D&D 5E New L&L When Adventurers Aren’t Adventuring

[GX.Sigma]

I like how Next is adding rules support for non-combat encounters on a broader level at base. For one, it might mean that the next generation of D&D games will have a gamist foundation for including such activities (and imo CRPGs are far and away our best ambassadors and recruiters).

When you put it like that, it does sound like something CRPGs could do. It actually reminds me of the "professions" in Neverwinter (and probably WoW, never played long enough to find out), which mostly happen while you're not playing.

Imagine a game where every time you quit, a little window pops up that says "What would you like your character to do while you're away?"

 

[KidSnide]

While this is true, it also highlights the fact that at a glance it's far wiser for a character to spend their downtime and gold on things that travel with them (like knowledge, or more gold) than on things that are left behind and can be arbitrarily taken away.

I mean, sure, my character would be rather upset if you burned down his tavern and killed his friends, but I as the player am also going to be rather frustrated with my DM for taking my investments away from me when across the table from me, Bob's character has spent his time and money on things that the DM can only take away by killing his character, something that generally isn't simply handwaved, but interacts with things like HP, AC, and saves.

Either the benefit needs to be correspondingly stronger to offset the risk (in which case in campaigns where the DM doesn't show interest in taking away such investments they become the more favoured option), or there needs to be some equivalent plot protection in place for possessions, so that they can't just be taken away without a single roll.

I don't think there is ever going to be a true balance between these two factors. But, in general, I'd say that downtime tasks should have the sort of rewards that are vulnerable to plot developments. I'm not against making it possible to use downtime to improve your character's inherent abilities (or equipment), but that seems like "a good optional rule" to me.

In any case, unless you're running an Ars Magica style game, improving character abilities and equipment should be driven more by adventuring than by training or crafting.

-KS

 

[Nymrohd]

When you put it like that, it does sound like something CRPGs could do. It actually reminds me of the "professions" in Neverwinter (and probably WoW, never played long enough to find out), which mostly happen while you're not playing.

Imagine a game where every time you quit, a little window pops up that says "What would you like your character to do while you're away?"

Wow doesn't do it like this, but the Star Wars MMO does something similar. And regardless I am mostly talking about CRPGs not MMOs.
3.5 in the later years was accruing such systems as well (DMG2 was choke full of them). My only concern is that a major balance issue in D&D has always been the economy. If Next does not control magic item creation and acquisition with extreme prejudice, any way to generate funds beyond WBL can potentially unbalance the game. Not that up till now we get a feeling that balance is their main concern; Next seems positioned to reacquire old players while scrapping the 4E crowd only without the horrid 4E marketing (our old game is stupid and you are stupid for playing it! Buy this new one!).

 

[Quartz]

I don't really see "rules for downtime" as being that much different to an intrigue-based adventure or campaign. Just let downtime be downtime. Wizards (in 3E) are expected to use downtime to create items. Let them: don't make them choose.

 

[Blackwarder]

Lets stop calling it downtime, when you call it downtime it make it sound unimportant, lets call them campaign mechanics, because these are the big thing that move the campaign world forward and give the characters a place in that world, they should be an integral part of the game (for those who want it) and shouldn't be treated as an afterthought.

Warder

 

[the Jester]

Lets stop calling it downtime, when you call it downtime it make it sound unimportant, lets call them campaign mechanics, because these are the big thing that move the campaign world forward and give the characters a place in that world, they should be an integral part of the game (for those who want it) and shouldn't be treated as an afterthought.

Warder

Oh, I dunno- to me "downtime" just implies that it's the time the pcs spend when they aren't in full-bore adventure mode. It doesn't make it sound unimportant to me at all.

I guess this one is a matter of taste.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

While "Downtime Mechanics" may not be the best term, "Campaign Mechanics" is far too broad a term. At least the former is somewhat descriptive.

 

[Argyle King]

It seems like a nice shorthand way to categorize non-adventuring activities.

I'm interested to see how it interacts with D&D style leveling. Also, how effective is my army going to be at higher levels? One of the problems I ran into in 3rd Edition was that an army was mostly useless against threats I would face solo.

 

[Derren]

I am not really thrilled about having actual mechanics for that. Although it depends on how it is implemented.

The danger, at least in my eyes, is that "downtime" becomes just another resource to use. For example the group decides to craft another + to their fighters weapon which takes 3 weeks. The players look at their skill list and instantly see that the blacksmith dwarf can make 400 gold per week and that the bard can make 2 mid level allies. Everything is just a mechanic to improve the character.

What would be better is that
1. Downtime is required. Thanks to healing magic a party is ready to adventure 24/7/365. And while there always have been things which you could do while not adventuring, those were not really required.
2. Make downtime useful. As already hinted in point 1, downtime wasn't really required. That imo should change (maybe not require it, but it should be very useful). The players should decide to not adventure, and not be forced not to. See Shadowrun for example. The rules stress a lot that without contacts you are dead. So maintaining/getting contacts is important. This is done during "downtime". It can take the form of an adventure, but doesn't has to. In D&D so far, not adventuring was more of a penalty as nothing you could do really mattered (except enchanting).
3. Let the players decide what to do. Imo the most important part. There shouldn't be a list with things you can do during downtime and the players pick one based on the PCs skills etc. The player should announce what he does and the rules should provide rough guidelines, rough enough so that the player can't expect/calculate what he will get in return.

tl;dr
Instead of having a list of mechanics for downtime activities, just make the rules so that there actually is downtime and that what the players can do during that time is useful and not seen as a penalty or wasted time. Let the player roleplay the rest.

 

[JamesonCourage]

I think "downtime" is fine, as long as it means "mechanics you use while skipping some time." But, that's me. As always, play what you like