Downtime Complications

Complications are meant to add flavor, depth, and drama to the campaign. They might spawn entire adventures, introduce NPCs who vex the party, and give the characters headaches as they try to navigate the politics and social network of the community they’re in.

In general, there is a 10 percent chance that a given activity has a complication. You can use them more or less often, depending on what you feel is best for your campaign. Complications can also come from the party’s foils, as described below. In the complication table for an activity, the options that are most likely to involve a foil are marked.

Buying a Magic Item Complications
The magic item trade is fraught with dangers. The large sums of money involved, and the power offered by a magic item, attract thieves, con artists, and other villains. If you want to make things more interesting for the characters, roll on the Magic Item Purchase Complications table or invent your own complication. *Might involve a foil

Carousing Complications
Characters who carouse risk bar brawls, accumulating a cloud of nasty rumors, and building a bad reputation around town. You can roll on the carousing complications tables to create a complication, pick one as you see fit, or make your own.

Typically the DM will roll to determine if there is a complication, but Players are more than welcome to. Only the DM will determine what the complications are.

*Might involve a foil

*Might involve a foil

*Might involve a foil

Crafting Items Foils
Most of the complications involved in creating an item, especially a magic one, are linked to the difficulty in finding rare items needed to complete the work. The complications a character might face as byproducts of the process of creation are most interesting when the characters are working on a magic item. It’s unlikely that a suit of armor or a pair of boots can cause serious complications for a character’s life

Typically the DM will roll to determine if there is a complication, but Players are more than welcome to. Only the DM will determine what the complications are. *Might involve a foil

Crime Complications
A life of crime is filled with complications. Whenever a character succeeds at only one check, there will be complications. Only the DM will determine what the complications are. Roll on the Crime Complications table (or create a complication of your own) if the character succeeds at only one check. If the character’s foil is involved in crime or law enforcement, roll if the character succeeds on only two checks. *Might involve a foil

Gambling Complications
Gambling tends to draw a variety of unsavory characters. The potential complications involved in it come from run-ins with the law and various criminals tied to it.

Typically the DM will roll to determine if there is a complication, but Players are more than welcome to. Only the DM will determine what the complications are. *Might involve a foil

Hunting & Gathering Complications
Of course, there can always be complications when relying on nature for sustenance. You may find that the berries you collected are poisonous, the water tainted with bacteria, or accidentally disturb a mother bear protecting her cubs.

Typically the DM will roll to determine if there is a complication, but Players are more than welcome to. Only the DM will determine what the complications are.

Performance Complications
Typically the DM will roll to determine if there is a complication, but Players are more than welcome to. Only the DM will determine what the complications are. *Might involve a foil

Pit Fighting Complications
Characters involved in pit fighting must deal with their opponents, the folk who bet on matches, and with the matches’ promoters.

Typically the DM will roll to determine if there is a complication, but Players are more than welcome to. Only the DM will determine what the complications are.

*Might involve a foil

Religious Service Complications
emples can be labyrinths of political and social scheming. Even the best-intentioned sect can fall prone to rivalries. Serving a temple risks a character’s becoming embroiled in such struggles.

Typically the DM will roll to determine if there is a complication, but Players are more than welcome to. Only the DM will determine what the complications are.

*Might involve a foil

Research Complications
The greatest danger in research is uncovering false information. Not all lore is truthful, and a foil with a scholarly bent might try to lead the characters astray, especially if the object of the research is known to the foil. The foil might plant false information, bribe sages to give bad advice, or steal key tomes needed to find the truth.

In addition, a character might run into other complications during research. If you want to introduce a complication, use the Research Complications table, or create an incident.

Typically the DM will roll to determine if there is a complication, but Players are more than welcome to. Only the DM will determine what the complications are.

*Might involve a foil

Scribing a Spell Scroll Complications
Crafting a scroll is a solitary task, unlikely to attract much attention. The complications that arise are more likely to involve the preparation needed to scribe a scroll.

Typically the DM will roll to determine if there is a complication, but Players are more than welcome to. Only the DM will determine what the complications are.

*Might involve a foil

Selling a Magic Item Complications
The greatest risk in selling a magic item lies in attracting thieves, tricksters, and anyone else who wants the item but doesn’t want to pay for it. Other folk might try to undermine a deal in order to bolster their own business or seek to discredit the characters as legitimate sellers.

Typically the DM will roll to determine if there is a complication, but Players are more than welcome to. Only the DM will determine what the complications are.

*Might involve a foil

Shopping Complications
Of course, being about and shopping can have some complications - usually none life threatening. You may accidentally offend a shop owner, they may be out of stock of the specific item you came for, etc.

Typically the DM will roll to determine if there is a complication, but Players are more than welcome to. Only the DM will determine what the complications are.

*Might involve a foil

Training Complications
Complications that arise while training typically involve the teacher.

Typically the DM will roll to determine if there is a complication, but Players are more than welcome to. Only the DM will determine what the complications are.

*Might involve a foil

Work Complications
Work is rarely filled with enough complications to alter a character’s life significantly. Still, the Work Complications table can add some difficulties to a worker’s life. There is a 10 percent chance per workweek that a character encounters a complication.

Typically the DM will roll to determine if there is a complication, but Players are more than welcome to. Only the DM will determine what the complications are.

*Might involve a foil