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<blockquote data-quote="redrick" data-source="post: 7331642" data-attributes="member: 6777696">Downtime rules exist, but they don't feel foregrounded in the system of the game. They feel more like, an &quot;if you want to do something between adventures, here is how you handle it,&quot; as opposed to an assumption and an expectation that characters will spend a significant amount of off-screen time. In my own experience, it is really easy to slip into a rhythm of picking up where you left off and only advancing the clock when characters sleep or travel. I wish the game did more to encourage downtime and a slower pace right up-front in the PHB. (Even by something as simple as a directive up front to &quot;Whenever possible, assume that a comparable amount of time elapses in-game as the amount of time spent out-of-game between sessions.&quot; But written better.)For me, there are two concerns with fast leveling. One is the narrative concern, which, ultimately, can only be addressed by downtime. To wit, it's too much, for me, that the average D&amp;D character goes from fist-fighting with kobolds to standing toe-to-toe with demigods in less time than it would take to finish a year of high school. I know that these kind of rapid zero-to-hero narratives exist in fiction, but I dunno, as a default, it feels rushed.The second is strictly game-ist. I don't want to level every session. I certainly don't want to level twice in one session. I want enough time at level n to appreciate the benefits of the new features I've earned, and also to appreciate their limitations. One session might not even bring up the opportunity to use my new class feature.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="redrick, post: 7331642, member: 6777696"] Downtime rules exist, but they don't feel foregrounded in the system of the game. They feel more like, an "if you want to do something between adventures, here is how you handle it," as opposed to an assumption and an expectation that characters will spend a significant amount of off-screen time. In my own experience, it is really easy to slip into a rhythm of picking up where you left off and only advancing the clock when characters sleep or travel. I wish the game did more to encourage downtime and a slower pace right up-front in the PHB. (Even by something as simple as a directive up front to "Whenever possible, assume that a comparable amount of time elapses in-game as the amount of time spent out-of-game between sessions." But written better.) For me, there are two concerns with fast leveling. One is the narrative concern, which, ultimately, can only be addressed by downtime. To wit, it's too much, for me, that the average D&D character goes from fist-fighting with kobolds to standing toe-to-toe with demigods in less time than it would take to finish a year of high school. I know that these kind of rapid zero-to-hero narratives exist in fiction, but I dunno, as a default, it feels rushed. The second is strictly game-ist. I don't want to level every session. I certainly don't want to level twice in one session. I want enough time at level [I]n[/I] to appreciate the benefits of the new features I've earned, and also to appreciate their limitations. One session might not even bring up the opportunity to use my new class feature. [/QUOTE]

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