Between Adventures
******************
Between trips to dungeons and battles against ancient
evils, adventurers need time to rest, recuperate, and
prepare for their next adventure. Many adventurers also
use this time to perform other tasks, such as crafting
arms and armor, performing research, or spending
their hard—earned gold.
In some cases, the passage of time is something that
occurs with little fanfare or description. When starting
a new adventure, the DM might simply declare that a
certain amount of time has passed and allow you to
describe in general terms what your character has
been doing. At other times, the DM might want to keep
track of just how much time is passing as events beyond
your perception stay in motion.
Lifestyle Expenses
------------------
Between adventures, you choose a particular quality
of life and pay the cost of maintaining that lifestyle, as
described in chapter 5.
Living a particular lifestyle doesn’t have a huge effect
on your character, but your lifestyle can affect the way
other individuals and groups react to you. For example,
when you lead an aristocratic lifestyle, it might be easier
for you to influence the nobles of the city than if you
live in poverty.
Downtime Activities
--------------------
Between adventures, the DM might ask you what your
character is doing during his or her downtime. Periods
of downtime can vary in duration, but each downtime
activity requires a certain number of days to complete
before you gain any benefit, and at least 8 hours of each
day must be spent on the downtime activity for the day
to count. The days do not need to be consecutive. If you
have more than the minimum amount of days to spend,
you can keep doing the same thing for a longer period
of time, or switch to a new downtime activity.
Downtime activities other than the ones presented
below are possible. If you want your character to spend
his or her downtime performing an activity not covered
here, discuss it with your DM.
Crafting
^^^^^^^^
You can craft nonmagical objects, including adventuring
equipment and works of art. You must be proficient
with tools related to the object you are trying to create
(typically artisan’s tools). You might also need access to
special materials or locations necessary to create it. For
example, someone proficient with smith’s tools needs a
forge in order to craft a sword or suit of armor.
For every day of downtime you spend crafting, you
can craft one or more items with a total market value
not exceeding 5 gp, and you must expend raw materials
worth half the total market value. If something you
want to craft has a market value greater than 5 gp, you
make progress every day in 5—gp increments until you
reach the market value of the item. For example, a suit
of plate armor (market value 1,500 gp) takes 300 days
to craft by yourself.
Multiple characters can combine their efforts toward
the crafting of a single item, provided that the character
all have proficiency with the requisite tools and are
working together in the same place. Each character
contributes 5 gp worth of effort for every day spent
helping to craft the item. For example, three characters
with the requisite tool proficiency and the proper
facilities can craft a suit of plate armor in 100 days,
at a total cost of 750 gp.
While crafting, you can maintain a modest lifestyle
without having to pay 1 gp per day, or a comfortable
lifestyle at half the normal cost (see chapter 5 for more
information on lifestyle expenses).
Practicing a Profession
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
You can work between adventures, allowing you to
maintain a modest lifestyle without having to pay 1 gp
per day (see chapter 5 for more information on lifestyle
expenses). This benefit lasts as long you continue to
practice your profession.
If you are a member of an organization that can
provide gainful employment, such as a temple or a
thieves’ guild, you earn enough to support a comfortable
lifestyle instead.
If you have proficiency in the Performance skill and
put your performance skill to use during your downtime,
you earn enough to support a wealthy lifestyle instead.
Recuperating
^^^^^^^^^^^^
You can use downtime between adventures to recover
from a debilitating injury, disease, or poison.
After three days of downtime spent recuperating,
you can make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw.
On a successful save, you can choose one of the
following results:
- End one effect on you that prevents you from
regaining hit points.
- For the next 24 hours, gain advantage on saving
throws against one disease or poison currently
affecting you.
Researching
^^^^^^^^^^^
The time between adventures is a great chance to
perform research, gaining insight into mysteries
that have unfurled over the course of the campaign.
Research can include poring over dusty tomes and
crumbling scrolls in a library or buying drinks for the
locals to pry rumors and gossip from their lips.
When you begin your research, the DM determines
whether the information is available, how many days of
downtime it will take to find it, and whether there are
any restrictions on your research (such as needing to
seek out a specific individual, tome, or location). The
DM might also require you to make one or more ability
checks, such as an Intelligence (Investigation) check
to find clues pointing toward the information you seek,
or a Charisma (Persuasion) check to secure someone’s
aid. Once those conditions are met, you learn the
information if it is available.
For each day of research, you must spend 1 gp to
cover your expenses. This cost is in addition to your
normal lifestyle expenses (as discussed in chapter 5).
Training
^^^^^^^^
You can spend time between adventures learning a new
language or training with a set of tools. Your DM might
allow additional training options.
First, you must find an instructor willing to teach you.
The DM determines how long it takes, and whether one
or more ability checks are required.
The training lasts for 250 days and costs 1 gp per day.
After you spend the requisite amount of time and money,
you learn the new language or gain proficiency with
the new tool.