Resources can be anything. The most obvious one is money. But they can be as different as the time a torch will burn, repellent for the hungry insects of the bloody bogs or even friends that you can trust.
Naturally, there are many different ways to get your hands on Resources. You can buy them, steal them, harvest or gather them, find them or loot them. This way, the Resource rules appear on various occasions in the game and can enrich it considerably.
This chapter covers how Resources are counted (once we need them), how you work for Resources and how you spend them. Enjoy!
<aside> 🪶 The most important thing about resources is that we only count the things we have if they really get scarce. That way, we don’t need to burden ourselves with too many rules or notes.
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<aside> 🪶 - Start with 3 units of General Resource
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Any unit of a resource in this game is signified by one die, known as a resource die. When you spend an amount of Resources to get something, roll a number of Resource Dice equal to the Risk set by the GM and Re-roll with wisdom. When consuming a portion of a Resource, roll just one Resource Die.
You can keep Resource Dice that show a success. Best to put them back in your pocket with a quick, greedy motion. Any others, you lose. Apart from that, Rolling follows the Rolling for Fun & Fortune Rules - except that Resource Dice don’t use Skills.
<aside> 🪶 As you can see, resources are not measured exactly and can last amazingly long. Once they’re empty, they’re empty, though.
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In the game, you will have General Resources that are equivalent to the things of value you carry with you. This can mean an amount of the prevalent currency, objects of value (like gems, gold, or even relics of antique art), or equipment. What it is in detail doesn’t matter.
You use it to buy stuff, pay people and pull useful things out of your bag in dire-looking situations. When creating your character, you have 3 general Resource Dice - signifying all the things you possess.
Loot & Payment - General Resource can also be awarded to you. When payment has been agreed, a set number of Resource Dice changes hands.
When you open a treasure chest, the GM can award you a number of loot dice ranging from 3 to 15, which you roll once (no re-rolling). Every success shown means one additional die of General Resource for each of you. Of course there may be a magical dagger hidden as well underneath all them gems and gold nuggets.
<aside> 🪶 When taking the belongings of a Notable Enemy, the GM might allow to roll Resource dice additional to any items you can find. Keep them, if they come up as a success.
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Items are useful things that you know for sure you have. General Resources can be anything, but we don’t know yet what they will become, exactly. Resource Dice can be used to determine what Items your General Resources contain. This happens when you need a certain Item.
When you need to find a torch in your backpack, we spend General Resource (by rolling the Resource Dice) to determine that you actually packed one beforehand. After that fact is established, the torch becomes an Item that you can rely on whenever you need it. Your General Resources are reduced in the process. If the torch is the last thing between you and the total darkness, it just may become a Resource itself: We’re talking about Resource Reservoirs.
Resource Reservoirs can be thought of as a stock of a certain Item. But they can also be used to measure very abstract things, like sanity, the durability of a single item, or a number of fellow fighters that remain loyal to you. General Resource is just another example for a Reservoir.
Resource Reservoirs are used to keep different resources sorted apart, a bit like items, but with a number attached.
The number determines very roughly how much of the resource is left. In the end, a Reservoir is nothing but a short description of its contents and a number of Resource dice it contains.
<aside> 🪶 An exemplary Reservoir could be “Lock picks” - 3 dice.
This mechanic works best if nobody asks: How many are there, actually? Only care about your resources when they run dry.
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The General Resource reservoir is the only one that always exists - you always need to know roughly how much money or other useful stuff you have left. Every other Reservoir springs into existence just when you realise that you need it. Take a look at the following example:
<aside> 📜 *Our heroes Iris, Karim and Jasmine are travelling a well-known caravan trail through the infamous Yampi desert. When they stop to rest at a little well in the evening, they refill their water reserves. Little do they know how much they will need it …
That night, a terrible desert storm blasts their world apart. Hours go by while waves and waves of sand rush over them, taking away every chance of orientation. With the dawn of a new day comes the painful realization: Although they managed to find each other again, every trace of the trail is gone - and the little well is nowhere to be found. It’s all or nothing now. They need to ration any water they have left until they find the remains of the caravan trail.*
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<aside> 🪶 Example Reservoirs
At this point in our heroes’ story, it is time to create a Reservoir. One of their resources has just become so scarce that we need to track it. Every player now attempts the Task 🗝️ Create Reservoir. It essentially converts successes into Resource Dice one-to-one using the Character’s wisdom (though other Attributes can be applicable). This is to establish facts about who has how much water left. After that, we see how long they last …