Loot rewarding

question
#1

So I started the beginning of my Waste Is Not Kind campaign and I’ve learned a few tricks when it comes to planning one session at a time.
That’s aside, how does going about rewarding players with loot work? Currently I gave them some bullets, food and an extra bag for carrying extra loot but does seem like too much for session 1.
Now, I will say, Bartering is the main “currency” of this world so I’m hoping to get my players to trade/use these items for more or cap out certain items (eg. Bullets take stack of 12 (box) for 1 loot slot)

#2

Greetings. :shield:

I have played a lot of TheWINK (including with the author himself), and personally, I think it is the best supplement for ICRPG Master Edition available. With that experience, I will preface these comments by saying that whatever choices you make, there is no wrong way for you to accomplish your goals as GM in the Waste.

The Waste Is Not Kind is a unique and engaging setting with a unique tone compared to that of any of the “Big Five” settings in the Master Edition Worlds section (ME, p. 155); that tone is amplified by attention to its themes of scarcity and ingenuity. Commonplace items we would otherwise take for granted are the treasures of the Waste, and that D100 Items table is pure gold. It’s totally OK if you only give out food rations and a few bullets to conclude a session, and giving out a loot roll or two to each player to cap off a successfully completed adventure becomes a big deal and a very welcome reward. That kind of loot reward is easy to integrate seamlessly within the game narrative because it’s perfectly plausible for things to just show up in a ruined postapocalyptic wasteland. You will be astounded by all the amazingly clever ways your players will press mundane items into service in a pinch in the Waste, and reinforcing the theme of the value of the ordinary will make them better players in TheWINK. When you do have them come across something special, like an intact firearm, electronic equipment, or a piece of tech from the Old World, it will be truly memorable.

Likewise, keeping track of limited resources really grounds your play in the Waste. Having bullets (and the ability to reload them) remain scarce keeps firearms and gunplay in check in TheWINK while still being advantageous, desirable, and meaningful within the game.

Good luck out there…