Concerning Requisition

By Casamyr, in Dark Heresy Rules Questions

I have a group who have a player who can reduce the scarcity of an item by one step and another with high commerce who are looking using the player with high commerce to reduce the cost, then the player with the scarcity drop to make the roll to go shopping for all of them.

I feel this will make it too easy for players to get their hands on the 'good' stuff to early in the campaign and I'm not sure if this was the intent of the rule or whether players are meant to roll when they look for their own items.

If I allow it, I may state that the player with the scarcity reduction ability will be the one to take an influence hits should he fail his rolls as he is the one actually buying the items. It will make them think carefully about buying I hope.

I just want to know what others think about this situation.

You always could have the reduction of scarcity and or the high commerce require a staging of events at the forefront or - or at the tail end - a favor in return for "selling" such a fabulous treasure aka the Good Stuff... in order to facilitate said transaction

I'm with you as a GM in terms of outlook on this issue - of that - I default to the basic fundamentals of cause and effect...

Sure you just performed a reduction to scarcity - but what does that actually mean?

This is where interpretation can be your tool or in this case challenge to said prize - yes this would mean that players who are using their special abilities may be liable to going on adventures for Good Stuff - yes!

Now when you may feel as GM to dole out some stuff - you can opt to do so as an added prize to a pre-existing scenario or however you devise

At the end of the day - a GM has the ability to say no - such an item or class of items is not available HERE

Despite tables and charts and what not - if the Good Stuff isn't here than it just isn't here - but - now we have drive towards the players wanting to travel and thusly give the GM another opportunity towards challenging them, and so the cycle goes...

Outside of DH - I ran a tight shift with my Rogue Trader group - two of the 6 characters had pre-existing knowledge of where to find suits of Power Armor in the Koronus Expanse; suffice to say my campaign wasn't oozing with rarified kit all over but when presented it mattered! That pre-existing knowledge btw was two story hooks added to their adventure logs - which they could have had the group help them with obtaining at anytime in the campaign - so it was "available".

I generally had to fudge the Population portion of Profit Factor as it called - least I end up with a group who "shops" x5 times a man per session and by a third session they are sooo OP the game can only off them in means of threat by over the top displays of power that feel more like GM bulling than "sporting play" LOL

Anyways there's a fine balance between setting obstacles in the way of the PCs who by right of the vanilla text are owed the kit they have rolled for and preventing monty haul and or cheesy play aka maintaining game integrity are both pivotal for both sides of the table towards feeling satisfied ( I demand satisfaction my fine sir, roll initiative, nooo lol ) with their role whether that be as championing PC or the mysterious GM

Hope this offers some direction

Stay GAMING

Morbid

Edited by MorbidDon

Also just to mention - Warhammer requesition isn't just "hey, I went to Amazon and ordered new plasma gun!" If he used his connections and commerce skills to create good arsenal, especially if he prefers good-quality rare weapons, Arbitres can become intrested, or maybe local gang will grow tense.

You can also factor in time, if one player has to do all the shopping it takes longer.

Thanks guys.

I did some reading up of the rules on requisition as well and it looks like the players who make the commerce roll, can't transfer the bonus to other players, which is a good start. Also requisitioning goods affects your subtlety as well (rare is -2 to your subtlety) so even looking for things, is more likely to make it harder for you to act covertly. The player doing the shopping is going to take the Influence hit for failed tests and I would imagine that eventually they would be failing more often than not, meaning they may be more likely to not want to risk losing those points.

And as suggested, the item just might not be available at that point in time.

Things to think about.

Edited by Casamyr