Carousing
Carousing lets adventurers convert gold directly into XP through nights of drinking, gambling, and revelry. It’s a gold sink that rewards risk-taking and creates stories.
The Rules
Spend a night drinking, gambling, and making merry in a settlement. Spend up to the settlement’s maximum in gold. Gain XP equal to gold spent.
| Settlement | Maximum Spend |
|---|---|
| Village | 100 gp |
| Town | 500 gp |
| City | 2,000 gp |
The next morning, make a CON save (DC 12). On a failure, roll on the Mishap table.
You may carouse again the following night—if the mishaps haven’t caught up with you.
Mishaps (2d6)
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 2 | Jailed. You wake in a cell. Bail is 1d6 × 100 gp, or a favor for someone unsavory. Your weapons and armor are impounded until you pay. |
| 3 | Enemy made. Someone powerful now hates you. A guild leader, noble’s son, or criminal boss. They’ll remember your face. |
| 4 | Gambling debt. You owe 1d6 × 50 gp to someone who doesn’t accept “no.” They have friends. Payment due within the week. |
| 5 | Robbed. Lose half your remaining coin. Your purse was cut, or you were rolled in an alley. No idea who did it. |
| 6 | Fined. Property damage, public indecency, or disturbing the peace. Pay 2d6 × 10 gp or spend a night in the stocks. |
| 7 | Brutal hangover. Setback on all checks until you complete a full rest. You remember nothing useful. |
| 8 | Embarrassing tattoo. It’s prominent. It’s ugly. It might be offensive to someone. Removal costs 100 gp and hurts. |
| 9 | Entangled. You promised something. A favor, a job, your sword arm. Someone will collect. Work out the details with the Referee. |
| 10 | Reputation shift. Word spreads about your antics. When you meet new NPCs, the Referee rolls to see how they react—you now get +1 with rogues and lowlifes, −1 with respectable folk. Lasts until you do something to change it. |
| 11 | New contact. You hit it off with someone useful—a fence, smuggler, off-duty guard, or guild member. They owe you a small favor, or you owe them one. |
| 12 | Windfall. You won big, found something, or someone owes YOU. Gain 1d6 × 50 gp, a rumor leading to treasure, or a minor magic item (Referee’s choice). |
Party Carousing
When multiple characters carouse together, each makes their own CON save. Some might hold their drink while others spiral into disaster—just like a real night out.
The same mishap can hit multiple characters (everyone gets robbed), or different results can create intertwined stories (one character makes an enemy while another makes a new contact with the same person).
See the Designer Commentary for the thinking behind this system.