THE WHEEL OF TIME: Domain Cycles

Like this, but the figures represent levels
(the nice calendar from
The Blacktongue Thief)

In my ideal D&D ruleset player advancement would stop short of 10th level. I think the 9th-level domain goal is a wonderful one and any advancement after 9th by the player should feed into that. And in fact, I would try to being domain leveling into lower levels in my ideal D&D.

Then the play loop begins again in a (hopefully) changed the world.

But this got me thinking that a table could refer to these loops as "cycles"-- spongy units of time that more mark change in the game state than they do in actual specific amounts of time per se.

I could imagine a table saying remarking something like this: 

"Ha ha remember in the 2nd Cycle when Susan leveled her fighter far enough to get that sweet keep, but we never found the lich so we started the 3rd Cycle trying to mount defences against an army of the undead?"

 Marcia of Traverse Fantasy had the suggestion of also doing a sorta interlude to discuss the implications of the end of one cycle to the beginning of another cycle-- Like a "Cycle Downtime?"

I think this would be a good thing too. In this sorta downtime setting maybe each character NOT at domain level could gain something of value or maybe it allows full development of a downtime institution or relationship:

• Building investments complete
• PC gain a non-landed title status
• Guild standing increases
• A crucial piece of research is completed

Basically something cool that is not quite a level gain, domain attainment, or a +2 sword but still intersting and adds to the world.