How do you handle jewelry and valuable art as a GM?

[haakon1]

“Your Friends and Neighbors” is interesting on selling loot.

John Hamm’s character goes to a jewelry shop in the Diamond District in Manhattan with a $300 k* stolen watch.

• No problem, but they need the original box and paperwork.
• He doesn’t have that, “it was a gift”. Can they do it without that?
• No … but here’s a card for someone who may be able to handle that. Tell them Sal send you.

At the pawn shop in the Bronx with a steel cage.

• Let’s see it first. OK, buzz you in back.
• You got paperwork for this?
• No, it was a gift.
• Uh-huh. I’ll give you 180 for it.
• It’s worth $300 k!
• Not as is … without the paperwork.
• Can you do $210?
• You want to negotiate now? OK, 160.
• You said 180.
• OK, done - you win, 180.

At the Bronx pawn shop …

• Do you buy art?
• No way, I don’t touch that stuff. But I know a guy who does …

Back to Manhattan, to an art studio …

* Numbers and names are half remembered.

 

[HaroldTheHobbit]

Deleted

 

[HaroldTheHobbit]

What do your uncultivated barbarians find valuable?

Optionally, what would be the most art history geeky object they feel was not valuable, but suddenly find themselves in charge of a) recovering and b) ensuring it gets to where it needs to be safely?

The part of GM prep I enjoy the most is the development of fun, nuanced and multilayered NPCs, and their organic evolution during the campaign. Our campaigns are always heavy on roleplaying, conspiraces and webs of intrigue where well developed NPCs are a foundation. I have total buy-in from my players in this, it’s win-win and much fun is had.

Now, I want to build pieces of art with the same depth as my major NPCs. I want a single piece of art being able to carry and be the foundation for a whole campaign arch in it’s on right. So far I’ve been disapointed and met with very lukewarm response from my table

It makes me vomit in the mouth a bit, but what I probably want is The DaVinci Code the rpg