Should Characters have required needs beyond food and water? I thought of this while reading about character down time. Should a Hiroephant/Sortoras need to spend a certain amount of time in prayer/tithing or need to visit a religious shrines, maybe this should only apply during downtime or not? Should military characters spend time on the firing range? Outcasts need to go to dive bars and slums? Ministorum filing? It seems like a possible useful adventure hooks and deepen character, player linkage. Any thoughts, Ideas?

I personally wouldn't require it of any of my players; but if any of them put any effort into maintaining ties with their past, then I try to occasionally make those efforts of consequence rather than just saying "Ok, you do that."

For the most part, the PC's in my campaign have put their respective pasts behind themselves and embraced their new lives as acolytes of the Inquisition; though there is one big exception. The group's Hierophant was, unbeknownst to the other PC's, the boss of a mid-level crime syndicate at the time he was recruited. He keeps in contact with his people as best he can; often ordering them to come in and try to pick up the pieces after the PC's smash up some illegal operation.

I personally wouldn't require it of any of my players; but if any of them put any effort into maintaining ties with their past, then I try to occasionally make those efforts of consequence rather than just saying "Ok, you do that."

For the most part, the PC's in my campaign have put their respective pasts behind themselves and embraced their new lives as acolytes of the Inquisition; though there is one big exception. The group's Hierophant was, unbeknownst to the other PC's, the boss of a mid-level crime syndicate at the time he was recruited. He keeps in contact with his people as best he can; often ordering them to come in and try to pick up the pieces after the PC's smash up some illegal operation.

I do that in most of my games, however The Empire is such a structured and ordered place, you would have to figure that SOMEONE is watching. "It shows by our records that you have missed the Emperor's mass on two occasions. That crime against the Eclesearchy is punishable by branding".

Do you ask your players when they're eating all the time? What they're eating, what size portions, even when it is irrelevant? Are you measuring their water intake vs. exertion? Do you have them tell you when they go to the bathroom?

What are you after, exactly? Do you want your people rolling their prayers, and if they fail by a certain number of degrees, the Ecclesiarchal officials start hounding you? If you don't roll high enough on your Firing Range test, does your Ballistic Skill drop from lack of practice? If you don't pray for the God-Emperor's salvation often enough, random things have a chance to corrupt you? Do you want players to hand you a daily itinerary of their activities, to include prayer times, meal times, when they drink water and go to the bathroom?

There's no need to make anything 'required.' Having 'you must pray _ hours a day or face the wrath of the Ecclesiarch-ay' on a little OOC list along with 'don't forget to eat,' 'water is good for preventing dehydraton' and 'remember to hit the head before your bladder detonates' does nothing for the game. Unless your characters have a reason to avoid services, its pretty easy to assume they go to services. If they've got access to safe food and water, pretty easy to figure they're eating. Unless something positive or negative can come from going into detail on it, it is generally better not to.

On top of that, the Inquisition lies outside the structure and order of the Imperium. If they want to blend in, then go with the flow. Otherwise, they can do whatever they want. Some things may have repercussions if seen in public, but that's a different topic.

It's hard to interpret stuff like that mechanically. Soon enough you are counting scratches on someone bedpost. There may be some die hard simulationist method actor out there that tells you every time they eat or ****, but a game is about a group.

It depends on. If they have something like influential friends or contacts, then I would very much think that in the downtime there should be some mentioning of this from time to time. But as mentioned above we shouldn't get drowned in details when details are not really relevant.

@Mijrai, I was thinking about downtime. Should there be a list of things characters need/want to do on their down time. I wouldn't mind a list of things that is normal for each "class" to do. To me Dark Heresy is very alien, which is its appeal. I know what I do on any normal week, but I don't live in the 40k universe (until trump is elected). I remember in first edition, some character class got bones and a candle, and that was the last that was ever heard about it.

So either for fluff or character development or plot hooks, I would like to know what characters do on their downtime.

@Mijrai, I was thinking about downtime. Should there be a list of things characters need/want to do on their down time. I wouldn't mind a list of things that is normal for each "class" to do. To me Dark Heresy is very alien, which is its appeal. I know what I do on any normal week, but I don't live in the 40k universe (until trump is elected). I remember in first edition, some character class got bones and a candle, and that was the last that was ever heard about it.

So either for fluff or character development or plot hooks, I would like to know what characters do on their downtime.

There is nothing wrong with asking characters to develop their "Standard downtime routines" as long as it doesn't get to the point of being Anal retentive. It is not unreasonable that Tech priests and Hierophant's will maintain some sort of contact with their respective organizations. I tend to follow Vorzakk's method. If the Acolytes want to maintain contacts or otherwise do something reasonably "Useful" during downtime than it will probably have some sort of positive benefit later.

For example: The Cell's (I refuse to say warband! It sounds too heretical!) Arbiter actively maintains contact with his old buddies at the precinct. During the next investigation; maybe his old partner's CI (Confidential informant) comes forward with a clue that helps move the investigation along.

Joeker: Some thoughts on your list of downtime activities by background:

All: There will be typical "Wine women and song" downtime activities. Especially after a harrowing investigation!

Administratum: Contact superiors, write reports, restock supplies and ammo. requisition new gear and conduct downtime research

Arbites: Read criminal activity reports. Check in with precinct, assist in patrols if possible, Provide consultation in "mundane" ongoing investigations.

Astra Telepathica: Submit to purity testing, Meditation, Conduct downtime research, Assist with Astropathic choirs, Assist in purity testing.

Adeptus Mechanicus: Conduct maintenance rites on advanced equipment, Build new equipment/weapons, research newly found or discovered technology.

Ministorium: Conduct religious services, Hear confessions, tend to congregants,(Offer advice, sometimes healing services Marriage counseling etc.) Researching variations of Imperial cult.

Astra Militarum: Heavily dependent on rank but; Conduct and participate in drills, inspections and assemblies. Maintain weapons and equipment, Physical training (PT), Clean and maintain barracks.

Outcaste: Maintain contacts, Conduct minor scams, Investigate/grow business opportunities, run errands for bosses, Gather information from regular informants.

Sororitas: Meditation, Prayer, guard higher level ecclesiarchal members, Serve as Liasons, minister to the sick,

All of the above assume a relatively non hazardous downtime activity although they could serve as a springboard to a more active investigation. (Sort of like the fact that a robbery seems to happen every time a "secret identity" superhero ever goes near a bank!)

Hope this helps!