Cash in Fantasy Hero - A suggestion

[Xiawarr]

I can't seem to find it on these boards, must have been on the temporary boards, but I remember someone asking about a cash to Active/Real Point conversion for Hero.

I just wanted to share a house rule that I use in my FH games. I have never been fond of the prototypical AD&D/D20/Runequest shopping trips, nor the constant bean-counting associated with every treasure hoard. Granted, I prefer a cinematic, wild-action and epic style of play, to the gritty, sword and sorcery style.

Using the Money Perk as a starting point, I developed a fairly simple 3d6 game mechanic. Basically, everyone starts with an 11 or less to acquire any piece of normal equipment (permanent magic items/artifacts you pay for with points). This roll represents a combination of both availability and the character's personal financial situation. Essentially, you add modifiers to each roll based on the Money Perk and your personal (GM's) availability list.

Mine looks like this:
Money Perk Modifiers
Destitute: -5
Poor: -3
Middle Class : N/A
Well Off: +1 - +5 (depending upon points spent by player)
Wealthy: +6 - +10 (same as above)
Filthy Rich: +18!

Availability Modifiers
Everyday: +6
Very Common: +3
Common: +1
Uncommon: -1
Rare: -3
Very Rare: -5
Exotic: -8
Unique: -11
Military Only: -5
Magic: -5 (Potions, scrolls, etc. If you want characters to be able to buy them with "money")
High Tech/Specialized Equipment: -1 to -5

For the above availability modifiers, the GM merely needs to classify equipment/weapons under the appropriate categories (Everyday through Unique). The last three simulate the additional availability constraints of those type of items.

Have your characters make one roll for every item they want, individually. An 18 is always a failure, a 3 is always a success. I also recommend creating "equipment packages" (e.g. the standard dungeon delvers kit).

Let me know what you think. It has worked well for me.

[Kage Neko]

A unique idea for starting a campaign. Maybe next time I GM ...

But I would have a standard list of what the character can start with/roll for:

1. Primary weapon
2. Secondary weapon x3
3. Shield
4. Armor
5. etcetera
6. etcetera

With a couple of free choices at the end where the character could roll for anything short of artifacts. Of course discussions with the GM would be necessary for some characters (e.g. the two sword wielding, shieldless, arena fighter). That way you could limit how many things the characters get, but stil alow them to have a reasonable chance at unique items. You will also need some defaults for when the characters fail to roll successfully for essentials (main weapon, armor, daily traveling clothes [nudist sword fighter anyone ]).

[mudpyr8]

Xia, that is more or less the same system that d20 Modern uses (http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/msrdwealth.rtf).

I think it is a fine system, as long as your focus is not on the traditional amassing of wealth as is typical of many fantasy campaigns. We tried using this system in cyberpunk and found it didn't really work there as well. While it does a great job of simplifying purchasing and equipment management, allowing focus on adventure, it eliminates some of the metagaming aspect of "do we have enough healing potions". The issue we ran into in cyberpunk is that no one was running out of ammo unless it was a long firefight... they always had as much ammo as they could carry and were never really short on cash.

Other than that I think it is a fine idea.

[Xiawarr]

Kage,
Good upgrade!

Actually, I realized after I posted that I left off a few ideas.

-1 for every 10 active points above the first 10 (e.g. 11-20 = -1 roll; 21-30 = -2 roll). This allows the GM additional control for those players that want a quick magic item fix. They need to quest/adventure for those (or pay their hard earned experience points).

And, for those that still like to delve for treasure of the monetary kind, award temporary levels of the Money Perk. Glowingly describe the mounds of gold and jewels during the adventure then award 5 points of the Money Perk usable for the next two sessions or adventures.

I might even suggest some combination of this Money Roll mechanic and experience points, for those characters back wealthy from an adventure, who want to commission their own artifact. The roll represents the availability of materials and appropriate magical artificer; the experience points allow the character to keep the item permanently.

Thoughts on these upgrades?

Keith (aka Xiawarr)

[Spyritwind]

The old Mayfair DC Hero's system used this concept as well. I think it worked fairly well with supers since money is just a background issue and not really very important. The players still rely on their powers and not on what they can buy. Money just determines whether or not you can afford a plane ticket, or a new car after DR. Ugly smashed your car.

In fantasy or any other genre that relies heavily on money I don't think it will work. I'm imaging situations like this happening:

Player A has a list of five items he wants to purchase in town. According to his dice rolls he's able to get items 1, 2 & 4 even if items 3 or 5 would 'cost' less because he didn't make those rolls. Okay, we could say the player couldn't find these items, or the shops were out of stock except player B also wanted items 3 & 5 and made those rolls. Sure, we could say player B got the last one's I suppose.

I just see the possibility of strangness. At one moment the player fails his roll and can't buy a beer and in the next moment he's able to buy a magic sword because he does make the roll. Ran out of pocket change, but just remembered the multicolored dragon gem in his boot for the sword I suppose?

It might work, but it's definately abstract and I think there will be some issue's. There should be a "out of reach" zone as well. If the roll you need to make is too great then maybe it shouldn't be allowed other wise players will keep trying to buy every thing all the time trying to hit the lottery.

Hmmm ... maybe some thing like once you fail a roll at a certain level you cannot try to get some thing at that level again unless you have acquired sufficient funds.

[Xiawarr]

Spyritwind,
I suppose bad rolling could make that a possibility. However, it is up to GM's common sense to group items in appropriate categories -- so unless you roll an 18, it would be unlikely that a character would be unable to get a beer or a meal. I would list that under Everyday items, which for the average character with no Money Perk gets a 17 or less roll (11 base + 6 for Everyday category).

As for characters trying all the time to "hit the lottery", again that is where GM common sense comes in.

I don't deny that it is abstract, it's suppose to simplify what can often be (for me) a tiresome process. (Count the gold. Could someone get me the calculator I need to check what I can afford. Now double check it to make sure I haven't made any mathematical errors).

Thanks for the feedback.
Keith (aka Xiawarr)

[Spyritwind]

It's all good. As you say as long as the GM uses common sense along with it that should help. Any examples of how this has worked well for you and your players? What do they think of it? Any potential problems yet?

[Xiawarr]

Spyritwind,
Haven't actually used the mechanic in awhile... I've been taking a break from GMing. I am currently in a standard AD&D3E/d20 game. That's one of the reasons I made the post. I find it boring to spend the first half-hour of our gaming sessions shopping and re-calculating wealth.

However, what did appeal to my players last time I used it, was the fact that they had a chance to acquire, say a warhorse, if they made a lucky roll. It also, sped up the standard shopping trips. Scan the "price list", make a couple of rolls. Everyone's done in at least half the time. In addition, it prompted actual use of the Money Perk.

I often start my campaigns with characters being poor (Money Perk disad.), so that they have something to work for. Unless of course a good character concept changed my mind (e.g. "I am Cholon Jolar, the last prince of Betterovia").

[Markdoc]

I've run two different approaches.

for standard fantasy games, I stick wothbean counting: it gives me greater control over what the players can and cannot buy and a lever to push them where I want them to go "Tha's right, an empty castle wiv looooads a' munney..."

That helps generate the gritty "anything for a bit of loot" mentality appropriate to freebooting warriors and rogues.

In my recent game, I wanted the players to focus on other things. They were all retainers of a feudal lord. If they wanted weapons and armour, they went to the armoury and helped themselves, if they wanted warhorses, they asked for them. If they had to go on a journey, their lord gave them a purse with "enough" cash. Just like nobles in real life, they carried very little actual money.

That worked too, with the players very occasionally being challenged for cash, and mostly not bothering their little feudal heads about it.

cheers, Mark

[HappyCat]

You could take some of the randomness out by stating that anything with a final target roll of 8- or less can be purchased without a roll. So Everyday and Common items would be basically automatic, unless they were magical varieties.

Anyway, I'm definetely stealing this idea

[Xiawarr]

HappyCat,
Nice upgrade! And thank you.
Keith (aka Xiawarr)

[HappyCat]

Of course, I did of course mean 14- or greater ... not 8- or less ... d'oh!