Downtime and Franchise Activity: Team Building

D&D 2024 rule: Downtime and Franchise Activity: Team Building. Source: Acquisitions Incorporated. rule type Rule The frenetic pace of adventuring and running a franchise sometimes covers up underlying issues. Has the party's cleric accidentally started worshiping a dark god? Is the majordomo at odds with the occultant's habit of displaying entrails in the great hall? Is the fighter questioning their life choices? The team building activity can help characters work through problems, settle differences, and adjust the work-life balance. In the end, everyone ends up with a healthier working relationship. Or at least that's the plan. At the DM's determination, characters might be directed by Head Office to run this activity each time a new franchise rank is gained, or during times of exceptional chaos or uncertainty. Resources Team building requires the involvement of at least two characters, or a character and a staff member. Those individuals must dedicate at least one workweek to this activity, whose particulars are worked out by participating players and the DM. The team building exercise might be a trust-inspiring ropes course, an emotional "resolve your issues" workshop, a meeting with an NPC spiritual guide, or any other suitable endeavor. Setting up the exercise incurs expenses of from 50 gp to 250 gp per franchise rank, as determined by the DM. Resolution Each character or staff member participating in team building chooses another participant, then creates a negative story connection to a bond, ideal, or similar element of that participant's backstory. The players come up with such connections for their own characters. The DM creates connections for franchise staff, either on their own or in consultation with the players. (Characters and staff members do not need to pair up. If everyone else in the franchise has a particular problem with one character, so be it.) Each character and staff member then makes a Wisdom (Insight) check. With the DM's approval, di...