Material Assets

Material assets constitute the most basic form of equipment. They can be expended to meet a present need for goods and services or for expenses like bridge tolls and taxation. Material assets can also be reserved to meet future needs if they can be effectively carried and exchanged. Nonmaterial assets tend to be more portable but less spendable.

Coins are minted in various denominations, their value nominally based on the value of their metals. The “gold standard” in Dungeons & Dragons is, unironically, the gold piece.

Because these coins are valued based on their contained metals, their worth is almost universally consistent, regardless of origin. Various markets might devalue foreign currency based on the current political climate; the coins of one realm might be worthless in the neighboring realm due to ongoing warfare, or they might require exchanging for local money with a certain percentage removed as a service fee.

The three common coins are the gold piece, the silver piece, and the copper piece. Uncommon coins include the platinum piece and the electrum piece. Rare coins include the adamantine piece, the mithral piece, and the iron piece.

Iron coins are only used in poor societies with very weak economies. Adamantine and mithral are only used in closed societies where these materials are relatively accessible, such as dwarven citadels.

Adamantine and mithral ratings here are derived from the suggested values for adamantine and mithral armor in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. The value progression listed above follows a logical order and approximates existing Fifth Edition item values, so take care when deviating. If you want these two metals to be more valuable, it might be enough to simply say they aren’t available as coins, or that the coin versions are made with alloys or unrefined material.

Not all nations or societies trade in coinage with innate material value. Advanced economies often use currency that represents a portion of the national treasury or that otherwise has value based on the economy. For ease of translation, currency holds equivalent value to standard coins, unless the DM determines that fluctuating currency value is a part of her story.

Representative currency tends to be minted from common metals that are not themselves of significant value. If metals are rare in the game world, alternate materials like ceramic can be used for minting. If the campaign’s available level of tinkering has advanced to the point of printing presses, money might be issued in the form of printed paper.

Societies that use representative currency go to great lengths to avoid forgery. Minting and printing often include subtle or complex counter-counterfeiting techniques. Detecting fake money could be a matter of skilled (or even magical) examination performed by merchants. Societies that use representative currency punish counterfeiting with death.

Some game worlds use different basic currencies, things other than coins. Perhaps valuable metals are hard to acquire. Maybe some other convenient things have been used since the beginning of time and no one ever thought to use coins. Or maybe the gods have dictated what works as currency and none can gainsay them.

As examples, certain rare seashells might be used in an undersea kingdom that has no mining traditions. A society ruled by necromancers might trade glass beads to which are bound minor souls; all merchants are trained to identify the power of the souls, which corresponds to different denominations. On a harsh desert world, wizards may have learned the secrets of converting water (in standard measurements) into small gelatinous blobs of various sizes, which can later be turned back into water.

Whatever the case, the new currency should be portable, identifiable as roughly equivalent to other alike pieces (interchangeable), and should probably have an innate value based either on material rarity or a value based on a useful function of the item other than commerce.

Even though players almost universally refer to money by its material name, i.e., a “gold piece” or “silver piece,” characters should not. Most nations have their own names for coins of each denomination. Some are based on historical nations, while others name some of their coins after important rulers or the gods.

Money is only used by those of middling wealth. The very poor and the very rich exchange trade goods instead. When there is no coin to be had, or when barter is simply more convenient, people commit commerce by exchanging items with static, widely accepted and understood values. For an urchin on the street, trade goods might consist of captured rats or collected scrap iron, the key to acquiring a hot bowl of soup. For a poor farmer, this might mean trading wheat and livestock for a few luxury items. On the other end of the spectrum, a guild-sanctioned master merchant’s trade goods might include platinum trade bars exchanged for huge shipments of raw textiles. For the nobility, trading hunting birds or exotic beasts is a matter of fashion as well as expedience.

From the common and domestic, to the wild and exotic, the market for animals varies greatly based on the accepted purpose of each creature and its geographical rarity. Of all the trade goods, beasts have the greatest variance in value.

Animals on this chart are assumed to be young enough to train. For beasts that have common uses as trained specimens, halve the value of an older specimen that is beyond its functional training age or useful lifespan. Otherwise the price is consistent, regardless of age. Despite being beasts, vermin (snakes, insects, and arachnids) tend not to be used as trade goods except in less-civilized societies or foreign regions like the Underdark.

For any animal valued based on edibility, like a crab or a hulking crab, dead versions are valued equally to live versions, so long as they are fresh.

These common household items are in demand everywhere; moving large quantities of them is what keeps many merchants in business.

Gemstones of standard weights and cuts are extremely fungible, and are sometimes used by the very wealthy in the place of coins. Halve the value of a “small” version of any gem and double the value of a “large” version. A “giant” version will fetch ten times the listed value. If a gem is raw — not cut, polished, or otherwise treated to enhance its luster — halve its value.

Loose gemstones should not have appreciable weight unless carried in bulk. When it does matter, weights can be difficult to calculate; the Dungeon Master’s Guide does not provide official weights for the gems it lists, nor would a standard gemstone of one type normally be equivalent in weight to another. As an abstract system, simply assume that 200 “standard” gemstones weigh 1 pound, as do 100 “large” versions or 20 “giant” versions.

A common alternative to coins, trade bars exist in various weights, typically one pound each. (The values on the chart here are for one-pound bars.) Unlike coins, trade bars tend to be readily accepted across vast political and geographical expanses, at least among merchants. Trade bars are important to regular highlevel commerce because they exist without the political implications carried by minting; there are no marks of origin to offend the peoples of one nation or another. A merchant who deals in trade bars typically keeps a merchant’s scale on hand to test the weight of exchanged trade bars.

Certain other materials are like trade goods but do not hold the same value. Craft components sell for half the amount they would be purchased for.

This category of wealth covers unfinished materials suitable for crafting specific items. The value of a craft component is half the value of the item that can be crafted from it. Such components could be sold for half that amount or instead crafted (with the right tools) into whatever whole product the components are suitable for.

For example, after raiding the alchemy lab in an abandoned wizard’s tower, the party finds enough leftover ingredients and materials to craft one flask of alchemical fire. (These materials are specific to this single product.) The craft component is worth 25 gp (half the value of a flask of alchemical fire) when it comes to offsetting the material cost of crafting alchemical fire, but if unfinished will sell for only 12 gp and 5 sp. With five days of work using alchemist’s tools, the ingredients could be turned into a completed flask of alchemist’s fire, ready to use (or to sell for 25 gp).

Alternately, the DM could rule that certain craft components are applicable to a variety of potential products. For example, the DM might say there are unfinished blade “blanks” in a treasure pile amounting to a certain value, and that these craft components can be made into any type of sword or a bladed weapon of similar size.

This rule allows more variety in the value of components for certain crafts. This is particularly useful for craft components that are gathered in the wild, like the plants that can be useful with an herbalism kit or poisoner’s kit.

With this variant, craft components for a crafting type come in three varieties: those specific to a single product, those specific to a small range of products, and those rare components that are useful for any product craftable by the associated artisan’s tools. In the latter two cases, the Dungeon Master can determine that the components are useable for certain items in different crafting disciplines, like a noxious herb that can be used in any alchemical, herbal, or poisonous concoction. Such items make for rare treasure indeed!

Using this rule, item-specific craft components can be sold for one-eighth of the item’s market value. Specific-list craft components can be sold for one-quarter, and perfectly generic components can be sold for one-half. A component that transcends a single type of artisan’s tools doubles these sale values. Weights for such materials are left to the Dungeon Master.

This example of the above rule provides absolute flexibility to using craft components for alchemist’s tools.

Universal alchemy ingredients weigh 1 pound and take up about one quart of space for every 50 gp spent. Universal ingredients count as craft components for making any alchemical brew. As normal, half the standard price of the item crafted is deducted from the universal components when creating the product. As “perfectly generic” craft components, universal alchemy components can be resold for half their purchase value.

This rule can be used as a template to apply to simplify the craft components for other tools like herbalism kits.

Selling treasure is an abstract process in Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons. Gone are the cumbersome concepts of appraising and haggling, which only served to randomize the bottom-line value of treasure. However, Arcydea tends to allow for some degree of scraping and salvaging, both to earn additional money and to come up with crafting components. As such, the standard four categories of sell value described in the Player’s Handbook are slightly modified:

Weapons and armor pieces used by monsters are rarely good enough to sell. This is intended to prevent parties from looting absolutely everything, walking around like poorly maintained arsenal. However, some people enjoy getting every last copper of value, or just have practical channels to sell their merchandise through and don't mind that it isn't as valuable. Monster equipment has 1/10th base resale value.

Undamaged weapons, armor, and other equipment fetch half their sale price when sold at market. DMs balancing treasure can consider mundane items, particularly found in bulk, as “loot” valued at half the items’ standard cost.

Art objects, jewelry, and trade goods sell for their full noted values. Such items are already listed at their salable (or tradable) values. So completely static are the prices for these items that they are often used in the place of currency. Inherent-value goods include standard equipment with significant ornamentation, such as a gold-hilted sword with a jeweled scabbard.

Magic items are very valuable assets. Although the Player’s Handbook maintains that their value is “far beyond simple gold,” the guidelines of the Dungeon Master’s Guide suggest that they are readily ratable in gold pieces, and that some of them are relatively cheap. Three uncommon magic items, at the maximum suggested value, could be had for the same price as a single suit of mundane plate armor.

Magic items normally sell for half their purchase costs. (The standard rules for finding a buyer suggest that this value may fluctuate, going as high one and one-half times the value, or as low as one-tenth of the value.) Alternately, because they are the type of things that interest the very wealthy or important in society, magic items can sometimes be traded for rights or favors, or they can be gifted in the hopes of gaining renown.

The only obstacle the Fifth Edition provides for selling treasure is the availability of a buyer. The Player’s Handbook repeatedly emphasizes the need.

For ease of play, it is suggested that buyers can be automatically found in communities of certain sizes for most sales. This system is a nice alternative, particularly for campaigns that don’t use downtime actions or where downtime rarely seems to appear.

This table suggests the maximum value of any single item that can be sold or traded in variously-sized population centers. This chart does not distinguish the type of item sold, only its ultimate value.

While some sales might be possible in smaller locations, they might require the buyer’s life savings. This type of exchange can be harmful; if the buyer makes a great profit, she might find her local economy has just come unhinged by the influx of wealth.

The original version of these rules is titled “Selling Magic Items” (Dungeon Master’s Guide page 129) but this system can be used for selling other valuable assets like powerful doses of poison or deeds to land. This system relies upon the concept of downtime. It treats downtime days as a commodity; someone seeking a buyer must “pay” varied amounts of days for each search conducted. This can get cumbersome, but it is rare that players need to find a buyer for something so valuable as a magic ring or a certificate granting the right to take lumber in the king’s woods.

Step One. For each item to be sold, the seeker attempts a DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check. If another seeker is assisting, also spending her downtime days, apply advantage to the check. Buyers for multiple items can be sought at the same time, their search times happening concurrently with no additional cost in downtime days. Roll for each search separately, and track the times spent separately but concurrently. This might require you to reference a calendar to keep track of the expenditures.

Failure on the check indicates no buyer is found and 10 days are used up in the search. Success indicates that a buyer is found, and a variable number of days were used in the search. The number of days is 1d4 for a common magic item, 1d6 for an uncommon, 1d8 for a rare, and 1d10 days for a very rare magic item. For the sale of things that are not magic items, approximate their values to magic items to determine how long a successful search takes.

Step Two. If a buyer is found, the next step is to set the price. Generate a sale total and compare it to the chart below. A sale total is the sum of three values. These include a Charisma (Persuasion) check result, a percentile dice roll, and an item rarity modifier. Item rarity modifiers are +10 for common items, +0 for uncommon items, –10 for rare items, –20 for very rare items, and –30 for legendary items. Again, if the thing being sold is not a magic item, approximate its rarity and value to determine an item rarity modifier.

Take care when using this random system. There’s a good reason that appraisal and haggling aren’t made a big deal of; selling treasure is not very entertaining. Once you go down that road, will merchants begin to charge exchange fees to convert gems to coins or service fees for handling sales of objects of art?

Sometimes it does serve the story for characters not to know the true value of something they’ve acquired or to have to hunt for a buyer and haggle over a price. Even so, make use of this system sparingly, even if a character elects to take proficiency with an appraiser’s tools. If you can’t articulate why you’re rolling for a buyer, switch to the automatic buyer system described above or simply let the players sell the item without interference.

Sometimes players need to find a seller instead of a buyer. Maybe they are looking for a magic item or an illegal poison. Whatever the case, this system is not intended to allow players access to anything they want; instead, the DM should specifically decide if the item is available before allowing them to seek a seller.

To find a seller, use the same system described above for finding a buyer of magic items. If the item is illegal, the Intelligence (Investigation) check suffers disadvantage unless the seeker speaks thieves’ cant. The DM can remove this disadvantage under other miscellaneous circumstances too; perhaps if the seeker has the Criminal Contact background feature.

Again, this system should not be allowed unless the DM is fully comfortable letting the sought item into her campaign. It is also perfectly reasonable for the DM to limit this application to various rarities, perhaps only to uncommon magic items, cheap poisons, and the like.

This is written to replace the rules on downtime buying and selling when using the online medium of NexList/similar marketplace sites. To find a buyer or seller, first make a DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) roll, at disadvantage if the item or service is illegal unless the seeker speaks thieves' cant or has some other appropriate background feature. A person proficient in both Technology and Investigation can roll at advantage.

Failure on the check indicates no buyer is found and one day is used up in the search. Success indicates that a buyer or seller is found, and a variable number of hours were used in the search. The number of hours is 1d4 for a common magic item, 1d6 for an uncommon, 1d8 for a rare, and 1d10 days for a very rare magic item. Legendary items are generally not sold online, and the time to find them is up to the DM. For the sale of things that are not magic items, approximate their values to magic items to determine how long a successful search takes.

If a buyer or seller is found, the next step is to set the price. Generate a sale total and compare it to the chart below. A sale total is the sum of three values. These include a Charisma (Persuasion) check result, a percentile dice roll, and an item rarity modifier. Item rarity modifiers are +10 for common items, +0 for uncommon items, –10 for rare items, –20 for very rare items, and –30 for legendary items. Again, if the thing being sold is not a magic item, approximate its rarity and value to determine an item rarity modifier.

The final step for NexList is to determine the reliability of the seller/buyer. Reliable sellers will provide items that are as they promise; unreliable sellers may sell faulty items or may not include all the parts. Criminals may have stolen it! Likewise, unreliable buyers may try to scam the user, while reliable buyers will pay as agreed. Criminals may use it for crime!

A magic selling party is an event where a collection of magic items is for sale by one or more wealthy owners. Magic items are so expensive that these opportunities to buy must be found by ingratiating oneself into the upper crust of society in a place no smaller than a large town. Because these items are held by wealthy socialites, bargains are not subject to as much risk as when finding items sold by those of less repute.

This search requires setting a schedule of important high-society events to attend, requiring 5 downtime days and 100 gp of expenditures. This cost includes a wealthy lifestyle for the affected time. For every additional 5 downtime days and 100 gp spent to enhance and lengthen the seeker’s social calendar, a +1 bonus will apply on the following roll, to a maximum of +10 following a 55-day schedule.

Once the seeker has schmoozed enough high-society types (at the end of this social schedule) she can make her bid to get invited to a magic market. The seeker rolls Charisma (Persuasion). In a high-magic campaign, add a +10 bonus to this roll. In a low-magic campaign, apply a –10 penalty to it. If the result is 1 or higher, the character is invited to a private social event where magic items are for sale. The higher the roll, the better the party and the rarer the magic items available. A very influential character, one that makes waves in wealthy social circles, can try to arrange for the owner of a specific magic item to be at a party, willing to sell. If the Dungeon Master determines that the item sough is suitable to the campaign, it will be available if the check result is high enough for the item’s rarity: 10+ (common), 15+ (uncommon), 20+ (rare), 25+ (very rare), or 30+ (legendary).

Non-material assets must also be mentioned here, as they can be extremely valuable. The Dungeon Master’s Guide calls these “Marks of Prestige.” Some of these assets can be traded, but their value in use or in trade varies wildly, often based on the holder’s imagination and ingratiation.

An influential person or organization will often show its favor by granting a letter of introduction (or letter of recommendation). This finely-calligraphed letter is probably offered in an ornate scroll case or leather folio. It is marked with a signature, seal, or coded message that confirms its authenticity.

A letter is typically only valuable in a way that reflects the importance of the person who wrote it; a noble’s favor probably has no value in a neighboring kingdom. If a letter is used frivolously, used too often, or otherwise used to the writer’s detriment, a messenger might come to revoke it.

A letter of recommendation usually names the intended bearer(s) and provides a brief description to prevent it from being transferred or stolen. Selling or trading such an item constitutes a fraud, typically with dire results. Likewise, forging such a letter is a risky prospect; while potentially profitable, the use of letters of recommendation is usually noted with formal observation or record-keeping, and they will be investigated if suspicious.

Here are some common letters and their effects.

Declaration of Authority. This letter typically conveys the authority of an important person, instructing and allowing the bearer to act as the issuer’s agent in a limited capacity. For example, the bearer might be empowered to negotiate a certain border dispute on behalf of the duke. Such letters typically come with a mandate to act as well as the authority to do so. They are distinguished from similar letters in that they are very narrow in scope.

A particularly gruesome form of this letter comes from a ruler and obliges the bearer to hunt and kill a named person, perhaps a political enemy or a spy in the court. This letter might come from a ruler who wants the target killed, or granted as a favor to a bearer who wants to kill the target. Such letters are expected to be shown only if the bearer is caught and has no other option.

Hospitality. A letter of hospitality allows the bearer to command room and board at any public inn or eatery within the affected region. The owner may record these expenses and pass them along to the letter’s issuer to receive repayment, but often the cost is not worth the effort. Ingratiating business owners may find it commercially useful to host a famous or well-regarded patron. Repayment is more commonly sought if the bearer is requiring several days of support, and the establishment’s owner may well follow up with a complaint to the issuer if the bearer imposes herself for much longer.

Indulgence. This letter is granted by a religious authority and can be used to demand forgiveness for a religious or moral crime, typically the “victimless” sort, or to demand a favor from a member of the faithful. The letter might specify the exact crime, or it might be open ended. Such letters typically have no influence on civil authorities, but carry great weight to the followers of that religion.

An indulgence is often used to preemptively protect the faithful from the moral weight of certain duties. When sought out sincerely and issued with the proper authority, such a letter can act as preemptive forgiveness or divine intercession for a cleric or paladin. For example, a paladin who breaks an important oath to go undercover and rescue a group of innocents may seek out an indulgence from the master of her order to salve her conscience and prevent her being an “oathbreaker” in a mystical sense. A cleric may have to make a bargain with the clergy of an opposing faith for the good of his congregation, and an indulgence would grant him the confidence of knowing that a higher authority within the religion approved of the act; any divine retribution is likely to befall on the issuer, rather than the bearer of the indulgence.

Letter of Marque. This letter grants license to the bearer, a private citizen, to act as a military agent of the issuer. The bearer may enter enemy territory, attack military and commercial interests, and personally profit thereby. If captured, the law of nations probably requires that the bearer be treated as a prisoner of war rather than a brigand or pirate. A letter of marque can only be given by a person who governs an area and has the authority to make war. It is only useful during a time of war.

Noble’s Favor. This letter explains that the bearer holds the favor of the undersigned noble. The bearer, and any companions, might receive preferential treatment by showing the letter. It can open doors and grant access to parties and people who would otherwise only associate with the nobility. It can also be used to clear up “misunderstandings” with local authorities who would normally not take the bearer at her word. The value of this letter depends on the importance of the noble who granted it. Some people may react poorly to a letter from a noble based on politics or past grudges; showing a noble’s favor can occasionally get the opposite of the desired reaction!

Trade Option. Granted by a trading conglomerate or merchant’s guild, this letter allows the bearer to buy and sell goods at standard rates, even when these rates might otherwise be unfavorable due to regional shortages, fluctuations in the market, or the presumed foreignness of the bearer.

Warrant. A ruler so well trusts the bearer as to grant her broad investigative and policing powers. A warrant is proof against retribution or prosecution for any offense given or minor crimes committed in the course of the bearer’s investigations. It requires all citizens to cooperate with the bearer’s inquiries, under penalty law for failure to do so. The bearer of a warrant may also carry weapons in places where normally disallowed, like in the presence of the issuing monarch or in a city or district where weapons are forbidden. This is an appropriate reward for characters who have repeatedly aided a kingdom by foiling criminal enterprises or intrigues.

A “lesser warrant” is a weaker version of this letter that grants only the right to bear weapons where they are otherwise forbidden.

Typically fashioned in intricate forms using precious materials, medals are symbols of favor or accomplishment granted by a ruler. They are meant to be worn prominently.

A medal can provide the wearer with a certain measure of respect. Members of the realm to which the medal applies are likely to recognize the medal and its meaning. Under the right circumstances, this can give a character certain social advantages. For example, a member of the royal army who recognizes a military medal may approach the wearer with a better starting attitude in a social interaction. (See page 244-245 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.)

A medal sometimes comes with a degree of military, religious, or civil authority. A medal in such cases can act as a letter of recommendation, after a fashion. For example, a medal in the shape of a star or shield is commonly associated with the bearer of a warrant, signaling that authority to everyone around without the wearer having to present the paperwork. A special pin indicating a lesser warrant could serve as a functional device to let the city watch know the wearer has the right to carry weapons in public.

A medal can typically be sold for 10 to 50 gp, at least for its material value, but wearing an unearned medal is often crime.

Rulers can dispense titles, as can many nobles or lesser authorities within a government. A title usually comes with a grant of land, if it is a noble title in a feudal system, but it can instead by the type to merely convey the status and authority of a political or military position. Political and military positions often grant the same benefits as a letter of recommendation, but without having to show the paper. Having a title also means the character’s identity is widely known.

Noble titles come with grants of authority, nobility, lands, strongholds, or royal stipends. They typically come packaged with these and other rights, but are subject to removal at the whim of the sovereign. Lands and strongholds are discussed in Investments.

A character can hold multiple titles. Some titles can be inherited by the holder’s heirs. Some titles come with actual duties. Failure to attend to such duties, or acting in a manner not befitting such a title, can result in it being revoked, along with any authority, benefits, or lands that go with it.

Rights are typically granted by the maker of the right, or its previous holder, often in written form. A right typically flows from a letter of recommendation, from being awarded a medal, from a possessory interest in certain land, or from a title.

Rights typically flow from a ruler, but they might simply be granted by the owner of the thing over which the right is granted. For example, a deed is normally the written expression of a right to possess and use land, given by the sovereign. Such writings can describe other rights; a lease is a secondary right to possess and use land, given by a deed-holder. A license is a right to possess and use items, or to operate as a franchise or under the banner of a known entity.

Mercantile rights can be very important, often acquired as part of a business investment. These might let the bearer move inventory along shipping lanes, trade in select markets, or buy and sell assets regulated by the crown. These rights typically have upkeep costs in the form of annual taxation or dues owed to a trading guild.

Feudal rights often come with titles. They allow the grantee to build a stronghold on select land, raise armies, and tax the peasants living in the bearer’s territory. These rights typically require payment of taxes upward to higher-ranked nobles or royals, and to keep knights or soldiers employed that can be called upon for service by those nobles or royals. Rights can also come in the form of allowances, perhaps to break certain laws or even to worship certain gods. They are often very campaign-specific.

Favors are less spendable than rights and are harder to evaluate the worth of. Characters themselves often owe favors to others, debts which can be called in at unexpected times or in uncontemplated ways. Players should keep track of favors (due and owed) along two axes: who owes (or is owed) the favor, and what it is owed for. If the king owes you a favor for saving his life in heroic fashion, that is worth quite a bit. If he owes you for returning his fifthfavorite horse, which you found running wild near the castle, that is worth much less. Of course, demanding that the king return (or “cash out”) a favor of any magnitude is a politically risky tactic.

The more important the person who owes the favor, the more valuable it is, but the more mercurial a result you can expect. Very important people often fail to grasp the true value of money and land, their daily attentions being drawn to matters of state or religion.

Nobles often return favors in ways that they themselves appreciate, such as the lauding of praises and acknowledgement, grants of privileges related to political power, or bestowal of lofty-sounding titles that otherwise have no associated benefits. While these will not fill an adventurer’s pockets, they might help her renown.

Favors held against skilled persons can be very valuable for adventurers. Particularly when such persons cannot afford a monetary repayment, they might craft items for the character (if provided materials), train the characters in skill or weapon proficiencies (given sufficient time), or otherwise use their time on the characters’ behalf without compensation.

Interconnected with rights and favors is the concept of renown. This is a system that abstracts the standing of a character (or an adventuring party) with certain organizations. It works equally well with national governments, religious organizations, and similar institutions.

Renown often plays a role in the value of favors as they are cashed in. And having greater renown than someone you owe can provide the social leverage needed to return favors in unusual or inequitable ways. Renown is also a ready prerequisite for rights or letters of recommendation. The granter of a right is associating with the receiver of the right, and few important people want to associate with people who have bad reputations. Conversely, having a high applicable renown makes it easy for a right to be granted, such as the right to build a stronghold.

The optional rules for renown are found on pages 22-23 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Renown is not a necessary system, and not required in the contemplation of rights and favors. The DM can abstract it to determine how effectively rights and favors can be leveraged with various groups. Additional rules for renown are provided in Part 7: Investments.

Along with gold and magic items, “days off” function like “treasure” awarded by the Dungeon Master. Free time means breathing room for the characters, a few days to do their own thing instead of having to chase down the story.

Time is usually measured in downtime days. It can be provided between adventures, or during lulls within adventures. Each downtime day represents a potential wealth amount that characters can earn from crafts or professions. In lieu of converting them to wealth, characters can use these days for other advantageous activities like training a new proficiency or researching a new spell.

There is no guideline for how many downtime days a Dungeon Master should award, despite the inherent value. Too many downtime days will allow the characters to generate excessive wealth, while too few will prevent them from crafting or accessing various other options available in downtime. Often, the pacing of the story will control whether the characters get any downtime or how many days they get when they do.

Even when downtime might be available, some players will have no interest in downtime activities. Downtime rules call for lifestyle expenses and other bookkeeping that players might not want to deal with. On the other hand, some players might be very interested in downtime. It is up to the Dungeon Master to make sure it’s available in reasonable quantities when the players want it, or to dispose of it entirely when they don’t.