Downtime

Downtime

Downtime is the time that passes in the world between events, as opposed to Uptime, which is what happens in an Interactive or Linear. Your characters are busy people, and when not at the bar their Faction will have plenty of work for them. You do have the option to specify one Major Action and a few Minor Actions that your character attempts during Downtime. Downtime actions are not guaranteed to succeed; you will be told the results before the next interactive.

You may only submit a Downtime if your character was played during that week.

Please state your downtimes concisely. Descriptive passages are interesting and often appreciated, but the refs have limited reading time. The Refs reserve the right to veto downtime actions that they cannot swiftly understand. If you would like to submit a long-form action, we'd appreciate a short summary at the top. All mechanical decisions will be made on the summary, not the fiction.

Any items you receive in your Downtime will be specifically defined by the Refs, and you should pick up the appropriate Ribbons and/or Cards from them at the Interactive.

How do I send in my Downtime?

You may submit your downtime here

• Please do not email in downtimes, we are managing them via a spreadsheet.
• Please include anything we may need to know about from the Interactive.
• Definitely include any drugs your PC took. They are rip-open lammies with a description on the outside, and will say to tell the Refs.

Downtime Actions

Major Actions

Major actions are things you plan to do. Things that affect the world around your PC, have a chance to fail or not go to plan, or require a detailed response from the Refs. For example, although researching a subject in your Embassy’s archives might not affect anyone else, the Refs will have to write up the information for you, so it’s a Major Action.

Examples of Major Actions:

• Crafting an Item. You may craft any number of items in Uptime, this is mostly for if you want to make things in secret.
• Casting a couple of rituals. You may not improvise Rituals in Downtime.
• Research on one specific topic.
• Espionage.
• Exploration.
• Trying to buy a rare or unusual item.
• Anything unusual that the Refs have to think about.

Anyone can spend money when trying to get information, especially on other Factions, to improve their ability to do so. The more money the better.

Minor Actions

Minor actions are things the refs need to know. Stuff that can for the most part just happen, and to which the Refs can reply “okay, noted”.

Examples include:

• Using Trade 1 to plant a rumour.
• Buying a Talisman or Magical Equipment of L1 or L2.
• Sending a letter.
• Requesting an specific NPC meet with you in uptime (you are not guaranteed a response).
• Actions that are purely roleplay “I get drunk with that PC, I pray at my temple”, etc.
• If the Refs feel a Minor Action is really a major action, they will inform you to chose it or your Major Action.
• Ears to the Ground: Spending 16D will get you an extra rumour in your DT.
• Additional Rumours: Those who can spread rumours (Trade 1) may spend 32D per extra rumour to spread extra rumour, &/or 32D to increase the spreading of all their rumours.
• Healing: As well as automatically healing 2 Wound levels after the interactive, those wishing not to attempt to be healed in uptime can spend 16D per Wound level getting healing.

Spending XP

Characters gain 1 XP per week. Characters that are played in a given week for more than half an hour gain an additional 1 XP.

This means if you are eligible to submit a downtime that week, your PC earned 2XP.

If you want to buy a new Skill, please submit that on your Downtime.

Doing nothing

No Flag, No Country is a Live-Action Roleplaying Game, not a play by email RPG. If you don’t want to submit a downtime, that’s fine!