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Downtime

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What the party does between crawls. Pick a character, pick an activity, pay for it, roll the check, and read the result.

The Downtime window with Cursed Scroll 6 unlocked and a character selected: the
source, character and Roll with pickers across the header, then Spiritualism,
Skulduggery, Martial Training and Magical Research, each row showing its ability
chip, DC, fee and an Attempt button


Opening Downtime

Route How
Forge & Loot menu Click Forge & Loot on the crawl bar, then Downtime
API game.shadowdarkEnhancer.downtime.open()

As GM, you can open Downtime at any time.

Players can open Downtime only while a session is running. Outside a session, players see There's no downtime session running right now. During an active session, players also get an Open Downtime button directly on the announcement card in chat.

A player's window lists only the characters they own. The GM window lists the entire party.


Running downtime at the table

Downtime runs in two modes:

  • Session mode (recommended): Run downtime as a table. Every player picks their own activity and rolls their own dice simultaneously.
  • Solo mode: Drive the whole party one character at a time as GM.

Starting a table session

  1. Open the Downtime window as GM.
  2. Select your imported book in the Source dropdown.
  3. Click Start session on the banner.

Starting the session pins that book for everyone and posts a Downtime card to chat with an Open Downtime button for your players.

Phase 1: Choosing

While the session is in the choosing phase:

  • Every activity row displays a Choose button and reveals its full unlocked outcome text. Players can read what an activity does before picking.
  • Players pick one activity. Picking flags that row as Chosen.
  • Players select their advantage state (Advantage, Normal, or Disadvantage) under Roll with before clicking Choose. This records their choice so you can see who claimed what before dice roll.
  • Players see waiting for the GM to unlock the dice.

A player's window mid-session: their own character only, every row carrying a
Choose button and its outcome text, the chosen row marked Chosen, and a status
strip reading "You chose Spiritual strengthening (Advantage) — waiting for the GM
to unlock the dice"

Phase 2: Rolling

Once the party has made their choices:

  1. Click Lock & unlock dice in the GM control panel.
  2. Player picks freeze, and their buttons swap to Roll it.
  3. Each player clicks Roll it to roll their check.

You can click Re-open picks at any point if someone needs to change their selection.

How dice and security work

  • Player dice roll locally: Checks run on the player's client with their own dice settings, 3D dice, and roll history.
  • Server authentication: Picks and rolls travel over Foundry's authenticated user-query channel. The GM client verifies character ownership directly from the server before writing anything.
  • One-shot tokens: Each pick generates a single-use token that the roll message must return. Old rolls or rolls from other characters are rejected.
  • Authoritative settlement: The GM client reads the total from the chat message, verifies the DC and fees against the module rules, deducts coin, and applies outcomes.

The GM control panel

During an active session, the GM window displays a live status panel (for example, 2 chosen · 1 rolled) with a row for each character:

Control What it does
Lock & unlock dice Closes picking phase and unlocks Roll it buttons for players
Re-open picks Returns the session to the picking phase
Clear Clears one character's pick so they can choose again
Roll for Rolls on behalf of an absent player (marked as (rolled by the GM) in chat)
End session Closes the session for everyone and disables the chat card

Ending a session changes the chat card to Downtime ended.


Running downtime solo

Outside an active session, you can drive downtime directly as GM.

  1. Select the character in the header.
  2. Set Roll with if applying Advantage or Disadvantage for this attempt.
  3. Click Attempt on the desired activity row.

When you click Attempt, the module executes these steps in order:

  1. Deducts the fee: Coin leaves the character's purse immediately.
  2. Rolls the check: The d20 check is rolled against the active DC.
  3. Updates the DC ladder: Failures step the DC down; successes reset it.
  4. Posts the chat card: Displays the roll breakdown, result, fee, and rules reminder.

Every card includes the reminder:

Luck tokens cannot be spent on downtime checks.

Applying Renown and XP solo

When resolving activities outside a session, mechanical awards are not applied silently. Result cards show manual action buttons:

Activity slot Button What it writes
Gain favor with church Apply system.renown +1
Spiritual strengthening Apply system.level.xp +2
Start a rumor +1 or −1 system.renown on chosen character

Renown updates route through the shared renown ledger. Rumors include a dropdown to select which party member gains or loses renown.

Awarded XP updates system.level.xp without modifying system.level.value.


What a success does

In a table session, successful checks apply their effects automatically. In solo mode, result cards provide buttons to apply them.

Immediate outcomes

These outcomes apply directly without extra choices:

Activity slot Result applied
Gain favor with church +1 renown
Start a rumor ±1 renown on the selected character
Spiritual strengthening +2 XP (flags Level-up is ready if crossing 10 XP)
Extortion: 25% price swing Arms a one-shot 25% discount or bonus in Merchant Shop
ADV on next scroll check Active Effect: Downtime Research: next scroll
ADV on next three spells Active Effect: Downtime Research: next three spells (3 uses)
Create Potion of Healing Adds Potion of Healing directly to inventory

Advantage buffs create standard Active Effects on the actor.

Outcomes requiring a choice

The result card prompts you with interactive buttons. Unavailable options are greyed out with hover explanations:

Activity slot Prompt Notes
+1 hit or damage Choose weapon and bonus type Stamped on weapon item
+1 hit and damage Choose weapon Stamped on weapon item
Step up damage die Choose weapon Caps at d12; max 2 steps per weapon
New weapon / armor step Choose gear type Creates descriptive Training: <name> Talent
Create scroll (tier ≤3) Choose known spell Creates scroll item
Create wand (tier ≤3) Choose known spell Refused if unbroken wand already carried
Create a listed potion Choose potion type Creates potion item
Trade a known spell Choose spell to drop and replace Swaps known spells at same tier
End one curse Choose active curse Clears flagged curse effect

If a character trains in equipment not found in your compendium packs, use the Not listed? Type it: box to enter custom names up to 60 characters.

Table-adjudicated outcomes

Outcomes with no automated rules (such as Lay Low, Hide Out, committing crimes, talent rerolls, or unflagged curses) print instructions for GM adjudication.

The extortion price swing

A successful Extortion: 25% price swing applies to that character's next Merchant Shop transaction:

  • Purchases cost 25% less.
  • Sales earn 25% more.

The swing is consumed only when a transaction completes. Failed purchases leave it armed.


The activities & DC ladder

The DC ladder

Every downtime DC follows this shared ladder:

9 · 12 · 15 · 18 · 20

  • Failure steps down: A failed attempt lowers that slot's DC by one rung for the character's next attempt.
  • Success resets: A successful attempt resets that slot back to its printed base DC.
  • Clear DC progress: Resets all DC ladder steps for the active character.

As GM, use the and + buttons beside any DC to adjust credit manually.

Spiritualism

All checks roll WIS.

Slot Check Cost / Reward
Gain favor with church WIS DC 9 Free · +1 renown
Spiritual strengthening WIS DC 12 Free · +2 XP
Reroll a talent roll WIS DC 15 Paid
End one curse WIS DC 18 Paid

Skulduggery

Deceptions roll CHA; theft and physical crimes roll DEX.

Slot Check Cost / Reward
Start a rumor CHA DC 9 Free · ±1 renown
Lay low (minor crime) CHA DC 12 Free
Extortion: 25% price swing CHA DC 15 Free · 25% shop price swing
Hide out (major crime) CHA DC 18 Free
Commit a minor crime DEX DC 15 Paid (CS6) / Free (WR)
Commit a major crime DEX DC 18 Paid

Martial Training

Tiered by class hit die (d4, d6, d8+). All checks roll INT/STR/DEX (highest modifier selected by default). All slots are paid.

Tier Slot Check
d4 +1 hit or damage INT/STR/DEX DC 15
d4 New weapon (d6 max) INT/STR/DEX DC 18
d6 +1 hit and damage INT/STR/DEX DC 12
d6 New weapon or armor step INT/STR/DEX DC 15
d8+ New armor or weapon INT/STR/DEX DC 9
d8+ +1 hit and damage INT/STR/DEX DC 12
d8+ Step up damage die INT/STR/DEX DC 15

Anyone can change the Training tier dropdown to view other tiers. Players cannot attempt tiers outside their class.

Magical Research

Visible only to characters recognized as spellcasters.

Subsection Slot Check Cost
INT or CHA ADV on next scroll check Spellcasting DC 12 Free
INT or CHA Create scroll (tier ≤3) Spellcasting DC 15 Paid
INT or CHA Create a listed potion Spellcasting DC 15 Paid
INT or CHA Create wand (tier ≤3) Spellcasting DC 20 Paid
WIS or CHA ADV on next three spells Spellcasting DC 12 Free
WIS or CHA Create scroll (tier ≤3) Spellcasting DC 15 Paid
WIS or CHA Trade a known spell Spellcasting DC 15 Paid
WIS or CHA Create Potion of Healing Spellcasting DC 18 Paid

Charisma casters toggle between Arcane and Divine lists using the Spell list: buttons.


Unlocking activities from your book

The module provides activity skeletons, DCs, and costs. Full outcome text must be imported from your copy of Cursed Scroll 6 or Western Reaches Players Guide.

The Downtime window with nothing imported: one dashed card per book, each with
its title, a page chip, the line explaining the activities are not included, and
an Unlock via Importer button

Importing via Importer Hub

  1. Click Unlock via Importer on the locked book card (or open Importer Hub and set Importing to Downtime).
  2. Select your Book (Cursed Scroll 6 or Western Reaches Players Guide).
  3. Paste the full spread pages into the text box and click Parse.
  4. Click Unlock outcomes to save.

Pastes require specific sub-headings to match entries correctly:

Activity Required sub-heading line
Martial Training Tier line: d4. INT, STR, or DEX Check (one per tier)
Magical Research Section line: INT or CHA Spellcasters / WIS or CHA Spellcasters
Skulduggery Check line: CHA Check or DEX Check

Importing replaces stored text for that book. If you ever need to re-import, paste the full spread.


Sources & costs

Source Pages Attempt cost
Cursed Scroll 6 26–27 10 gp × character level
Western Reaches Players Guide 234–235 50 gp flat
  • Fees are charged per attempt, win or lose.
  • Characters without enough gold cannot select paid activities.
  • Fees log to the Session Recap under purchases.

The downtime log

Downtime records attempts in two locations:

  1. Session Recap: The Session Recap Downtime tab groups attempts by player with attempt counts and costs. Exports directly to Discord markdown.
  2. Downtime Log Journal: A permanent journal entry (Downtime Log) created at the root of your Journal directory, ordered by day with newest attempts first.

Data storage reference

Data Storage location
Unlocked text downtimeContent world setting
Active session state downtimeSession world setting
DC ladder progress flags["shadowdark-enhancer"].downtime.steps on actor
Caster list choice flags["shadowdark-enhancer"].downtime.casterList on actor
Extortion price swing flags["shadowdark-enhancer"].downtimeExtortion on actor
Weapon training history flags["shadowdark-enhancer"].downtimeTraining on weapon
Permanent log Downtime Log JournalEntry

Troubleshooting

The window displays only locked cards.
You have not imported downtime text yet. Click Unlock via Importer and paste the downtime pages from your book.

\"Your GM's Foundry tab needs a reload before downtime actions can land.\"
The GM's active Foundry tab is running an older session script. Have the GM refresh their browser tab (F5 or Ctrl+R).

\"There's no downtime session running right now.\"
A player attempted to open Downtime outside an active session. Start a session from the GM window.

A player cannot see the \"Roll it\" button.
The GM has not clicked Lock & unlock dice. The player must wait until picks are locked.

A player was absent for downtime.
Use Roll for in the GM control panel to execute their attempt. The chat message will record (rolled by the GM).

\"You don't own that character.\"
Foundry verified that the user sending the action is not assigned Owner permissions for that actor. Assign character ownership in Foundry user config.

A choice button is greyed out.
The character cannot take that specific reward (for example, a weapon already has that training bonus, or damage is already stepped to d12). Hover over the button to see the exact reason.


Related: Importer Hub · Merchant Shop · Session Recap · Party XP · Crawl Strip & Crawl Bar