[JLV]

I think "downtime" activities are an unplumbed void in the existing game (and in most others as well). We should probably start a thread about that too. People keep mentioning En Garde, but frankly, it was fairly limited and addressed Age of Enlightenment paradigms, not fantasy medieval tropes.

I think there should be a LOT of potential downtime activities besides carousing/wenching, training, and gaming at whatever club you belong to. Admittedly, those activities should be INCLUDED as possibilities, but there are so many other possibilities that should be considered -- some of which could be tied to "jobs" in the classic TFT sense, but others of which should be tied to talents, or just things players like to do.

Examples I've used (drawn from such games as Down With The King, and other similar things) include:

Feasting/Attending a major event (ball, reception, etc)
Romance/Wenching
Religious Disputation
Jousting
Hunting
Socializing
Carousing
Gambling
Sporting
Witchcraft/Sorcery
Spying
Swashbuckling
Philanthropy
Smuggling
Fashion
Art Collecting
Literary Pursuits
Scholarship
Musical Composition
Collect Information (basically, seeking out rumors)
Patronage

Some of these activities would be unavailable in some places (for example, Fashion, Musical Composition, Art Collecting and Literary Pursuits would seem to be singularly unsuitable for a small village consisting mostly of hog farmers -- but in a big city, they would be highly suitable!)

Generally, the results on the tables could mean a gain or loss in money, a gain or loss in prestige (as indicated by adjustments to people's reaction rolls towards that character), and sometimes could result in duels (fought out normally, of course), scandals (which could result in banishment, new enemies, law entanglements, and so on), accusations of wrongdoing, and even trials (with even worse consequences if found guilty). Of course, people could choose to Train/Study as well, some folks were required to remain quietly at the inn (or wherever, and I had three or four different standards for residences that could help or hinder healing) in order to Heal, and people could choose to go to work in mundane jobs if they so desired. In short, combined with the Jobs table, there were dozens of possible things the players could choose to do, all with consequences attached, and some of which even led to enjoyable sub-adventures (such as a feast or ball, a duel, Jousting, or a trial).

To my mind, having this kind of sub-system really adds to the players' enjoyment. They can pick from lots of things to do, and if they want to do something you never thought of, then it's easy enough to whip up a table (mine were all 2d6 tables) that can systematically lead to all sorts of entanglements and results without having to play out a full session on something that only one player wants to do. It also helps the other players kill time, while "Johannes the Wound Magnet" heals up yet again from his latest near-death experience...