Character creation resource points exasperate me.
Why does it cost 8rps for some writing implements but 3rps for a small cottage? Simple arms are 5rps? I could trade my pens and short sword for 4 cottages?
Is there any rationale to this aside from simply wanting characters to be able to have a home?
Frankly, I do disagree with some of the Chargen things. Like the Toolkit costs. And the fact that you can get âArmsâ (not, a Sword, âArmsâ) for 5rps but ranged weapons are all individually costed.
Bear in mind Rps arenât straight money. Theyâre nebulous⌠Theyâre people you know, organisations youâre inâŚ
But yes, I agree, Toolkits are too expensive. A quick and dirty fix is to make each toolkit cost rps equal to itâs resources Ob to buy.
Or, you can just say âFor skills you have, you have the Kitsâ because, frankly, there are more interesting uses for rps (including 5rps relationships whoâs tools you can borrow.)
The desired economy at character burning time is different. The RP costs donât directly match to the costs to buy things in play.
Itâs all about making choices. Nobody is stopping you to take 3 cottages at character creation. You decide what is important for your character. The choices are ment to make you think. If everything was cheap, you wouldnât have to think about it
The Idea is you buy access to arms, you donât just buy a sword. Quality Arms would be worth more than a cottage. Most toolkits would be too.
Iâd just assumed that was an intentional choice because the quality of domicile is pretty firmly linked to your lifestyle costs for the maintenance cycle. You keep paying for the property you purchased every resource cycle, and making housing cheaper than it âshouldâ be means that you get fewer dice in your Resources stat than you would otherwise. Combined, that means that itâs easy to make a character who is living outside their means, which is great grist for the story mill.
Similarly, a large business costs the same a successful small business during character burning, but the cost to maintain the small business is lower so it can be worth buying instead even if you get the same stat contributions and less narrative reach to the character. Both housing and businesses work as sliders for the amount of drama and tension you want in the game around those aspects of your character, and the realism of their costs are pushed to occur during play instead.
To clarify, the economy I refer to is in the choosing of priorities by the player, and nudging from the system. Being armed is a big deal, and to reflect that itâs a thing you need to prioritize. Same deal with buying the tools for your trade.
I understand that itâs a different economy during character burning. Iâm just not sure I understand all the choices.
The lifestyle factor that comes from a cottage/house is a good point. Iâm still not sure I fully understand why toolkits are so much more expensive than arms though. It feels like a waste of rps because itâs not really an interesting choice.
Is there any rationale to this aside from simply wanting characters to be able to have a home?
Nope. RP arenât currency. Chargen is designed so having a modest dwelling is trivial while having writing implements is a relatively expensive character choice. The choices you make in Chargen are about how you use your available points to create the character youâre going to play. Not a representation of the actual value of trade goods and property during the 12th century.
Why are toolkits not an interesting choice. Iâve always found characters with toolkits and the skills to use them to be very interesting. Not everyone has writing materials. Not everyone has blacksmithing tools. And the cost means that the player who is choosing them intends for them to be meaningful.
I like to think that, while arms can be a valuable tool, they also make it enticingly easy to get into serious trouble and can create a world of problems when you use them. I mean, this is a game that charges you 1 RP for shoes â and then this all-you-can-eat approach to weapons? Thatâs enough to make one a bit suspicious. âHere, have this longsword, too. Certainly, a mace as well, excellent idea. How about some nice stabby daggers? Or can I interest you in âŚ?â
Toolkits, on the other hand, get you out of trouble and help you solve your problems. Also, they can be a true pain to aquire or replenish during a game. Theyâre extremely valuable.
Adding to points made by other posts. Remember that each component of a toolkit is carefully hand crafted. It is a conceit of modernity to own sheds filled with mass produced equipment (or exercise machines!).
As GM I would be fine with players wanting to have characters with say, blacksmithing skills, but not the required toolkit, but only if the skill was intended as a background or colour. The moment the skill became productive, resources, circles or social persuasion would come into play.
-k
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