Example Rival: High Priest Cheldar
The temple of Pholtus, god of the sun, seeks to bring as many folk as possible under its sway.
Though it has been in town for only two years, the temple is already an influential force because
of the determination and the brilliant oration of Cheldar, its high priest.
Goals. Cheldar wants to make the temple of Pholtus the most popular religion in town by
bringing about peace and security for all. He believes keeping adventurers in check or driving
them out of town is an important step in that plan.
Assets. The charismatic high priest has his oratory skill, divine spellcasting ability, and a few
hundred common folk recently converted to the temple’s cause.
Plans. Cheldar is stern but fundamentally a good person. He tries to win support by providing
charity, promoting peace, and working to enforce law and order. He is skeptical of the
characters, however, convinced that they are troublemakers who will undermine the peace. He
wants only officials of the town or the temple to be involved in handling any crises that arise. He
strongly believes in his goals, yet he might still be made into an ally by good-hearted characters.
Cheldar’s Plans
Element Description
Event The grand festival of Pholtus fills the streets with somber worshipers, whoday-long torchlit vigil. They offer food, drink, and shelter to all in the temple of Pholtus. maintain a
Action Cheldar, along with a small group of followers, appears in a tavern frequentadventurers and seeks converts. A few NPC adventurers join his cause. ed by
Action
In a public address in the town square, Cheldar rails against the forces of chaos,
laying blame for recent troubles on adventurers who are meddling in things best left
alone.
Event The characters find that all adventurers in town receive an icy reception at best.
Action Cheldar demands that the city levy enormous taxes on adventurers, claiming that themust pay their fair share to keep the city safe. y
Downtime Activities
Downtime activities are tasks that usually take a workweek (5 days) or longer to perform. These
tasks can include buying or creating magic items, pulling off crimes, and working at a job. A
character selects a downtime activity from among those available and pays the cost of that
activity in time and money. You, as DM, then follow the rules for the activity to resolve it,
informing the player of the results and any complications that ensue.
Consider handling downtime away from the game table. For example, you could have the players
pick their downtime activities at the end of a session, and then communicate about them by email
or text, until you next see them in person.