This past weekend we played a game where the PCs had to make a perilous crossing and no one had any rope due to not getting any from the equipment tables. They managed to get across, but it required creativity, theology and a lucky pig. An actual pig, I'm not badmouthing the players.
This made me think. Suppose you roll some cash for your PC when you make it, do you let them do a bit of pre-game shopping?
(Lucky AND cute. What sort of monster would use it for magical components?)
I think letting them do shopping can cheapen the random generation. But if they start in town then it feels arbitrary to say that they can't go shopping. It might not be super OSR but I don't usually throw obstacles in the way if I can't imagine a way that the players can overcome it.
ReplyDeleteFor my heist game, I give my players a Lil bit of cash no starting equipment. they can spend time and money buying stuff for the heist, that's just part of planning and resource management. It's probably different for exploration-as-play type games.
ReplyDeleteAlso is that a pig?? That's the best looking pig I've ever seen, so stylish.
ReplyDeleteIt's a red river hog, and I agree.
ReplyDeleteen.wikipedia.org - Red river hog - Wikipedia
Tore Nielsen I just sent everyone I know that photo, it is a very popular pig
ReplyDelete:-D Only fair.
ReplyDeleteFor me it really depends on the setting and the adventure. As Max said, if there's no reason why the characters couldn't have shopped, you might as well speed up the process.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm glad I didn't kill that lucky of for magical components. He's too cute!
An extreme example of this was when Rob Brennan's son made sure he got a lot of money to spend on a lot of cheap components. At the end of the adventure, he used it all to summon a dozen of acid spitting lizards which saved the party's collective bacon.
ReplyDeleteI like the equipment lists a ton, so I'd practically always prefer using them myself.
ReplyDeleteI would like to hear about that heist game, NMEAST. I love heists.
Tore Nielsen I can send you a link to a WIP ruff draft of the rules. It's heavily based on macchiato monsters.
ReplyDeleteThat'd be great. :-)
ReplyDeleteI yet have to have a proper look at it... =/
ReplyDeleteEric Nieudan Sorry, at what?
ReplyDeleteTore Nielsen At NMEAST's heist game. He sent me the link a couple weeks ago and I haven't taken the time to do so...
ReplyDeleteNo worries! I'm actually gonna do another round of edits this weekend, Tore Nielsen I'll email you the Google doc after the revision
ReplyDelete