Sustenance - Tracked or Handwaved

[Mark CMG]

Seems like most do not track unless in extreme circumstances.

 

[jensun]

Things that I handwave:

Sustenance, unless it is really germane to the plot, e.g. if abandoned in the harsh desert without food or water after pissing off the locals
Ammunition, I simply assume the PC's refill when able
Encumbrance, I will eyeball a PC sheet and as long as they arent trying to carry the entire contents of a small home I ignore it. Min/maxing wizards with a strength of 6 or 8 get a slightly closer look
Hygiene, I assume the pc's bathe, defecate and urinate as appropriate, I dont expect them to spell it out to me
Inn costs, at every level

If any of my players want to live a particulalry high rolling lifestyle then they describe it and I give them a monthly cost. I will also then hang potential contacts, influences and adventure hooks from it.

 

[Mark CMG]

Hygiene, I assume the pc's bathe, defecate and urinate as appropriate, (. . .)

Appropriate to their Chaotic Half-Orc character's nature? I wonder if a fastidious Paladin might have a few words on the matter? Seems like a roleplaying opportunity lost, if not discreetly explored.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

I really enjoyed the hunting we did in the early days of our WLD game. Mostly we ate fairly mundane stuff like snakes and fish but I do recall having quite a bit of dried krenshar. I could swear we had some ethereal marauder meat at one point too. I actually enjoyed having to hunt for our food.

They ended up going with orc. I guess they thought it might be sorta like pulled pork BBQ.

DS

 

[Zaruthustran]

In my opinion, food is like mundane ammunition: it's not important enough to track, unless it is.

Let me explain. If your adventuring group is making occasional, brief forays from a major town or city, then there's no need to track food and arrows. Just have everyone buy that stuff *once*, and assume it's being replenished as needed. In this situation, tracking mundane items like arrows and food is pointless and not fun.

If, however, the party is making a long trek across a wasteland, or is in siege situation, or at sea, or otherwise cut off from fresh supplies... then start tracking each arrow shot, each pint of water consumed. In this situation, part of the drama/fun of the situation is that supplies are running out. It's the "survival horrow" scenario, where sure, the hero can just blast the monster with his shotgun... but that'd be his last shell, and there are plenty of other monsters out there.

-z

 

[khyron1144]

Pretty much handwaved in my campaign unless I'm in a really tactical/ killer DM mood.

Ditto for illumination. I assume someone living in the dungeon keeps lit torches in the wall sconces.

Double ditto for encumbrance. If your PC isn't trying to carry the whole dungeon on his or her back, he or she can probably manage the load.

I don't find book-keeping to be loads of fun.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

Handwaived - right up to the point where PC's actually get cut off from sources of supplies, like teleported into an unknown desert. Then they have only what's on their character sheets and I have always enjoyed the embarrasing realization that nobody bothered to ensure even a standard week or two of Iron Rations.

This, however, is seldom a problem for long as it tends not to occur until PC clerics are of sufficient level to sacrifice a daily spell or two for Create Food/Water.

Once in a while I get annoyed when TOO much in the game is getting handwaived and require PC's to mark off a steady stream of cash for food/lodging, at least until I forget about it again. I usually have better things to do with my gaming attentions.

 

[Arrgh! Mark!]

Generally handwaved for standard fantasy.

When isolation and exposure are an issue, I track things like armor and weapon degradation, PC's check food and neccessities, and trade for what they need with whatever they happen to have.

In Midnight, that isn't a lot. Generally, their ranger can keep them in food, though - I tend to make a survival check per week. But due to the nature of that campaign they have to travel huge distances in terrible conditions, so dying of exposure doesn't bother them. Wandering around with semi-permanent subdual (and real) damage is fun!

 

[jensun]

It's the "survival horrow" scenario, where sure, the hero can just blast the monster with his shotgun... but that'd be his last shell, and there are plenty of other monsters out there.

The trouble with that is the survival horror scenario doesnt really work if its just the PC's much past about level 3. At that stage provided someone put some ranks in Survival and you have a Cleric with create water you can survive most places.

However, add 200 or so refugess who the PC's have to protect as they lead them through difficut terrain while being pursued by a mass of tireless undead hordes then it becomes interezsting.

Sort of like parts of World War Z but with magic included.

 

[hawkman]

Historically, when I have DM'd I have required tracking mundane equipment such as food and ammunition (I like detailed resource management, what can I say?). I'm going to try using the upkeep variant in the DMG in my new game as I feel it will be helpful in teaching a new player the game not to have to worry about such things.