Long-Term Goals
Source GM Core pg. 45
Downtime is more satisfying when the PCs work toward longterm goals rather than perform disconnected tasks. You can ask players what their PCs' goals are, and also look for storylines they're interested in that you can use as seeds for long-term goals. Long-term goals might include running a business, befriending their starship's artificial intelligence, establishing an arcane academy, returning a species from the brink of extinction, running for political office, or becoming a pop star. If players don't have clear ideas for their goals, look at their backgrounds, NPCs they know, and things they've expressed interest in during adventures to develop some suggestions. Remember that you're not trying to get them to accept your exact suggestions but to pick a goal they really like.
Long-term goals should shape the game, and reinforcing their progress is key. Show changes, good and bad, that result from the PCs' efforts, both in downtime and on their adventures if applicable. This doesn't have to be subtle! You can directly say, “You've been trying to get an audition with a media label, but the infosphere gossip campaign orchestrated by your rival diva means nobody's calling you back.”
Think ahead in stages. For instance, if a PC wants to be a pop star, you might have them...
And so on. You can deliver each of these details through a little vignette. For example, if you use the fifth bullet point, you might describe the bodyguards, manager, and other label staff as NPCs in later downtime activities or skill encounters. Downtime goals are a great way to weave the PCs' agency into the story.
Long-term goals should shape the game, and reinforcing their progress is key. Show changes, good and bad, that result from the PCs' efforts, both in downtime and on their adventures if applicable. This doesn't have to be subtle! You can directly say, “You've been trying to get an audition with a media label, but the infosphere gossip campaign orchestrated by your rival diva means nobody's calling you back.”
Think ahead in stages. For instance, if a PC wants to be a pop star, you might have them...
- Start by performing on the infosphere as a virtual avatar.
- Get enough fans that you plan a live show.
- Sell so many tickets you book another concert at a bigger venue.
- Get a small but loyal following.
- Sign with a media label.
- You're invited to perform with Strawberry Machine Cake as the opening act in their upcoming galactic tour!
And so on. You can deliver each of these details through a little vignette. For example, if you use the fifth bullet point, you might describe the bodyguards, manager, and other label staff as NPCs in later downtime activities or skill encounters. Downtime goals are a great way to weave the PCs' agency into the story.
Success and Failure
Source GM Core pg. 46
Success at a reasonable long-term goal should be likely, but not guaranteed. Give the player an expectation of how likely their goal is to work out based on how ambitious it is. Be clear about how much downtime it will take compared to the amount of downtime you expect the party will get during your campaign. Then, let the player decide how to commit their downtime and to which tasks.
Repeated failures or outside problems could lead to the whole goal failing. It happens! But give the player a fair chance. Even if their goal is really hard to achieve—like driving the undead out of Eox—there's a chance they might find a way. Don't undermine their efforts or ideas, but do make clear the magnitude of the task they've chosen. Remember that even if a goal fails, the effort was worthwhile, and the PCs might still achieve smaller successes along the way that open up new goals. For instance, the PCs might not succeed at driving all the undead out of Eox, but in the process, they might discover part of a powerful ritual that might restore the planet's ecosystem and allow living beings to thrive without environmental protections, if it can somehow be reassembled.
A failure or a success at a long-term goal can be a major emotional beat for the character. They've changed the world, after all! Don't shortchange it just because it happened in downtime. In fact, because it might have taken place over multiple sessions, the player might have been looking forward to the results for a really long time!
Repeated failures or outside problems could lead to the whole goal failing. It happens! But give the player a fair chance. Even if their goal is really hard to achieve—like driving the undead out of Eox—there's a chance they might find a way. Don't undermine their efforts or ideas, but do make clear the magnitude of the task they've chosen. Remember that even if a goal fails, the effort was worthwhile, and the PCs might still achieve smaller successes along the way that open up new goals. For instance, the PCs might not succeed at driving all the undead out of Eox, but in the process, they might discover part of a powerful ritual that might restore the planet's ecosystem and allow living beings to thrive without environmental protections, if it can somehow be reassembled.
A failure or a success at a long-term goal can be a major emotional beat for the character. They've changed the world, after all! Don't shortchange it just because it happened in downtime. In fact, because it might have taken place over multiple sessions, the player might have been looking forward to the results for a really long time!