my downtime rules

(These are for 5e, but can be adapted to just about anything. The most important thing they're meant to do is to make downtime a meaningful scarce resource, and to give players a cast of NPCs for us all to play with. There's also an attempt to attack 5e's five-minute adventuring day and caster-martial disparities, especially around high levels and outside of the combat situations, where they are strongest.)

During a week of downtime you can take downtime actions. You can take actions equal to three plus the number of extra attacks/cunning actions you get. Unless otherwise noted you can't double up on the same kind of action in the same week. These include

• Work: work enough to pay for your lodging and basic needs.
• Rest: get the benefits of a long rest, aside from renewal of spells higher than 2nd level.
• Train: you must spend a number of weeks equal to your current level training to advance to a new level. Half rounded up must be consecutive. Can also be used to acquire language or tool proficiencies. If you have an appropriate mentor, may be used to unlock abilities a level early.
• Build friendship: spend time with an NPC to build up a positive relationship - drinking buddies, romance, business partners, you tell me. (Renew with the Maintain Relationships action, which must be maintained once each moon) You can invent an appropriate NPC or as if it would work with an existing one. Friendly NPCs can help you out, make social introductions, consulted for knowledge, might accompany you on adventures, and so on. They also might expect the same.
• Maintain friendships: spend time with, or write heartfelt letters to, up to (2 + Cha bonus) NPC friends once each moon to maintain friendly status. (You can do this more than once a moon to maintain such relationships with more people.)
• Bully: you can also maintain an intimidating relationship with up to (Cha or Str + Intimidation proficiency) NPCs who are weaker than you. They maintain fear of you and won’t do anything to inspire your ire unless they get assurances from a faction that could offer them protection. (You can both bully and maintain friendship with the same people if you particularly want to invest in their loyalty - this typically looks like putting a lot of work into getting them to accept their status as a valued minion.)
• Study: spend time with a complex book or artifact to understand it better, or research a topic at a library you have access to.
• Stalk: follow someone's movements, or case a building. Typically a Stealth roll to not get caught and Investigation roll to find the information you're looking for.
• Carouse: go down a stress level, and something unexpected happens (most often an unexpected new friend, new enemy, or debt.)
• Prayer: go down a stress level level. Strange dreams may intrude, offering information or other blessings in exchange for more stress or obligations. One week of this is required to renew (as per a RAW long rest) 3rd level divine spells, two consecutive weeks to renew 4th level divine spells, and so on. Might be combined with something else depending on circumstances.
• Arcane Research: One week of this is required to renew (as per a RAW long rest) 3rd level arcane spells, two consecutive weeks to renew 4th level arcane spells, and so on. If you have a new book or other source of arcane lore, get the benefits of the study action as well.
• Something else, you tell me.

If you have a warlock patron, they will typically require one downtime action per week doing their bidding - either "do this specific thing" or "do something that advances this plan" - for you to stay in their favor. If you are out of favor, warlock abilities that would require a short rest require a long rest, or at least a night's rest, instead.

As with anything else, tell me what concrete in-world actions your character takes to do these. In-world logic trumps game rules.

We can typically handle downtime over email. If you're incommunicado I'll assume work/rest/something else reasonable.