Hey there. I’m just reading the book at the moment and I am just confused at how supplies are meant to work.
So, from the book, it says that supplies give +1D, can someone give a supply AND aid someone to give them more dice? or is aid capped at +1D
The Cartographer says that ink from alchemists are always welcome as supplies. But the book also states that as long as you have your pouch you will always have the required tools to commit to whatever action you are doing (as long as it is a skill you know).
Does this mean that someone with the alchemist spell can ALWAYS supply the cartographer with ink?
Can someone with alchemist supply this ink for +1D AND then help in another way?
now for other supplies that I know for sure would be consumables. such as a set of pure silver knitting needles for the spell Veil of the Chameleon. Where the heck would someone find this or go about finding it (answering this question will really help me understand how supplies work).
Can someone BUY some of these supplies from a merchant or while they are in town? if so how much would they even cost?
Supplies just seem to be the one thing I cant quite wrap my head around.
Spell supplies can be bought from a merchant, they’re on the table on pg 37 in my book copy, and you increase the price for supplies for spells of higher circles (pg 40).
Skill supplies: supplies are always expendable, and they provide a +1D bonus. An alchemist might be able to help a healer in the act of healing, but they can also rustle up some medicine. After the alchemist makes the relevant test (the Ob for which isn’t in the book, but I’d eyeball it at 2) to create the supplies, the healer can use them for +1D. This is in addition to the alchemist’s +1D of help, meaning that an alchemist can do things to earn the healer +2D to their roll.
The downside of making the supplies is that it takes time (requires a check in camp) and can fail. The downside of help is that the helper is bound by conditions if the test is failed.
As for buying supplies in town, in general I’d eyeball them at about Ob 1-3, depending on skill. Garlic is supplies for cooking, and Ob 1 to purchase, but ink for scholars and records for stewards will be more expensive, because of the social hierarchy in the world.
say, since people need to commit to a test to rustle up relevant skill supplies, does this mean it would cost a ‘turn’ ? Does that mean that seeking/finding supplies is not only costly in terms of the grind/camp checks, but also in terms of precious inventory space (they take up a slot dont they?).
Seems like a lot of effort for a +1D to a test. But I suppose people can get quite desperate if they see something difficult ahead!
Making supplies is a good way to advance a skill AND to give extra dice to another character.
You’re assumed to have the tools required to use a skill in which you possess a rating of 1+. An alchemist with the Alchemist skill has the reagents to make potions (ie: use the skill) but could also use additional ingredients gathered by others.
Yeah, it costs time (turn/check) and if they try carrying the supplies around for any length of time, they’re using an inventory space.
If you’ve got the checks to spare, and your companion has just failed their roll to recover from an injury, then it’s totally worth making sure the healer gets +2D and your alchemist gets up to two checks to advance alchemy. From experience, my current players will do anything to keep away from the risk of death the injured condition gives them.
Thank you for the replies guys. That makes a lot more sense. It seemed like a lot of effort for nothing before I realized using a skill this way, to make/gather supplies would help advance it.
I think what confused me most is the turn structure. Just seems so costly to dedicate a full turn to something like that (and the fact that it’s one test per turn ). But I guess that’s what this game is about; tough decisions.
Guess in the fiction it plays out like this:
" The handling is hurt really bad. I could try healing him… But I don’t like these odds. If we had these herbs it would increase his chances"
“I can go out looking for those herbs ?”
“I don’t know of we have the time or torches to waste waiting for you to MAYBE find them”
Okay. This makes more sense. Thanks for the help guys! The fact that using a skill like this helps advance it was such an obvious thing I missed.
What confused me was the fact that players had to dedicate a full turn to it. Which was odd to me. But this game is all about tough decisions. I guess the fiction would play out like this:
“The halfling is pretty hurt. I can try healing him, but I don’t really like my chances. If I had these herbs and supplies and a helping hand it would really help”
“Well Im a scavenger. I can probably go find these herbs you so need”
“Yes. But do we have the time to do that? We hardly have any torches left. And our food supply is dwindling. Maybe we shouldn’t waste any time…”
Yup. Also, very occasionally, people find themselves in camp with extra checks and no firm idea what to do with them. Making supplies for a future test is always an option.