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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ichabod" data-source="post: 9367019" data-attributes="member: 1257">This is a plus (+) thread. This is about how well my homebrew idea for skill clocks works for downtime, and perhaps other applications. If you don’t think downtime should be done with dice rolls, that is a discussion that should be had in another thread. That’s not what this thread is for.I had an idea for downtime activities, though it is possibly applicable elsewhere. It’s based on the idea of clocks from Blades in the Dark, and my desire to make downtime more like combat (to cut down on the number or resolution mechanics in the game). As I understand clocks (from Scum and Villainy and Home: A Light in the Darkness) they are basically an set of empty boxes where each box is filled in as skill checks are made or a particular time period passes.A skill clock has a task to be completed. In downtime terms it might be a language to learn, a topic to research, or a contact to make with carousing. The task has a task DC and a number of task points.The character makes a clock check, a d20 roll with a relevant ability bonus and proficiency if they have it. The proficiency may come from a relevant skill or tool. If their clock check meets or beats the task DC they can roll for success points. What they roll is based on their tools. Typical tools give a d8. Good or excellent tools could give a d10, while bad or no tools would be a d6. They get to add their relevant ability bonus to the success point roll. The success points rolled are subtracted from the task points for the task. When the task’s task point reach 0 or less, the task is completed. A natural 20 on the clock check gives double success points, and a natural 1 automatically fails.If you look at the math on this, a 1st level character in their area of expertise (+4 ability bonus with proficiency) will score about 7 or 8 success points on a DC 10 task. On a DC 15 task or if they only have a +2 ability bonus, they’ll get more like 5 success points.Actual use in downtime would depend on the activity. If you are researching something, it would be an investigation check with the tools based on the library you have access to. The DC could be how obscure the information is, and the task points could represent how much material you have to wade through. If you are working a job, the DM sets a DC based on the difficulty of the task, and the success points are how many days of pay you earn that week. If you are crafting the DC could be based on the object you are trying to craft, and the task points could be how many days you would normally need to craft it.You could also have downtime features sort of like feats or class features. These could give you different bonuses to different types of downtime activities. I think it would be best if these were grafted on to the current class structure as an extra, rather than have them use up the already limited feat slots. You could have magic items that give bonuses to downtime activities much like magic weapons.You can also use these for faction clocks. Figure out what the faction leader’s (or their lieutenant’s) skill is, what his tools are, and give it some task points. This can also give some handles for the PCs affecting the factions. Maybe the faction is trying to get better tools, and the PCs can prevent that. Maybe they kill the lieutenant that is working on the task, and a less skilled replacement has to take over.Thoughts?</blockquote>

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