If you’re walking in on the middle of the Advanced Fantasy Dungeons series, there’s an index here.

Domain actions encompass the optional governance, intrigue and politics areas of play that are strongly encouraged in second edition. Aside from an additional board to play on, it give PCs another opportunity to use their hard earnt GP and to earn obscene amounts of GP.

I think I want to minimise the differences between downtime and domain actions, in terms of their procedures. But they need to be unique in a few ways:

• Made available by lieutenants
• Progress automatically
• Months to years, not weeks
• Cost is in debt, not gold

Birthright provides a complicated system of domain actions, but I think a key here is that you’re sending your lieutenants off into the world to act in your name. Diplomacy doesn’t need to be more complex than a clock, because it’s happening off-screen. If a PC wants to get it done, they can do it themselves. Therefore, domain actions reflect downtime actions, but are dependent on fortune:

Domain actions are special downtime actions. Each domain action has a clock, and while that clock is ticking, the lieutenant assigned to that action is unavailable for other actions. Discuss the implications of the action with the GM. They will determine with you whether a clock is required and the cost and outcome of the action, based on what you have in mind, and the diplomatic relations you and your domain have with the people involved.

For each real-time week, progress your clock by one. On every fourth tick, make a fortune roll and increase your debt by 1. On a failure, there is a wall or branch determined by the GM. You can withdraw from a domain action but gain no advantage, and must make a fortune roll, facing a consequence on a failure.

And the actions themselves, intentionally vague and dependent on the primary rule. The structure is if you have this lieutenant, you can do this thing and perhaps and be rewarded in this way:

If you have a secretary, you can provide patronage to someone of lesser station or to an artist; or you can issue a decree or enact a law within your domain.

If you have a chancellor, you can build a holding to gain access a unique asset.

If you have an ambassador, you can send them to establish a trade route with a neighbouring or distant domain with which you have a connection – when this clock is complete, you can trade an existing unique asset and gain favour with that domain.

If you have a spymaster, you can engage in intelligence collection or violent espionage; or you can seed disinformation and propaganda.

If you have a marshall, you can raise a battalion to send to war – when the clock is complete, gain debt and a battalion; or you can take control of a holding in or adjacent to your domain to gain access to a unique asset that someone else possesses – when this clock is complete, gain credit each week and access to a unique asset.

Other domain actions will need to be added later, for example:

• Build stronghold (no lieutenant)
• Embezzle (Chancellor)
• Diplomacy (Ambassador)
• Order Troops (General)

After much revision, I think I’ve found a balance of granularity, optionality, and broadness. The ill-defined credit/debt and favour/ill-favour resources are my takes on simplification of domain resources down to assets, debts and diplomacy, and so potentially I’ll have to go into that soon to clarify what that little system will be, aiming to bring some weight to the relationships between domains.

This has been a part of the Advanced Fantasy Dungeon Series! Let me know your thoughts on domain actions, if there are questions left unanswered, whether I’ve overlooked anything glaring, or anything of the sort!

Idle Cartulary

8th May 2022

If you’re walking in on the middle of the Advanced Fantasy Dungeons series, there’s an index here.

Despite clearly being considered important in class balancing and campaign development, rules around strongholds are almost absent from either book in second edition:

• A stronghold has sizeable manor lands
• Can develop this land, gaining a steady income
• A barony
• A whole new set of expenses.
• No longer pays living expenses.

Given the lack of clarity here, we might reach back further into first edition:

• Build times are noted:
  • Moat house, shell keep, small castle 14-20 months
  • Small castle with outer and inner walls 25-30 months
  • Medium castle with outer and inner walls 38-42 months
  • Large concentric castle, walling average town large castle (61-72 months)
• Upgrades!
• Maintenance is 1% of total cost of stronghold per month

This supports the impression that strongholds were removed either for simplicity or out of loss of space, except the only expansion in second edition is the Castle Guide.

• You can acquire land by Royal Charter, Patent of Nobility, Conquest, Purchase, Claim, Theft of Lease (which reminds me, in the treasure section of the DMG it mentions deeds as treasure)
• Obscene amount of detail on construction modifiers and construction speed.
• Upgrades!
• Random stronghold events!
• Taxes normally cover expenses unless you’re doing something unusually expensive, like keeping a dragon turtle in the moat or a griffon stable.

Hmmm. We’re getting somewhere, but I’m still at a bit of a loss. Why don’t we travel laterally (ish) to the Rules Cyclopedia?

• Reputation with local nobles impacts capacity to build a stronghold
• Neighbouring rulers will react poorly to conquest depending on what titles you claim
• Lieutenants provide benefits
• Domain management

Fascinating how different the contemporary D&D and AD&D editions were, and more importantly, how D&D appears…more simulationist in some areas?

There is a lot to process here, and coming up with a simple rules process will be challenging.

Land can be land by stolen, granted, conquered, claimed or purchased. Local royalty will have to legitimise your ownership if it is not granted or claimed by them already, and local reputation will impact your reception considerably.

The land attached to your stronghold generates enough revenue to cover upkeep and a noble lifestyle for you and your lieutenants, unless the GM determines you have holdings or lifestyle requirements that would increase your debt.

Your stronghold has a Castellan and a Marshall or equivalents to manage the day to day running and the guard. These can be promoted from hirelings or long-term followers, but are now considered lieutenants. You can appoint additional lieutenants in addition to these for access to special resources or domains actions, at the GMs discretion, however their wages will be increase your debt.

Your land is effected by random events. For each week of downtime, the GM will roll on a domain events table.

There’s some benefit to talking about specific classes (thieves or wizards, are likely to have keep-sized strongholds at most, for example), and have a list of exemplar upgrades and lieutenants in addition to this rule set, but otherwise this is pretty neat. The costs are a mix of rules cyclopedia and first edition months. We need a Build Stronghold domain action; the only domain action that doesn’t have a prerequisite proficiency.

Build Stronghold. To construct a stronghold you must have claim to the land it is or will be on, gold for construction and access to workers. If you have these things, spend gold and roll fortune. Building a stronghold costs equal to size of the stronghold. If a stronghold already exists, must be refurbished for a third as much as in a third as much time. Your stronghold can fit holdings in keeping with its size. Moat houses and towers can have 3 holdings and can be built in 15 ticks at 12 000 GP per roll, keeps can have 6 holdings in 30 ticks at 12 000 GP per roll, small castles can have 9 holdings in 45 ticks at 12 000 GP per roll and concentric castles can have 12 holdings in 60 ticks at 12 000 GP per roll. Holdings are at the GMs discretion and grant access to special resources.

Honestly, this feels too simple, but I want it to be simple. There’s a bunch of interactions here that need to be developed: Living expenses, domain actions, governance, serving as a lieutenant, and lieutenants. While I haven’t really detailed anything on domain governance, I feel like engaging in domain governance should be optional, and hence be related to optional domain actions.

This has been a part of the Advanced Fantasy Dungeon Series! Let me know your thoughts on strongholds and landowning, if there are questions left unanswered, whether I’ve overlooked anything glaring, or anything of the sort!

Idle Cartulary

7th May 2022

If you’re walking in on the middle of the advanced fantasy dungeon series, there’s an index here.

After looking at hirelings, followers and lieutenants, I realised that my reaction rule wasn’t strictly accurate anymore, given I’d mechanised socialisation more in the form of the downtime action Cultivate Relationship. Also, the results are backwards.

When you encounter a new NPC or group of NPCs, the GM makes a reaction check, modified by your reputation. If you have bardic influence, roll with advantage, and if they predisposed against you, roll with disadvantage. The NPCs reaction is determined by the result:

1-2. Negative (hostile, fleeing, or unreceptive)

3-6. Possibly negative (suspicious or skeptical)

7-15. Uncertain (indecisive or neutral)

15-18. Possibly positive (amiable or deliberating)

19-20. Positive (friendly, welcoming or receptive)

Once starting reaction has been determined, it is not rolled again and becomes their disposition. Their disposition remains stable between meetings. In-world choices can effect change the NPCs disposition towards the party, but a simple roll (for example, a charisma check) cannot. The Cultivate Relationship downtime action can change the NPCs disposition towards the party, as per its description.

Reputation is awarded (+1) for a significant contribution to a location, profession or faction, and is effective only in that context. It is recorded on your character sheet.

Actually, this is fine and requires minimal additions, in italics. Let’s check the downtime action.

Cultivate Relationship: You may cultivate a relationship. Relationships are always consecutive branching clocks, with at least four ticks per clock. For friendships, these clocks are Acquaintances, Associates, Friends, and Intimates. For romantic relationships, these clocks are Attention, Flirtation, Tryst, Lovers, Paramours. The GM can create clocks for specific relationship or relationship goals, for example Prove My Worth to Captain Urutangi might be Suspicious, Neutral, Deliberating, Receptive, reflecting Captain Urutangi’s disposition when first encountered. Because Captain Uturangi is starting as hostile to the PC, the first clock may be eight steps or be walled with a specific quest before it can progress. Relationship often have walls that cannot be advanced past without a specific way to deepen the bond. One might also take a free tick for something that occurs outside of downtime that deepens the bond. To advance the clock on a relationship, the player says how their character is strengthening the bond between them. The GM will judge if this makes sense.

These small changes clarify the interactions between these rules and broaden them to be across the whole spectrum of dispositions. Better.

This has been a part of the Advanced Fantasy Dungeon Series! Let me know your thoughts on reaction rolls and downtime, if there are questions left unanswered, whether I’ve overlooked anything glaring, or anything of the sort!

Idle Cartulary

6th May 2022

If you’re walking in on the middle of the Advanced Fantasy Dungeons series, there’s an index here.

Second edition discriminates between hirelings (people you pay to do a job), followers (people who choose to be with you) and henchmen (followers who are effectively low level PCs).

• Hirelings are employed for a task or season for their specific skill, easy to find, replaceable, low loyalty, GM controlled, and PCs are obligated to pay a weekly wage or a fee for a task, meal and board, pay ransom
• Followers are elite soldiers attracted by a stronghold, irreplaceable, moderate loyalty, under GM control and PCs are obligated to pay a weekly wage or a fee for a task, meal and board, pay ransom
• Henchmen are mini unique PCs, best friends with a specific PC, under PC Control and PCs are obligated to pay a portion of treasure, meal and board, pay ransom and bring back from the dead.

Basically, a long-term hireling or follower will develop into a henchman who will join the party or leave. This is a PC replacement mechanism, for the high lethality games second edition was phasing out. The problem is, these followers don’t show up until 9th level, which is effectively when the play pillars are supposed to shift. Basically, this progression appears to be out of step with the new pillars emerging in second edition, and instead is a legacy feature. So, let’s reimagine these “tiers” of PC-adjacent NPCs.

A hireling is any NPC who will do a job for the PC in exchange for a wage or a fee plus room and board. An unskilled hireling is ready to find, and a hireling with rare skill requires a Find Someone downtime action to find.

A follower is any NPC who joins a PC on grounds other than in exchange for a wage or a fee. They can have levels in a class, and are attracted by a PCs fame when the build a stronghold for the follower to stay at at a meagre to comfortable lifestyle.

A lieutenant is any NPC who the PC delegates a task to in the governance of their stronghold in exchange for a significant wage, noble lifestyle and a place of honour in the stronghold. They usually were hirelings or followers, and hence may have class levels or rare skills.

Hirelings fill the first few “funnel” levels, abs are still useful as specialists throughout the game. Followers are companions, comrades-in-arms, disciples or students of well-established heroes. Lieutenants take charge of your affairs in your absence. Clear roles, but they can move between them depending on relationship (which can be tracked by reaction or by downtime clock) and on contract. Stats should be minimal, so there are probably going to be minimal character sheets for each of these NPC types, and NPCs will be “as hireling”.

Hirelings are considered zero-level, and hence have 1d6 HP, ability scores of 10 with one exception (an 8, 12 or 14), and one, two or three proficiencies depending on age (these may be mastery spent on one skill).

Followers have levels in a class, therefore they have a simplified character sheet, based on the PCs. Experience and Encumbrance are simplified, only exceptional ability scores and proficiencies are noted, for example.

NPCs not in the party are documented similarly, and might be Therabond (0-level sage, intelligence 14, north irughai history mastery +2) or Gladhelm (2-level warrior, strength 12, double axe mastery, riverboats).

That covers most of what’s necessary, I think. It reveals a lack of clarity in the interaction mode between the reaction and reputation system and the cultivate relationship downtime action, which I’ll have to revise, and also will need revision when I get more firmly into what it looks like to build a character!

This has been a part of the Advanced Fantasy Dungeon Series! Let me know your thoughts on hirelings, followers and lieutenants, if there are questions left unanswered, whether I’ve overlooked anything glaring, or anything of the sort!

Idle Cartulary

5th May 2022

If you’re walking in on the middle of the Advanced Fantasy Dungeons series, there’s an index here.

In light of the wizardly and priestly magic posts, I think I need to revise some of the downtime actions I wrote, and add a few new ones. Firstly, I’ll need to change Spiritual Devotions:

Spiritual Mission: If you have the Spiritual Devotions proficiency, you may seek connection with a greater power. Specify a goal and a spiritual or mystical method through which it will be achieved (meditation, pilgrimage, service, flagellation, fasting, alms, gardening, ceremony, poetry, etc.). The GM will create a clock out of sight, and be cryptic regarding your progress. If a significant milestone is reached, and your god is impressed, you may be granted piety in addition.

Study Spellbook: If you have the study spell book proficiency, you may study a spell book to understand one of its spells. You will not know the spell until you unearth its secrets; the GM will tell you when the spell is learnt. Spend 300 GP per downtime roll to procure requires materials. The downtime clock is equal to the spell level. The GM will roll 1d10 and divide the result by 2, rounding up, to determine how many spells are in the spell book, and this will remain a mystery as well until there are no further spells to learn.

Inscribe Scroll: If you have the inscribe scroll proficiency, you may create a scroll for a spell you know. Spend 300 GP per downtime roll to procure required materials. The downtime clock is equal to the spell level. Scrolls can be stored for free in inventory.

Charge Wand: If you have the charge wand proficiency, you may imbue arcane syllables into a wand such that it might cast a spell you know. You must have a wand in which to imbue to spell. Spend 500 GP per downtime roll to procure required materials. The downtime clock is equal to the spell level. Once you have charged a wand with a spell, you can attempt to charge it with additional castings if the spell, at one additional casting per tick. On a failure, the wand cannot hold any more castings.

Create Spellbook: A wizard can create a spell book as their magnum opus. It costs 1000 GP per downtime roll, and will take at least 20 ticks to be completed, at the discretion of the GM. You can choose which spells to place in the spell book, and must title it with appropriate pomposity.

There we go, our updated magical downtime actions. Probably need polishing, but it does nail down wizardry a lot more.

This has been a part of the Advanced Fantasy Dungeon Series! Let me know your thoughts on magical downtime, if there are questions left unanswered, whether I’ve overlooked anything glaring, or anything of the sort!

4th May 2022

Idle Cartulary

If you’re walking in on the middle of the Advanced Fantasy Dungeons series, there’s an index here.

Looking at the many environmental interaction subsystems (swimming, climbing, running, difficult terrain, sailing, and flying at a glance) in Second Edition, there are a few themes that keep recurring:

• Nonbinary success
• Speed is important
• Dual tasking
• Character skills impact outcomes

From this I infer that you’re expected to be {climbing, swimming, riding, sailing} under pressure, either being chased, trying to get somewhere urgently, or while being attacked. And so, degree of success is meaningful, and as is training in {challenge}under pressure. This draws from a bunch of rules already written:

An environmental challenge has clock. If a PC has proficiency in their approach to the challenge (for example, Swimming or Climbing proficiency) they know how many ticks the clock requires, otherwise they do not.

To tick a section of the clock, describe what you do (your approach) and roll an appropriate check. On a failure, choose a failure condition. On a success, tick the clock and choose a success condition. On a partial success, tick the clock but suffer a consequence. Continue until the GM tells you that you have completed all steps, or until you cannot continue any longer.

Approaches include abilities, proficiencies, special gear, assistance, or magical effects, If an approach is strong against a challenge grant an additional tick if it succeeds. Approaches that are weak against a challenge have disadvantage or have no effect. You cannot repeat the same approach for a single challenge.

Success and fail conditions vary according to challenge, but include: change of speed, opportunity for a second task (dodge, spell, attack, device), advantage on next approach, increase or loss of a capability, injury, healing.

If there is a competitor in the challenge, the GM may choose to grant them a clock as well, for you to race against, or may choose to incorporate their success into your failure.

This solution has dual tasking, speed, skill, and non-binary success. Not sure if that should be GM chosen success conditions, but I like putting it in the hands of PCs. This is flexible and rewards use of varied approaches. One rule to rule them all, rather than the dozen in second edition. It feels too modern, though, and I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing, or why.

This has been a part of the Advanced Fantasy Dungeon Series! Let me know your thoughts on Advanced Fantasy Dungeons so far, if there are questions left unanswered, whether I’ve overlooked anything glaring, or anything of the sort!

Idle Cartulary

3rd May 2022

If you’re walking in on the middle of the Advanced Fantasy Dungeons series, there’s an index here.

Priestly and Wizardly magic are entirely different in principle but not in practice, in second edition, although priestly spells have their own unique qualities, and hence priests have bunch of advantages with few disadvantages;

• Priests pray to gods or their intermediaries for spells which then act like wizard spells
• Spells don’t take up inventory space because they aren’t in spell books.
• Priests don’t need a library because they don’t have spell books
• Priests have limited access to certain spheres
• Priest spells don’t go up to as high a level
• Deities might be fickle

Honestly this reeks of being shoehorned into the wizardly spell system, and that theory is supported by the fact that the DMG doesn’t even mention priestly magic aside from in magic items and as an option for new classes, while wizardly magic gets a whole chapter. First edition at least states “spells […] are obtained through the aid of supernatural servants of the cleric’s deity” and “Of utmost importance, then, is the relationship between cleric and deity.” The Complete Priests Handbook doesn’t give us much either: “The god doesn’t have to give the priest the spells the priest wants.” There is significant evidence the deity-priest relationship is intended to be central, but that the mechanics they already had didn’t support that.

So, the system as intended should lean into relationship and fickleness as primary drivers of risk and reward, instead of encumbrance and memory. I’m thinking a system where your deity gains faith in you over time, and that bonus is applied to a roll which determines how alike to your prayers the spell you ask for arrives as.

Priests need not memorise a spell to cast it, but they must spend a watch dedicated to their priestly devotions. During priestly devotions, as you pray to your god, recite your deeds of the day. If your deeds impress your god, gain 1 piety. If they are contrary to their ways, lose 1 piety. If you do nothing to move your god, your piety remains the same.

You may expend one piety to cast the exact spell you want.

If you do not want to spend piety, state the spells name, roll a d10, and pray. Look at the “Priest Spells by Sphere” index. Count both up and down on the list by the result of your roll. You can choose one of these two spells. Increment your dice down one (from d10 to d8) for each piety you have. If you roll so high as to leave the sphere, go to the next sphere you have access to on the list.

You may choose not to cast either of the spells, but one of these spells must be the next spells you cast, until your next priestly devotions. There is no limit on the amount of spells you can cast in a day.

The biggest sphere list is 31 and the smallest is 2, both which will bring interesting consequences, and the lower level cap of priestly spells is a benefit to this randomness. The priest gets a choice, but not always their choice. Gods are ineffable, and sometimes provide powerful spells and bizarre guidance. A GM may decide to provide a unique spell list for each god or maybe I put it into the rule book!

This is not an elegant rule I’m really struggling with a fickle but not useless alternative though. I’ll let it sit for a while.

Dice increments are completely new to this system and not foreshadowed in second edition anywhere. On the other hand, so is spell memorisation, and so was psionics, so why does priestly spells not get its own system?

This has been a part of the Advanced Fantasy Dungeon Series! Let me know your thoughts on priestly magic, if there are questions left unanswered, whether I’ve overlooked anything glaring, or anything of the sort!

Idle Cartulary

2nd May 2022

If you’re walking in on the middle of the Advanced Fantasy Dungeons series, there’s an index here.

Magic is more complicated, but is largely unchanged from edition to edition. Instead of slots, specific spells are memorised for less flexibility. Priestly and Wizardly magic are entirely different in principle but not in practice. Wizardly spells:

• The process of leaming the correct procedure to cast a spell is difficult and taxing to the mind.
• As the wizard learns spells, he records their arcane notes into his spell books. Without spell books, a wizard cannot memorize new spells.
• Once a wizard memorizes a spell, it remains in his memory until he uses the prescribed components to trigger the casting. Upon casting the energy of the spell is spent, wiped clean from the wiurd’s mind until the wizard studies and memorizes that spell again.
• Spell books are made, and there are rules for making them, and this should happen in downtime.

Thoughts emerging from this: Spell books take up inventory space, have a limited amount of space in them, and if not carried in inventory must be held in a library. But I don’t really feel like the guts should change.

Magic is cast by memorising syllables, and the brain can only accomodate a certain number at once. When the syllables are uttered, the spell disappears from the mind. Because of this limitation, wizards often store spells in scrolls and wands to enhance their power.

Spell books contain between 1 and 5 spells, depending on their level. Spell books are rare and must be sought out in tombs or stolen from towers, and each has its own name and history. The spells on their pages, the characters and formulae burning on the page, urgently attempt to leap from the page. You cannot make a spell book, but once you have one, you can learn the spells within it by researching a spell in downtime. You can either keep spell books in your inventory where they take up one inventory slot each, or you can keep them in a library when you go adventuring.

A wizard can take a watch to memorise spells, preparing the spells they expect to need the following day. They can release previously memorised spells from their mind if there is no further need for them. In order to do so, they must have access to a spell book containing the spell — they cannot memorise a spell whose spell book has been left in the library unless they are in the library. A wizard can memorise a number of spells equal to their level plus 2.

To cast a wizard spell, the wizard simply utters the syllables. If the wizard is interrupted, the spell is not cast, and the syllables are not released from their memory. Some spells have more syllables, and take more time to cast. Some spells require physical actions to work, for example a magic circle to be drawn. These specifics are notes in the description of the spell, and any components required have to be purchased in order for the spell to be cast.

This all feels neat and in the spirit of the game, while simplifying a lot. Wizards are seeking power, so they must find spell books. Spell books cannot be created, so they must carry spell books that are inefficient. But, they can choose their spells, and can make wands and scrolls. All very neat, vancian, it feels wizardly. There’s only one departure, and that’s making a spell book. I feel like that should be it’s own, epic-level downtime action, so I need to add wands, studying spells, and making spell books into downtime. Next up, priestly magic gets a makeover (it was originally in this post, but I got angry.

This has been a part of the Advanced Fantasy Dungeon Series! Let me know your thoughts on wizardly magic, if there are questions left unanswered, whether I’ve overlooked anything glaring, or anything of the sort!

Idle Cartulary

30th April 2022

If you’re walking in on the middle of the Advanced Fantasy Dungeons series, there’s an index here.

I realised writing about procedures that I hadn’t completed the combat procedure, because there was no way to disengage. This is simple, I think.

If you may always retreat from combat by performing a group disengagement check against a target of twenty minus the highest encumbrance in the party. You can always jettison your inventory in order to lower your encumbrance.

You have advantage on the disengagement check if you you can retreat at the beginning of initiative order. You have disadvantage if you are fleeing because you failed a morale check.

On a success, you retreat and have lost them at no cost. On a partial success, you must spend 1d6 HP in order to retreat and lose them. On a failure, you must spend 2d6 HP and you have left sign as your retreat. They are able to track you if they have the inclination.

The encumbrance target is a nod to the movement speed modifiers in the encumbrance section, which I like because I haven’t been able to find an opportunity to incorporate that easily yet. I think this is simple, opportunistic, and cool. But I hate the twenty minus. Is it better to have different targets for this one roll? Or to redefine encumbrance or create an additional term which means “spare inventory space?’.

This has been a part of the Advanced Fantasy Dungeon Series! Let me know your thoughts on disengagement, if there is a simpler solution to the encumbrance issue I didn’t consider, whether I’ve overlooked anything glaring, or anything of the sort!

Idle Cartulary

30th April 2022

If you’re walking in on the middle of the Advanced Fantasy Dungeons series, there’s an index here.

I really feel like I need a working version of downtime for incorporating clocks into other areas of the game consistently, because downtime is the primary vector for clocks, but not the only one. Downtime itself is an anachronism: Second edition doesn’t mention downtime at all, only:

• Magical item research (Materials, formulae, spells, and rites are discovered, materials and preparation cost 210d100 GP, make an enchantment check or suffer perversion)
• Spell research (2 weeks and 10d100 GP per spell level)
• Build a stronghold (Nothing, literally no information in either core book)
• Healing (1 HP per day and 3 HP for bed rest, plus constitution modifier after each week)
• Training (To prevent players who play too much from leveling up too quickly – I kid you not)

Birthright has a detailed list of “Domain Actions”, but one thing I’m not interested in is an unending list of downtime actions; the iconic downtime phase, Blades in the Dark, only has six. But I’m keen on breadth, so maybe some proficiencies grant downtime actions rather than advantage on rolls?

If you choose to take a downtime proficiency, you do not gain advantage on any rolls, but rather gain access to a new action to choose from during downtime.

Let’s start with the downtime procedure. Inspiration from Blades in the Dark primarily, although Ben L has talked a lot about ways to fold clocks into old school gaming.

Downtime is measured in real-time weeks occurring between gaming sessions.

Most downtime actions will have an associated clock, the length of which is dictated by the action. When the clock is full, you have completed the downtime action.

Downtime actions can have walls; walls are points at which you cannot process with any more ticks until you perform an in-world task. Downtime actions can have branches; branches are points where the clock ends prematurely, and you have the option to continue with one of a number of new clocks.

For each week spent on the downtime action, state your action and roll an appropriate ability check. The GM must agree that your action makes sense, that the activities being described are within the power of the PC, and that they would indeed plausibly progress you towards your goal.

On a failure, tick one section of the downtime clock and there is a complication. On a partial success, tick two sections. On a full success, tick three sections. A complication is usually an unexpected wall, an unexpected branch, a relationship consequence, or a hook for further adventure.

A 1 step clock will result in a minor and temporary advantage. A 6 step clock a slight campaign goal or minor advantage. A 10 step clock a minor campaign goal or moderate advantage. 20 step clock moderate campaign goal or significant advantage. A 40 step clock is an epic or campaign-changing achievement.

The above rules apply to most downtime actions. Some downtime actions will be open to all, some available only on class lists, some only when you have a stronghold or title (we’ll see how those rules turn out). There are no failures on a downtime action, just weak successes and complications. The below downtime actions are based on Ben L’s and Nick K’s work.

Recovery. You may visit a physicker, apothecary or priest for healing, if you have a relationship with one. They roll their appropriate proficiency. On a failure, recover 2d6 HP. On a partial success, recover 4d6 HP. On a full success, recover 6d6 HP.

Training. You may train with a sage, master or expert, if you have a relationship with one. The downtime clock is equal to the number of proficiency slots you will have when you complete your training.

Non-magical Research: If you have the library research proficiency, you may perform non-magical research. Specify what you want to research, and find a trove of information relevant to the topic at hand. The GM will create a clock out of sight, and tell you when and if your trove is exhausted.

Inscribe Scroll: If you have the inscribe scroll proficiency, you may create a scroll for a spell you know. Spend 300 GP per downtime roll to procure required materials. The downtime clock is equal to the spell level.

Spiritual Devotion: If you have the Spiritual Devotions proficiency, you may seek connection with a greater power. Specify a goal and a spiritual or mystical method through which it will be achieved (meditation, pilgrimage, service, flagellation, fasting, alms, gardening, ceremony, poetry, etc.). The GM will create a clock out of sight, and be cryptic regarding your progress.

Collect Intelligence: If you have the rumourmongering proficiency, you may seek intelligence. Choose what information you seek, who you are trying to gain it from, and how you are going to attempt to get them to tell you. The GM will tell you if these people can provide you with the information required before you commence the action. Spend your downtime check x 25gp. The DM may choose to roll incognito. On a failure, two pieces of ambiguous or misleading information. On a partial success, one ambiguous or misleading and one true piece of information. On a full success, solid intelligence.

Cultivate Relationship: You may cultivate a relationship, be it romance or friendship,. Relationships are always consecutive branching clocks, with at least four ticks per clock. For friendships, these clocks are Acquaintances, Associates, Friends, and Intimates. For romantic relationships, these clocks are Attention, Flirtation, Tryst, Lovers, Paramours. Relationship often have walls that cannot be advanced past without a specific way to deepen the bond. One might also take a free tick for something that occurs outside of downtime that deepens the bond. To advance the clock on a relationship, the player says how their character is strengthening the bond between them. The GM will judge if this makes sense.

Invest in an Institution: To support or invest in an institution (for example a business, a cult, a temple, or a guild), state how you invest in the institution, and spend sufficient gold to do so as the GM suggests. On a failure, progress your clock one tick, you hit a wall and a complication occurs. On a partial success, progress your clock by two ticks, and you hit a wall and a complication occurs. On a full success, progress your clock three ticks.

Generally, speaking, robust support for the institution gives one access to the goods and services available through the institution free of charge. Typically developing an institution takes 6 ticks and cost varies by how significant the institution is. An inconsequential institution costs 250gp per roll, minor 1000gp, middling 2500gp, major 5000gp, influential 10 000gp, and famous 25 000gp. You can spend half this much again as often as you wish for a cumulative +1 bonus to your ability check.

Find Someone: When you need to find a someone hard to find, state what skills you require and how you will approach finding them. The GM will create a three tick clock. When you complete the clock, you find them. If you need them with urgency, you can take whoever you find. On a one tick, they may not be who they say they are, and are double market price and in a hard to reach place. On two ticks they may not be who they say they are, and are double market price or are in a hard to reach place. The GM will provide you with details regarding the NPC.

Find Buyer: When you need to find a buyer for something hard to sell, state what item you want to find a buyer for and how you will approach finding them. The GM will create a three tick clock. A buyer will buy a certain category of items only (for example paintings, sculpture, magic items, antique furniture, or gemstones). When you complete the clock you find a buyer who will buy at a generous price, or one that you will be able to utilise again for a similar category (for example paintings) without having to search for another buyer. If you need them with urgency, you can take whoever you find. On a one tick, you find a seller, but they offer an insulting price and only buy such a specific niche (for example art by a certain painter) that they will never buy from you again. On two ticks you find a seller, but they offer an insulting price or only buy such a specific niche (for example art by a certain painter) that they will never buy from you again. The GM will provide you with details regarding the NPC.

I’m pretty happy with these as a starting point, although they’ll need some revision of course. They’re all much simplified from the original versions. I’m lacking a carousing action, because I feel like that’s the method you use to achieve many of these goals. One potential criticism is I’m not sure it’s necessary to spell out these downtime actions, but rather to have a generic action and leave all others vague. I’m not sure. Regardless, factions and NPCsneed to act too:

Factions, NPCs and natural phenomenon do things during downtime, just as the PCs do. If those things are likely to impact the world and PCs, the GM should give them one or two goals and clocks accompanying the goals. Each week of downtime, roll a fortune check for each relevant faction or NPC and progress one of their clocks.

Factions and NPCs downtime actions can reject any goal. Pick the length of the clock in all fairness. It is less important to identify specific walls, branches and achievements, as often PCs will not be aware of the outcome of a faction or NPC action until it has been achieved.

More importantly, I’ve clearly introduced clocks into the game as a framework. I’m not sure if there is a lot of room for clocks in the rules thus far, but I think there’s something in combat for non-slaughter goals at least.

This has been a part of the Advanced Fantasy Dungeon Series! Let me know your thoughts on downtime and directing actions in real time, if there are questions left unanswered, whether I’ve overlooked anything glaring, or anything of the sort!

Idle Cartulary

29th April 2022