Gothic: The Lion Age offers a Downtime system to allow players to describe their character’s primary activities between games and supplement the story presented at each game.  Participating in the Downtime system is completely optional.

During the period between games, any player character that is Well Fed, having consumed 1 Meat, 2 Vegetables or 1 appropriate cooked item will have one Downtime Action that describes what they are spending the majority of their time on during that Chapter. 

Downtimes are intended to be simple and easy to submit. Downtime options will be primarily based on Landmarks. Some Landmarks will have requirements.  Often these will be skill levels or specific techniques required to benefit from a chosen Landmark. Downtimes can be submitted as a Ticket using the following basic format.

1) Type of Action.  From the list of Actions below, choose one.
2) Details.  If you are performing a crafting action, list out your skill level, Effort expenditures, materials used, tools used, expected results, etc. Bring all used items with you to Check-In to exchange for your results. If you are performing a Gathering action, list your relevant skill level and expected results.  Note that Supply items will not be given as tags, and will instead remain at the settlement they’re gathered at until transported.  If you are going somewhere, list the location and what you hope to accomplish there.

Settlements connected by Paths are considered to be in the same Reich, allowing characters to freely take actions at all connected settlements.  Taking actions outside the established Reich requires Survival 2.

Downtime Actions will be processed in the order most beneficial to players, usually gathering at Key Landmarks, then Transport, then Construction.

Performing certain actions, passing through hazardous provinces, or settlements being Raided, may incur a roll on the Risk tables.  Risk will never lead to offscreen character death, but may cause injuries, negative statuses, or Flaws to be aggravated at the next event.  Risk can be mitigated with a Horse for normal dangers.  A Warhorse, usually used by knights, also mitigates Risk from warfare dangers.

Downtime Actions occur after all Influence expenditures during a particular Chapter.  This means, for example, that any Landmark constructed during one Chapter may not be staffed and utilized until the next Chapter.  Newly constructed Public Landmarks will be populated during the Influence Phase. Exact due dates will vary depending on the game.

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Engage: The simplest and most open-ended downtime action, Engage allows you to tell us how your character spends their time between forums.  This is valuable to us because it can tell us what you’re most interested in, give us insight into your character, or allow us to provide story hooks or steering.  The Engage action can be used for anything from relaxing with your family to doing charity work to plotting dark deeds.  If there isn’t another Downtime action describing what you’d like to be doing, use Engage.  Engage downtime actions may receive a hook or steering response from staff, though that shouldn’t be expected.  

Wage War: If you’ve Waged War as part of warfare resolution at the most recent event, then you have already declared you’re using this downtime action. You do not need to submit anything further if you’ve Waged War.  Waging War always includes Risk for all battles engaged in.

Labor: Construction Provided the appropriate Supply materials exist in the settlement or site, you may construct a new Landmark or upgrade an existing one.  The Landmark is complete once the correct number of Labor actions is used on it, and that Landmark is active for the next Chapter. 

Transport: This downtime action allows a character to move one Supply from one settlement to another settlement or location.  More than one Supply may be moved using various modifiers, such as access to a draft horse and wagon.. Transport Actions will be processed after Landmark Actions in their place of origin. 

Scout: With Survival 2, the character may travel to a distant hex in the Theater and survey all Landmarks, points of interest and armies within that hex. Unless specifically requested in the downtime submission scouting information will be public and placed on the website. The character that scouts may select and in theme name for the parcel. The scouting character may suffer Risk for every hex passed through.

Labor: Loot/Bury By traveling to the location of a charnel field, the character may choose to either loot one present Military Supply, search for valuable personal equipment, or respectfully bury one unit of the dead.  Looting a charnel field requires a draft horse and wagon.  Mithrihim Battliefield Ceremonies allow the priest to bury all dead present in a province with a single action. Warrior and Minion units commanded by Warlords do not leave behind enough uniform equipment to be used as Military Supply, but valuable personal equipment can still be found.

Location Action: From the list of Location Actions, choose one.  Note any required skill levels.

Instruct: You may spend your Downtime instructing one other character who is taking the Learn Downtime on one Study, Ritual, Theorem or Rare Technique. 

Learn: You may spend your Downtime learning a Study, Ritual, Theorem or Rare Technique from another character who is using the Instruct Downtime or a Theorem, Ritual or Technique from a Tome, Grimoire or Sacred Text you possess the skill to Reference. You must fulfill all prerequisites for the item being taught.  If it is a Study, you gain the Study without experience point expenditure.