Load in downtime
During our last session, my character, Sparrow, ended a score against the Circle of the Flame and, in downtime, he went to his purveyor of vice, Madame Tesslyn (who is also his romantic interest), to indulge in it. But, since he had hunches about her being secretly part of the Circle of the Flame, Sparrow put pressure on her to know the truth.
Suddenly, a masked thug entered through the door and pointed a gun at him. I wanted to make him quick draw his fine pair of pistols, but I didn’t know if his item loadout was still the same I had in the score or what.
Therefore, my question is simple: what about item loadout during downtime and, in general, out of the score?
Go with the fiction! Would your character walk around in anything heavyer than Light around Doskvol to get their fix?
I don’t think there’s anything specific in the book outside of simply stating that you set your load at the beginning of a score. From what I’ve seen of other GMs and my own assumptions as a player, I’ve always just kept my load the same as after a score, only changing / resetting it once a new score starts. However, there’s no saying that a group couldn’t play it so that players choose their load at the start of downtime, as well.
I wondered this about free play; downtime not so much
luckily the time it was potentially pertinent for me, it didn’t matter much since they only used a light load in the scene. However I still wonder what I should have done if they wanted to pull more things. I remember thinking I’d call for a free flashback if it made sense to have more, or made them pay stress if it didn’t.
I think it depends on the fiction. If your playing Newguy McGreenhorn, then it’s logical that you wouldn’t be able to have much beyond life. If it’s Paranoid von Spidersinthewalls who is never seen not in heavy armour, then there isn’t reason for him not to be in heavy armour while in freeplay. I’d say that usually you won’t have anything on you of the “I prepared this just for this occasion” variety, and allow things of the “I’ve generally have this on me” variety when not on a score. Thing like blades, lanterns definitely, documents most likely not unless the character happens to be a clerk or something. Spidersinthewalls may have more leeway with this sort of thing, but only if the paranoia is played up to the hilt.
A major point in Blades is that players don’t need to plan ahead because the characters are doing it.
Usually you just don’t declare your load for downtime/free play because it’s rarely necessary and you can change your load at any time anyway.
But if at a point it gets interesting to know the load, the GM can simply ask the player for it. Or the player can declare it.
After all, the explanation why the character carried/didn’t carry his guns or other equipment at this moment is a perfect excuse to claim a beliefs-drives-heritage exp at session’s end 🙂
As a rule of thump, I would suggest light load in an environment were normal citizens are around and normal load when consorting with underworld types.
Jörg Minte “You can change your load at any time anyway” Yea, exactly why I said what I did about not caring during downtime. It’s the action that isn’t a single action, it’s assumed you’re taking your time and avoiding the usual risks assumed for a score
I disagree with the part about “When consorting with underworld types” though. I don’t think normal load is any more acceptable to a criminal than a citizen. Actually I’d say it’s even less so..
Meanwhile, thanks for your answers! I’m reading them carefully and thinking on them and on what they mean.
Anyway, in our session, we ruled that I kept the load I had during the last score (light) and the fine pair of pistols ware items I marked during the score. Therefore we decided that I still had them with myself.
As a follow-up to this, maybe the real question is what does Madame Tesslyn expect? Presumably you’re on her premises, so does she have a stance on weapons in her establishment? Is there a dress code, or a security routine to come in? Not that it really changes whether or not you could have carried the pistols in, but perhaps there are unintended consequences…?
That is an interesting question! We didn’t think about that.
In your specific example, I’d say it’s almost certain that someone with fine pistols would be taking them with when they go about their business.