Handling Inventory at the real table

#1

Hey shields,

I wonder how you manage inventory at the real table.

I don’t really like the compact inventory space because item details (tags, roll bonus etc.) hardly fit there for my table. Also erasing is a pain. How do you handle that?

On my table we went with a more lazy approach: We don’t count item slots but everybody needs to note where something is located. So most things end up in bags or similar. For each bag, my players get an index card to take notes about what’s inside. Weapons are usually carried at the body and hence are written down at the actual inventory space on the sheet.

What’s your solution?

Greetings
glocke

#2

I’ve had a lot of success using gear cards. Cut an index card in half, write the name, effect, bonus, tags, etc.
I usually have 10 or so from each loot table already written out. Then, when they visit a merchant, I just pull out some cards & say, “here’s what they have to sell.” For me, this had made buying & selling of gear much much easier at the table.

#3

I normally rely on players to police their own inventories however they want. I’m not fussy about how they do it. I think if there’s any concern a player would cheese that opportunity, I’d address the underlying trust issue.

I do have a stack of legal pads and spare pencils and I encourage my players to take notes beyond their sheets. A few of them bring journals to write things down.

#4

We generally don’t use inventory that much. Like, our character sheets probably contains a handful of “notable items” - perhaps a special sword, a key, and a scroll with unknown content - and the rest is abstracted “adventuring gear”, established at the start of a session and used from memory, or things that are semi-permanent and seldom modified.

We have experimented with cards for other games, but my impression is that they work best for high-rotation inventory and become a bit of a hassle for things that rarely change. So therefore we have moved away from cards, at least for the moment.

On a different note, we sometimes change character sheets during extended campaign, when the paper has become thin from erasing (usually in the hit points box). But what often happens then is that many of us never really use the new sheets because the original ones feel better, and instead add a piece of scrap paper.

#5

I usually just use inventory slots, really the character sheets have a lot of space and I don’t recommend copying everything in the inv spaces, just write a quick reference and the page where the item/thing is in the book (if possible).

Using cards like what @OldBen said is also something I’ve personally used too and can confirm it works like a charm if you need some more flexible way of keeping track of things. Plus, it makes trading things between party members a breeze!

#6

I like the ‘Index card per bag’ idea very much and will try it out tomorrow at the game table. Put a nice picture onto it, too, and you add mood to the table. Love it!

#7

At our table:
We use LOAD and SUPPLY from Five Torches Deep.
Every character can take 10 + STR Load. Everything is usually 1 LOAD, Medium armor is 2, Heavy is 3, but you can skip monitoring what is Equipped if you want.
And we have SUPPLY, 10 + INT, so we dont have to always write down and erase that 3 day meal, and 6 torches, etc.

We only write on the sheet the name of the item / supply the character carries, and i give out little equipment cards for the important items what are more complex than a 1 line name + 2 word description. :slight_smile:

Example:

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ADVENTURER%E2%80%99S%20PACK
ADVENTURER’S PACK.png811x1134 454 KB

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97_face_1_.jpg825x1125 196 KB

#8

I haven’t done this really but you could put each item on it’s own index card. Have more than enough space for detail, and if the item gets destroyed you can tear it up! Or if it’s a consumable that you might find more of later, put in a pot of cards (Ex: A health potion)

#9

Perhaps you could do like the attack in Dungeon World (which is a die) but for the inventory?

Certain classes can carry D8 supply, while others can carry a D6 or D12? And then Supply is spent for spells, food, healing, etc?

#10

Lots of great ideas here. I like some of the card ideas, but I also worry about people losing the cards between games. Generally, I don’t think a lot about inventory, but if I get the impression that a PC is carrying a lot of gear, I might ask them where/how they are carrying their items, and if they’re carrying a lot of gear or coin, I’ll just give them an “encumbered” tag. I don’t think most GMs consider how hard it would be to sneak around or be acrobatic with even just a kilo or so of jingly change in a sack tied to your belt would be. :sweat_smile:

#11

@Olav, thanks for pointing that out. Gear cards certainly don’t work for every group.

@Nimlouth, that’s exactly why I use them. My group loves to swap gear around & strategize!

@The_Merlitron, paperclips work great for me.

#12

Well, if they get lost what does it tell us? The character actually lost the item! That’s just how things are.

#13

And if they find the card during the game, do they find the item in the fiction of the game? This is a creative solution, but I’m not certain it’s fun. When I had to keep track of a bunch of power cards in fourth edition, I didn’t lose them, but it also felt like a little bit of a hassle.

#14

If they find the card again, the item was simply misplaced / and turned up again.

Personally I don’t have a problem with that approach. Maybe players collect all cards in a small box or bag to keep things together. Or use rubber bands. I find cards easier, as I can look through them and let the visual sink in and think out of the box. A picture of an item get creativity going and for me breaks the ‘roll for success’ at the table.

I have 10000 ideas when planning the games, but when the time comes my mind concentrates on the things that are visible and reachable. All my great descriptions and prepared dialogues go out of the window.

Cards help me to focus, use what is there and remind me of my options as a player. A simple written down item on the sheet passes by unremarkably

#15

Oh I’m definitely using this idea for my merchants! I can’t believe I haven’t been using all my Index Cards for this :smiley:

#16

This method is great for people who struggle a bit with bookkeeping. I know I’m guilty of it.

I also feel like this helps with the immersion especially because I have a lot of friends who I regularly play board games with, this is a godsend in TRPGs!

#17

I love this so much.

What do you say to having certain types of backpacks or the like adding more to load and supply capacity.

I like this idea of adventurers being more careful and mindful of their inventories. I like the way this is built into the video game Outward.

Essentially the backpack is a part of the game and you can use it in many ways.

But not to go on a tangent. I would like to know your take on this? Also how do you and your players differentiate important items with a dedicated index card from just simply writing it down on the Character sheets for quick reference?

#18

I can see how it can be great concept, e.g using a larger sheet of paper as ‘backpack’ and then having slots in different sizes for different equipment. A ring does not take as much space as a rope.

But, this can get a bit out of hand and feel too gimmicky. Depends on the group, I would say.

My players love the idea of how Resources are handled in Forbidden Lands and I came up with a similar Version for ICRPG. This saves keeping track ob how much lamp oil and how many rations they have left. It also adds a bit of suspense to the game, as they never know how long it lasts.

The remaining items we track via Index Cards.

#19

Definitely, I can see why this can lead to some other issues. I understand that adding more nuances to these mechanics will slow the game down.

That’s why I would just keep the inventory simple. General Items would be tracked on the Character Sheet for quick references, but special items with specific benefits will be it’s own card.

For example if I still want to keep the backpack mechanic, it’ll just be a dedicated Index Card. I.e. this backpack has torch and climbing equipment which makes related tasks EASY or +2 supply (one time use)