Between Adventures?

[ThirdWizard]

The PCs generally can have as much down time as they plan for. They run the show most of the time, choosing what their own agenda is. Sometimes things move beyond their control, especially when a villian makes an appearance, or an enemy army, or anything like that. Most of the time its pretty much up to them, thokugh.

 

[Peter Gibbons]

Do the characters in your game (whether you're a player or DM) spend much time between adventures and, if so, what do they do during that time? (Training? Carousing? etc.ing?)

When I am the DM, I make sure to provide plenty of downtime. Not only is it essential for certain character types (wizards, anyone with item creation feats, etc.), but it promotes a certain realism, IMO. I detest the "seven levels in seven days" effect that seems to be endemic in 3e campaigns.

Currently, however, I'm not the DM, and we have leveled seven times in about two weeks game-time. Not coincidentally, I'm playing a character who doesn't need any downtime, but it's been a real problem for the ones who do. We've adopted the optional Craft Points rules from Unearthed Arcana to (at least partially) address this issue.

Would you prefer it to be more time between or less or about the same?

In every 3e campaign I've played in, I have wished for more downtime. Every. Single. One.

Is experience available between adventures and, if so, what warrants an experience reward?

I would not give out XP during downtime. That would contradict the very nature of downtime, if you ask me.

 

[Wycen]

Used to do that in the good old days. I built towers, bought land, plotted against the others in my party, stole their treasure, gave it to my henchmen, all sorts of good things like that.

Since 3E, I've had one really good campaign where I did similar stuff thanks to an online forum dedicated to the game. But now that the host/DM has a kid, and 2 others have new kids, we are lucky if we can get them to post whether they are coming to the next session or not.

 

[EdL]

How much downtime? Depends on how much the PCs need/want. Depending on what game is being played, and how, it can be used for training, making things, business opportunities, etc. XP may, or may not be given out, depending on what the PCs are doing.

One thing I do in my games, which I haven't seen anyone else mention, is to have the characters hold up somewhere during the winter. Usually.

 

[genshou]

How much downtime? Depends on how much the PCs need/want. Depending on what game is being played, and how, it can be used for training, making things, business opportunities, etc. XP may, or may not be given out, depending on what the PCs are doing.

One thing I do in my games, which I haven't seen anyone else mention, is to have the characters hold up somewhere during the winter. Usually.

Bah... winter is a great time to teach low-level PCs their own mortality. How can you pass up an opportunity like that?

I like to use training to give PCs a reason not to reach level 20 in one year of game time. Iny my current campaign (see my Story Hour), the archvillain's plot moves slowly enough that the PC will be able to take some time off now and then to relax, enjoy life, and forge those all-important NPC relationships.

 

[Shemeska]

In my groups, we do not use the term adventures or modules. The idea is you are RP'g the life of your character, so you live out the many aspects of it. Some of my players have families, they run a business or two. They also pick and choose what they get involved in as well and sometimes even come up with tasks themselves, such as forging out a new trail for caravans or establishing a much needed trading outpost on the borders of civilization.

Experience points in my world are not based on what you kill, it is on how well you live.

Very well said. I like the cut of your jib.

 

[Sanackranib]

I require training in my gamev which costs money and takes a week. this also allows the pc mages & clerics a little time to make scrolls. I allow up to 1 per day even while they are training. since the pc's get xp based on time rather then kills they actualy gain xp even while training.
not a problem since it typically takes about 2 months gametime [as opposed to realtime] to level. when they train they are shown what they need to master befor they will be able to level again. so far everyone is happy with it and the party is up to 5th level on the adverage.

 

[jdrakeh]

Do the characters in your game (whether you're a player or DM) spend much time between adventures and, if so, what do they do during that time? (Training? Carousing? etc.ing?)

I've approached 'down time' in two different ways - first, I've used the Fantasy Trip risk roll system fro handling down time. Basically, you roll 3d6 vs a PCs risk rating for their profession to determine what kind of money they earned during down time and if they got injured earning it. It's an incredibly versatile and detailed system for covering long stretches of down time in a few short minutes.

Is experience available between adventures and, if so, what warrants an experience reward?

This deals more with my second approach to down time, which is to treat that time like a soap opera (i.e., a largely combat-free arc of intense personal drama). And, yes - experience is available in such scenarios, given that I award experience for any meaningful character development in such situations (be it some incredibly immersive roleplay or the practical application of non-combat skills).

In fact, to be honest, I'd love to run an entire down time campaign in this vein, something that takes a closed setting such as Castle Marrach and high drama such as 'Days of Our Lives' and throws them both in a blender with some Jack Vance.