Re: Inventory and the like

From: Michael W. Ryan <mryan_at_...>
Date: Thu, 16 Mar 2000 09:40:09 -0500 (EST)


On Thu, 16 Mar 2000, Richard Develyn wrote:

> Just as a change from the combat stuff.
>
> We no longer bother keeping truck of individual finances - you just have a
> wealth level which you roll against whenever you want to buy something.
>
> A little while when someone ask what happens if I only have three arrows, I
> wondered whether you wouldn't bother counting arrows any more than you
> bother counting clacks.

<Description of a really good idea snipped>

I really like this idea. I've tended to use this scheme, but in a more informal sense, with my games, even in other genres. Having a more "on the fly" inventory system does offer some advantages.

  1. The player doesn't have to think of EVERYTHING. Nor does he need to suffer for not thinking of something his character obviously would have.
  2. The GM doesn't have to sit through the interminable, and inevitable, equipment purchasing sessions.

By quantifying the "on the fly" inventory, you add some rationality to the scheme. The determination of whether or not the character has something isn't purely GM fiat (I'm not a big fan of pure GM fiat -- hey! I like my dice).

I would still suggest allowing/accounting for specific items. This allows the players to micromanage the things they're interested in and de-emphasize the things they're not.

Michael W. Ryan, MCP, MCT     | OTAKON 2000
mryan_at_...              | Convention of Otaku Generation
http://www.netaxs.com/~mryan/ | http://www.otakon.com/

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