[Design] Be the best you can be VS. player concept - actions in downtime

[Tony Vargas]

The problem is that I don't picture all downtime spent giving the maximum bonus. Part of me worries that there are many players who would always go for maximum bonuses because it helped them at the table, and the converse - players who follow their concept but because of this are "penalized" (by not having as big a bonus) and resent the rule.

What's your thought on the psychological aspect of it?

I think that worry is well-founded - if the players are acclimated to that style of play by experiences with D&D &c.

You could give each downtime activity both a bonus & drawback.
Or, you could have diminishing returns for doing the same activity repeatedly.

 

[Blue]

Thanks all. From the feedback, it looks like I will need to formalize it more to make it balanced.

Spitballing off the top of my head:
Each week of downtime will provide two "slots" of activities. You can not pick the same activity twice, though there are some 2 slot versions. Temporary changes to an ability score happen at the rate of +/-1 per week - so if you skip a week it will drop down.

Fit these as best as possible to your narrative. For example, two weeks gambling in the local watering hole might be De-Stress & Risky Make Money the first week, and Make Local Contacts & Risky Make Money the second week.

1 Slot activities
Make local contacts / improve local reputation. (Help out, schmooze, etc.)
Stable Make money: Temporary +1 to an appropriate ability score, +XX coin based on skill level. (Work, etc.)
Risky Make money: Temporary +1 to an appropriate ability score, skill test for -XX to 3*XX (gamble, pickpocket, etc.)
Train: Temporary +2 or +1/+1 to appropriate ability score(s).
Learn: Bank 2 rerolls for a particular skill, or +1 reroll if you already have some banked for that skill. Max [KNOWLEDGE] rerolls banked for any character. (research, get mentored, teach)
Research: Chance to learn XX.
De-stress: Spend XX add'l. Recover "d4+1" boxes of long term stress. (d4+1 isn't a real thing, just to show the ratio for the 2 slot.) (follow vice, meditate, etc.)
Prepare: Gain a preparation point for setting up flashbacks or "having the right thing".

2 Slot activities
Work Hard: Temporary +1 to an appropriate ability score, +3 * XX coin based on skill level.
Train Hard: Temporary +3 or +2/+1 to appropriate ability score(s).
Play Hard: Spend 2 * XX add'l. Recover "d6+2" boxes of long term stress. (d6+2 isn't a real thing, just to show the ratio for the 1 slot.)

(This is off the top of my head, not meant to be exhaustive.)

 

[GMMichael]

The problem is that I don't picture all downtime spent giving the maximum bonus. Part of me worries that there are many players who would always go for maximum bonuses because it helped them at the table, and the converse - players who follow their concept but because of this are "penalized" (by not having as big a bonus) and resent the rule.

What's your thought on the psychological aspect of it?

It's a valid concern, as long as bonuses don't equate with spotlight. I don't give a rat's asset if Conan across the table gets +10 on his combat rolls, as long as I get to be awesome during the basket-weaving scene. And if I don't die during Conan's big fight.

Thanks all. From the feedback, it looks like I will need to formalize it more to make it balanced. . .

1 Slot activities
Make local contacts / improve local reputation. (Help out, schmooze, etc.)
Stable Make money: Temporary +1 to an appropriate ability score, +XX coin based on skill level. (Work, etc.)
Risky Make money: Temporary +1 to an appropriate ability score, skill test for -XX to 3*XX (gamble, pickpocket, etc.)
Train: Temporary +2 or +1/+1 to appropriate ability score(s).
Learn: Bank 2 rerolls for a particular skill, or +1 reroll if you already have some banked for that skill. Max [KNOWLEDGE] rerolls banked for any character. (research, get mentored, teach)
Research: Chance to learn XX.
De-stress: Spend XX add'l. Recover "d4+1" boxes of long term stress. (d4+1 isn't a real thing, just to show the ratio for the 2 slot.) (follow vice, meditate, etc.)
Prepare: Gain a preparation point for setting up flashbacks or "having the right thing".

This could go (at least) two different ways. The more complex it gets, the greater the opportunity for min-maxing. Which was my first impression here.

The second way is that each option/activity presents a cool, but not significant, benefit. The lack of significance means there's no potential for maxing, and the coolness means players enjoy the addition of more rules to the game.

I was thinking you should take the downtime activities in a Fate-aspects direction. They apply in any situation that you can justify, players can pick whatever they want, and their value is useful but limited.