This is notion passed on by someone in my circle. We've always wondered how adventurers always seen to know everything other than spells that everyone else has. In other words, it has nothing to do with the adventurers; its the players actually have the encounter as if with godly omniscience where every other "character" is concerned. Here's what was suggested.

Any object card not readied or worn by an adventurer in plain sight is placed face down. This includes objects packed in baggage, mules, and carts, as well as carried by other followers (but that involves some other House Rules). Such objects are also placed next to the container card. Anyone else attempting to take such from an adventurer in person may look at what's there, but doing so by special ability or spell means a random pick of anything not in plain sight.

Gold and currency are also hidden, so that until a personal encounter occurs, other adventurers don't even know how much you have. Various ways of doing this were devised. The best seemed to be and inverted cup (we used small Japaness tea cups) over one's gold token pile. Anyone coming at an adventure, defeating in battle of a gold or object then must decide ahead of time what they are after. If they decide for Gold, and the victim doesn't have any... tough luck! This also includes use of any spells.

Thoughts?

The problem I can see with this is probably extending of time whilst decisions are made.

There is also an argument that when you defeat someone in battle they are likely to be somewhat incapacitated and you would be able to loot them and take whatever it is you fancy, which you have mentioned.

I think the potential for losing time is my primary worry though.

Not sure I see the lost of time. When someone acquires something from "afar," they can either take what they see on the adventurer (readied/worn), or take a chance on baggage and followers, or the purse. It should actually cut the time of the decision, since it's a random grab.

The only possible time loss I see is in face to face encounters. If object cards must be handed over to the victor to review. And then pondering occurs, though likely little more that what already occurs by standard play. If there are few object, no difference. If there are many, well, that's another problem with the game. And from time to time, what an adventurer readies/wears will change; more surprises. It's up to others to remember what their competition put away in baggage/followers that might come back out if they attack or might be worth going after; more strategy.

But is there something else I'm missing?

It might make some difference (to those playing for speed) to keep all things in their gods-eye view. But overall, small loss of time (which we didn't notice in one game tried) was worth some fun. I loved seeing the Thief twice try to get a gold and end up with nothing; once he was then within range of the Troll's 2nd move and got stomped hard. Loved watching the Holy Warrior lose his holy lance in a random grab with a spell by the Ghoul... the lance being exposed when the Ghoul had to drop it for someone else to eventually acquire. And the runesword got pulled from baggage once by the Druid to the ugly suprise of that Troll once.

(Oh, I suppose I should mention that was done with a new coming spell called "Call Possession" (Conjury - Summons). Any object unreadied - on your person, in baggage, carried by a follower, or later in a Residence - instantly changes place with an object in either hand. I may expand the spell as well to include gold or currency objects left in a Residence.)

I think I was thinking that any time problem may be face to face as you say. You know, one player sneaking a look at another player's booty after defeating them. A bit like when the Prophetess looks at someone's Spells.

I do like the idea though and would be interested in hearing how it plays out with more usage. The "memory game" mechanic sounds like fun really!

So far only tried in one game of three players. And it was fun. Haven't had time for another game as yet, but do agree that the pause for peeks could be a concern as the number players is increased... and still dependant on how many character to character encounters occur. Overall, other types of attempts and snatching gold and goodies are actually speeded up. You take your chance and are stuck with what you grabbed... sometimes having to drop it. There is another downside in that, depending on how much non-direct theft occurs: more cards on the board.