in a tavern scene the Carouser would be Pippin in the thick of the partying while the Info Gatherer would be Aragorn off in a corner observing. But IG also implies chatting with guilds, etc.

 

[Fenris-77]

One downtime thing I've done in the past for non-CHA classes is to allow bonuses for things like info gathering within class related groups. So a fighter would be better at schmoozing other fighter types even without high CHA, which I think makes some sense. This works fairly well conceptually even outside Info gathering. For example, the idea that a fighter might be better at carousing (with other fighter types) for reasons that have nothing to do with CHA isn't strange either.

 

[abirdcall]

Intent.

Carousing implies just having a good time and if some info happens to fall into your lap, so be it.

Information Gathering implies the primary intention is to (try to) learn stuff. In the fiction, in a tavern scene the Carouser would be Pippin in the thick of the partying while the Info Gatherer would be Aragorn off in a corner observing. But IG also implies chatting with guilds, etc.

Might be a good idea for me to rename Carousing then. Your idea isn't bad, I just think I've already got that mechanic more or less in there.

One downtime thing I've done in the past for non-CHA classes is to allow bonuses for things like info gathering within class related groups. So a fighter would be better at schmoozing other fighter types even without high CHA, which I think makes some sense. This works fairly well conceptually even outside Info gathering. For example, the idea that a fighter might be better at carousing (with other fighter types) for reasons that have nothing to do with CHA isn't strange either.

Yeah that's a good idea. Not sure the exact implementation. Maybe let them use a different ability if they stick to a certain group.