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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Wolf1066" data-source="post: 5186221" data-attributes="member: 88680">Could wind up a bit like hosting a Rocky Horror Picture Show evening...One game ages ago, I thought it would have significant impact if, instead of saying "the contact tosses you an envelope filled with money" I actually tossed an envelope filled with money to the characters.I made up some false "money", stuck it in an envelope and, on successful completion of the mission, tossed it onto the floor between the characters.  One picked it up, opened it and it had the desired effect - they felt that they had just completed a real deal and had been thrown a bonus by a satisfied contact.One of the players then said "that'd be an ideal way for us to keep track of how much we have and how much we've spent" so I made up some more denominations and gave each player an envelope containing the amount the records showed they should have.  All transactions from that point were in "cash" with players handing over play money and (possibly) getting change in return.  It's worked so well, I've continued the practice with the current game.  Removes the "did you note down how much you paid for lunch" issue and resolves any miscalculation issues - they have precisely as much "money" as is in their "wallets".  And adds a level of realism to the game - buying a Heckler and Koch USP and 100 rounds of .40S&W JHP is more realistic when you hand over something that, in the game universe, represents 1000eb.  Almost compensates for the fact that the closest you're going to get to the actual gun is the picture on the weapon card you get in return...That's something I shamelessly pinched from the Serenity RPG - weapon cards.  A picture of the weapon, its basic statistics and check boxes to mark off how many shots you've fired.  When the player "draws" his/her pistol, (s)he pulls out the card and gets ready to mark off the shots.Ammunition expenditure is another thing that was not remembered by players in previous games.  The cards help with that just as the play money helps with cash flow.  They can glance down and see they're half way through their second mag just as they can glance in their "wallets" and see they're down to their last 55eb - time to get some work... or turn the table on that mugger and take his money...I'm sure it does, going by the way my players have reacted to things I've done - the look of horror when they see the laser dot on their chest, the gleam in their eyes as they riffle the "money" between their fingers, one player's avarice just looking at a picture of a silenced H&K VP70, everyone's avarice when I pulled out the soft air guns.Once it goes visual and/or tactile, it takes on a new dimension, it becomes more tangible than mere words.GM "There is a laser dot on your chest"Player "Yeah? Well I break out my mad kung fu skillz and dive for cover"cfPlayer looks down at dot on chest.  Eyes widen.  "Oh, crap!"They can then bust out the mad kung fu skillz if they wish - but they do so realising the gravity of the situation and knowing they really should have scoped out the area better beforehand.GM: "The contact throws you an envelope containing two thousand euro in hundred euro notes"Player: "Cool!"cfPlayer opens envelope."MONEY!"</blockquote>

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