Master Edition missing CHESTS, PC HEARTS?

question
#1

I’ve read much of the ICRPG Master Edition 1.7, and there are a couple things I haven’t found that seem like they should be in here.

CHESTS are mentioned in ICPRG-as-plugin and referred to in a few spells. It sounds like they’re a way to deliver LOOT after expending EFFORT to open. Is there guidance on this in some other edition or that I’ve missed?

I see PCs start with one HEART, and “You can acquire HEARTS several ways as you play,” but I haven’t found those ways. Same question as CHESTS.

A much less important thing (easier to improvise) is whether there are rules on FOOD.

Thank you!

EDIT: Thanks so much for the quick, thoughtful responses!

#2

In older editions of the game, chests always had to be opened using effort. eg, do 10 points of effort to break or pick it open. That concept seemed exciting at first, but then we found in actual play that it bogged down the game. So, the effort requirement to open chests has been removed from the game. However, you can always play that way, or occasionally put a hard to open chest (usually with some amazing loot) in your game.

Hearts can be obtained by a lucky roll on a loot table, as an on-the-spot reward, as a milestone choice at level up time, as a reward from an NPC, or as part of a DIY leveling scheme. I like to sometimes award one if a PC is healed by a Nat 20 healing attempt. But. My advice would be not to go nuts. Sometimes whole campaigns never see PCs go above 10 to 20 hit points. And it’s amazing. When the numbers stay small like that, the game ends up being super exciting.

There are no food rules per se, but if that sort of tracking is something you enjoy, the supply rules in ghost mountain are a good way to run it.

#3

CHESTS are simply a way to deliver loot items to your players, they don’t necessarily have to be a mechanical obstacle (and as Alex mentioned above it can bog down game play). Once players get used to seeing a shiny chest somewhere in the game space their eyes will light up with joy!

There is a loot item called a HEART stone, it is rare as it should be. Adding HEARTS is a huge deal. I would suggest adding HEARTS to be something extremely rare if not impossible to do. Having 1 HEART is what keeps ICRPG balanced and challenging in my opinion.

There are varied thoughts on the food topic but I run food like this: Takes an action to consume. Potions on the other hand can be quaffed for free. There’s no right or wrong way to run food, whatever works for you and your players is good as long as everyone is on board or aware of the rules.

#4

Like the zelda games I added in heart stone fragments so they can be earned over time once 3 are collected. It keeps players on watch fir loot or wealthy npcs

#5

That could work really well for milestones! I like the idea of collecting stone fragments to do that.

#6

Que up that Zelda discovery music!

#7

When I need inspiration I just think to games hank used as inspiration fir icrpg. He has good taste in games. Even now zelda is an inspiration.

#8

Could even do it instead of the stat point for growing stronger

#9

I agree, that would be a cool way to implement that!