Mechanic Idea: Equipment

[InFerrumVeritas]

For some groups, the handwavey way in which weapons, armor, cars, etc are dealt with is great. For others, it doesn't work. My group is one of those. It also makes powers like Claws and Breath Weapon pretty weak. I have a solution: Equipment Points.
I still assume characters have the normal equipment they need to use their skills, or could reasonably get. This is for equipment which provides a distinct mechanical benefit, like weapons and armor.

The GM sets a number of equipment points available to characters (just like they'd set refresh, skill points, and skill cap). Generally, I feel 1 EP/every 3 refresh and a bonus 2 for pure mortals is enough. At Average Resources, you get one extra EP and one more at Good and Superb.

Each point of Weapon or Armor rating costs 1 EP. For other non spellcasting non combat applications of skills, get +1 per point spent on a specific application of that skill (like a really nice computer for research, car for driving, or a medkit for consequence recovery).
Once you spend an EP on gear, it cannot be changed for the rest of the session (GM's may waive this if the story permits).

You can get temporary EP by invoking applicable aspects (like Stolen Car) at a rate of 2 points per invocation. This equipment lasts for one scene.

Feedback appreciated.

[Sanctaphrax]

Sounds like a bad idea to me.

It doesn't change the fact that weapons and armour are just numbers, and it has some weird knock-on effects.

First of all, it prevents people from acquiring stuff that's actually pretty easy to get. You can get a weapon 3 gun pretty cheaply where it's legal.

Second of all, what happens when a character gets their hands on an item they can't afford? Say I beat up three gun-wielding thugs and take their weapon 2 pistols. I don't have 6 EP. Do the guns disappear?

Third of all, it's not clear what happens to equipment between sessions. If I can't afford it anymore, do I lose it somehow?

Fourth of all, it introduces perverse incentives. Don't acquire two swords, that's wasteful. Get a sword and use your remaining EP to buy your researcher friend a nice computer.

[Todjaeger]

Honestly reading this it sounds more like a Resources management issue and not an equipment issue.  As Sanctaphrax mentioned most of those items are publicly available assuming one has the funds to purchase them.

Not that this is an advertisement, but specialty equipment websites like galls.com have police/fire/ems equipment, many pieces of which would be of interest to characters.  A paramedic (ALS) level medical kit, complete with everything but the drugs and oxygen (it will have the O₂ tank) can be purchased for around $500.  That puts such a kit at an Average (+1) Resource roll.  For those characters with Good (+3) Resources, they wouldn't even need to make a roll, they could just declare that had it, assuming the situation was reasonable.

An example of an unreasonable situation would be for a player to declare their character has such an ALS kit immediately after another character gets hit (suffers a Consequence) during a firefight, as the party is escaping after having been captured.  However, if the party hadn't been captured and was instead attacking a facility, such a declaration from a player would IMO be perfectly fine.

Now looking online, the US Cavalry site has Cavalry sabers for sale for around $100, a wooden Louisville Slugger baseball bat can also be purchased for about the same price.  Both items would be considered melee Weapon: 2 items.  Both can be easily purchased legally.  However, neither item is very easy to hide, and characters would likely have some explaining to do if they came across a police officer with them, and it would not be unreasonable for a member of the public to call the police and report, "there's a man walking down the street wearing some kind of hooded cape carrying a fr*gg*ng sword!"

As a GM, I feel free to use normal responses to foil player's actions and ambitions.  For example, when I ran the Sleepy Hollow game, a player thought it would be brilliant for his character to try and shoot out the tires of a van used by the bad guys, in downtown New Haven, CT at 5pm.  The player was quite surprised and a bit dismayed when suddenly large numbers of heavily armed police started to show up, looking for the reported shooter.  There is also the option later on for the forensic evidence to be used to tie his character's gun to the van shooting.

The other thing which I do, is I use a variant of the Bulldogs! rules for Resources.  Basically I take Resources and make it an ability which every character has, but is no longer tied to the character's skill points.  This makes it much more difficult for a player to raise it, so that players can't have their characters solve problems by drowning them with money.  Let's face it, a Chest Deep campaign would allow a character to have Resources of Superb (+5) which means that items with a value of Good (+3) or $5,000 without even rolling.

-Cheers

[InFerrumVeritas]

I think you misunderstand.  My group is very good at stating which equipment they have (and not just declaring what they have later). 

Not having the EP for something doesn't mean you can't have it.  It means it doesn't have a number attached to it.  So that gun you found lets you use the guns skill, but you don't get its Weapon value (if you roll to create an aspect, you could invoke this and have it for the scene).  Between sessions, gear gets left at home or used up or whatever.

This is a way to balance the effectiveness of characters between each other.  What's the point of taking Claws?  Or Breath Weapon?  They're wasted refresh.  What this allows is a way to ensure that those things have value.  One solution is to make them free.  But then how many "free" powers like this can you have?

Yes, a lot of stuff that is useful to characters is very easy to get.  But it requires that you get it and have it with you.  Which you can.  I have no problem with characters having sabres or baseball bats, but they wouldn't provide a mechanical bonus unless EP were spent on them.  See the difference?  You can have a first aid kit, but it doesn't provide an advantage.  It's just considered part of the requirement of using that skill.  Spending EP means that you have a particularly good first aid kit, or happen to have the exact medicine or whatever necessary to treat that wound.  Sort of like aspects and invoking them, but applying it to weapons and armor too.

Note that this is for a Superhero game, not a Dresden one.  So this helps with the "I bought a toughness power." "Oh, that's cool.  I just have this really advanced bodyarmor built into my costume because I'm so rich."  Or, "I can shoot lasers out of my eyes." "Dude, it's better to just buy a gun.  Then you can spend that refresh on a stunt that lets you shoot better."

In the case of having two swords, that's fine.  You're attacks are still just Weapon:2.  There's really no difference between having two swords or just one, just like there's very little difference between wearing multiple pieces of armor with the same rating.  Mechanically, it doesn't matter, so it wouldn't cost.

[Magicpockets]

Can your players always lug around swords and guns at every occasion? I thought the point of claws was that you always had a weapon rating at hand when everyone else is unarmed.

[Taran]

Super advanced body armour might, like Iron Man might end up being an IoP.
Claws and laser eyes are way easier to hide than a gun or a sword and they can't be stolen or disarmed.

It's worth the refresh, I think.

[Todjaeger]

Ok, if you're using the Dresden Files rules to run a superhero game, then sure some of the mechanics would be different.  If you haven't already, you might want to take a look at Fate Core.

As others have already mentioned, things like Claws and Breathe Weapon a character always has (unless part of an IoP...) but they can also be re-skinned into fangs or other type melee and ranged attacks.  Yeah, a gun can be used to fire bullets, or maybe even some of the specialty rounds (bean-bag, pepper spray, Dragon's Breath, etc) but their ammo is limited and guns can be taken away.  Also depending on the threat/opponent, bullets might not even be effective, but a character that can shoot lasers, breath fire, spit acid, etc can be a bit more flexible.

Given the role of technology and equipment in many superhero games though, it might make more sense to look towards Fate Core for some help, rather than construct a rules set for Dresden Files.

-Cheers

[InFerrumVeritas]

Ok, if you're using the Dresden Files rules to run a superhero game, then sure some of the mechanics would be different.  If you haven't already, you might want to take a look at Fate Core.

As others have already mentioned, things like Claws and Breathe Weapon a character always has (unless part of an IoP...) but they can also be re-skinned into fangs or other type melee and ranged attacks.  Yeah, a gun can be used to fire bullets, or maybe even some of the specialty rounds (bean-bag, pepper spray, Dragon's Breath, etc) but their ammo is limited and guns can be taken away.  Also depending on the threat/opponent, bullets might not even be effective, but a character that can shoot lasers, breath fire, spit acid, etc can be a bit more flexible.

Given the role of technology and equipment in many superhero games though, it might make more sense to look towards Fate Core for some help, rather than construct a rules set for Dresden Files.

-Cheers

I started the game before Fate Core was published.  I've incorporated a lot of FC into this game, but it shifting it is slower going that I had hoped.  Fate Core doesn't have a lot.  It basically says "charge for everything" or "don't bother."  By default, it doesn't really use Weapons or Armor value.

Anyway, thanks for the feedback.  While I think the concerns are largely though misinterpretation, my players are just as likely to misinterpret it too.

Thanks guys.

[Sanctaphrax]

Not having the EP for something doesn't mean you can't have it.  It means it doesn't have a number attached to it.  So that gun you found lets you use the guns skill, but you don't get its Weapon value (if you roll to create an aspect, you could invoke this and have it for the scene).

Yeah, that's not clear at all. Easy enough to make clear, though.

That does address the issues I raised, though I admit I'm not thrilled by the level of abstraction here.

This is a way to balance the effectiveness of characters between each other.  What's the point of taking Claws?  Or Breath Weapon?  They're wasted refresh.

No they aren't. As other posters have said, you won't always have your weapons on hand. That's why Item Of Power is worth Refresh. It's why focus items are a thing. It's why Fists and Weapons are separate.

(Breath Weapon is a pretty suboptimal Refresh expenditure, though. Claws is better but still not super awesome.)

You can play a game where people always have their gear, but...you should probably change some other rules if you do.

[cold_breaker]

Not going to lie, this seems more confusing and complicated then balancing.

Rather than "EP" - I think you should start looking closer at the use of the resource skill. Off the top of my head, I'd say anyone who wants to run around with a weapon 2 and armor 2 better have resources 4 - I'd probably allow them to have multiple weapons: 1 items for that as well and even lend them out, but an armory of useful weapons are going to get expensive fast.

If balance is still an issue, you could also say that projectiles aren't super effective: perhaps it's a common tactic in the supernatural world and there are many supernatural ways to defend against it: charms and the like. Even in the books, Dresden isn't super afraid of bullets - except perhaps sniper rounds.