There are two categories of action for the Downtime, one for players, and a supplementary one for the Faction Commander and their delegates. The Downtime throughout the Chronicle is divided into 12 Phases, with 2 between each Chapter game.
The island of Avyrnas is divided into territories, and each action is linked to a territory. Each territory has a terrain type, the possibility of a notable location, and up to 3 resource sites. It also has a risk factor that can change over the course of the Chronicle. Each Phase, a territory will have a Risk Factor assigned - No Risk, Low Risk, Moderate Risk, or High Risk.
A territory can be uncontrolled, or controlled by a player or NPC faction. Territories controlled by other factions are automatically one Risk Factor higher for those not of that faction. Hounds ignore this increased Risk Factor for territories controlled by other player factions.
By default, each player has 3 actions during a Downtime Phase, with a 4th action if they possess the ‘Scout’ ability, and a special additional action if they possess the ‘Retinue’ ability. These personal actions should be submitted via the Downtime form on the website.
A personal action can be one of three things: Explore, Patrol, or Labour. The default personal action is always Labour at the Faction Stronghold territory at No Risk.
Explore
2 territories beyond an already controlled territory. Anyone
can spend 1 action to increase the range of their remaining actions by
one. Those with the ‘Scout’ ability automatically get +1 range.
Patrol
Increase Military Strength of a controlled territory. Enough
people also causes surrounding territories to be affected. The effect lasts
for two Phases.
Labour
Increase Faction Resource yield from a controlled territory.
Gain additional personal resources.
Each personal action results in an Encounter Challenge, the nature of which is determined by random rolls made by the GM team at the end of each Downtime Phase, modified by the Risk Factor and character specific modifiers, including the ‘Scout’ ability, Wits 4, and Fated effects.
Success, failure, or a marginal pass on an Encounter Challenge is determined by comparing the cumulative Combat, Arcane or Skillful Prowess of the character with the level set by the challenge.
The result of an Encounter Challenge will be displayed as the type of encounter (i.e. ‘Cultists’, or ‘Locked Chest’), the outcome (succeed, pass, or fail), and what you gained out of it (i.e. gold, injuries, information). It is up to the player to then, if they so wish, to craft the story of how that encounter played out.
Possible gains or losses out of an encounter include; allies, blessings, currency, curses, enemies, equipment points, fame/notoriety, gnosis points, information, injuries, items, special locations and more.
If other members of the player’s faction, or the Hounds faction allocate the same sort of action to a territory the player has allocated an action to, the player gains a bonus on their action outcome. The presence of at least one Hound in the territory means that the backup counts as the next level.
The presence of a warband from the player faction in a territory that player is carrying out a personal action in grants a reasonable bonus to the player’s combat prowess, and minor bonuses to arcane and skillful prowess.
The Faction Commander or their delegates have the ability to order several other types of actions during a Downtime Phase. These actions can be as extensive as the Faction has resources to carry them out. These actions should be submitted via the Faction Command form on the website.
The Warmaster is in control of the military forces of the Faction, known as the Faction Troops. These forces are organised into Warbands, each consisting of 100 soldiers and 200 support personnel.
The Faction Troops can be deployed to territories on the island, to assault, capture or defend them.
Assault
Deployment to an uncontrolled territory up to 2 territories
away from one that is already controlled by the faction. They gain a
bonus to Military Strength for any battle they fight in that territory, but
cannot capture the territory.
Capture
Deployment to an uncontrolled territory adjoining one that
is already controlled by the faction. If undefended or if they successfully
defeat any opposition, the territory is claimed by the faction
Defend
Deployment to a territory already controlled by the faction.
A warband can be either Fresh, Worn, Weary or Broken, with a base effective Military Strength of 100, 75, 50 or 25 respectively. Improved Weapons & Armour and various other enhancements can increase a warband’s Military Strength.
The presence of player characters from the Warmaster’s faction in a territory to which Faction Troops have been allocated, increases their effective Military Strength. If there is at least one Hound in the territory, the backup counts as the next level.
Each Downtime Phase, the Warmaster is expected to set the Conflict Stance between their faction and the other factions. These can be Hostile, Neutral or Allied. The default stance towards other player factions is Neutral, and to NPC factions it is Hostile.
If the warbands from two or more factions are deployed to the same territory during a Downtime Phase, there are several outcomes.
Hostile & Hostile
Battle ensues between the warbands.
Hostile & Neutral/Allied
Battle ensues between the warbands, with
the Neutral forces at a disadvantage.
Neutral/Allied & Neutral/Allied
Territory is contested and though
no battle ensues it cannot be claimed by either faction.
If a territory is already held by a faction, a warband from another faction that enters it results in several outcomes based on their faction stance.
Hostile
Battle ensues
Neutral
If the other faction is Allied, nothing happens. If it is Neutral
the territory becomes contested. If Hostile, battle ensues with the
Neutral forces at a disadvantage.
Allied
If the other faction is Hostile, as above. If Neutral or Allied, the
territory is not contested and both faction forces can support each other
in battle against other factions. Food from the faction that controls the
territory is consumed by the forces of the other faction though.
During a Downtime phase, the Spymaster can choose to use their influence to reveal the orders of Warmasters from other factions before they are carried out, or conceal the orders of their own Warmaster.
They also stand to gain information about the actions of players from their own faction and others, though this may sometimes require expenditure from the Faction Treasury.
The Governor is in charge of the Faction Resources, and can draw upon them to further develop the Faction Stronghold and outposts in controlled territories.
GM Note: Hounds count as members of all player factions for the purposes of gaining benefit from development.
Population
Made up of soldiers, craftsmen and support personnel.
Can decline over time through conflict, illness and misadventure.
Food
Required to feed Population. Does not accumulate over
Downtime Phases. Low food decreases effectiveness and reduces
population, while excess food increases effectiveness.
Livestock
These generate additional Food, or can be slaughtered for
more food.
Weapons & Armour
Allows support personnel to be converted into
soldiers, and enhances Military Strength of warbands.
Raw Materials
Used for developing the Faction Stronghold and its
outposts. Deterioration means that some is naturally lost during each
Downtime Phase.
Tools
Allows support personnel to be converted into craftsmen, and
increases production of Wealth & Luxuries.
Wealth & Luxuries
Increases happiness of Population and contributes
to success of the faction at the conclusion of the Chronicle. Deterioration
means that some is naturally lost during each Downtime Phase.
Athaeneum
All members of a player faction that use a personal action
for Labour in their Faction Stronghold gain an additional 2 Gnosis
points during that Downtime Phase. This bonus stacks.
Barracks
Increases the Military Strength of Faction Troops overall.
Deep Water Port - Protects naval vessels from harsh seas and enhances
maritime trade.
Farm
Generates Food and shelters Livestock.
Foundry
Generates Weapons & Armour from Raw Materials by
Craftsman.
Granary
Stores some of any excess Food from one Downtime Phase
to the next.
Guild House
Generates Wealth and Luxuries.
Palisade
Increases the Military Strength of Faction Troops deployed to
Defend the Faction Stronghold.
Reinforced Defences
Significantly increases the Military Strength of
Faction Troops deployed to Defend the Faction Stronghold.
Shipyard
Allows the construction of new naval vessels and the repair
of existing ones.
Temple
Improves the overall morale of the Population. All members
of a player faction that use a personal action in their Faction Stronghold
have a chance of becoming Fated.
Warehouse
Stores Raw Materials and Wealth and Luxuries and
reduces their deterioration.
Workshop
Increases the production of Wealth and Luxuries from Raw
Materials by craftsmen.
Archaeological Dig-site
All members of a player faction that use a
personal action for Labour in a territory with an Archaeological Digsite
gain an additional 1 Gnosis points that Downtime Phase, and have
a chance to discover Hidden Abilities or Knowledges. This bonus stacks.
Coastal Hamlet
Generates additional Food. All members of a player
faction that use a personal action for Labour in a territory with a Coastal
Hamlet have a chance of obtaining Equipment Points as salvage.
Fort
All members of a player faction that use a personal action in a
territory with a Fort, or one that neighbours it have the Risk Factor
reduced. Faction Troops assigned to defend a territory with a Fort have
their Military Strength increased. Faction Troops assigned to assault or
capture a territory neighbouring one with a Fort in it have their Military
Strength increased.
Ley-line Locus
All spellcasters within the Faction gain an additional
+1 to their mana total. This bonus stacks if multiple Loci are held by the
Faction.
Lumber Mill
Generates additional Raw Materials. All members of a
player faction that use a personal action for Labour in a territory with a
Lumber Mill have a chance of obtaining lesser or greater environmental
reagents if they possess the ‘Forager’ ability.
Sacred Grove
All members of a player faction that use a personal
action for Labour in a territory with a Sacred Grove have a chance of
obtaining lesser or greater environmental reagents if they possess the
‘Forager’ ability, and have a chance to discover Hidden elixir or spell
Knowledges.
Shrine
Increases the overall effectiveness of any Raw Material
generation in the territory, and increases the Military Strength of Faction
Troops deployed to Defend the territory. All members of a player faction
that use a personal action in a territory with a Shrine have a chance of
becoming Fated.
Mine
Generates additional Raw Materials. All members of a player
faction that use a personal action for Labour in a territory with a Mine
have a chance of obtaining rare ores if they possess the ‘Prospector’
ability.
Watchtower
All members of a player faction that use a personal action
in a territory with a Watchtower have the Risk Factor reduced. Faction
Troops assigned to defend a territory with a Watchtower have their
Military Strength increased.
The Paymaster is in charge of the Faction Treasury, which at the commencement of the Chronicle consists of 25,000ss. The Treasury can be used by the Paymaster to outfit Faction players they choose with any equipment other than the Angels Hair reagent.
At the end of each Downtime Phase, the Treasury will be recalculated based on income and expenditure dependant on Warmaster, Spymaster and Governor actions. After commencement of the Chronicle, lesser and greater environmental reagents cannot be purchased straight off the equipment list, and must be found in-game or acquired through some other means.
The Paymaster is responsible for setting how much the Population earn each Downtime Phase, and how much each player earns. Good management of the finances will improve the morale of the faction while preventing the Faction Treasury from running dry.