Has there been any discussion, conventional wisdom, or debate on how to handle load if players are going to loot equipment in the moment?
Example: Harvey the Hound is rolling Light load for maximum sneakability, but during the course of the score he ends up grabbing a lieutenant’s matched sabres. He likes them and wants to keep using them, but it’d be more load than he planned on.
Can Harvey NOT bring his new swords because he didn’t previously say he was bringing Medium load?
Is Harvey just Medium load now? If so, and if the swords would only be 1 dot, would you allow Harvey another load dot, as befits a true Medium load?
Is Harvey still Light load but is just carrying some swords around?
I haven’t seen any consensus on it but yeah I’d just move load up if they become “over encumbered” because they’vr already allocated all their slots. But if they have a free slot I’d just let them assign it to that probably. Loads kind of fit a floating range of a few spots tolerance anyways and I’ve played plenty of times where I set a load and never used all of the slots in it. So if they’ve set a load I think it’s fine to let them use the load if they’ve used the load they can take it but it’s gonna slow them down more cause they aren’t kitted out to carry it.
I’m also curious as to people’s answers to this. It’s not something I’ve had come up in any of my games, but I can see how it could — rather easily.
I probably wouldn’t increase the load on the fly.
Like Chris says, if they’ve already filled all their dots for their determined load, that means in order to carry more, they’d likely have to leave something behind (possibly making the abandoned thing unavailable next score or until re-acquiring it through downtime, or the abandoned thing(s) points back to the PC as evidence, etc.).
On the other hand, carrying a big sack of loot in both hands just becomes a narrative factor in all future actions. It’s tough to prowl with clinking cutlery, it’s tough to climb or fight without your hands, etc. Losing grip on things also becomes a ripe target of a future devil’s bargain or consequence too.
I thought load was more to do with how equipped you appear to be. In the description of the different loads, it talks about increased levels of looking like someone out on a mission.
I would say if someone picks something up, consider whether it would be an italic item that they could conceal easily and so wouldn’t add to load or whether it would increase their visibility in terms of what they’re wearing/carrying.
In the case of grabbing a Bluecoat’s badge or some important documents, no change. If they’re taking two swords, they’re now more visibly out to do something probably not good so more people would probably notice and their load type has increased by one category.
That’s how I’d play it. Though now saying that, I’m wondering if once a character use a one use item or drops a permanent one, does that lower how they’re seen from then on? I’d guess yes. If I was a big mercenary type with heavy guns and armour, but I dropped them all to make my escape, I’d surely have an easier time getting away (by stealth, deception or athletics) than by continuing to carry them, right?
I’d make the Load they chose to start with their prepared load, and keep it separate from new acquisitions. As I run it, the player would have a choice; discard some prepared but still ambiguous (or revealed) equipment that was part of the planning to stay at the same load level, or increase load level and also keep all prepared items.
Harvey’s load goes up to medium; he now looks like he’s up to no good, isn’t as fast, but he has another load slot free.
I’d let them keep the swords, increase their fictional load to medium. But they can only pull items up to light.
James Stuart I like that caveat. You’re medium but you can only pick up more things on-site – you can’t retcon having brought more.
I let the extra loot equipment to be managed in fiction, you roll light, but now you got a sword in each hand, thats is the universal sign for “looking for trouble” (sorry, my english is a disaster)
James Stuart that pretty much how I ruled it when the slide tried to rob bazo’s vaults – you can carry up to heavy load in coins, minus the stuff you are already carrying.