One of the ideas I've been kicking around is how to reduce the plateau effect of the game.

I figure an easy way to do this is to start the PCs with poor trappings and let them earn their career ability (automatically gain at 2nd advance or something). Some of you have done things like have them purchase their fortune points, or their career ability.

Equipment qualities are a way to give the PCs a goal (get better equipment) without leaving them at Rank1 forever. PCs could begin with relevant trappings and get the ability to improve.

For example: Roadwarden should begin with poor quality pistola' and poor horse.

In addition to that, "loot" found during scenarios should be poor quality for the most part. Then, when they find a superior item, you'll hear teh "ooh/aaah" effect.

Along the same lines, this may be a consideration in the "Wealth" category. Most powergamers are just taking the crossbow, for example, selling it and buying what they really want. Instead, I think starting equipment shouldn't be dagger or hand weapon or crossbow. It should simply be a CASH amount in coins.

jh

Players don't have starting equipment (except for clothes). Instead they get the money from the wealth table and simply have to buy what they want. No superiour quality at character creation, but I don't force poor quality as it would seem silly for a wealthy person.

I think making them purchase everything works fine; I just grant increased wealth to begin with. The main reason for this was apparent to me when I had two players start out at Affluent; the Light Wizard took a hand weapon from the list, while the Soldier (Training to be a Knight) had a Greatweapon. The Wizard had the same amount of pocket money, but a far less valuable weapon from the list of choices.

So I instead started both of them with 6 gold and they purchased what they wanted; with the limit being no superior items unless they had a sufficient in-character reason for having one.

I also like limiting them to poor equipment choices in most cases. I think when we have a new campaign begin I may do something along those lines.

What I'm doing is giving all of the characters all their starting trappings (except weapons) and they are poor quality. At the beginning, they may upgrade them if they want. There were a couple that start out with 'less stuff' that I also gave 10-20s in jewelry (e.g. servant, wardancer, thug get's lunch money, etc.)

I'm going to see how this little experiment goes.

jh

Emirikol said:

Let me know; I have 3 of 4 characters as new characters starting on our next game, and none of them have equipment lists yet.

Our only remaining player is the Road Warden, who might just be gifted a poor quality horse for some reason I haven't come up with yet in order to keep him up-to-date with the rest of the group.