Carousing and Cavorting

Table of Contents

Cavorting and Carousing
Whenever characters are at a loss as to how they've spent their downtime, they can choose to Cavort and Carouse. This activity represents boozing, wenching, hitting every tavern in town and, in general, living large with an adventurer's wealth. Characters gain XP from these activities, but will tend to move through a lot of gold and wealth. And, as always when ale and wenches are involved, there is a chance that things will go awry.

System
Characters who end an adventure in a settlement larger than a hamlet my choose to spend their downtime Cavorting and Carousing. This choice precludes spending the time in any other way: training, crafting, research and professions are all ruled out. The character is assumed to be looking after the basics of his health and personal maintenance, but equipment isn't being maintained, shopping isn't being done and obligations (if any) are being neglected. A character who chooses to Cavort and Carouse can't divide up the time no matter how much downtime there actually is.

The amount of money spent and XP gained depends on settlement size, as follows:

Cavorting and Carousing Table
During festivals, or in cities that are noted for their nightlife (such as real-world New Orleans), the Narrator might assign a modifier to the roll. This modifier could be as high as +5; consult with the Narrator for details. Players who are aware of the nature of the town or current events should be made aware of the modifier prior to the roll; players who are new in town and don't speak the local language might be left in the dark.

Characters who are at least Honored with one of the local thieves' guilds may opt to add 5 to the multiplier, and allies of that character who Cavort and Carouse with that character may add 2 to the multiplier. Local thieves' guilds tend to know where all the best parties are, and characters who are in with them will have first crack at the best jobs.

The episode of Cavorting and Carousing earns the character XP equal to the die roll, and costs the character 1d6 x the die roll in gold (or whatever the local currency is). This cost is mandatory and not negotiable. If the character doesn't have enough liquid assets (coin, gems, and nonmagical jewelry) to cover his tab, then his compatriots may, at their option, cover his tab. If no compatriots are able or willing to cover his tab, the character loses all of his remaining liquid assets and earns only half the XP he otherwise would have.

Characters who cannot afford their episode of Cavorting and Carousing, whether or not their compatriots can cover their tab, must also consult the following table. Also, any character whose die roll is greater than their ECL must consult the table, whether or not they can afford their Cavorting and Carousing. Unless otherwise noted, all checks on the table have a DC equal to the result of the Cavorting and Carousing die roll.

Credits
This concept, and table, were first presented by Jeff Rients at Jeff's Gameblog. It has been here adapted for use in the 3.5 system. Original post appears here: http://jrients.blogspot.com/2008/12/party-like-its-999.html