Generally speaking, downtime can be a tough thing to navigate as a Game Master.  How can I make the time between adventures fun, and give opportunities for players to build their character.  The truth is that most times a GM asks players what they do in their downtime, they respond with crickets at the table.  To solve this problem, I actually modified a mechanic from other games, and added it to my game.  And that mechanic is called “Player Projects.”

What are player projects?

For downtime, players will be given opportunities to use downtime or pursuing projects. The idea here being that should a player need to step away for a period of time, miss a few sessions, or have down time in game, they can take on the following options:

Each step represents 4 hours of working on this project.

The DM and the player will determine the number of steps required to complete a project, but generally speaking the number of steps should be equal to the following:

Project DC

Milestones:

Every 5 steps on a project, the players reach a milestone, which means that you get some form of additional marker on the journey to your projects completion.

Outsourcing a project:

Another key element of this process is that you can choose to outsource part of a project, this is done the same as the project but can leverage an asset to help. This usually involves a financial cost, and the use of an asset that you have.

Pulling an “All Nighter”:

You always have the option of “pulling an all nighter, and if you decide to do that, you can make an additional roll to move your project further, and you will take a level of exhaustion and not get the results of long rest.

Long Term Project:

A long term project can be anything that a player is trying to “build.” Now this does not have to build crafting in a traditional sense. This could be building a “network of informants” or “building a new item”. These projects can have a variety of implications and can be used in a variety of ways.

Acquire Asset:

One option for a players downtime could be to acquire an asset. This is the process of getting something for your character and/or team. There are several options for “assets.” An asset could be any of the following:

• A new location / building
• A new vehicle / transport
• A new contact / informant
• Access to a new ledger
• Someone to help with a project

Train/Study:

You have the option to train in a skill and depending on the skill and how your training will determine the DC of the roll for that skill. This DC can be affected by using the “acquire an asset” to get something to help with the training, which could include:

• Building a training facility
• Finding a mentor to help

Build reputation:

Another project is to try and build reputation either for yourself, or the party at large, which can include activities such as:

• Spreading word on your accomplishments
• Spreading rumors
• Finding out what people know.

Investigate:

Players can also choose to investigate something. This can often be something related to your backstory, or be an open investigation you want to find out more about.

Join / Maintain Organization Affiliation:

Many organizations require you to perform duties or do things to maintain your affiliation, such as a religious organization requiring you to work in a temple, or the community. Even Criminal organizations require things of their members. You can choose to take an action to maintain your reputation with the organization or even to advance within it.  

Crafting / Tinkering Outsourcing:

One thing you might find is that a lot of your players may choose that they want magic items, but in my experience, a lot of players ask for crafting options, when their characters have no crafting skills.  In those scenarios, you can still work with players by coming up with ways that they might earn money as a downtime project.  To determine the cost of the project, I use the following formula: