I’m considering abstracting money to a couple of moves instead of a trackable resource in my spaceships and misfits PBTA hack. This will ensure the players have to always keep chasing scores instead of just getting rich and coasting.
Basing the roll off an NPC’s Disposition with the crew (a modifier between -2 and +2) will encourage the players to cultivate relationships with specific NPC groups and individuals, to ensure better chances of getting paid or fining what they want.
This is going to take a lot of restructuring, since the previous model for money was very literal. (Complete a job, get paid X monies. pay the cost of thing to gain it.)
Originally shared by Adrian Thoen
Payday
When you successfully complete a job or sell goods equal to one slot of Cargo, or information, or services of significant value, and collect your pay, roll+Disposition with your client or customer.
On a 12+, you make out like bandits, choose 4.
On a 10-11, you get a great deal, choose 3.
On a 7-9, you get the standard deal, choose 2.
On a 6-, it’s a set up or raw deal. You may either walk away without getting paid, or choose 1 and deal with an enemy that’s found you and wants to settle things now.
You keep the wolves at bay, reduce Debt by 1 and reset the Debt Fuse.
You pay the bills, you pay the maintenance costs for your ship, crew, and gangs and reset the Maintenance Fuse.
You get the Ship patched up. Remove all Damage from the Ship.
You spend big and live the high life, each Crew Member gets to heal all Harm and resets their Stress track to zero.
You grease the right palms and make some friends. Increase the Disposition of an important group or individual by 1.
The Ship gets an upgrade. Gain 1 upgrade for you ship.
You go shopping. Each Crew member may gain 1 piece of Basic Gear, or rolls Retail Therapy for Rare, Expensive, or Illegal Gear.
Purchase 1 Cargo slot of basic goods at a good price, or roll Retail Therapy to find rare, expensive, or illegal cargo. Cargo you buy in one system must be shipped to another system to sell.
Make 1 purchase from the Basic Vehicles list, or roll Retail Therapy to purchase an expensive, rare, or illegal vehicle.
After you’ve made your selections, you’re broke again and need to find another way to make some cash.
I like the idea of always going broke. The Hardhholder has something similar, right — where the barter gained is for the needs of the session and goes away thereafter. Maybe you could have both, a sort of synthesis.
William Nichols I was thinking along those lines, yeah. Spend big now, because it’s all going to be gone tomorrow. Being broke is also a big part of the inspiring fiction. The crew in Firefly and in Dark Matter are always barely scraping by, and when they do get a big payday, they blow it almost immediately. Destitution and debtors are always lurking around the corner.
What it doesn’t leave room for is walking around money for on-the-spot bribes or purchases etc – but this could encourage creative thinking, or just saying. “Your characters always have just enough spare change to buy simple, worse-than-average food or accommodation. If you want better, you’re going to have to lie, cheat, or steal your way to getting it.”
And its one less number on the character sheet!
Nice – how does Retail Therapy work?
Andy Gibson
Retail Therapy
When you go into a Black Market or wealthy quarter looking for Rare, Expensive, or Illegal Gear or a Vehicle, and with guilders burning a hole in your account, roll+Disposition with your contact or vendor.
On a 10+, they have exactly what you need for the right price.
On a 7-9, they have it, but they need a little something on top, the SM will tell you what. Perhaps a service, some goods or information, or a promise.
On a 6-, they can’t or won’t sell it to you. Either they don’t have it but can tell you who does, or it just can’t be found or bought – at least by you.
Thanks!
It’s a cool idea, but that’s a very long move. I’d either remove some things from the list, or just simplify each list entry.
Maybe something like:
Choose (based on roll) you can choose options more than once.
*Pay the bills (reset a fuse)
*Restore a damaged ship (remove all damage)
*Restore a weary crew (the crew heals all injuries and stress)
*Make or repair an alliance (+1 disposition with a character of your choice)
*Hold 1 to visit the marketplace
And then have a separate marketplace move that covers the shopping options in more detail.
Huh. Could Disposition and Hx be combined?
Disposition sounds neat. How does it go up or down?
Alan Scott I like your simplifications a lot, I’ll have to try to adapt them! Splitting marketplace off into something more specific can definitely work.
William Nichols Noah Tucker Disposition is used to describ how NPCs and NPC groups pervieve the ship’s crew. There’s a total of 5 Dispositions, each having a modifier set to it.
Hostile: -2
Suspicious -1
Neutral 0
Friendly +1
Bonded +2
There are a few mechanical triggers for changing Disposition, but Disposition mostly changes based on how the crew interacts with the group or NPC, or affects their interests.
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Nice! I was also thinking in a way to manage money without counting exact amounts.