In today’s excerpt from the Dungeon Master’s Guide, we look at what happens between adventures.

A campaign is much more than a series of adventures. It also includes the moments between them (as described in the Dungeon Master’s Guide Chapter 6: Between Adventures)—the various distractions and side pursuits that engage the characters when they’re not exploring the wilderness, plundering dungeons, and gallivanting around the multiverse on some epic quest.

The natural pace of a campaign offers lulls between adventures, time for the characters to spend their treasure and pursue their goals. This downtime gives the characters an opportunity to sink their roots a little deeper into the world, building a personal investment in what happens to the people and places around them, which can, in turn, draw them into further adventures.

Chapter 8, “Adventuring,” of the Player’s Handbook describes a few downtime activities to fill the void between adventures. Depending on the style of your campaign and the particular backgrounds and interests of the adventurers, you can make some or all of the following additional activities available as options (building a stronghold, crafting a magic item, carousing).

The Dungeon Master's Guide

The Dungeon Master’s Guide provides the inspiration and the guidance you need to spark your imagination and create worlds of adventure for your players to explore and enjoy. Inside you’ll find world-building tools, tips and tricks for creating memorable dungeons and adventures, optional game rules, hundreds of classic D&D magic items, and much more!

Excerpt: Downtime Activities