Let me know what you think - any comments on mechanics etc are welcomed at this stage as this is only a draft. It is more or less how I have been doing it for most of the time anyway - though I have got rid of that irritating 'one action per week' thing in exchange for a flat 10 actions per event (which may change for some events depending on circumstances - for example you may get double or half)

Downtime

A character’s life does not begin and end at an event. Plots and stratagems do not get put on hold simply because there is not an event ongoing. Events in the galaxy continue to unfold and there are opportunities for players to influence these even when they are not at an event.

Downtime is the time between events. It is usually a time when long term projects can be undertaken, research conducted and other tasks completed. It is also the time when the character carries on their normal, day to day life—when they do whatever it is they do to feed and clothe themselves.

 At the end of each event, the players of all PCs and NPCs are permitted to submit a ‘downtime return’. This is a statement of your character’s actions in the time between the end of that event and the start of the next one. Everyone is permitted to submit one downtime return for every event they attend for each character you play at the event. An example downtime return form can be seen on the following page. This shows the sort of things you should be thinking of when you write a return. This is, however, only a guideline. You are free to use this form and post it or copy the headings into an e-mail or whatever. At the beginning of the next event you attend, you will get a personalised event brief describing what has happened to you since the last event. This document will include the results of any downtime actions you have undertaken.

There are a limited number of downtime actions you can use per downtime return. Each character is limited to 10 actions per event. This baseline number of actions, however, can be changed by certain variables. For example, some actions may take more than one action such as travelling long distances without access to a gate. Others may take less actions to complete (down to half an action) or not take any actions at all. The cost of any downtime action is entirely at the discretion of the referee who processes the return. Some examples of actions and their costs may be seen in the table above.

 Backgrounds such as Contacts, Allies, Minions or Facilities may add extra action points to the character’s total per event but only for actions which are appropriate to the nature of that background. This is usually a number of points equal to the cost of the background but the exact value in any given situation is at the discretion of the referee. You must state in your downtime return which actions you are using a background for and explain the rationale for its use. In most cases where the background is a person or group of people (i.e. Allies, Contacts, Minions) it is assumed that they are doing the task themselves and you have no hand in it other than to receive reports or supervise as needed. The idea is that you get the extra points because they do all the leg work, leaving you to concentrate on other matters.

Some backgrounds require particular skills or background before they are even possible. For example, only those with herbalist can make herbal potions in downtime and only those with Pharmacology and access to a Pharmacology lab (facility background) can make pharmacology drugs. To travel, you need some form of transport as walking will not get you far in the short time between events and the style of transport must be appropriate to the place you are travelling to. For example, a cloudcutter is great for going hundreds of miles across the Avar wasteland but it will not get you to Bowker. For that you need a ship or access to a gate.

 

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The Whispering God is your friend... trust the Whispering God...

Waypoint: Head referee (also Lugnan, Dr Solon, Johnathon Cross...)

Riftworld: Formerly Neven (AKA Dr Thaddeus Brown), now high priest of the Whispering God cult and therefore crew...

Blood Red Roses: Sir Phillipe De Richlieu, Knight Inquisitor of the Blessed Order of Our Lady of Sorrows, the Knights of the Bloody Tears

Artificer: Karl du Pont, Master Alchemist, Militia Special Investigator

M&M: Sir Joshua Hartley

At Waypoint it only happens occasionally when the player does something stupid like be endearingly brave in the face of thousands (well, a monster crew on constant regen wave setting) of Quain Dyr

Ok, maybe it happens reasonably often...

And thank you, that cheered me up to read that. And I needed it

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The Whispering God is your friend... trust the Whispering God...

Waypoint: Head referee (also Lugnan, Dr Solon, Johnathon Cross...)

Riftworld: Formerly Neven (AKA Dr Thaddeus Brown), now high priest of the Whispering God cult and therefore crew...

Blood Red Roses: Sir Phillipe De Richlieu, Knight Inquisitor of the Blessed Order of Our Lady of Sorrows, the Knights of the Bloody Tears

Artificer: Karl du Pont, Master Alchemist, Militia Special Investigator

M&M: Sir Joshua Hartley