Resource Management in RPGs

[FireLance]

1. Why is it that the "mundane" resource management (rations, fatigue) is generally seen as tedious, while the "fantastic" resource management (power uses, item charges) isn't?

I think the key issues are consequence and replaceability. Mundane items tend to either have minimal consequences if a PC does not have them (e.g. many game systems have few or no consequences for skipping a meal) or be easily replaceable (so that even if the PCs run out, it is usually trivially easy to obtain them), or both. Thus, I believe that many players don't spend more effort on management of mundane items beyond thinking "How much of mundane item X do I need before I can replace them?" and then writing that number down on their character sheets.

On the other hand, fantastic resources often have significant effects when used, or are less easy to replace, or both, so players find that it is worth the effort to track them and to carefully consider when to use them.

However, I believe that the difference is one of scale rather than any inherent quality of mundane or fantastic resources. At low levels, many PCs find it worthwhile to track mundane resources because they can only be replaced at (relatively) significant cost. And at higher levels, should fantastic resources have minimal consequences relative to the PCs' abilities, and be easily replaceable, I believe the players will also spend less effort to track them, e.g. wands of low-level healing spells in 3e.

2. Would it be possible to design a game system where "mundane" resource management takes center stage, and is as important to the game as the "fantastic" resource management is in games like D+D? (Do such systems already exist? How well do they work?)

As mentioned, low-level games are likely to involve the tracking of mundane resources because they tend to more significant relative to the power level of the PCs, and replacing them is not trivial relative to the PCs' resources. In order for mundane items to remain relevant at higher levels, this must continue to be true as the PCs grow in levels. This usually does not happen in games like D&D because fantastic resources often replace mundane resources, e.g. spells and magic items replace mundane food and drink, and magical ammunition replace mundane arrows and bolts. Hence, one way to ensure that mundane items remain relevant is to ensure that there are no magical substitutes for whatever mundane resources you want the players to continue managing.

 

[Mallus]

1. Why is it that the "mundane" resource management (rations, fatigue) is generally seen as tedious, while the "fantastic" resource management (power uses, item charges) isn't?

Two reasons:

1) RPG characters typically has fewer "fantastic" resources to manage. A few booming spells and a hit point total, as opposed to quite a few rations, torches, arrows/bolts/sling stones, dry socks, etc.

2) Certain resources/tools are sexier. Spells that cause foes to explode or do more varied reality-defying things are simply more interesting than torches or bricks of rations.

Note that there are more magazines devoted to guns and fast cars than there are to dry socks and butter knives (even though the latter are quite nice in their own way).

Would it be possible to design a game system where "mundane" resource management takes center stage, and is as important to the game as the "fantastic" resource management is in games like D+D? (Do such systems already exist? How well do they work?)

What would the point be?

 

[Stalker0]

Fantastic resources are resources of "awesomeness". Having more spells makes me more awesome, having more hero points makes me more awesome. Having more food doesn't really do that. That's why those resources are worth tracking and more mundane ones are not.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Another reason for the preference for "heroic"/"fantastic" resources over mundane resources might be that it's easier to create rules for made-up stuff than for things that exist.

How could you determine whether a travel adventure with mundane resource management is fair? How often do you need to place food sources and water sources, and how do you ensure the players have to be smart to find them, but not too smart? ANd how do you all that without it seeming "unrealistic"?

That a monster can use its Breath weapon in 1d4+1 rounds or that your daily attack power returns only after a 6 hour rest period doesn't hurt the believability of the situation much, since that daily attack power and the breath weapon don't map to something easily identifiable in our average lives - in fact, most oft the time not even in non-average lives (like that of soldiers or firefighters or survivalists).

 

[MichaelK]

We do use mundane resources.

We've had in game discussions before about what our group of adventurers would make for dinner and looked at the listing of spices and cooking ingredients on our equipment list.

We like our games to 'feel real' and part of that is thinking about the non-adventuring parts of life. Our equipment list includes pots and pans, exotic food items, shaving kits, sleeping bags and entertainment items.

We'd go on adventures if the reward was a fine cigar or nice clothing. I've turned down magic items before because they clashed with what my character was wearing and I doubt I'm alone in our group.

Not surprisingly our group usually has a wagon and several pack animals.

We don't find it tedious. We also appreciate that other people may have different ideas about what's fun. YMMV but we find mundane resources far from tedious.

 

[Mallus]

We like our games to 'feel real' and part of that is thinking about the non-adventuring parts of life. Our equipment list includes pots and pans, exotic food items, shaving kits, sleeping bags and entertainment items.

We'd go on adventures if the reward was a fine cigar or nice clothing. I've turned down magic items before because they clashed with what my character was wearing and I doubt I'm alone in our group.

Our group is similar, but we don't keep track of mundane-yet-colorful items.

For example, my paladin is just assumed to have on his person several journals half-full of his verse, a bottle of Pernod, and fireworks. Periodically he removes some gold from his total to represent expenditure on his signature stuff.

And several members of our group would probably commit murder for a good cigar or rare bottle of brandy... they're like that.

 

[Doug McCrae]

1. Why is it that the "mundane" resource management (rations, fatigue) is generally seen as tedious, while the "fantastic" resource management (power uses, item charges) isn't?

Because arrows are a lot more plentiful than fireballs.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Actually, old-style D&D has plenty of "mundane" resources to manage

New style D&D has a lot too, in fact I think it may have almost as much as old school. By RAW, 4e for example keeps track of encumbrance, money, arrows etc, rations and light sources (though there are everburning torches and light is an at-will wizard spell). I think there's a suggestion in the DMG that the DM might consider waiving ammo-counting.

Personally I find keeping track of all that stuff tedious. I'd like to see a more abstract wealth mechanic in D&D though that would be a big departure from 3e and 4e where money is a very important resource. Imo the numbers are too big for money, which is what makes it fiddly. That and keeping track of silver and copper pieces. In more than one 3e game I played in, it felt like half the session was spent calculating how much treasure everyone got.

EDIT: And another thing I don't like in D&D - experience points. Again the numbers are way too big, they're very unwieldy. And then you're expected to add 5% or 10% or whatever? I much prefer systems such as Mutants & Masterminds where I can give out small values of xp - 1-3 points. For me it really is 20 minutes of fun packed into 4 hours a lot of the time.

 

[Ariosto]

Doug, it is pretty easy to drop decimal places -- and the ratios (which are the really important thing) remain the same! It need be no more complicated to dispense with accounts than to wave one's hand, especially if players are not interested in becoming capitalists.

Thrud the Shield-Maiden might simply be assumed to have on hand whatever her usual kit is, especially if by custom she travels light. Perhaps an occasional ability or skill check might be tossed to see whether some needful thing has been acquired or brought along.

 

[Barcode]

Available supply makes a big difference. Cheap, plentiful resources are not interesting, and the party is always assumed to have enough. However, if you are going on an expedition to uncertain lands (deep in the desert, into the swamp, the Underdark, the Forbidden Jungle), I like to have the party specify what they are bringing with them as part of their planning. That way when they are deep in the giant tree in the middle of the swamp and the cultists just won't. stop. coming. then the number of arrows/spell components they packed suddenly can be an interesting statistic.

Picture the movie Aliens, especially if you have seen the deleted scenes. Did the Marines think much about how much ammo they were packing when they were all gung ho and dropping in to kick ass? Hell no, until it started running out, then it was one of the most interesting elements of suspense in the movie.