Dark Heresy: running a campaign without money

[Jd Smith1]

I think what I shall do, unless a better idea surfaces, is to include currency as loot, and make currency and success the means by which influence is raised.

Also have black-market sources for gear that are cash-only.

In the canon as provided by Dan Abnett, First of His Name and Protector of the Lore, there is an Imperial currency, although seldom seen by the unwashed masses, who use local currency (the better to keep them where they belong).

 

[Vaslov]

In Rogue Trader 2E they have a similar abstraction system. One player I had really doesn't like those types of systems vs. more details accounting of knowing the coins something is worth from a static price list. If that is the case for your table maybe just grab your favorite scifi rpg and use those costs. If you lack one Stars Without Number is free on Drivethru and has a cost for equipment. I bet you can map 40k equipment to it.

In most scifi settings where gear can be ample and resources abound, espically once you start getting into ship economics. I typically try to put certain items or item types behind reputation with a faction. That way if the players want that Archeotech Laspistol they have to decide to side with a faction. And that always upsets at least one other faction to some degree. I suspect this is part of what the rank system in the 2e systems are trying to simulate. I prefer to rollplay that out in game as it help to enable the "petty vindictiveness" pillar.

(I think in earlier versions the currency was called Thrones.)

 

[aramis erak]

So, I'm looking at Dark Heresy 2e for a campaign down the road; I figure my players will go for a lighter system, and you cannot beat 40k as a setting.

The thing is, money is not a factor in the game, which makes sense, because I can't imagine Eisenhorn collecting receipts and worrying about a budget, but I have always run campaigns based on the four pillars of player motivation: XP, gear, money, and petty vindictiveness.

I'm not sure how to run a long-term campaign without that fourth pillar. My players go after gold dental work in non-fantasy settings, after all.

Anyone have experience with this issue?

grab the abstract finances out of Rogue Trader...

 

[humble minion]

That's a pretty good deal. The old physical books for these series tend to be quite expensive second hand. Soem cost as much as $200 for a good physical version (some LE versions even more then that).

Yeah, they're real pricey these days. My near-complete set of the FFG 40k books sit on my 'retirement savings fund' bookshelf directly above the FR grey box and the original Planescape box set...

 

[aramis erak]

Yeah, they're real pricey these days. My near-complete set of the FFG 40k books sit on my 'retirement savings fund' bookshelf directly above the FR grey box and the original Planescape box set...

They are available in PDF, tho'. C7 has left the FFG rpgs up on DTRPG.

 

[Jd Smith1]

grab the abstract finances out of Rogue Trader...

I'm trying to get away from abstract finances.

 

[Jd Smith1]

In Rogue Trader 2E they have a similar abstraction system. One player I had really doesn't like those types of systems vs. more details accounting of knowing the coins something is worth from a static price list. If that is the case for your table maybe just grab your favorite scifi rpg and use those costs. If you lack one Stars Without Number is free on Drivethru and has a cost for equipment. I bet you can map 40k equipment to it.

That is now Plan B.

Given the 40k ship lore, ours will be a largely planet-bound campaign, with the occasional and obligatory space hulk thrown in. They'll hitch rides between planets, for the most part.

 

[GrimCo]

I'm trying to get away from abstract finances.

Problem is, WH40k is abstract and vague when it comes to economy, even in books (and i read tons of WH40k novels). Inquisition operates on principle - if they want it, they get it. They can requisition or just take pretty much anything what they want when it comes to imperial stuff. When you have discretionary power to obliterate planets and kill almost anybody, people will give you stuff for free with little to no questions asked. “I am an Inquisitor of the Holy Ordos. You will obey, or you will burn.”

Things that are rare, exotic, xenos in origin or borderline heretical, those you just can't buy. Things like that are essentially plot hooks. Or you need to barter, grant favors and such.

 

[dbm]

We played a very successful inquisition based campaign years back - before any of the official 40k RPGs came out. In that campaign we were agents of the inquisition, rather than full-on inquisitors. That was great fun, and put us in a position where we were more like spies and investigators finding out what was going on before the actual Inquisitor would decide to get involved. We had very little direct authority or power in the eyes of other Imperial organisations like Space Marines or Adeptus Mechanicus. We might bully local authorities somewhat but even that was very difficult and they had limited resources we could call on.

I think the way to approach a campaign like this is that it will be closer to Call of Cthulhu or (unsurprisingly?) WHFRP than it would be to a game of D&D or Traveller.

Obviously that might not work for your group, @Jd Smith1

 

[Jd Smith1]

Problem is, WH40k is abstract and vague when it comes to economy, even in books (and i read tons of WH40k novels). Inquisition operates on principle - if they want it, they get it. They can requisition or just take pretty much anything what they want when it comes to imperial stuff. When you have discretionary power to obliterate planets and kill almost anybody, people will give you stuff for free with little to no questions asked. “I am an Inquisitor of the Holy Ordos. You will obey, or you will burn.”

Things that are rare, exotic, xenos in origin or borderline heretical, those you just can't buy. Things like that are essentially plot hooks. Or you need to barter, grant favors and such.

True, but the power to obliterate entire planets requires a vastly higher rank than the PCs will start out with.

An as every veteran knows, it doesn't matter what the regs say, if supply won't cough it up, scrounging is the only way.

Also, not all Inquisitor operations are done openly.

In short, I need a cash factor or viable cash substitute, and this thread had given me two options so far.