Downtime Expanded

"For an explanation of what downtime is, see Creating New Characters: Downtime."From House Rules to reflavorings, there's a lot that goes into West Marches downtime that isn't stated in the rulebooks. This page lists all downtimes, West Marches downtime house rules, as well as some example reflavorings.

Reflavoring a downtime doesn't change what ability checks you must make.

Resolving Downtime
Players are encouraged to contact a DM to resolve their downtime prior to a game if they intend to play within the next two weeks. This is not a requirement, only a recommendation. Note that RP-only characters (i.e. characters who have yet to play in a game) do not gain downtime until their first game. See the section on RP-only characters on the Creating New Characters page for more information.

Complications
Downtime activities, as described in Xanathar's Guide to Everything, tend to carry some risk of some sort of complication arising. Due to the setup of West Marches, however, the complications tables in Xanathar's are not currently being used.

Buying a Magic Item
Resources: 1 workweek; 100gp

Resolution: Charisma (Persuasion) check, with a +1 bonus per extra workweek or extra 100gp, to a maximum +10 bonus. On a successful check, the adjudicating DM will roll to determine the price
 * Common: DC 10, price = (1d6+1) x 10gp
 * Uncommon: DC 15, price = 1d6 x 100gp
 * Rare: DC 20, price = 2d10 x 1,000gp
 * Very Rare: DC 25, price = (1d4+1) x 10,000gp
 * Legendary: DC 30, price = 2d6 x 25,000gp

Note: All prices are halved for a consumable item.

Carousing
Resources: 1 workweek; 10gp for lower-class carousing, 50gp for middle-class carousing, 250gp for upper-class carousing

Resolution: Charisma (Persuasion) check
 * 1-5: One hostile contact
 * 6-10: No contacts
 * 11-15: One allied contact
 * 16-20: Two allied contacts
 * 21+: Three allied contacts

Example Reflavoring: Rather than gaining people as contacts, your character decides to spy on them and gain secrets about them. You might find out information that would be helpful in the future, or information you can use to blackmail that person, or something similar.

Crafting an Item
Resources: 1 workweek per 50gp value; half the gold value of the item(s)

Resolution: Requires proficiency with the appropriate tools; no check necessary

''Note: Characters may work together as long as they all have the appropriate proficiency. The time required is then divided by the number of collaborators.''

Crafting a Magic Item
See also: Magic Items: Upgrading Existing Items

Resources: The associated lore; a rare component from an appropriate CR creature; workweeks and gold dependent on rarity: Resolution: Requires proficiency with the appropriate tools or in the Arcana skill; no check necessary
 * Common: CR 1-3, 1 workweek, 50gp
 * Uncommon: CR 4-8, 2 workweeks, 200gp
 * Rare: CR 9-12, 10 workweeks, 2,000gp
 * Very Rare: CR 13-18, 25 workweeks, 20,000gp
 * Legendary: CR 19+, 50 workweeks, 100,000gp

''Note, WM-specific ruling: Trinket-level magic items (magic items of a power level considerably below the Common rating) may also be crafted. These items take the same resources as a Common item (rare component, 50gp, 1 workweek) with the exception that they do not need lore.''

''Note: Characters may work together as long as they all have an appropriate proficiency. The time required is then divided by the number of collaborators.''

Note: Workweeks and gold required for crafting is halved for consumable items.

Rare Components
If you wish to craft a magic item, it's your responsibility to be able to provide the adjudicating DM with the rare component you're using, the date it was received, and the DM you got it from. In addition, prior to attempting to craft the item, you should contact the DM you received the rare component from and make sure it's an appropriate component.

Crime
Resources: 1 workweek; 25gp

Resolution: The player selects a DC appropriate to the desired gold yield: The player then makes three checks against the chosen DC: Dexterity (Stealth); Dexterity (Thieves' Tools); and the player's choice of Intelligence (Investigation), Wisdom (Perception), or Charisma (Deception).
 * DC 10: 50gp
 * DC 15: 100gp
 * DC 20: 200gp
 * DC 25: 1,000gp
 * 0 Successes: Pay a fine equal to the attempted profit and spend 1 week in jail per 25gp of the fine
 * 1 Success: No profit
 * 2 Successes: 50% profit
 * 3 Successes: 100% profit

Gambling
Resources: 1 workweek; a stake of 10-1,000gp

Resolution: Three checks: Wisdom (Insight); Charisma (Deception); and Charisma (Intimidation). The player may choose to use a relevant gaming set proficiency in place of one of these skills (the base stat remains the same). The DC for each check is 2d10+5 (rolled separately for each check by the adjudicating DM).
 * 0 Successes: Lose the money you bet, accrue a debt of equal amount
 * 1 Success: Lose half the money you bet
 * 2 Successes: Gain the amount you bet plus half again
 * 3 Successes: Gain double the amount you bet

Example Reflavoring: Your character wants to make an especially risky sale. They spend time talking to buyers, maybe playing card games with them to make them feel more at ease, in hopes of getting them to pay more for the product.

Pit Fighting
Resources: 1 workweek

Resolution: Three checks: Strength (Athletics); Dexterity (Acrobatics); and a Constitution check which adds your largest hit die. The player may choose to roll an attack to-hit in place of one of these rolls. The DC for each check is 2d10+5 (rolled separately for each check by the adjudicating DM).
 * 0 Successes: No earnings; roll on the Pit Fighting Injury Table (below)
 * 1 Success: Earn 50gp
 * 2 Successes: Earn 100gp
 * 3 Successes: Earn 200gp

Relaxation
Resources: 1 workweek

Resolution: Advantage on saving throws to recover from long-lasting diseases and poisons during the relaxation; at the end of the week, end one effect that prevents the character from regaining hit points or restore one ability score that was reduced below its normal value. The benefit does not apply to effects caused by spells or other magical effects with ongoing durations.

Religious Service
Resources: 1 workweek

Resolution: Intelligence (Religion) or Charisma (Persuasion) check
 * 1-10: No favors
 * 11-20: One favor
 * 21+: Two favors
 * A character can have a maximum number of unused favors equal to 1 + their Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 unused favor).

Research
Resources: 1 workweek; 50gp

Resolution: Intelligence check, with a +1 bonus per extra 100gp spent, to a maximum bonus of +6
 * 1-5: No lores
 * 6-10: One lore
 * 11-20: Two lores
 * 21+: Three lores

Scribing a Spell Scroll
Resources: Any material components required for the casting of the spell; workweeks and gold cost dependent on the level of the spell:
 * Cantrip: 1 day, 15gp
 * 1st Level: 1 day, 25gp
 * 2nd Level: 3 days, 250gp
 * 3rd Level: 1 workweek, 500gp
 * 4th Level: 2 workweeks, 2,500gp
 * 5th Level: 4 workweeks, 5,000gp
 * 6th Level: 8 workweeks, 15,000gp
 * 7th Level: 16 workweeks, 25,000gp
 * 8th Level: 32 workweeks, 50,000gp
 * 9th Level: 48 workweeks, 250,000gp

Resolution: Requires proficiency in the Arcana skill, and the spell known or prepared; no check necessary

Selling a Magic Item
Resources: 1 workweek; 25gp

Resolution: Charisma (Persuasion) check Base price determined by rarity: Note: All base prices are halved for consumable items.
 * 1-10: 50% of base price
 * 11-20: 100% of base price
 * 21+: 150% of base price
 * Common: 100gp
 * Uncommon: 400gp
 * Rare: 4,000gp
 * Very Rare: 40,000gp
 * Legendary: 200,000gp

''Note, WM-specific ruling: The Charisma (Persuasion) check is rolled at disadvantage when the item being sold is cursed. This represents the difficulty either in hiding the item's cursed nature or persuading a potential buyer to purchase a cursed item.''

Example Reflavoring: You have an alchemy jug. During the interim week, you create vials of acid you wish to sell. For West Marches purposes, 4 doses of acid qualifies as a Common Consumable Magic Item (more acid does not qualify as a higher rarity item); therefore, the base price of the item would be 50gp.

Training
Resources: Workweeks equal to 10 - the character's Intelligence modifier (maximum 10 weeks); 25gp per workweek

Resolution: No check necessary

Work
Resources: 1 workweek

Resolution: Skill or Tool check appropriate for the desired work
 * 1-5: Gain 5gp
 * 6-10: Gain 10gp
 * 11-15: Gain 15gp
 * 16-20: Gain 20gp
 * 21+: Gain 25gp

Example Reflavoring: You want to commit a petty crime, and so you make a Thieves' Tools check for your work.

Taming a Wild Animal
Resources: 1 workweek per attempt

Resolution: DC 15 Animal Handling check per attempt. Rolling a 5 or below removes one success.
 * 1 Success: The creature accepts you (it isn't automatically hostile toward you)
 * 2 Successes: The creature is friendly toward you (they might follow you around some)
 * 3 Successes: The creature is loyal to you (you can try to give them commands, though they won't attack people for you; i.e. no benefit in combat)

Training a Tame Animal
Resources: 1 workweek per attempt

Resolution: DC 15 Animal Handling check per attempt. After two successes, the pet is considered task-trained for a specific purpose you designate. The pet is still limited by its intelligence and body. The pet does not listen to this training in high-stress situations, such as combat or a natural disaster. Creatures can be trained to perform a maximum number of tasks equal to their Intelligence score + 1 (minimum 2). Example tasks:
 * Pulling loads
 * Sorting objects

Combat-Training a Tame Animal
Resources: 1 workweek and 50gp per attempt

Resolution: DC 20 Animal Handling check per attempt. After three successful weeks, the animal acts as a controlled mount in combat (see PHB p198). A combat-trained animal is considered proficient in barding.

Renovating a House
Resources: 1 workweek

Resolution: No check necessary