So in your home town, after you’ve gotten a tiny bit of loot.
First resources test (using the loot as +1D for +2D to resources total): The first test (if passed) moves your resource exponent to 1
Second resources test (which doesn’t need to necessary use loot at all, as you’re at +1D for hometown, and your exponent of 1): This test, if passed moves your resource exponent to 2, as resources 1->2 advancement requires 1 passed test and 0 failed tests…right?
Correct. pg. 104 “Advancing Rating 1” says that you just need a single passed test to advance something from 1 to 2.
Also, keep in mind you can only advance resources once during a single Town phase.
This hometown bonus is very potent with low skills - so granting 1 player this bonus by selecting his hometown seams unfair to all others…
Sounds like something the players need to work out between themselves.
Wanted to bump this thread as Im having some confusion on resources.
Player A has 6D of treasure and 0 resources otherwise. They go to town - do they haggle or does only one person in the group need to Haggle? - and want to buy something from the Market. It’s an Ob1 item, so they roll and fail. Do they get the item but lose the cash? If they succeed, do they still burn off the cash?
They then hit up and inn for 2 and repair a piece of armor for 1. That puts them at Ob3 and they roll 5D when they leave. If they fail, what are the choices here… This is the part that most heavily confuses me. Do I hit them with a twist? How does taxing work? So confused…
Each person haggles individually, I believe, and haggling is risky, so you may want to be careful when you do it (make sure the odds of success are high).
As written you lose any cash you spend whether you succeed or fail.
Tax is described in the book as an alternative to getting a condition, so I assume (but it doesn’t say explicitly) if you are taxed then you do receive the item. Since cash insulates against Tax you can just about trade Ds of cash for Obs of gear… assuming the GM gives you tax instead of a twist. If you get a twist then it means you failed, so you lose the cash, don’t get the item, and something bad happens to you. Since town is a place of rest it’s usually best to save the twists for the end of the town phase. Also, note how cruel that is, definitely an evil GM situation.
Generally I personally would tax if they can afford the tax, and twist if they can’t. Ultimately it’s your choice, you can play out what feels appropriate.
Reading the rules again, it almost feels like it’s directly implying that you should always tax as long as there is something to tax, but that may simply be my kindness reading into it. Although… if you have no Resources or cash, why not splurge on a fancy hotel, you’re going to face the bill collectors anyway… “Yes, good sir, I’m a wealthy merchant, who told you otherwise? I’ll have my piles of gold here for you when I check-out, you can trust me!”
I suppose a player could argue that they’re trying to be an Ob6 item with 1D of cash, but that’s obnoxious and I suppose you just wouldn’t let them do that. But should you try to dissuade them from buying a Ob6 item with 6D of cash, or is that how the rules are meant to play out?
I appreciate the response but I am still not sure I understand. Am I taxing them of their successes and failures? If so, what happens if they have none? I could bump their resource stat down one if they actually had it, but if they don’t have anything, I am not sure what to hit them with.
Ah, cash absorbs tax. Think of it this way Resources + Cash = dice. Margin of failure = tax. You subtract tax from your total dice. If tax > Cash you start subtracting from your actual resources. Otherwise the tax just comes out of your Cash, you’re safe.
Examples:
Resources 1, Cash 1D Ob 2
2 successes: you win! you get the time but lose the cash, having spent it.
1 success: you lose! You are taxed by 1 (margin of failure). You have 1D cash so it absorbs the 1 tax. You get the item and your resources are safe.
0 successes: you lose! You are taxed by 2. Your 1D of cash covers 1 of the tax but you still have one left which now hits your resources. Your actual recourses drops to 0. You do still get the item (I think).
Resources 2, Cash 4D, Ob 5
5+ successes: You win, you get the item and lose the cash
1-4 successes: You are taxed, but your tax isn’t higher than your cash so your actual resources are safe. You lose your cash get the item (I think) and your resources stay the same.
0 successes: You are taxed and since your cash doesn’t cover the tax of 5 you not only lose the 4D of cash but your actual resources drops to 1. You do still get the item. (I think)
edited to add examples
That was perfect, thank you! I feel like the rules kept saying ‘cash absorbs tax’ but I felt like I couldn’t effectively decode that.