Downtime Overview

Mystara of the Five Spheres D&D Downtime Learning a Class

PROVIDES ONE DOWNTIME ACTIVITIES PER TIER FOR THE DURATION

Instead of making a check and a cost, I have had the characters gain levels as part of a 12 week downtime over the winter period of the setting where most of the region goes into shutdown, travel stops and msot merchants are settled in till better weather arrives.

With each Tier of play the character has one activity they can do for each of the weeks of training over winter. In my game this is the core of the downtime activities with other time off being used for different purposes. So Tier 1 characters do one activity each week for 12 weeks, a Tier 2 character does 2 activitites each week for 12 weeks and so on.

Note - You can see the rules for downtime levelling in the Notes section if you want to use that in other games.

BECMI Rules

TBA - Will detail how the original game worked.

5th Edition D&D Rules

TBA - Will detail how 5th Edition worked.

Level Up Advanced 5th Edition D&D Rules

TBA - Will detail how Level Up worked.

GM Notes - My class rules for levelling characers through downtime

Downtime activity for learning the class features and feats for gaining a new level. Characters to not automatically level when they gain experience, they need to spend downtime training to learn the skills associated with a new level.

Players get to describe their teachers as part of the training process, adding to the lore of the setting. It is up to the player to justify the attribute they are going to use and to describe their teachers as part of the training process, adding to the lore of the setting. The teacher will only train with that attribute. Settlement modifier might apply.

Check - At the end of the training time this has an attribute check versus a DC based on the tier to successfully complete it. You can choose to succeed on a failure if you also take a complication.

It is up to the player to justify the attribute they are going to use and to describe their teachers as part of the training process, adding to the lore of the setting. The teacher will only train with that attribute. Settlement modifier might apply. You can also use an appropriate Lore check

Learning breakdown
• Requirements (What you need to make the check in session)
• Note - Can't be done while travelling
• Base Check DC = 10 + number of other classes known, +2x Tier.
• You have access to a Teacher who knows the tool or language and is available. Add 5 to the DC if not available.
• To learn a tool with Expertise, add +10 to the check, and this is only available in tier 3 unless otherwise noted with a class or ability of the character.
• Time (What you need to make the check in session)
• 2 weeks (expertise training doubles the base time)
• Half if learning with an instructor
• Cost per Week (What you need to make the check in session)
• 100 gp x Tier
• Double if learning with an instructor
• Check (What you need to make the check in session, between sessions the d20 in the check is replaced by 10)
• Ability or Lore Check = d20 + ability bonus + Settlment Modifier + Lifestyle Modifier + Renown

Check Result
• Fail by More than 10 – Asked by teacher to leave and never return.
• Fail – gain no benefit from the training.
• Success – gain a level in the chosen craft.
• Succeed by More than 10 – gain a level, and one point of renown in a suitable location and a magical item of a lower tier (chosen by the games master).

Critical Success Item Provided
• Tier 1 – Levels 1-5 - Mindain Item
• Tier 2 – Levels 6-10 - Common Item
• Tier 3 – Levels 11-15 - Uncommon Item
• Tier 4 – Levels 16-20 - Rare Item (or quest to its location)
• Tier 5 – Levels 21-25 - Very Rare Item (or quest to its location)
• Tier 6 – Levels 26-30 - Legendary Item (or quest to its location)
• Tier 7 – Levels 31-36 - Artefact (or quest to its location)

Complications - Complications arise while training typically involve the teacher. This increases the cost of learning the spell by one week per point that the character missed the target number.

CLASS LEARNING COMPLICATIONS TABLE
d6 / Complications (* Might involve a rival)
1. Your teacher disappears, forcing you to find a new one. *
2. Your teacher is a spy sent to learn your plans. *
3. Your teacher is a cruel taskmaster.
4. Your teacher instructs you in rare, archaic methods, which draw comments from others.
5. Your teacher is a wanted for crimes.
6. Your teacher asks for help dealing with a threat before continuing.

Teach class - Instead of learning a class you can choose to instead teach a class you have learnt, gaining half the cost of the training each week. You can only teach tools or languages you know. This might require approval of the local guilds or governments.