When I conceptualized it, it was a given in my mind that I'd use Pathfinder's Ultimate Campaign rules for downtime. It's quite a bit to digest, but it's fairly intuitive in my mind. It basically introduces new resources: "capital", which is divided into Goods, Influence, Magic, and Labor. These can be used to perform certain activities, which primarily revolve around business operation and construction, research and development, discovery of secrets through different methods, and of course, making money.
Use Goods as material for building and fueling operations.
Use Influence for special services, reputation, and gaining followers.
Use Magic for crafting, divination, and security.
Use Labor for construction, earning money, and operations.
The system translates easily (simply reduce skill checks and costs). I believe it was created with Pathfinder: Kingmaker in mind, but provided the players don't go about trying to make a kingdom, the GM should be able to handle the system without the player's direct understanding of its mechanics, simply explaining "it will take X gold with Y days of elbow grease and a casting of Fabricate to build an alchemist shop".
Shops generally generate Goods. A scrying room generates Magic. A sauna generates Influence. Followers and the PCs generate Labor. Several activities generate multiple kinds of Capital, and all sorts of capital can be bought, so long as the NPCs can provide it (and are willing to).
When the PCs go about trying to find someone unique, I translate their abilities and time spent to determine the results. If they hire help, that also gets translated to Capital which then influences their chances of success. Should they continue to do everything on their own, I expect the campaign will take quite a while. So far, at least 1 PC has hired help, and I hope to see others recruit more mercenaries.
This does change the way some skills are used, but the system doesn't take away those abilities, and allows others to accomplish the same, albeit with more effort.
So my question comes to this: is operating this system in the background a fine idea? Its not too late to axe this intention out and simply use muddled, simple skill checks, but it really was my intent to proceed with a robust handling of downtime activity. Thing is, I didn't exactly announce that as my intention as seen in the recruitment thread, as I did mean to do it in the background. I have mentioned this is my intent since then but nobody said anything about it.
Thoughts?
I believe I posted in the wrong forum earlier. Does a 5e book have a set robust enough for my intention, or should I stick to this?
I don't think there are official rules or books for something like this. The pathfinder rules from Kingmaker should work well, though.
But what are the players going to do, if there are only 12 encounters and you manage the downtime system in the background?
I imagine it's a lot of social interaction, and how much players interact with this Capitol system will affect the DCs of the various skill checks associated with the actions and interactions the players make. Would likely alter the opinions of leadership NPCs and what options are available to the players. It would seem that the players don't directly interact with this system, or even know it exists, and it's more of a management tool for taking a nebulous set of starting points and options and narrowing it down to specific situations between start and finish.
I believe I posted in the wrong forum earlier. Does a 5e book have a set robust enough for my intention, or should I stick to this?
I don't think there are official rules or books for something like this. The pathfinder rules from Kingmaker should work well, though.
But what are the players going to do, if there are only 12 encounters and you manage the downtime system in the background?
I imagine it's a lot of social interaction, and how much players interact with this Capitol system will affect the DCs of the various skill checks associated with the actions and interactions the players make. Would likely alter the opinions of leadership NPCs and what options are available to the players. It would seem that the players don't directly interact with this system, or even know it exists, and it's more of a management tool for taking a nebulous set of starting points and options and narrowing it down to specific situations between start and finish.
You might want to take a look at strongholds and followers or acquisitions incorporated for some semi-similar stuff to draw from
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."