Hey all! We've had some concerns and issues around downtimes recently, so we decided to write up a pretty comprehensive post about downtimes for your perusing pleasure. Please feel free to read and ask questions. We'll try and answer them quickly. And keep this in mind for the upcoming downtime session after our 7/5/19 game. 
Rules for Downtime Submission:
1) Someone must type up your downtime. We are not accepting downtimes where there are fragments from more than 1 other person. It's just too hard for us to read.
2) Everyone needs to reply with an "I'm in!" before the downtime deadline. Anyone who does not reply with an "I'm in!" or something similar by the submission date (it doesn't need to be those exact words) will not be included in the downtime.
3) Want to do something secret from the rest of the party in your group downtime? Keep it simple, and we reserve the right to say no, but it's technically okay with us.
4) You need to submit your downtime by the downtime deadline, or we won't accept it. We reserve the right to accept it anyways, but don't count on it.
Suggestions for writing downtimes:
This is in no means meant to call out anyone or any group. These are just guidelines from Plot about what makes for great and fun downtimes, and what makes for ones that are more disappointing or harder to write. These are NOT requirements for downtimes to follow to be accepted. Just ways to get more of what you want out of a downtime.
Always keep in mind that plot teams are running a game for many different players, and they also have a story framework they're working within. Sometimes, even if it’s the best, most reasonable downtime in the world, you'll get a response which might be disappointing, confusing, or not completely in line with the actions requested. This means that the plot team either has other things they're focusing on, or the plot team is going to do something interesting/unexpected at event. As always, be patient and understanding. Your plot team are volunteers, and are doing their best.
Rules for Downtime Submission:
1) Someone must type up your downtime. We are not accepting downtimes where there are fragments from more than 1 other person. It's just too hard for us to read.
2) Everyone needs to reply with an "I'm in!" before the downtime deadline. Anyone who does not reply with an "I'm in!" or something similar by the submission date (it doesn't need to be those exact words) will not be included in the downtime.
3) Want to do something secret from the rest of the party in your group downtime? Keep it simple, and we reserve the right to say no, but it's technically okay with us.
4) You need to submit your downtime by the downtime deadline, or we won't accept it. We reserve the right to accept it anyways, but don't count on it.
Suggestions for writing downtimes:
This is in no means meant to call out anyone or any group. These are just guidelines from Plot about what makes for great and fun downtimes, and what makes for ones that are more disappointing or harder to write. These are NOT requirements for downtimes to follow to be accepted. Just ways to get more of what you want out of a downtime.
Always keep in mind that plot teams are running a game for many different players, and they also have a story framework they're working within. Sometimes, even if it’s the best, most reasonable downtime in the world, you'll get a response which might be disappointing, confusing, or not completely in line with the actions requested. This means that the plot team either has other things they're focusing on, or the plot team is going to do something interesting/unexpected at event. As always, be patient and understanding. Your plot team are volunteers, and are doing their best.
- What is a downtime?
- A story suggestion you're offering to plot, that you'd like to be a part of
- Or, a request for more information about the world or a current story line
- It could be as simple as "My character visits the Selunari to trade stories", or as complex as trying to win support from the local community for a coup to overthrow the Baron.
- It is open ended, but can include some direction.
- It should take into consideration the person your character is, the actions they've performed in the past, and your character's current place in the world
- A story suggestion you're offering to plot, that you'd like to be a part of
- What is a downtime not?
- It is not a replacement for in game actions at an event. The scope of results your character can achieve will be limited.
- If something can be done/shown at an event, it should happen at event.
- It is not a replacement for in game actions at an event. The scope of results your character can achieve will be limited.
- Characteristics of the best downtimes
(Not all needed, but the more you have the more likely it's a good downtime)
- Asking for more without demanding
- With a specific goal, but open ended in both action and potential results
- Relates directly to events that occurred recently at game, or gives good ideas for things that could happen in game
- "Good" meaning likely to enhance the game of many other players, not just one or a few.
- "Good" meaning likely to enhance the game of many other players, not just one or a few.
- Supplements actions that occurred at event.
- e.g. if your character has recently been elected Reeve, sending in downtimes about spending time in town resolving disputes is a good downtime idea
- e.g. if your character has recently been elected Reeve, sending in downtimes about spending time in town resolving disputes is a good downtime idea
- Attempts to do something that cannot be reasonably phys-repped in game
- Be careful here - why does this non-phys-reppable action need to happen? Is there an alternate way to accomplish the goal that could be done at game?
- e.g. if your character desperately wants to ride a Griffin, that's a good goal for a sequence of downtime & at event actions, which will culminate in downtime
- e.g. If your character wishes to become a knight or other noble, that is not something that can be accomplished in downtime, but must be earned via at event actions. Downtimes are a good way, however, to start such a journey and to notify plot that you're interested in that kind of story, as well as supplementing the actions you perform at event.
- Be careful here - why does this non-phys-reppable action need to happen? Is there an alternate way to accomplish the goal that could be done at game?
- Asking for more without demanding
- Characteristics of poor downtimes
- Excessively long. Giving plot teams context for the goal/actions your character is pursuing is good, but writing an essay is not. As a rule of thumb, keep your downtime under 1000 words (~2 pages).
- Attempting to accomplish actions which cannot reasonably be done by your character.
- e.g. The average adventurer will not be granted an audience with the King of Sedovia without a lot of groundwork being laid at events and in prior downtimes
- e.g. The average adventurer will not be granted an audience with the King of Sedovia without a lot of groundwork being laid at events and in prior downtimes
- Attempting to accomplish actions which should be done at event
- When in doubt, if it can be done at event, it should be done at event.
- When in doubt, if it can be done at event, it should be done at event.
- Ignoring or discounting the actions of your or other characters at previous events. Plot will always try their best to create a consistent world both at event and between events.
- e.g. If last game you refused to help a kobold group fight some undead, don't expect to be given an audience with the Queen of the Kobolds in downtime.
- e.g. If last game you refused to help a kobold group fight some undead, don't expect to be given an audience with the Queen of the Kobolds in downtime.
- Attempting to complete or otherwise control a plot line which many different people are invested in as just one or a few people.
- Requesting information with no details about how you're going to find it or why you would have access to it.
- e.g. If you're trying to find information on Biff the Sorcerer, you need to know where to start looking. If you don't, then in game conversations are the appropriate way to figure out where to look.
- e.g. If you want to know the secret history of the royal family, then you probably need to have access to the restricted section of the Royal Library. Getting that kind of access probably requires a whole downtime & some at event actions by itself.
- e.g. If you're trying to find information on Biff the Sorcerer, you need to know where to start looking. If you don't, then in game conversations are the appropriate way to figure out where to look.
- Writing the beginning, middle, and end of the story of your downtime
- Break the rules of Alliance. Even in downtimes, battle magic, ritual magic, combat, and death work just like they do at game.
- e.g. If you assassinate someone in downtime, you can expect that they'll resurrect.
- e.g. If you assassinate someone in downtime, you can expect that they'll resurrect.
- Don't cast ritual magic. We cannot give any player an advantage in in-game gear from a downtime, and RP rituals like Vision, Lore, Resonance, etc. are much more fun when cast in game. Likewise, we can't bypass the 10% chance of ritual failure.
- However, please do let plot know if you plan to cast a Vision, Lore, Resonance, etc ritual at game, and what your goals for the ritual are. Pre-writing these results takes a lot of pressure off plot and often results in a better outcome.
- However, please do let plot know if you plan to cast a Vision, Lore, Resonance, etc ritual at game, and what your goals for the ritual are. Pre-writing these results takes a lot of pressure off plot and often results in a better outcome.
- Excessively long. Giving plot teams context for the goal/actions your character is pursuing is good, but writing an essay is not. As a rule of thumb, keep your downtime under 1000 words (~2 pages).
- Things to keep in mind
- These are not "don't"s, but they are types of actions which may not result in your desired outcomes.
- If your downtime action only contributes to the story of your PC, without places for other PCs to interact and influence it, plot is much less likely to bring your downtime into game
- If your downtime action introduces the existence of factions, magic, or other world lore pieces that you haven't encountered at event, plot may just say "no, that kind of thing doesn't exist"
- The classic example here is attempting to find and/or join a thieves guild or similar organization. Some plot teams and some campaigns will not have any factions like that, and so searching for them will turn up nothing.
- The classic example here is attempting to find and/or join a thieves guild or similar organization. Some plot teams and some campaigns will not have any factions like that, and so searching for them will turn up nothing.
- These are not "don't"s, but they are types of actions which may not result in your desired outcomes.
- Examples of Good Downtimes
- "Last event, my character had a substantial breakdown and ran off into the woods Sunday morning. They will be avoiding contact with the adventuring community and camping out in the woods until next game."
- This lays out some context, states a specific and time limited action, and otherwise leaves the result very open ended. Nine times out of ten, you'll get a response which gives a little context or hints for the next event. That last time, you'll inspire plot to write something which will entertain the whole game with your assistance.
- This lays out some context, states a specific and time limited action, and otherwise leaves the result very open ended. Nine times out of ten, you'll get a response which gives a little context or hints for the next event. That last time, you'll inspire plot to write something which will entertain the whole game with your assistance.
- "After speaking with Paladin Lara at game, my character would like to explore joining the Knightly Orders."
- This reminds plot of a conversation you had a game, and then informs them that you'd like to put your character on the path to Knighthood. This lets them give you a lot of information about expectations, vows, etc in the memory-friendly format of a downtime, while also recognizing that actual initiation into the Knightly Orders is an event that should happen at game.
- This reminds plot of a conversation you had a game, and then informs them that you'd like to put your character on the path to Knighthood. This lets them give you a lot of information about expectations, vows, etc in the memory-friendly format of a downtime, while also recognizing that actual initiation into the Knightly Orders is an event that should happen at game.
- "Alex and Sven would like to go find out information about Hogarth the Liche. Having heard in game that Hogarth used to be Sedovian, they will travel to the Capital city and try to find records of Hogarth's pre-liche life. Alex is a citizen of Sedovia, and has previously become friends with a clerk at the Sedovian Records bureau. Sven has Craftsman: Scholar. They are specifically interested in a) whether Hogarth has any family, living, dead, or undead, and b) whether Hogarth has any weaknesses we can exploit."
- This is a straightforward "informational" downtime. You could add more specifics about the kind of information you're looking for or how you are getting it, but the key components are there: where you're going, what questions you're asking, what you know right now, why your characters have access to the information sources you're searching, and what advantages at event you hope to gain.
- This is a straightforward "informational" downtime. You could add more specifics about the kind of information you're looking for or how you are getting it, but the key components are there: where you're going, what questions you're asking, what you know right now, why your characters have access to the information sources you're searching, and what advantages at event you hope to gain.
- "Helga and Bunny are going to scout for entrances to Hogarth's secret lair. Helga has Craftsman: Tracker, and Bunny was told the general area of the secret lair by torturing one of Hogarth's minions."
- This is a good "Scouting" downtime. It states what useful skills and knowledge the characters have, where that knowledge came from, and what the goal of the downtime is. It also keeps to the kinds of actions that are appropriate to Downtimes. Sneaking into the lair itself and/or killing Hogarth are actions that should be done at event.
- This is a good "Scouting" downtime. It states what useful skills and knowledge the characters have, where that knowledge came from, and what the goal of the downtime is. It also keeps to the kinds of actions that are appropriate to Downtimes. Sneaking into the lair itself and/or killing Hogarth are actions that should be done at event.
- "Last event, my character had a substantial breakdown and ran off into the woods Sunday morning. They will be avoiding contact with the adventuring community and camping out in the woods until next game."
