How do PCs gain new items (or even better, fine items) for their list?

How do PCs gain new items (or even better, fine items) for their list?

How do PCs gain new items (or even better, fine items) for their list?

So, for example, the leech has “Bandolier of alchemicals (3)”

What if the Cutter wanted a bandoiler of alchemicals? How would they go about arranging that?

– If it’s a once-off, it could just be a downtime action to temporarily get that item. But what if they want to always have it? (say, a pyromaniac who carries vials of Greek Fire)

– It could be a flashback (“Flash back to me grabbing a bandoiler of Greek Fire”) – but then either they always have it with them, or there’s some skill roll and we need to explain why they forgot it this time.

– Would it be a long-term project, where the end result is they add it to their items list, and can then check it off as part of their load?

– Am I missing the obvious? At the end of the items list are two boxes, with no name next to that. Would they just fill in one of those boxes and say “I’ve got a bandoiler of greek fire (3) with me!”, same as they’d do for any other item on their list. And everyone would nod and say “Of course you do, you pyromaniac” because we know the PC carries that. (And they’d fill in two boxes of load if we were talking about a larger item)

On a related note, how would we handle characters “improving” items they already have. So we’ve got ways to create rituals and alchemicals and drugs and stuff. But what if, say, a leech wanted to take a drug and invent a “cleaner” version that didn’t have a side effect. Or a Lurk wanted to improve their Subterfuge Supplies into Fine Subterfuge Supplies?

I’m assuming that would just be a long term project, with the end result being we update the sheet, and those items now get potency for being “fine” or have fictional positioning from the improved effects? So upgrading a grenade and smoke grenade into a combined explosion-and-smoke grenade would be a long term project, and once it’s done you can just describe the explosion also creating smoke, which the players use for fictional positioning.

So the RP changes from “Throw a smoke grenade at those guards, and then the Lurk will make a break for it” into “Throw a grenade at those guards, and then the Lurk will make a break for it” – essentially the same, but the players can now injure the guards as part of throwing the grenade.

6 thoughts on “How do PCs gain new items (or even better, fine items) for their list?”

  1. This is in the book, but not in the QS. Here’s the text:

    If you want to acquire an asset permanently, you can either gain it as a crew upgrade item or work on it as a long-term project to set up a permanent acquisition.

    Zamira the Whisper is a duelist in the Iruvian style, and would like a fine sword to add to her permanent items. Her player starts a long-term project: “Get my family sword out of hock from the pawn shop.” The GM says this will be an 8-segment clock, followed by a final acquire asset roll.

  4. What about opportunistically grabbing items?

    So Zamira the Whisper has a long-term project to get her family sword out of hock from the pawn shop.

    What if the story has her in the pawn shop, and she has the opportunity to grab that item and run?

    Or if the crew has just killed a Bluecoat captain who had a fine sword on his person?

    Assuming Zamira could just pick up the fine sword and walk out, in both those situations, would that bypass the need for the long term project? Would you create some new ongoing complication and long term clock to represent this new item aquisition? (e.g. “pawn shop owner has a hit on Zamira. Long term project to get rid of that hit.” or “Bluecoats might recognize this sword. Long term project to have it modified so it won’t be recognized.”)

  5. Tony Demetriou Fine items need upkeep. Once it dulls/breaks, it’s no longer fine unless you have fine item for that type of item (as a crew upgrade or long term project) as you don’t know how to keep it in good shape. In general, I’d allow them to keep it for a bit and then either:

    (A) offer them a Devil’s Bargain that the weapon dulls and becomes a normal weapon.

    (B) on the first failed roll with it create a complication clock “fine item dulls/breaks” that ticks every time they use it.

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