D&D General The nitty gritty

[Blue]

Many of these are "it depends". Time and rests are perhaps the only all-the-time ones.

I track water, rations, ammo during those rare campaign occurrences when those are non-replenishable resources so it matters. Marooned on an island, crossing a vast desert, etc. Otherwise they are part of your lifestyle expenses.

I track expensive spell components, since design-wise they are supposed to act as a throttle on casting of spells like Revivify or Hero's Feast so they just aren't cast all the time. I also "track" them not in terms of expenditures but in using a hand and/or making speaking noise. Finally, like the first category, I track them during the rare campaign occurrences when important, such as when captured - okay, what can you cast without making gestures? What's that, you want to catch a spider in the dungeon? Sure, you can cast spider climb, but only keep two alive at a time. Stumble and get sand all over your knees when unloaded from the boat to collect later? That's enough for four castings of sleep if you collect it soon.

I use common sense encumbrance. As in we don't do bookkeeping but common sense says "no, you can't carry three suits of armor" or "at the very least you'll need a sled or something to get the marble statue out of the dungeon". Done mostly by honor system.

I track light sources not in the way of using them up - again, I assume your lifestyle costs are replacing oil, candles, torches, whatever, but in taking up a hand, plus where is the light radiating from.

 

[Lanefan]

Voted for the ones we track all the time; but everything on the list is tracked if-when it becomes relevant.

For example, we usually don't track how much water the party has (thus no vote) but if they're in the desert or on a long sea voyage then it does get tracked. Ditto for rations.

Spell components aren't usually tracked (thus no vote) but any of them that carry a cost are tracked. Ditto encumbrance - only tracked if they're clearly trying to carry too much (usually) loot.

 

[ezo]

LOL it would have been easier if there was actually an "ALL the above" option.

 

[Reynard]

LOL it would have been easier if there was actually an "ALL the above" option.

But less useful.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Rest, time and rope, but only rope in the sense of 'do you have rope y/n, not the specific length'.

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

Wow! 42 people voted for "time".

I've always found that difficult to do. How do you do it?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

In 5E? Only time and rests.

In OSR games, almost all of it, depending on the adventure. (There's a Pirate Borg adventure that involves getting stranded on an island with no potable water, so tracking water immediately becomes a key element of the adventure.)

 

[payn]

Wow! 42 people voted for "time".

I've always found that difficult to do. How do you do it?

Depends on whats happening. Obviously, a full rest is at least 8 hours. Though, sometimes the adventure has the PCs racing against the clock. Go around the mountain or try to climb it. Either one could save you time or lose you time. Its relevant when its relevant.

 

[ezo]

But less useful.

How so? It is no different then my selecting every available option--it just took me a little longer.

 

[ezo]

Wow! 42 people voted for "time".

I've always found that difficult to do. How do you do it?

What do you find difficult about it? Then we can tell you how we do that.