Collecting, and curating those collections, is something that seems to span cliques, cultures, and economic statuses, even throughout history.Though there are some major differences: one would imagine the upper crust collects things such as cars and yachts, and historically what gets collected has certainly changed over time along with tastes change... though you still see Hummel figurines, pressed pennies, and fancy spoons in tourist destinations. Ask any average person today, and they'll likely say they collect something themselves. It might be as simple as coins or stamps (if you’re thinking booooorrriiinnnggg, you're probably right, but don’t yuck their Yum!), as widespread as trading cards, or as nerdly as dice (shout out to our fellow dice goblins). We even have games based around collecting - the writers of Never Say Dice are certainly no strangers to Magic: the Gathering and other collectible card games, even if we’re not currently wizard-dueling each other. They also show up as expanded missions in various video games. Suffice it to say, collections are a major part of our lives, be they Pokémon cards, butterflies, or our personal home media collections (which are hopefully not dying out.) So what does that have to do with tabletop role playing games, aside from the ever-growing collections of books we aren’t currently using? Add another Never Say Dice post to your collection, and join us this week to discuss collections.
Collecting as the Mission
Whether you see it as as the central purpose or side quest in a given campaign, collecting is already present. You might be collecting certain magical artifacts to combine them into one major artifact, or just to keep them out of the hands of your opponents. This doesn’t have to be limited to fantasy campaigns, though. In something more horror-oriented, you might have to collect certain items to prevent, or bring on, the rise of a lesser god. On the other hand, in sci-fi settings , your players could be collecting important pieces of technology, history, or specimens, either to further their group’s goal or to fulfill the requirements of a mission. You’ll likely still have plenty of side quests here, but making the collecting itself the overall goal allows you to take the characters to all parts of a world or universe, get into ridiculous battles, avoid sinister traps, or just solve cryptic puzzles. Even if collecting isn’t going to be the main focus of the campaign, or even a side quest, you can still include collecting as part of the game.
Personal Collection
Collecting is something you should certainly consider including as an aspect of characterization in any game. It can give you direction when you aren't sure what to do next. As a player, have you ever come to a new location where there doesn’t seem to be anything for you to do? Try searching out something to add to your collection. A wise gamemaster might even provide a side quest just for you. While it could be hard to choose what to collect, remember you aren’t in Kansas any more, Toto. Or rather, you are in the Land of Make Believe. Your characters can collect just about anything, and you don’t have to put as much worry into the cost, effort, or curation of what goes into that collection. In real life, though we do love all our collections, we still have to deal with the process of storing, paying for, and lugging around all that stuff. While these may still present challenges in a gaming setting, our Places of Pretend make it much easier to get past all those real world impositions. So not only does seeking a collection add to roleplaying opportunities, it can be another way for you to live vicariously through your character and their collections.
Collection Bonus
If we’re all in agreement that collecting is something any character can pursue, GMs should find ways to support this. Give characters opportunities to find, buy, sell, or trade their collections - shopping scenes don’t always have to be about the latest equipment upgrade. While it may not always make sense in all tabletop worlds, you might also consider the concept of a "bonus." Often, in digital games, our characters will gain bonuses for reaching milestones or fully completing collections. This doesn’t have to be something major in your offline games, it can simply be a way to encourage collecting as an activity and to reward those that involve themselves in it. Even a temporary stat bonus or a one-time use bonus after hitting a collection milestone will provide some encouragement and is sure to please your players.
Is collecting for everyone? No, not even everyone in our own world has a collection they're passionate about. However, there are plenty of players out there for whom collecting could work quite well. Remember to consider making collecting a campaign focus, or even just a sidequest. Be sure to think about the option of including collecting as part of a character’s background, and work with the player on what's appropriate to collect in your particular campaign. Finally, make sure to consider bonuses for anyone actively who's actively working at their collection. Until next week folks, enjoy your dice (collections) and your tables (and/or collections of them, if you somehow have enough space).
Send questions, comments, and your collections of lists of pointless collections to neversaydice20@gmail.com.
