HOW TO PLAY   ⟩  DOWNTIME 

Endeavors, A–Z

← Downtime Endeavors  ✧  Heroes →

Endeavors are presented in alphabetical order. An * asterisk next to an endeavor’s lore means you also need the item, aircraft, or creature associated with the lore. 

Balloon Work

Required Lore: Balloons
Helpful Lore: Civilization, Crafting, Path of Air, Scrolls of the Sorcerer, Wisdom of Adod

You can convert 𐤇 resources to ◈ work on any project in this endeavor. 

Hot-Air Balloon   |   ◈  1

You build a hot-air balloon, which can immediately be put to work to help with other endeavors.

Balloon Repairs   |   ◈  1+

Restore 4 structure per 1◈ work. 

Lift Resources   |   ◈  2+

Requires working balloon. Convert 2◈ work to 1𐤇 resource. 

City Defense

Required Lore: Tactics
Helpful Lore: Civilization, Crafting, Politics, The Sling, The Bow, The Sword, The Spear, The Atlatl, The Mace, The Panoply, The Shield, The Stone, Wrestling

Citadel   |   ◈  32

You fortify a hill or construct an earthen tower that overlooks the settlement. This citadel’s battlement provides high ground and cover, and defenders can position themselves in thresholds as they like. You can also mount siege engines atop the citadel. If a citadel or similar structure already exists in the settlement but has fallen into ruin or disuse, you can expend 8◈ to repair it.

Clever Fortification   |   ◈  8

Requires Citadel. You gain a stratagem (see Mastermind calling) that can only be sprung on or around the citadel. You can only have as many citadel stratagems active as the highest Intellect score of this endeavor’s participants. 

Sparring Practice   |   ◈  8

You reduce the XP cost of a martial ability by 1. This ability must come from the Tactics lore or a Strength-based lore that you or someone else participating in this endeavor knows. Only heroes who participate in this endeavor can benefit from the ability’s reduced XP cost. If you spar with a militia fighter (see below), you can teach them a lore you know associated with this endeavor. 

Train Militia   |   ◈  8

You train a commoner to become a militia fighters. Militia fighters use the Kananite soldier statblock, with the following changes: 
  • They don’t have armor.
  • They don’t carry straightswords.
  • Their spears and light shields are shoddy. 
Name each militia fighter you train. The fighters know The Panoply lore or another Strength-based lore of your choice, but can’t contribute to this endeavor until the next downtime. If you’d like to train non-commoner NPCs to become militia fighters, or equip them with other weapons and armor you have on hand, work with your Guide to determine their stats. The militia won’t leave the settlement. Either you or the Guide can control them. 

Commerce

Required Lore: Trade
Helpful Lore: Balloons,* Civilization, Crafting, Politics, Skyremes,* The Cloak

Market   |   ◈  16

Must be on a settlement. You oversee the construction of a permanent market. If a market or similar district already exists in the settlement but has fallen into disrepair, you can expend 4◈ to repair it.With a functioning market, the following items become available for purchase with credit: 
  • Armaments worth 1𐤑
  • Books of Forms and Glyphs
  • Gifts worth 1–3𐤑
Limited stock. Each time an item is purchased, roll a d6. On a 1, that item is out of stock until the next downtime. 

Arms Dealer   |   ◈  16

Requires Market. You send out trading delegations, call in favors, or find some other way to make more advanced weapons and armor available for purchase. You can now purchase any armament or armor with a credit cost. Limited stock. Each time an armament or armor worth 2𐤑 or more is purchased, roll a d4. On a 1, that item is out of stock until the next downtime.

Magitech Dealer   |   ◈  16

Requires Market. You send out trading delegations, call in favors, or find some other way to get a supply of Mazrian devices. You can now purchase any such device, along with dark and light crystals. Limited stock. Each time a crystal is purchased, roll a d8. On a 1, the crystal is out of stock until the next downtime. Each time a Mazrian device is purchased, roll a d4. On a 1, that item is out of stock forever. 

Liquidity   |   ◈  1+

Generate 1𐤑 imperial credit per 1◈ work.

Festival

Required Lore: Trade
Helpful Lore: Balloons,* Civilization, Crafting, Politics, Skyremes,* The Cloak

You organize a celebration of civic life with a list of attractions as diverse as the settlement’s inhabitants. 

Good Cheer   |   ◈  8

All characters in the settlement gain +1 point of overflow spirit. This overflow is special: it stacks with other sources of overflow spirit. You can gain additional points of this special overflow spirit, but you must expend work separately for each point, and the cost doubles for each additional point (◈16 for a second point, ◈32 for a third, and so on).

Good Food   |   ◈  2

Someone at the festival poured their heart into cooking up this tasty treat, which they give to you. While not in combat, you can eat this item to regain +1 spirit. 

Arts and Crafts   |   ◈  2+

Convert 2◈ work to 1𐤇 resource. 

Foraging

Required Lore: Forestcliffs
Helpful Lore: Ancient Cylinder,* Ancient Rod,* Balloons,* Riding* 

You must undertake this endeavor on an island or another large structure in the Skysea with useful resources. It doesn’t have to be populated. This straightforward endeavor is an efficient way to generate resources for crafting and other endeavors. 

Gather Resources   |   ◈  1+

Generate 1𐤇 resource per 1◈ work.

Governance

Required Lore: Politics
Helpful Lore: Civilization

You must undertake this endeavor on a settlement. You don’t have to rule the settlement, but you can’t be in hiding from its de facto rulers. 

Civic Virtue   |   ◈  6+

You host discourse in the town square on the nature of civics, law, and the duties of rulers and citizens to one another. Choose one of your ideals. You gain a civic die, a d6, which is associated with this ideal.If you invoke this ideal while in the settlement, the civic die works as a second advantage die, along with the ideal die awarded by the Guide. Roll both dice along with your action die and use the highest result. Other heroes and NPCs who invoke this ideal while in the settlement also benefit from the civic die in the same way. If a character doesn’t have the ideal in question, they can take -1 spirit and roll the civic die for advantage. You can increase the civic die by one “step” with additional work equal to the new size of the die. For example, increasing the die from a d6 to a d8 requires 8◈ work. Increasing it again to a d10 requires 10◈ work. You can’t increase the die’s size above the size of your compel die.  You can create a separate civic die for another ideal, starting at d6.

Good Cheer   |   ◈  6

You convince a commoner to become a proud citizen of the settlement. A citizen is simply a commoner that knows the Civilization lore. Name each citizen you inspire. You may also inspire other NPCs to become citizens—essentially teaching them the Civilization lore—as long as they have at least Intellect 1. Citizens won’t leave the settlement. Either you or the Guide can control them.

Taxation   |   ◈  2+

Generate 1𐤇 resource or 1𐤑 credit per 2◈ work.

Production

Required Lore: Crafting
Helpful Lore: Civilization, Scrolls of the Sorcerer, Wisdom of Adod

This endeavor is how you and your allies craft new items. It also enables you to expand what’s possible to craft. 

Craft Item   |   ◈  1+

You create any item with a crafting cost, provided you or someone working with the crafter knows any requisite lore for the item. Expend 1 work per resource cost.You can also fully repair a broken item, restoring it to its original state. Divide the work required by 2 (rounded up). Repairing a broken sword, for example, would require 3 ÷ 2 = 2 work.

Helping Hands   |   ◈  2+

Generate 1𐤇 resource per 2◈ work.

Workshop   |   ◈  16

Must be built on a settlement. You build a workshop with spinning wheels, looms, furnaces, and casts. You can now craft textiles, bronze items, and even siege engines.If a workshop already exists in the settlement but has fallen into disrepair, you can expend 4◈ to bring it up to spec.With a functioning workshop, you can expend work (or resources which become work) to craft the following:
  • Bronze helmet, Straightsword, or Sicklesword (3◈)
  • Laminate armor, Heavy mace or Heavy shield (4◈)
  • Bronze scale armor (6◈)
  • Bronze scale coat (10◈)
  • Bronze plate armor (15◈)
Siege engines. You can also craft catapults and ballistas, described below. These large items can be placed atop a citadel (see City Defense endeavor) or mounted on a skyreme. A skyreme skiff can support only one catapult, up to three ballistas, or one catapult with two ballistas. Skyreme rams and armor. These projects, described in the Skyreme Work endeavor, require a workshop with bronze casting.

Catapult   |   ◈  8

Requires The Sling or Tactics to launch.  Actions 2 actions to prepare. Catapults fling big stones at foes or structures. A catapult has 8 Structure and 3 Toughness. Prepare. It takes two actions to prepare the catapult for launch: one to load and one to wind. These actions don’t require lore and automatically succeed. Launch. Once the catapult is prepared, make a ranged attack, but roll Maneuver instead of your Attack die to operate the engine. You must know The Sling or Tactics to launch the catapult. Area of Effect. This attack can target up to three foes standing close to one another. If you target a foe or foes aboard a balloon or skyreme, the attack also targets the aircraft.On a hit or block, add +6 to the result, and inflict -6 guard (or ×6 structural damage). Ammunition. The catapult comes with 3 stones to launch. Heroes can replenish these stones during a rest activity if the environment warrants. A stone can also be crafted with 1◈.

Ballista   |   ◈  8

Requires The Bow or Tactics to shoot.  Actions 1 actions to prepare. Ballistas shoot big spears called bolts. A ballista has 4 Structure and 3 Toughness. Prepare. Before shooting, it takes one action to load the ballista. This action doesn’t require lore and automatically succeeds. Shoot. Once loaded, make a ranged attack, but roll Maneuver instead of your Attack die to operate the engine. You must know The Bow or Tactics to shoot the ballista. On a hit or block, add +3 to the result, and inflict -3 guard (or ×3 structural damage).   Archery synergy. If you know The Bow, you can use ✪ Aim and other abilities from that lore that you know when firing the ballista—but only against objects, aircraft, and creatures of size 4 and larger. Ammunition. The ballista comes with 6 bolts to shoot. You can craft 3 additional bolts for 1◈. 

Starmetal Forge   |   ◈  32

Requires Intellect ✦✦✦. You make a magical breakthrough and discover how to forge starmetal. This silvery metal alloy is much harder and sharper than bronze, and can even be imbued with magical properties. This level of crafting is unheard of in Tel-Kanan, and even the Empire never truly mastered it. You can craft the following items: 
  • Starmetal armaments, which  have 4 more durability than their bronze counterparts and cost 1◈ more to craft.
  • You can craft a longer, deadlier sword called a starforged blade, for 4◈.
  • If you know Scrolls of the Sorcerer or work with someone who does, you can craft a repulsion amulet or a mageblade (4◈ each).

Starforged Blade   |   ◈  4

Stow Belt  Damage Lethal, -1 guard  Block +2   DR 10   Requires ✦✦✦ Strength (1H) or ✦ (2H) This magnificent sword’s blade is almost as long as a polearm, and as sharp as death. A True Sword. The blade can both cut and thrust. You can use any ability you know from The Sword lore with this weapon, as if it were a sicklesword (though it  doesn’t have the hook trait). If you know ✪ Downward Thrust or ✪ Quick Thrust from The Spear lore, you can use this blade as if it were a straightsword (though it doesn’t have the close trait). Cleave. You can take a -2 penalty to your attack to target two foes with a melee attack. Roll once for both targets. Only one of the foes can counterattack you.Breaking. If a foe blocks your blade attack, roll your brace die. If the result beats the blocking armament's durability, the blade cuts through the armament, destroying it. Otherwise, no effect. Vulnerable to breaking, lightning, and gray magic.

Resistance

Required Lore: Insurgency
Helpful Lore: Civilization, Politics, The Cloak

Tunnel  |   ◈  16

You oversee the construction of a secret tunnel linking two locations on the island together. Concealed trapdoors at both locations provide entry and egress. The tunnel itself serves as cover and a defensible threshold. You can create multiple tunnels and connect them as you like. If a tunnel already exists in the settlement but has fallen into ruin or disuse, you can expend 4◈ to repair it.

Trap  |   ◈  8

Requires Tunnel. You gain a stratagem (see Mastermind calling) that can only be sprung in the tunnel or near one of its trapdoor entrances. You can only have one stratagem active per tunnel. 

Train Rebel  |   ◈  8

You convince a commoner to join your cause and become a resistance fighter. Resistance fighters can use the Kananite rebel statblock.  If you’d like to train other NPCs to become resistance fighters, work with your Guide to determine their stats. Name each resistance fighter you train. The resistance won’t leave the settlement. Either you or the Guide can control them.

Lay of the Land  |   ◈  8

You reduce the XP cost of a resistance-focused ability by 1. This ability must come from the Insurgency lore, or another lore associated with this endeavor that you or another participant knows. Only heroes who are active in this endeavor can benefit from the ability’s reduced XP cost.If you practice getting the lay of the land with a resistance fighter you’ve trained, that fighter can learn a lore type associated with this endeavor that you know.You can get the lay of the land multiple times during downtime, but a single resistance fighter can only learn one lore per downtime.

Scholarship

Required Lore: Literacy in any writing system
Helpful Lore: Ancient Mirror, Civilization, Code of the Clay King, Deep Time, Navigation, Trade, Scrolls of the Sorcerer, Wisdom of Adod

You can convert 𐤇 resources to ◈ work, but only on the Library project.

This endeavor is all about books. Before you start, take stock of all the texts you have, and what scripts (writing systems) they’re written in—Forms, Glyphs, or Oxhouse. You’ll also want to note what scripts your heroes and their NPC allies can read. 

Lore references. Most books contain references to lore. A reference is a piece of a lore’s puzzle that, combined with other pieces, can unlock a greater understanding—for those who can read them.

Books of Forms and Books of Glyphs you find on your adventures either contain randomly-determined references (see their entries in Mundane Items), or references determined by the Guide. Finally, the Finding Faience Mazrian device can become a useful addition to your book collection, but it requires a project to “install” (see below). 

Keeping track of texts. Collecting, curating, translating, and learning from books can quickly get complicated. Use the Island Sheet to make your life easier. 

Library   |   ◈  64

Must be built on a settlement. You oversee the construction and curation of a library. Despite widespread illiteracy, Kananite settlements often have small libraries, and many are newly constructed during the Mazrian occupation. However, these libraries tend to hold only official records and bureaucratic documents. If a library has fallen into disrepair but is still structurally sound, you can expend 8◈ to organize and secure its shelves and collection.Even with a meager collection of books, a library is a useful place to study, store texts, and organize translations. A working library provides the following benefits:Lore from references. Heroes can learn lore that’s spread around multiple texts in a library. If a library has at least 2 references to a given lore, in a given script, a hero literate in that script can learn the lore asWork roll bonuses. The organized knowledge contained in a library makes work on all kinds of endeavors more effective. If a character knows a lore with library references they can read, they add the number of references as a bonus to all their work rolls involving that lore. For example, if a character knows Crafting lore and the library contains 3 references to Crafting in Glyphs, the hero adds +3 to work rolls involving Crafting—provided they can read Glyphs. These work rolls can be for any endeavor, not just Scholarship. Heroes and NPCs can benefit from this bonus.If references to a lore exist in more than one script that a character can read, the bonus only equals the largest number of references in one script, not the sum of references across scripts. 

Research Lore   |   ◈  8

Requires Library. Choose a lore for which you have at least 1 reference in a script you can read. One hero participating in this endeavor gains 1 bonus XP that can be used on any ability tied to that lore. Heroes of certain callings can also use the bonus XP on their calling abilities, as follows: 
  • Civilization: Mastermind abilities
  • Tactics: Mastermind abilities
  • Wisdom of Adod: Messenger abilities
  • Scrolls of the Sorcerer: Sorcerer abilities
  • Code of the Clay King: Arbiter abilities
You can undertake this project multiple times, but the maximum bonus XP per lore, per hero, equals the number of references to that lore that the hero can read. For example, if your library has three references to Tactics, you can expend up to 24◈ work to gain 3 bonus XP points that can be used on any Tactics ability (or any Mastermind ability, if that’s your calling).

Decipher Script   |   ◈  16

One character participating in this endeavor gains literacy in a script they don’t know. The character must have:
  • A text written in the unknown script, and 
  • A text in a script the character does read, with at least 1 lore reference in common with the mystery text.
Deciphering Oxhouse only requires 8◈ if the character speaks Shinarian. 

Translate Text   |   ◈  8

You translate any one text into any writing system known by an endeavor participant. Translating a text into Oxhouse is particularly easy if the translator speaks Shinarian, and only requires 2◈.

Install Encyclopedia   |   ◈  2

Requires Finding Faience and Scrolls of the Sorcerer lore.  Using your knowledge of high magic, you position the Finding Faience Mazrian device just so—aligning its crystal array so that it’s always charged, and its wealth of knowledge can be shared with anyone who visits the library. The Faience yields 1 reference in Glyphs for each Mazrian lore. You can now translate the Faience as if it were a Glyphs book. 

Write Book   |   ◈  8

You scribe a book on a subject or subjects you know well. Only heroes can write books, and they must write this text in a script they read. To write a book, choose 3 lore references from your known lore, and make sure to give your book a title. Alternatively, you can work with a hero or NPC and transcribe their expertise and experience. A transcribed text only has 2 lore references.  Writing a book in Oxhouse only requires 4◈ if the writer speaks Shinarian.  

Teach Scholar   |   ◈  8

You convince a commoner or another NPC to embrace erudition, learn how to read, and become a scholar. Scholars can use the Mazrian factotum statblock, adjusted for their origin, and they are literate in one script that at least one participant in the endeavor knows (which may or may not be Glyphs). If you’d like to teach other NPCs  to become scholars, work with your Guide to determine their stats. Name each scholar you teach. The scholar is incredibly reluctant to fight and eager to flee from danger, but in a pinch, either you or the Guide can control them.

Skyreme Work

Required Lore: Navigation and Skyremes
Helpful Lore: Civilization, Crafting, Forestcliffs, Scrolls of the Sorcerer, Wisdom of Adod

Build Skyreme   |   ◈  64

You oversee the construction of a skyreme skiff with 64 Structure and 4 Toughness. Name the ship as you like.If you later undertake a Voyage endeavor with the skyreme you built, the settlement sends the ship off with a grand ceremony. Everyone aboard the Voyage gains +1 point of overflow spirit. This overflow is special: it stacks with other sources of overflow spirit.

Skyreme Repairs   |   ◈  1+

Restore 4 structure to a damaged skyreme per 1◈ work. 

Shipyard Materials   |   ◈  2+

Generate 1𐤇 resource per 2◈ work.

Ramming Scythe   |   ◈  16

Requires Production Workshop. This massive bronze blade affixed to the skyreme’s prow makes the vessel itself a deadly weapon. With the scythe, the skyreme’s captain can make a melee attack on another skyreme, or a monster or object of size 5 or larger. Instead of rolling attack, the captain rolls Compel with Maneuver advantage. It takes at least two actions to attack with the scythe, both rolled by the captain. 
  • First, the captain must make a challenge roll (3|6, or determined by the Guide) to position the skyreme above the target. 
  • Then the captain makes a melee attack, but rolls Maneuver instead of Attack. The captain has compel advantage on this roll if the crew helps. 
On a hit or block: 
  • Add +15 to the result, and inflict -8 guard (or ×8 structural damage).  
  • Roll a number of d4s equal to the target’s size. Resolve the sum as an attack against your skyreme, minus its Toughness.
If the target isn’t destroyed by this attack, your skyreme becomes wedged into its form, and you can board the target.  

Armor Plating   |   ◈  32

Requires Production Workshop. This protective bronze sheath increases the skyreme’s Toughness to 6.

Taming

Required Lore: Monsters 

See the Monsters lore for this endeavor’s rules.

Temple worship

Required Lore: Lord Adod
Helpful Lore: Civilization, Politics, Wisdom of Adod

Temple   |   ◈  64

You oversee the construction of a temple to Lord Adod, with two grand pillars flanking its oversized entryway and a great stone or bronze brazier in the center, where sacrifices to the Lord can be burnt. The temple grants a +2 bonus to the ✪ Offering ability, described in the Lord Adod lore.If the temple is in a state of disrepair but is still structurally sound, you can expend 16◈ to restore its space to sanctity.  

Wind from Heaven   |   ◈  2+

Requires Temple. You generate 1༄ wind for every 2◈ points of work you put into worshiping. See the Messenger calling for more information on wind magic. Unlike a Messenger’s wind, this wind is localized in the temple and persists until it’s expended. It doesn’t provide the defensive benefits of the ✪ Call Wind ability. Templegoers might experience this wind as a strong, persistent breeze inside the building, or sudden gusts that flow this way or that when doors are opened and closed. While inside the temple or on its roof, a hero or NPC who knows either Lord Adod or Wisdom of Adod can expend this wind and cast any Messenger spell from the Way of Wind or the Way of Storm. You can also summon wind and storm wraiths from the Way of Names. 

Tithe   |   ◈  2+

Requires Temple. Generate 1𐤇 resource or 1𐤑 credit per 2◈ work.

Vessels

Required Lore: Code of the Clay King
Helpful Lore: Civilization, Crafting, Wisdom of Adod

Create Empty Vessel   |   ◈  8

You carefully mold and shape a lifesize statue and inscribe it with magical Forms—a Vessel. This Vessel must be vaguely human-shaped, with a number and general arrangement of limbs matching its intended soul’s current body.
  • The Vessel’s Agility is 0.
  • The Vessel’s Strength can’t exceed 4, nor can it exceed the sum of its intended soul’s current Strength + Agility. 
The Code of the Clay King lore has instructions for how to transfer a soul into this Vessel as a rest activity using an ability called ✪ The Flesh is Weak. You’ll also need a working Tophet (see below).  

Tophet   |   ◈  16

Must be built on an island. You oversee the construction of a tophet, a magical kiln that’s large enough to hold several people and statues. This kiln is necessary to perform the Transfer Soul ritual from the Code of the Clay King.If a Tophet already exists in a settlement but has fallen into ruin or disuse, you can expend 4◈ to bring it into working order. (Tophets are extremely common on Shinar and its suburbs.)

Increase Mass   |   ◈  4+

Requires Tophet. You magically graft clay to a Shinarian Vessel’s body (which can be your own body). The recipient of this extra mass can spend 5 XP to increase their Strength by 1, up to a maximum of 4. (The recipient doesn’t instantly become stronger with the extra clay. They need to practice extending their soul into their larger form.)If the recipient’s Strength is currently 4, you can expend 16◈ work to enable them to increase their Strength up to 5, as above. Adding this much clay to their form also increases their size from 2 to 3.

Soul Guidance   |   ◈  4

Requires Tophet. You inscribe Forms within the walls of the Tophet, which ease the soul’s perilous journey from a body of flesh to a body of clay. You decrease the struggle threshold of Transfer Soul rest activity, which normally succeeds on a 7+, by 1.You can reduce the threshold a number of times up to the highest Intellect of the endeavor participants. However, the cost of work doubles for each additional reduction in difficulty (◈8 for a second reduction, ◈16 for a third, and so on).

Voyage

Required Lore: Navigation and Skyremes
Helpful Lore: Forestcliffs, Path of Air, Scrolls of the Sorcerer, Trade, Wisdom of Adod

You need a working skyreme with a willing crew or magic to propel it. This endeavor is an effective way to gather resources from nearby islands. You can also undertake an exploratory voyage of discovery—higher risk, higher reward. Characters can ride along on the voyage, even if they don’t have helpful lore to contribute. 

Resupply   |   ◈  1+

Generate 1𐤇 resource per 1◈ work.

Repair en Route   |   ◈  2+

You oversee repairs, restoring 1 structure per 2◈ work. If someone on board knows Crafting, you can restore 2 structure per 1◈ work. 

Voyage of Discovery   |   ◈  8

You skysail off into the unknown, seeking new islands and new people. Roll a d20 and consult the following table to see what you encounter. The Guide has stats for NPCs you encounter. Any friendly people you find can immediately aid this endeavor or (once your expedition returns) aid another hero’s endeavor during the same downtime. You can undergo more than one voyage during downtime, but the work cost doubles for each subsequent voyage (16◈, 32◈, and so on). If a subsequent voyage ends up with the same discovery as a previous voyage, the Guide determines what you find instead.

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