Greetings, all. This is my first post, so I will attempt to keep it short; it is just an idea I was kicking around.

In an effort to keep accounting to a minimum, the equipment system in TOR is vague, at best. If it seems like the character should have something, they do.

I was thinking, though, that in cases where something would be very useful to have, and the LM cannot decide whether they should, of using a sort of "luck roll."

To take the rope example from the description: the dwarf's player needs rope, badly. He rolls the feat die and Xd6 equal to his character's wisdom. A success (14+) means he has 10 yards of good hemp rope. A great success is 40 yards, and an extraordinary success is 50 yards.

I wouldn't use it regularly, but rather for those touch-and-go situations where it could be highly important. As I said: just an idea.

Thoughts?

I could see situations where that could be useful.

Applying a trait is another way to give the player access to equipment. In a recent session, the players needed some rope and a grapple. One player tagged his character's burglar trait and I allowed that he would probably have a coil of rope and a grapple in his pack.

This is sort of like the Preparedness skill in Trail of Cthulhu (which also encourages not fussing detailed equipment). You use it to say, sure I have a some cigarrettes to trade for info with the hobo (easy use) vs surely I would have dynamite in my car trunk (hard use).

For One Ring, I would use guideines of Culture, Wealth, Calling and permit Traits invocation to let a player say they would have something the Trait speaks to appropriate/not inappropriate to the first 3. The prosperous halfing with Smoking trait has some fine pipeweed and a nice looking pipe, and if a treasure hunter burglar has some rope and lockpicks.

I would keep it Trait focused to make traits useful and stop it being everyting and the kitchen sink.

In the Smallville RPG (by Margaret Weiss Productions - and is a good fun game full of roleplaying opportunities) uses "Plot Points" (the equivalent of Hope points) to "write in a fact" to the story.

Essentially a player uses the point to make a statement about the situation or "scene" that wasn't specifically writtne in by the Watchtower (GM).


WT: You are locked inside a shed
Player: There happens to be a large axe in here that we can use to chop our way out of. (spends a Plot Point).


or

WT: You're hopelessly lost in the wrong side of town
Player: A taxi comes rolls down the street having just dropped off a customer and I hail for it (spends a Plot Point to write a new fact into the script).



Just food for thought.
Robert

I use a Magic 8-Ball for these situations. I ask the Magic 8-Ball, "Does Kili have 50' of rope with him?" Magic 8-Ball says <turning Magic 8-Ball over>, "Most Likely." So, he does! The "Ask Again Later" results usually means he can't find it at present, but THINKS he had some. Trying later ... who knows? Only the Magic 8-Ball!

This methodology has worked for me for years. I use it in any situation where I don't have an opinion one way of the other about the question.

BTW, NEVER use a Lemony Snicket Magic 8-Ball (and, yes, I have one of these, too) ... every result is <pardon the joke> ... "unfortunate." If you've read the series, you get "it." Use only a real one!