Actions | Activities

Earn Income

Downtime
Source Core Rulebook pg. 236

You use one of your skills to make money during downtime. The GM assigns a task level representing the most lucrative job available. You can search for lower-level tasks, with the GM determining whether you find any. Sometimes you can attempt to find better work than the initial offerings, though this takes time and requires using the Diplomacy skill to Gather Information, doing some research, or socializing.

When you take on a job, the GM secretly sets the DC of your skill check. After your first day of work, you roll to determine your earnings. You gain an amount of income based on your result, the task’s level, and your proficiency rank (as listed on Table 4–2: Income Earned).

You can continue working at the task on subsequent days without needing to roll again. For each day you spend after the first, you earn the same amount as the first day, up until the task’s completion. The GM determines how long you can work at the task. Most tasks last a week or two, though some can take months or even years.

Table 4-2: Income Earned

Task Level	Failed	Trained	Expert	Master	Legendary
0	1 cp	5 cp	5 cp	5 cp	5 cp
1	2 cp	2 sp	2 sp	2 sp	2 sp
2	4 cp	3 sp	3 sp	3 sp	3 sp
3	8 cp	5 sp	5 sp	5 sp	5 sp
4	1 sp	7 sp	8 sp	8 sp	8 sp
5	2 sp	9 sp	1 gp	1 gp	1 gp
6	3 sp	1 gp, 5 sp	2 gp	2 gp	2 gp
7	4 sp	2 gp	2 gp, 5 sp	2 gp, 5 sp	2 gp, 5 sp
8	5 sp	2 gp, 5 sp	3 gp	3 gp	3 gp
9	6 sp	3 gp	4 gp	4 gp	4 gp
10	7 sp	4 gp	5 gp	6 gp	6 gp
11	8 sp	5 gp	6 gp	8 gp	8 gp
12	9 sp	6 gp	8 gp	10 gp	10 gp
13	1 gp	7 gp	10 gp	15 gp	15 gp
14	1 gp, 5 sp	8 gp	15 gp	20 gp	20 gp
15	2 gp	10 gp	20 gp	28 gp	28 gp
16	2 gp, 5 sp	13 gp	25 gp	36 gp	40 gp
17	3 gp	15 gp	30 gp	45 gp	55 gp
18	4 gp	20 gp	45 gp	70 gp	90 gp
19	6 gp	30 gp	60 gp	100 gp	130 gp
20	8 gp	40 gp	75 gp	150 gp	200 gp
20 (critical success)	—	50 gp	90 gp	175 gp	300 gp

Critical Success You do outstanding work. Gain the amount of currency listed for the task level + 1 and your proficiency rank.
Success You do competent work. Gain the amount of currency listed for the task level and your proficiency rank.
Failure You do shoddy work and get paid the bare minimum for your time. Gain the amount of currency listed in the failure column for the task level. The GM will likely reduce how long you can continue at the task.
Critical Failure You earn nothing for your work and are fired immediately. You can’t continue at the task. Your reputation suffers, potentially making it difficult for you to find rewarding jobs in that community in the future.

Sample Earn Income Tasks

These examples use Alcohol Lore to work in a bar or Legal Lore to perform legal work.
Trained bartend, do legal research
Expert curate drink selection, present minor court cases
Master run a large brewery, present important court cases
Legendary run an international brewing franchise, present a case in Hell’s courts

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder 1E | Pathfinder 2E | Starfinder

Actions | Activities

Earn Income

Table 4-2: Income Earned

Sample Earn Income Tasks