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Quick (Temporary) Assistance: Loaner Equipment and Special Deals in TTRPGs

Tabletop roleplaying games are, the majority of the time, about accomplishing something despite limited resources. Sure, there's a story with heroes (or anti-heroes, depending on your game), characters' individual plotlines, and plenty of other aspects, but, much non-game life, it typically boils down someone facing challenges using only what they have. It's no wonder so many adventuring parties are money-hungry, near lusting for coin or credits. That isn’t any real shock, though - if we go back to the original Dungeons & Dragons’ Men & Magic back in 1974, characters' experience was literally tied to the amount of treasure they were able to collect. When our tabletop games are originally rooted in that concept, can we really blame players for being money hungry? While experience generally isn’t directly tied to money any longer, and we’ve even slowly moved toward many games advancing player characters according to the development of their personal story, money itself (and the resources it provides access to) remains a major factor in determining the solutions available to characters when they need address problems. But what if they aren't able to get those resources themselves by the time they need them? One way to approach this is to make them available as loaners. So go borrow a chair as Never Say Dice discusses how to incorporate loaned resources into your games.

Gearing Up

In other posts, we've referenced "one-use" in the forms of potions or scrolls - a reminder from the old supplements of gaming history. You should use the same mindset for loaner equipment: this is a temporary boon. Even if the players hold on to the item for multiple sessions, it still has some kind of time limit. While the borrowed item should be something that adds to the groups capabilities (a simple loaner blaster or dagger isn’t likely to make much of a difference), make sure it isn’t too powerful. You want to loan something that will assist the players in overcoming the challenges ahead, but not make it a breeze, either. This doesn’t have to even be an "item" per se, but could be a loaned vehicle, weapon, assistant, or even implied power in the form of a letter of authorization. Before you go just handing everything out, though, make sure you take some time to consider the impact this might have on the economy and culture of your gaming world.

Loaning out equipment also adds a new challenge for the players: returning it. Whomever is loaning your players the items they need is very likely going to want them back. That means they actually need to make it back, and in approximately the same condition as when they left. (No disintegrations!) The benefactor isn't likely to be very pleased if their X-Wing is returned damaged with the S-foils permanently locked, their wand returned depleted to the point where it's downgraded to the (less powerful) title of "stick," or their ranger guide dragged back as a corpse. So while you're giving your players a bit more power than they might normally have, you’re also adding a difficulty level... they need to bring these things back at some point. Which means they'll all need to use them with care and try for frugal judgment in when and how they even should be used. And all may not be lost if the players return with the loaner in a lesser state! A benefactor may be pleased enough in the group's triumph that they're willing to forgive the indiscretion. You might also use this to springboard into another quest: a journey to find parts and a mechanic to repair the X-Wing, spelunking into a dangerous cave to obtain crystals that will restore the wand's power, or helping the family of the fallen guide. Loaners aren’t just about providing more power for the players, they’re also more power for your storytelling.

The Bad Deal

Another thing you might consider when loaning out equipment to the players is the bad deal. The item they’re receiving might very well still be in the experimental stage - something that could fail at just the wrong moment. It could be a wand that's already close to depletion  or one that they struggle to properly cast with. ("Oh, that missing gem? No no, that won’t cause wild magic at all.") That very useful guide could also be a handful to deal with, constantly getting into trouble that they'll need saving from. While these all add challenges to the benefit you've bestowed, be careful to not rely too heavily on the bad deal. You don’t want to make players completely regret taking the deal to begin with. That could sour future potential loaners might consider adding to your game.

We can’t blame characters (or their players) for wanting more power and more gear, not when the necessity is so deeply rooted throughout the history of tabletop games. It's important to see these benefits not just as something that gives the players more power, but as a tool to add to your storytelling and provide additional challenges within the game. If you’ve played or run Paranoia, you’re probably already too familiar with the bad deal... so make sure you’re taking time to consider the balance of the power loaners will provide as well as the challenges you’re giving along with them. So until next week, borrow some dice, borrow a table if you have to, or even borrow a friend of a friend - but get out there and loan out some equipment too! And enjoy your tables (borrowed or not) and your dice. 

- A

Send questions, comments, and gnomish lending contracts to neversaydice20@gmail.com or tweet us @neversaydice2.

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