The Dawnlands and her cities are a melting pot of interesting people and, to the silver-tongued adventurer, a resource to be used! Drinking in dive bars, Attending a masquerade ball, kicking back for a game of chess with the locals or catching a fight at the local fight pit, there are plenty of opportunities to meet new people in the DT safe zones during downtime.
Some examples of carousing could be rowdy partying in the local dive bars (Lower class), buying drinks or enjoying a game of Dragonchess with the patrons of some of the better establishments in town (Middle class), or attending a high profile event and rubbing shoulders with the nobles in town (Upper class).
The motives and scenario of the character should be considered when deciding what this activity is. In any case, this can provide a great opportunity for narrative developments.
Carousing can always be done in Daring Heights, Fort Ettin, or Port Ffirst. Lower-class and Middle-class Carousing can always be done in Stoneleaf or New Hillborrow.
With DTDM agreement, Carousing can be done anywhere there's a suitable population or temporary gathering to provide the necessary social opportunities.
Making new friends and earning a favour takes time and practice. Characters wishing to do so can spend either 1 Light DTA or 1 Taxing DTA slot to carry out this DTA and try to gain contacts. A Contact is an NPC you have met while carousing who, through some means, is now friendly towards you and will provide you with a favour. Only 1 Light DTA slot per DT week can be spent for the Carousing DTA.
Depending on the class of people characters choose to carouse amongst, see the Carousing Class table to determine the cost in gold that will be required to complete this activity. The cost is halved if only 1 Light DTA slot is being spent. This cost reflects the various expenses associated with the activity and can be narratively described in numerous ways such as buying a few rounds of drinks in the local dive bar, getting tickets to a show or even buying gifts for your potential new contacts.
Class | Cost | Modifier for Contact |
Lower | 10gp | +1 |
Middle | 50gp | +2 |
Upper | 200gp | +3 |
Once you have decided what class you will carouse with and paid the necessary costs, characters will need to roll a Charisma (Persuasion) Check to see how successful their efforts have been. If a Taxing DTA slot was spent, add a +2 bonus to the roll.
Check Total | Result |
1-8 | Character has made one hostile contact |
9-13 | Character has made no contacts |
14-18 | Character has made one allied contact |
19-21 | Character has made two allied contacts |
22+ | Character has made three allied contacts |
Characters carrying out this DTA with a trained pet might gain extra benefits. See the commands descriptions in the Pet Training section for details.
Carousing Restrictions
Not just anybody is allowed into the kind of establishment that the Upper class entertain themselves in! While Lower and Middle class Carousing can be undertaken by all characters, Upper class is normally only available to Characters with the Noble background.
You may, however, be able to Carouse with the Upper class if the DTDMs rule you have made sufficient contacts or you can attempt to use a Disguise Kit and your Deception skill to pass yourself off as a visiting noble for the chance.
Contacts a character makes are NPCs who are now bonded to the character. Allied contacts view the character in a good light and will be willing to aid them in some way but will stop short of putting themselves in danger. Hostile contacts bear a grudge against the character for some reason and will attempt to hinder them in the future but will stop short of actually committing a crime.
Allied contacts can be used in a few ways. Some other Downtime Activities a character may wish to undertake can be aided by contacts by requesting their help to provide a small bonus to the relevant checks of that activity. The amount of bonus provided depends on the class of contact, as detailed in the Contact Class table. Alternatively, Contacts may also be used to help further narrative development.
Characters may have a total number of allied contacts equal to their Charisma Modifier (Minimum 1). Any additional allied contacts made are after reaching this maximum number are lost. Hostile contacts do not count towards this limit.
At the discretion of the DTDMs, some backgrounds may provide advantage or provide +1 to the maximum number of contacts a character is allowed (eg., the Ear to the Ground background feature).
Sometimes the best intentions just don’t work out. A character risks getting into complicated situations while carousing. Every 1 Light DTA slot spent carousing brings a 5% chance of a complication. Every 1 Taxing DTA slot spent carousing brings a 10% chance of a complication. If a character does incur in a complication, you can use the Complications table for the respective contact class to determine what has happened.
d6 | Complication |
1 | You have agreed to take on a noble’s debts, worth 10d10 x 5 gp |
2 | You have been challenged to a joust by a knight. If you refuse, you lose any contacts you have in that city and can not gain any new contacts for 1d4 weeks. If you accept, you will make three competing checks against |
3 | You have made a foe out of a local noble. Your next DTA roll will be at disadvantage as they actively try to interfere with your activities.* |
4 | A boring noble insists you visit each day and listen to long, tedious theories of magic. You lose your next available Taxing DTA slot while visiting them. |
5 | You have become the target of a variety of embarrassing rumours. The next DTA you carry out in town will suffer a −2 modifier while people still talk about it. |
6 | You have a little too much to drink and make poor decisions. You realise you have spent an additional 200 gp trying to impress people. |
*Might involve a rival.
d6 | Complication |
1 | A social gaffe has made you the talk of the town.* |
2 | A particularly obnoxious person has taken an interest in you. Your next DTA Check will be at disadvantage as they continually interfere and obstruct you. |
3 | You have made a foe out of a local spellcaster.* |
4 | You have been recruited to help run a local festival, play, or similar event. You lose your next available Taxing DTA slot while you help with the planning. |
5 | You made a drunken toast that scandalized the locals. The next DTA you carry out in town will suffer a −2 modifier while people still talk about it. |
6 | You spent an extra 100 gp trying to impress people. |
*Might involve a rival
d6 | Complication |
1 | A pickpocket lifts 1d10 × 5 gp from you.* |
2 | A bar brawl leaves you with a scar.* |
3 | You are banned from a tavern for obnoxious behavior.* |
4 | Surprise! You’re married. |
5 | Streaking naked through the streets seemed like a great idea at the time. The next DTA you carry out in town will suffer a −2 modifier while people still talk about it. |
6 | Everyone is calling you by some embarrassing nickname, like Puddle Drinker or Bench Slayer, and no one will say why.* |
*Might involve a rival