Uses for Treasure

[Otaku-sempai]

Yeah, it doesn't always work in RPGs.

But, in real life, I buy magic items.

I think I found my Necronomicon at Waldenbooks. But that was in paperback, not bound in human skin.

[zedturtle]

Yeah, you really can't rely on chain-stores for the good stuff. Mom-n-Pop used stores or estate sales (especially if there's mysterious circumstances) are where it's at.

[Otaku-sempai]

That explains why every time I try to open a Gate to summon a Great Old One, all I get is a Walmart greeter.

[Perdurabo]

My group also uses treasure for Standard of Living upkeep. This is based on the table in the Lake-Town sourcebook. This is an upkeep phase, like Standing upkeep at Years End and is different from the Raise Standard of Living undertaking, as this maintains it for a year. If the requirements for upkeep aren't met, the character drops one standard of living level (frugal to poor, rich to prosperous etc.) If you also decide to raise standard of living, the character would only pay the monthly difference between the current upkept standard and the new standard.

[Arthur Fisher]

My players are using their excess Treasure to build burhs and herrepaths in the Mirkwood. Also paying for experienced, professional soldiers to train the fyrds how to fight during the winter months.
They are building dykes and levees to slowly reclaim the Long Marches.
Building roads to connect all the lands of the North.
Pretty much looking for anything that can hold the Shadow at bay and give Men hope that they can stave off the oncoming darkness.

[Falenthal]

My players are using their excess Treasure to build burhs and herrepaths in the Mirkwood. Also paying for experienced, professional soldiers to train the fyrds how to fight during the winter months.
They are building dykes and levees to slowly reclaim the Long Marches.
Building roads to connect all the lands of the North.
Pretty much looking for anything that can hold the Shadow at bay and give Men hope that they can stave off the oncoming darkness.

While there might be rules (and prices) for this, and it sounds awesome, it could also be roleplayed by simply using the Holdings and/or the Raise Standing and giving that fluff.

Someone who is permitted to train the local citizens could be played as a raise in Standing (a normal citizen wouldn't be pemitted to do that).
Building roads and conquering the marsh lands would improve the trading, and that could be played as owning a Trading Holding, for example.

As I said a few post above, the problem with Treasure and it's current uses in the game, IMHO, is that we tend to look for mechanical benefits, and not for narrative benefits.

A good LM would turn the examples Arthur Fisher shared into benefits during the Adventuring phase: travelling through the lands of the North could have the terrain difficulty lowerd if roads have been build. Having trained militias in several settlements could improve the chances of survival of the town during an adventure phase in which it is attacked (like Black Tarn, for example). This should be explicitly said by the LM, of course, so that players understand that they had something to do with it. For example, by narrating how during the evacuation prior to the incoming attack, most adult males take their spears and, instead of fleeing with the rest of the family, position themselves behind the front gates, allowing more professional soldiers to defend the walls.

The narrative the players come up with during the Fellowship phase can be turned into mechanical benefits by the LM during the Adventuring phase.

[PencilBoy99]

I'd like to see something less hand-wayvy in re Arthur's rules (I'm sure Arthur is great at adjudicating stuff on the fly, but not me).

[atgxtg]

While there might be rules (and prices) for this, and it sounds awesome, it could also be roleplayed by simply using the Holdings and/or the Raise Standing and giving that fluff.

Up to a point. One thing about raising standing is that it is also a mechanical change, and is limited as to how much it can be improved. One of the nice things about not treating all this as a raising in Standard of Living is that you can keep adding on more things after you've maxed out your SoL.

[Arthur Fisher]

I have rules written down for all that stuff.
All of it necessitates role playing. And it comes from the players wanting to do a thing that's not in the rules. "Can I turn the Mirkwood into Minas Tirith?"
Not "No." But not "Yes." Rather "Yes, if." You also need to create a mechanical scarcity and desire beyond what the rules currently do.
If your characters aren't crazy for Standing, then Treasure isn't a commodity they feel they're excited to get. But if they want to do a thing. And they need Treasure to do a thing. They'll seek out Treasure to get their thing.
And there's a progression. You can say you're building a burh. Or you can say you're building a burh with 20 Treasure. Now your burh has a motte & bailey. A little more Treasure and you can add a moat. A little more and you can add towers.
You can build a road between the Black Tarn & East Bite for 5 Fellowship Phases. Or you can do t for 3 Fellowship Phases and 30 Treasure. And that road can have waypoints. And it can be guarded. For a price. Or for time.
And each of those things has both a mechanical benefit and a story benefit.
If the Black Tarn s better fortified, it doesn't fall as quickly during the Mirkwood campaign. If it's well supported and fortified enough, maybe it doesn't fall at all! But nor is Dol Guldur going to sit idly by while you interrupt their plans. You let your people affect your world.

But the biggest thing if you're looking for things to do with Treasure is listen to your players. Ask what they want to do with their world and ask yourself what it's going to cost to achieve that goal.

[PencilBoy99]

If you have any rules you can share that sounds great. Thanks!