Does Nature Ever Call Your PC's???

[clavis123]

When characters are in town, I ask the players to tell me how well their PCs are living. My campaign is very dark fantasy, so I do not assume that the PCs live like saints or heroes, unless the players tell me otherwise.

If they only spend a copper or less day I tell them their PCs are living like a beggars. They sleep in gutters, eat garbage, and have to make a constitution save each day or catch some kind of disease.

If they spend 1-2 silvers a day the PCs live like ordinary people. They eat cabbages, beans and gruel with some salt pork and brown bread; live in a crowded, dirty room infested with bedbugs, roaches, or rats; drink weak skunky beer; own one or two sets of clothing that they have to repair or make themselves; and perhaps they see an ugly, worn-out and/or diseased prostitute occasionally. The PCs have to save versus constitution each month or catch some kind of disease.

If they spend 1-5 gold pieces a day they live like the middle class. They eat meat daily (often muscle meat rather than organs); can eat white bread and vegetables; drink wine or good beer; live in a few clean rooms that actually have furniture in them and only see vermin rarely; have a maid; can buy new clothing; see plays and hear musical performances; and see a relatively clean, average-looking prostitute regularly. They only save versus constitution once a year to see if they contract a disease.

If they spend more than 5 gold pieces a day they live like the upper class. They own many sets of fine clothing, eat the best foods, live in clean rooms in a good part of town, have servants, and patronize beautiful courtesans. They can expect to be invited to parties and other social gatherings, and will be expected to host gatherings as well. They don't have to worry about randomly catching diseases at all.

When the PCs are adventuring, unless the players tell me otherwise I assume that the PCs eat twice a day, relieve themselves once in the morning, take care of their adventuring equipment when needed, drink liquids as needed, and otherwise perform sensible ordinary actions. I don't necessarily call attention to the details unless the situation warrants it. For example, if there are wandering monsters I might ask the players what area the PCs are using to cook, or using as as a latrine.

I do describe the crowding, filth, and stink of cities, and I try to make my underground complexes somewhat believable (which means including latrines and food preparation areas for intelligent humanoids). However, the game is about adventuring, so I make that the focus. Everything else is just backdrop that gives the adventure context.

[CharlieRock]

thats what prestidigitation is really meant for.
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The Rock says ...

Know your roll!

[Lord Dynel]

Joe wrote:
I am reviving this thread in hope of asking another question I find related.

CK's seem to like to insert their own little elements into the game for various reasons.

Personally I find it a great form of self expression but I also find some of them bog down a game.

I suspect that where much of it comes is time spent as a player. I can find something that I fixate on and think, "When I run I'm gonna fix this or that."

Here are some examples that come to mind.

Training Time...alternative money exchange rates...character career/job...Cost of Living...etc etc etc.

What sort of things do you as a CK insert into your game for the sake of "realism", "detail", "flavor" or whatever?

How do they "add" to the game?

I don't know...my players have never complained about these small things. Squabbling with the innkeeper if they think the price for a room is too high, travelling miles for someone train the party mage in a spell he may not know, finding coin changers in a small town because nearly no one can take a gold piece, and things like that are seen as yet another rolleplaying opportunity. I don't get worked up if the players take detours from the adventure to do these kind of things - it doesn't frustrate me one bit. I don't see it as a "bog down" to the game, because if this is happening and it's something the players want to do, then it is the game.

Now, I don't do things like changing the currency rates, making silver the standard and changing all the prices to silver, etc. If I want gold to be more valuable, I just don't give it out! If the players find a 500 gp gem, then they'll have a hard time offloading it unless they get to the largest towns. I suppose I have tweaked things a little, in my games economy, but not to a terrible extent.

As far as cost of living goes, the players are content living from one inn to another, paying for things as they go, then I'm happy for them. If they want to construct a stronghold and maintain it, then I'm happy with that, too. Cost of living and jobs fall into the my above reasoning - if the players like that sort of thing then as a CK, I provide it.

Training time is something, as an example, that I provide, but with additional added benefits. If "official" training is sought, the player may reroll his hit poiint roll (and in 3.5 D&D, is given an additional skill point). But it takes time and costs money (in C&C I might even add the ability to get a +1 on an "area of knowledge" check). The players are not obligated to train, but there are benefits for the time and money spent. It's all about choices!

The best advice I can give, Joe, is to keep an ear to the players wants and needs. If they like zipping from one adventure to the next, with little worry about what goes on in the meantime, then that's what you should provide. If the players want to make jewelry out of the gems they find and want to go look for an accomplished silversmith to do the job (for example), you should provide for that too. The game is about having fun...just go at the player's pace.
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LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules

Troll Lord wrote:
Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.

[IanTheMoxious]

Where are all of jokes about Rings of Immunity to Skidmarks? Trousers of Fecal Resistance +4? Under-linens of Absorption? Anti-Menstruation Fields? Or even just a good old Codpiece of Holding?

[Joe]

Quote:
The best advice I can give, Joe, is to keep an ear to the players wants and needs. If they like zipping from one adventure to the next, with little worry about what goes on in the meantime, then that's what you should provide. If the players want to make jewelry out of the gems they find and want to go look for an accomplished silversmith to do the job (for example), you should provide for that too. The game is about having fun...just go at the player's pace.

All I can say is Amen to that.

Yet I have seen time and time again...and yes I am guilty of it myself, but I have seen GMs assume the players just aren't "getting it" when it is actually the other way around. Unfortunately many times the game is ended before the GM clues in. They are left wondering what went wrong when the writing was always on the wall.

I have been guilty of suggesting that maybe the players should practice more caution before they rush into things. Was it true? Yes of course but that was not the point.

The point was "Hey Mister! Your players aren't exactly happy about your game!"

Take better notes, pay better attention, etc etc are all the wrong answers.

You Lord Dynel I think have given the correct answer and for that I thank you!
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'Nosce te Ipsum' -Delphic Maxim

'Follow your bliss.' -Joseph Campbell