D&D 5E Downtime Mechanics?

[Blackwarder]

One of the things that bug the crap out of me in most D&D games I play is the fact that most PCs shoot from 1st lvl to 20th lvl in less than a year in game time.

One of the reasons that happens (IMO) is the fact that leveling is instantaneous and that there aren't any interesting things to do between adventures so the DM feels like they need to push the action forward.

Now I know that for some it's a perfectly valid style that they love and cherish but for others it's weird.

So my question for you guys, if there were modules for downtime mechanics what would you like to see? should there be mechanics that makes downtime mandatory? and if so who will it connect to the rest of the game?

Warder

 

[Li Shenron]

Well, maybe this is not exactly a downtime mechanic, but I've thrown a thread up a few months ago about a "learn by doing" mechanic for skills, that might be considered.

Essentially, what I wanted to discuss about was if we could have something in D&D similar to how WoW makes a character advance in professions, which is something that you can do while travelling or (if you want) you can dedicate some time when you find a suitable area. In any case, you don't get better at professions in WoW by fighting monsters because professions ranks are not based on XP.

This could be one thing to consider, but it works fine only with some types of skills (definitely not all of them). It might also work with other non-skill features tho...

 

[delericho]

One of the things that bug the crap out of me in most D&D games I play is the fact that most PCs shoot from 1st lvl to 20th lvl in less than a year in game time.

One of the reasons that happens (IMO) is the fact that leveling is instantaneous and that there aren't any interesting things to do between adventures so the DM feels like they need to push the action forward.

I can sympathise. And yet it is a matter for the individual DM to decide - my current campaign has had long spells of downtime built in, while others I've run have not. I would hate to find that we have to take breaks at particular times, for much the same reason as some DMs feel they 'have' to keep pushing the game forward.

Of course, I have absolutely no issue with the game including downtime mechanics... but they do have to be optional.

So my question for you guys, if there were modules for downtime mechanics what would you like to see?

I'm very interested in taking a look at "Ultimate Campaign" from Paizo - I suspect that covers a lot of ground.

But, more specifically - rules for kingdom building, magic item creation, spell research, running a business. Basically, all those things that the PC might do between adventures. Including something about the consequences when the PC drops everything and rushes off to save the world.

Ideally, any such machanics should include options for both dice-based and no-dice options for resolution. That way, groups can have built-in downtime and have it occur between sessions if they so choose, with the player able to resolve it without DM involvement.

should there be mechanics that makes downtime mandatory?

No. It needs to be an optional module, and even within the module it really should be optional. Though I suppose they could require "downtime" but with a "I just waste the time" option for those players who can't be bothered.

and if so who will it connect to the rest of the game?

Most of the Paizo adventure paths tend to have some 'sideline' going on, be it kingdom building, reputation scores with various factions, plundering, or whatever. In each case, the PCs accumulate some sort of score, which then gives them access to some special tricks in the last adventure of the campaign. I guess something like that could work quite well - though I'd generally advocate allowing PCs to trade in their accumulated 'stuff' as they go, rather than storing it up for the campaign's climax - I'm a big advocate of Rel's "be awesome now" notion.

 

[radja]

if 'sudden levelling' bothers you, there's another option. Characters are supposed to 'learn on the job', so instead of letting them choose what they gain when they gain a level, why not let them state what they are working on during this level?

PC is made at lvl 1. At the start of level 1, the player decides what his next level will be. In essence, he's stating what abilities his character is working on. It may not be for everyone, but it would work just fine as an optional rule, and eliminates 'Suddenly you know how to use Power Attack'. The character has been working toward that goal for his entire last level.

 

[Blackwarder]

I want to say again that in my mind module=optional.

TBH, I really dislike the Paizo kingdom building mechanic, it's very simplistic and arbitrary and doesn't lend itself as a stand alone system out side of the kingmaker AP.

When I think about downtime mechanics I think about things like TOR Fellowship phase where you can cultivate a patron or craft a weapon or make a settlement a new sanctuary, and when I talk about mechanics that make downtime mandatory I think about things like TOR corruption mechanic that can only be lowered during the Fellowship phase.

Warder

 

[Li Shenron]

But, more specifically - rules for kingdom building, magic item creation, spell research, running a business. Basically, all those things that the PC might do between adventures. Including something about the consequences when the PC drops everything and rushes off to save the world.

Ideally, any such machanics should include options for both dice-based and no-dice options for resolution. That way, groups can have built-in downtime and have it occur between sessions if they so choose, with the player able to resolve it without DM involvement.

I think this would be really good when only some players are interested. When the DM ends an adventure, for example, she can tell the players to think what their characters want to do in the next X weeks or months, and then communicate with them between sessions rather than at the table, then next time they meet, each player can tell what her PCs has done and the DM can communicate the achievements (if there was some rolled required for resolution), so that the players who didn't want to bother don't have to wait too long at the table waiting for the others to discuss with the DM.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I
When I think about downtime mechanics I think about things like TOR Fellowship phase where you can cultivate a patron or craft a weapon or make a settlement a new sanctuary, and when I talk about mechanics that make downtime mandatory I think about things like TOR corruption mechanic that can only be lowered during the Fellowship phase.

Basically, one of the ways to tweak this is to say: "How long does it take the PC's to recharge up to full? And under what conditions can they recharge?"

4e probably has the simplest resting mechanics, so using that as a model: an extended rest is what recharges the characters up to full. That's a night's sleep.

But what if you say it was a winter season, instead?

Suddenly, the pace gets much slower.

I'm personally a fan of using rests as sort of an action economy, too, which means that when you take that extended rest, you can do stuff during it. With a "winter season" extended rest, you can kind of just port over everything you like about the Fellowship phase into your D&D game, because the duration of the rest is the same. This might include gaining levels: perhaps until you take an extended rest (training for the winter, in your game), you can't actually gain your next level.

In a game like PF that gets a little more difficult to control, because of the different sources of magical healing that don't "recharge," but it's still possible. You just have to perhaps set a limit to healing: maybe a character can only benefit from one Cure X Wounds spell in a day or something.

 

[Gomer212]

I posted this in an earlier thread and I figure it fits here too.

I'll start out by saying that this is exactly why I'm not a fan of most single "epic" campaigns that span from level 1 to around 30. I hate games which transform characters from commoners to immortals in 6 months. Not only is it unrealistic, but you are missing out on excellent character development opportunity.

To me, 30th level is nothing short of a lifetime achievement, representing many years of work and dedication. When I DM, I break the characters careers down into several "mini-campaigns" which will span the distance of around 3-6 XP levels and take somewhere from a month to a year to complete.

Once the campaign wraps up (and providing the characters survive) everyone cheers and the characters decide where to go next. I follow the game with 3-5 years of "downtime" where the characters can live however they want. They basically write a background for themselves. Some go off and marry NPCs from last adventure, buy houses, start families, find work, or whatever.

Suddenly, evil strikes again (or whatever the hook for the next campaign) and the group is reunited again for the first time in years. They laugh and share tales about how they have been living their lives. They tell stories about the good times they've shared then chuckle as they claim to be "getting too old for this sort of thing". Then the campaign starts and they go bash heads again, gaining more levels.

For individual levels, I only allow them to take effect after a typical 8 hour rest. The character awakes and is ever so slightly stronger, smarter or healthier.....or the mage decides this is the day he's finally going to try that new spell.

For a character to hit 30th level in my games takes about 60 years. The humans and half-orcs will be old and gray, while the elves have hardly aged. The characters will have lived lives outside of just the dungeon. They have grown old with their wives and watched their children become the next generation of adventurers. They have made friends and thwarted many enemies. They have lived complete lives.

Summary: I agree with you. I also dislike cruising through 20+ levels in under a year. I personally do make downtime mandatory. My feeling is that it takes time for muscles to grow, for lessons to be reflected on, for experience to set in, etc. Nobody is going to go from beginner to pro in anything in a week, no matter how much you practice. These things should take time.

However, this falls into that realm of PC/DM preferences and campaign setting specifics. To make a downtime of X required for a level gain of Y is only going to add more restrictions and complications, imo. Basically, just play it as you see it, and how it feels right.

 

[LostSoul]

I have a downtime module in my 4E hack.

Things you do with downtime:

1. Resting wounds (1 day of bedrest = 1 healing surge)
2. Refreshing powers (slightly different for each power source and/or class)
3. Training (levelling up, gaining xp, swapping skills, feats, powers, learning new rituals, learning new powers)
4. Building magic items and technology
5. Influencing settlements
6. Work for pay
7. Founding settlements
8. Clearing hexes
9. Building structures
10. Training NPCs

I think that's it.

The default timeframe for downtime is one week. Each month (four weeks) some things happen in the game world - settlements grow and their relationship to the PCs changes, and NPCs get stuff done.

 

[TerraDave]

There are a few different issues. And there are tradeoffs, in terms of what you give weight to.

1) Character advancement seems too fast given genre conventions (the most experienced warrior should not be 19)
2) Characters can have a life outside adventuring...like any person (and at some point, like any person with lots of gold)
3) There may be useful things to do during downtime beyond what they normally do in game (build castles, raise armies, master crafts, engage in trade, run domains...)

Lets say your main concern is 1 and a bit of 2 (if they are not adventuring, they must be doing something). You can make rules for this, for example minimum number of game days per level, "life points" that they earn from downtime, etc. You can link this to gp spending (training rules, wine, women, and song rules, etc). You can just hand wave it. In any case, this doesn't have to take up much real time. 10 minutes of real time, 10 days or 10 months of game time. It doesn't have to slow the game much at all in the scale we care about, our own time. It may take some thinking by the DM in terms of adventures. You need to allow for breaks. And players will resist, since they may not get initially the difference. But once they see its just hand waving, it should be ok.

Now, if your concern is more 2 and 3, that is simulating interesting things beyond adventuring, that is great. But this will start to take real time. In some cases, it may not actually chew up much game time. You can have a whole session of preparation, procuring or making gear, etc, and it may still take only 1 day of game time, or just a few days. Travel generally also only takes days (maybe a week or two) hear or there. Building a castle may take tons of time, but you probably adventure while its going on. And unless there is something else to encourage down time, the characters may be capable of moving it to another plane by the time it is done.