While most roleplaying games go beyond the stereotype of, “Kill them and take their stuff!” it is undeniable that equipment has a central place in the mechanics of almost every game. Characters almost invariably become insanely wealthy in order to afford upgraded equipment made increasingly expensive as a form of mechanical balance. Recently a new trend has emerged in some roleplaying games; many games now use alternate mechanics such as Deathwatch’s Requisition or Dark Heresy Second Edition’s Influence to use Fantasy Flight Games examples. These systems use more abstract means to model acquiring items, representing more intangible factors such as political influence or the advanced logistics offered to elite forces. Each method of handling item acquisition mechanics has an effect on the theme and feel of the game. On their own, these effects are neither positive nor negative. Rather, purchasing mechanics must match the theme and feel desired by overall design
Traditionally, items are listed in core and supplemental rulebooks alongside a currency cost such as gold, credits, et cetera. Sometimes a rarity rating restricts the ease of acquisition beyond cost, but just as often this is subject to GM discretion. The primary balancing factor for items is cost. While rarity can also provide a control, even when provided there is often variation between GMs in how these mechanics are interpreted or even applied. Often, GMs will ignore the additional bookkeeping, calculations, and dice rolls recommended by rarity mechanics.
Using costs expressed as currency puts a game into the grittier, and potentially more simulationist, side of the spectrum. Players, and therefore their characters, will all be motivated to varying degrees by the acquisition of currency as a means to power and utility. This may sound like a condemnation, but this may indeed be the effect you are trying to achieve. Consider Edge of the Empire, a game in which a sidebar discusses how to “keep the party hungry,” or rather short on credits to motivate the adventure. Continuing with the Star Wars example, I find the use of Credits and Rarity in Age of Rebellion to perfectly support the feel of playing an underequipped and desperate Rebel cell. At the same time, a party of elite Rebel Special Forces, or a crack team of Imperials, would be provided with equipment as required. That disconnect creates additional work for the GM in determining equipment balance based solely on their own discretion.
Related to credits but more appropriate to episodic, mission by mission play, is that of requisition. This is exemplified by the system used by Fantasy Flight Games’ Deathwatch. Deathwatch, putting players in the role of genetically engineered elite commando-monk alien hunters, concerns character with the support of a galaxy wide logistics chain and no concern for such petty concerns as wealth. Deathwatch characters have standard issue equipment and weapons based on their specialty which are then augmented by both GM determined mission essential kit and finally player selected equipment using the Requisition system. Requisition is a currency granted to the players to select arms and equipment prior to commencing a mission. Each piece of equipment within the game lists a “cost” in Requisition, and has a further requirement that a player be at a sufficiently high level of Renown. Renown is a tiered rating system representing the fame of each individual player, the higher the Renown rating the more powerful the available equipment. On completion of a mission all excess equipment beyond the players’ standard issue kit is returned to the armoury.
Using a mechanic like Requisition creates a more military feel. Requisition points provides an abstracted, but dependable, representation of the characters acquiring equipment through a healthy, but ultimately non-infinite logistics chain. Adding Renown within Deathwatch models the increased willingness on the part of the armourers to provide difficult to replace kit to the characters. A veteran Deathwatch Space Marine is trusted with ancient relics, a fresh novice is not. The provision of standard issue equipment to characters greatly reduces any possible feeling of desperation. To use a fantasy example: while magical armour may be in short supply, the watch always has enough chainmail and longswords. While this system may work very well for reasonably supplied military parties, it does a poor job of conveying the feel of an underequipped rebel cell as discussed above.
The final mechanic I will discuss is that of an Influence-type statistic. Fantasy Flight Games’ Dark Heresy Second Edition has Influence as an additional characteristic; this is generated and tracked alongside more typical statistics such as Strength or Willpower. Influence much more abstractly represents wealth, political influence, access to logistics, in generally much broader strokes. Items have a Rarity rating which corresponds to a positive or negative modifier. This rarity modifier is added to the Influence characteristic along with modifiers for other factors and a dice roll is made using roll-under d100, success indicates acquisition of the item. GMs are encouraged to allow minor expenditures without a roll for things such as drinks, accommodations, or a few coins to loosen a tongue.
The aptly named Influence mechanic models characters with powerful connections. Dark Heresy Second Edition’s characters are Inquisitorial Acolytes who have the right to demand assistance from local authorities in the name of the God-Emperor. An earlier product, Rogue Trader, provided inspiration through an essentially similar mechanic called Profit Factor. In Rogue Trader, starting parties possess such things as a multi-kilometer long spaceship, thousands of servants and soldiers, and an ancient warrant of trade giving fantastically broad authorities. As such, it would be inappropriate to track the immense wealth of the party and abstraction is not just welcome, in my opinion it is required.
For Dark Heresy, there is some debate within the community. The previous edition used currency for starting play and introduced Influence in its high level play sourcebook, Ascension. Acquiring spending money for bribes or undercover operations was possible in Ascension using Influence, but this special rule has been removed. Some Dark Heresy GMs prefer the use of the currency mechanic so as to tempt players towards greed, and to convey how unimportant and disposable novice acolytes are. Others wish to emphasize the power of merely naming the Inquisition early on, and point to how this was the province of GM fit in the first edition.
It is as with nearly everything in roleplaying: individual play experiences vary and what is right for some is not for others. Here is my advice to game designers and GMs considering house rules. Start with an understanding of the feel of your game and how that impacts the acquisition of equipment and resources. Then, determine the “so what?” as this leads to mechanical implications.
A Firefly roleplaying game ought to emphasize how a handful of credits is the difference between protein paste and fresh fruit, therefore a currency system is likely required. Allied Commandos sent on daring raids during World War 2 will have little need for francs or deutschmarks outside of emergency spending money, so a system to Requisition equipment on a mission by mission basis will be appropriate. In that example, submachine guns and German uniforms may be needed in one mission, but those will be of little use in long range reconnaissance in North Africa. There the party would likely rather have optics, long range rifles, and rugged vehicles. What about a game in which players are Roman senators or patricians, navigating intrigue in the capital? A measure of their influence is more likely to be required that an exact measure of their coin, perhaps balanced with mechanics to draw spending money. Each setting and style of game has its own unique implications. Ultimately, no one mechanical system of equipment acquisition is perfect.
Christopher Hunt
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