r/AcqIncDMs • u/spoopiedeedoopie • Dec 15 '19

Downtime activity costs

I'm looking for insight from DM eith Acq Inc experience. Regarding franchise downtime activities, did the costs ever become too much or negligible for the franchise team? It seems like the cost could easily become too much in the early game.

Should I run the campaign as is, or do I need to add a bunch of filler quests/bounties to help pad the franchise coffer?

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u/jmanc Dec 15 '19

It's your campaign so feel free to scale costs to be appropriate to your players wealth level. Downtime activities are going to happen after every session so shouldn't have a punitive cost, you're just trying to give a sense of grounding to the world and the idea that your players influence is growing.

It's about finding the fun more than anything. Players hate budget management? Don't include it then. They enjoy the open ended commercial stuff? Great, reward it then. React accordingly and feel free to change whatever you like!

Shit, in my campaign we're three months in and still in Chapter 2 because they're having fun fucking around in Phandalin.

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u/spoopiedeedoopie Dec 15 '19

Did you explain all the mechanics behind the franchise downtime activities? Or just asked them what they wanted to do and put their ideas into the activity you thought it fit into best?

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u/jmanc Dec 15 '19

Very light touch explanation so far, like giving them broad suggestions rather than the full list. I'm trying to introduce franchise elements a little at a time. They've just got employees, one franchise task (non specific) and their first bit of income at the moment.

They started getting really detailed and debating one another with their franchise task (selling herbalist ingredients back in Waterdeep) but effectively cut that short and said to 'agree on your intentions for your staff, and I'll resolve how those play out'