1. Weather: The Referee determines the day’s weather, using the tables in the Dolmenwood Campaign Book.
2. Decide actions: The players decide on their actions for the day (e.g. resting, shopping, researching).
3. Random encounters: The Referee makes a check for a daytime random encounter.
4. Description: The Referee describes what happens. If an encounter occurs, follow the procedure described in Encounters.
5. End of day: The characters return to their lodgings. The Referee updates time records, with special attention to durations of ongoing downtime activities (e.g. spell research).
6. Random encounters: If characters are active at night, the Referee makes a check for a nighttime random encounter.

Settlements present a wealth of opportunities for characters weary from the hardships of adventure. Some of the most common activities are as follows.

Arcane spell-casters can learn new spells by studying under a mentor or by a process of research. Learning spells takes time and requires peace and quiet. See Arcane Magic for full details.

Player Characters are professional adventurers, so they do not usually have the training, equipment, or contacts to make a living by other means.

Using Class capabilities: Adventurers may sometimes wish to use the capabilities of their Class to earn a bit of money on the side (e.g. bards performing in taverns, thieves picking pockets at a market). Characters can earn 3d6sp per day in this way.

Characters spending time in taverns, drinking with local folk may hear rumours of potential adventuring interest, determined by the Referee.

Characters may ask around to find specialists or retainers for hire in the settlement. See Specialist Services and Retainers.

A stay in a settlement is a perfect opportunity to rest and recuperate, healing damage accrued during adventures.

Healing overnight: Characters heal 1 Hit Point per night when staying in a settlement.

Full days of rest: A full day of rest allows a character to heal 1d3 Hit Points. Resting precludes activity more strenuous than reclining in an inn, supping hot food and a soothing beverage.

Settlements provide all manner of useful businesses where adventurers can replenish their stocks and spend their coin. See Settlement Services.

Characters may spend time visiting NPCs they know in the settlement, discussing plans, business ventures, intrigues, and goings on in the Wood.

When PCs are active in a settlement (i.e. not simply resting in an inn), there is a 2-in-6 chance of a random encounter during the daytime and a 1-in-6 chance during the nighttime. This is in addition to any NPCs encountered at settlement locations (e.g. innkeepers, store owners, etc.).

The Dolmenwood Campaign Book describes the main points of interest in each settlement, including the most significant shops or services. In addition to any specific services mentioned, the following common services are available in most settlements.

All settlements have a herbalist of one kind or another, often an apothecary or a local hedge witch. Such people are experts in the healing, magical, and poisonous properties of herbs and fungi.

Buying fungi and herbs: See Common Fungi and Herbs.

Identifying fungi and herbs: For a 5gp fee, a herbalist can examine and identify a specimen.

Selling fungi and herbs: Herbalists are often willing to purchase useful (i.e. not poisonous) specimens from adventurers at 50% of their normal value.

Businesses specialising in exchanging coinage and basic banking services can be found in towns and cities.

Money changing: Coins of one kind can be exchanged for coins of another kind of equivalent value (e.g. 1,000cp exchanged for 10gp). The fee is 3% of the value of the coins changed. (e.g. a 3sp fee for exchanging 1,000cp to 10gp.)

Safe storage: Funds can be left in a money changer’s safe, with a token given to vouch for the money stored. This service is free of charge if money is left for at least 1 month. There is a 10% fee otherwise.

Loans: An item of double the value of the loan must be left as a deposit. The fee is 10% of the value of the loan per month. Well-known and respected characters (e.g. high Level characters with land) may be able to get loans at a lower interest rate and without a deposit.

Standard adventuring gear, weapons, and armour can be bought (and sometimes sold) at small stores such as blacksmiths, carpenters, chandlers, leatherworkers, and so on.

Buying equipment: Common adventuring gear, weapons, and armour can be bought at standard prices. Certain items are only available in larger settlements (see Adventuring Gear).

Selling used equipment: Stores are often willing to purchase used equipment from adventurers at 50% of its normal value, as long as it is in good condition.

Gems, jewellery, and art objects can be bought and sold at specialist jeweller’s stores in towns and cities.

Buying gems/jewellery: Jewellers sell items to adventurers at their full value.

Selling gems/jewellery: Jewellers purchase items from adventurers at 80% of their full value.

Valuation (optional rule): It is generally assumed that adventurers are able to appraise the value of treasures themselves. If the Referee wishes to keep the value of gems and jewellery secret, PCs may inquire at the store for a valuation. The fee for this service is 3% of the item’s value.

Settlements in Dolmenwood are classified into one of five size categories, based on their population.

Instead of separately calculating the costs of inn lodgings and meals, characters’ living expenses may be abstracted into a simple daily payment based on a chosen standard of living. This can be especially useful for extended periods of downtime, when characters’ day-to-day activities are not played out.

Wretched lifestyle: Sleeping in back alleys, begging, and eating scraps. A wretched character does not heal any lost Hit Points.

Poor lifestyle: Lodging in poor quality inns or rented rooms in an older part of town.

Common lifestyle: Lodging in common quality inns or a rented cottage in a quiet part of town.

Fancy lifestyle: Lodging in fancy quality inns or a spacious, rented house in the nicest part of town.

Characters may sometimes wish to purchase property in a settlement. Use the price guidelines listed for hiring a builder (see Specialist Services). Existing property usually costs 50–100% of the price to build a new structure, depending primarily on the building’s state of repair and location.