Quantum supply / consumables

#1

Wanted to share this homebrew idea. This is based off of the Supply mechanic from 5 torches deep, with an ICRPG simplification/twist.

The idea is to manage consumables in your game (healing potions, ammunition, rations, holy water, alchemical bombs, spell components, rope) in a more abstract way. Every PC tracks their ‘supply’ and you can spend ‘supply’ to pull consumables out of your bag mid game.

Let PCs have a base 10 supply (one heart) and let them have an extra heart of supply for every +1 INT they have. INT represents the characters ability to think ahead and prepare, therefore a higher int character may be more prepared. The wizard could become party’s quartermaster, always having more supply. Use WIS if it suits you more.

Skip the shopping trips in town. Let the players spend 1 coin (or more of the merchant is greedy) per supply to restock when in a town or at a merchant / caravan and move on.

Different consumables would have different costs. A healing potion could be 5 supply, and a stronger potion could be 10. One encounter of arrows is 1 supply. A day of rations is 1 supply. A torch is 1 supply. A spell component is 1 supply. Holy water or an alchemical bomb could be 5 or 10+ depending on the potency, same as potions. 50ft is rope is supply. You get the idea.

If you are mid adventure and run out of supply, things get rough. No supply means you are out of arrows, torches and rations and are desperate in the depths of a dungeon. This gives the DM another form of pace control like you can do with controlling rest. Control when players can restock supply. A wizard conserving his supply for spell components when the party is out of supply and needs a torch or potion is cool.

You can allow ranger type players to forage and gain some supply off the land daily. Maybe another class type could gain supply somehow. You could allow for some salvaging of abandoned caravans and things and let players recover some supply mid adventure.

This could encourage players to think creatively on the fly about what they can spend their supply on. They could ask the DM how much supply X or Y item would cost them, and the DM could make a ruling on the spot. You always have had that “bag of ball bearings” on your character sheet for 6 levels that you never used. Spend 1 supply and pull them out of your bag when you need them instead of tracking your inventory like a bean counter. Less simulation and more abstraction gives opportunity for creative solutions I feel.

Your inventory of consumable items is limited to your imagination and INT of your character.

What do you guys think? Would you ever try this?

Three Sessions and lots of new Inspiration
#2

It’s funny, I was thinking almost the exact same thing. I’d planned to implement it in my Ghost Mountain game to see how it went. I like your INT idea, too, though I might just increase max supply by INT bonus.

#3

It really could simplify and streamline things which is what ICRPG is all about. I was thinking 10 base supply (round number like a heart) and adding more per INT. Have fun with your ghost mountain game. Let me know how you like this if you try it or something similar.

#4

I really like this idea. Definitely something I’m going to chew on. The only thing I would change for my own game is that instead of additional hearts, I would just add the INT or WIS bonus on top of the initial heart. Instead of several hearts, just have a few more passed 10. Might make things tighter, but also prevents things from getting too wild when you end up with +7 INT thanks to LOOT and BASE stats. That’d end up with 80 supply points if I’m understanding everything right and that just seems like too diverse an economy for me.

I would love to incorporate this into something like Blood & Snow or just a Hex-Crawl.

#5

Yup, this is pretty much how I handle things. 5 Supply takes up one inventory slot.

Most consumables require 1 supply, others are 2. For example…

1 Supply:
Arrows (required after every combat)
Rations
Lockpicks
Trap kit
Torches

2 Supply:
Healing kit
Anti-toxin
Armor patch

Supply can be re-upped through foraging, purchase, or destroying an item.

This is based on the 5TD supply rules.

#6

For sure. Could keep numbers lower and just lower the cost of some things. Would be good for one shots especially because you could make characters quick and not worry about the little details of inventory.

#7

Oh armor patch is a great idea if you use rules where armor can be damaged. There are so many ways you can use a supply mechanic.

A supply for lockpick is great also because it gives weight to lockpick checks. Having something on the line like supply is great.

5 torches deep mentioned not using “quantum supply” but I think it would be great for a game like ICRPG and/or 1 shots.

#8

There is another benefit to having this supply stat in ICRPG. From a GM perspective, we can consider supply as a form of HP for the party. Meaning it can be a way to attack your players besides doing HP damage. For example, the party are attacked by enemies that are more interested in robbing them than killing them. Some might make normal attacks while others (if they hit) roll unarmed effort against the players supply (as they steal items from the distracted adventurer). Another option, area attacks can do some its damage to supply (breaking or dislodging small gear).

Additionally, this opens design space for new LOOT. The unending quiver (arrows no longer take supply for you, and +1 EFFORT with bows) is a quick example that springs to mind.

#9

Oh yeah man, party getting robbed of their supply I love it. Damaged goods also. Nice thinking.

#10

I used something very similar the other day. It went really well. One player was stuck up a tree and 2 others in a Bush hiding from large wild cats. He asked if he could pull a food supply out of bag and toss it. Done.
I’d spent lots of time debating the 5torches deep system mixed with a dungeon world adventuring gear system.
I allowed 1 supply for a use of bandages (5hp but takes few minutes to use).
I used supply as a loot in certain areas of the adventure. Supply became a huge part of the game. They were handing each other a supply when people ran out. Pushed on through the night as supplies were low.
I highly recommend using it.
Each gear slot was 5 supply with a max of 2 slots.
Potions (hp10) defo need to be like 5 supply.

What does a healing kit in icrpg do again?

Tldr: supply works great. I was put off about writing a cost list myself but would love to hear more peoples views of what things should cost

#11

I’ve got these Grunkies. Lizard-like monkeys. They throw their crap at the party members, Save or spend the next turn vomiting. While you’re vomiting, the other grunkies move in and steal your shit. Other than that they do d3 damage. It’s the vomit/supply loss my players fear.

#12

A kit of bandages and salves. Heals d6.

#13

I am SO stealing this idea! I’ve been using usage die (see the black hack) for a long while now and found out that tracking ammo and supplies with it was cool but also rolling heavy. I love “currency” type of mechanics where you spend something to get something. I’ll be implementing this right now! It’s awesome!

#14

I love it!
Maybe it has been said, but maybe you could have certain Tags for the Supplies that indicate What Can be in there.
Basic supplies sure but things like healing potions, alchemicals, poisons, expensive gear etc.
Each PCs Supplies Loot could have a base Tag that lets them pull out that little extra from their loot.

#15

I’m stealing these monkeys. :+1:
Also, thx for healing kit response

#16

Using up resources is a great move as the DM. one of my players barely passed a check fighting in a tree (I don’t use binary success) I offered the choice of pushing for full damage but at risk of losing supply from dropping it out the tree. He risked it and dropped supply. I said roll a d4 to see how much stuff falls out your pack. He rolled a 4. “a fresh healing potion tumbles from your bag to the ground. Roll a d6, low it smashes, high its just lost and you can search later”. Rolled 1. Bad times. But the players loved it.

#17

If a player gets hit by the grunkie crap, they also stink horribly for the next d4 days so hard stealth checks.

#18

Oh yea this is great! So glad someone doing this.
Since reading dungeon world I’ve thought the “creative supplies” is a great way to go.
Although part of me demands everything ICRPG fits in 10s, @Shadymutha way of 5 Supply, 1 or 2 cost, feels about right to me (not sure why lol).

Also really like the idea of specialised supplies! Basics supplies of that type are cheaper, contains specialised equipment for 2 cost. Eg:
Medical supplies:
Healing kit costs 1.
healing potion (1d8, min 4), poison antidote, acid neutraliser costs 2.

Thief’s supplies
Never run out of lockpicks.

#19

Allowing PCs to have an occupation so they have (smith, thief, scribe, alchemist) to give breaks on supplies used for certain tasks they specialize in is a cool idea.

Smith - can repair weapons and armors for half supply

Thief - half supply for thief stuff

Scribe - half supply to use scrolls (if you have some spells cast from scrolls)

Alchemist - half supplies to use potions, poisons

Could do some stuff with that nice thinking.

Also - I like 10 as well because it fits with that heart theme. I think mana hearts of 10 mana are cool but that’s a whole other topic. I try to keep numbers consistent in my game and avoid mathfinder-esque modifiers and references.

#20

Yes that’s a nice idea, could be a TAG thing too. I’m a bit torn about specialised supplies: don’t want to restrict players imagination. Maybe really weird/exotic supply costs 3/4/5.

I think I like 5 because the thought of 5 healing potions per supply don’t feel right. 5 makes the cost of both supplies and bag space feel weighty. 1 and 2 cost is nice as well. But yea, this kind of thing is too preference-based to debate about :smiley: