Thursday, June 23, 2022

TTRPG Judge advice: A layered cake or upgrading old weapons in TTRPGS

  

People love cake (only shocking statements here folks), but most people prefer a layered cake. A cake with toppings, icing, different flavoured layers and fruits on top. 

What we should do is treat your parties current weapons (and armour for that matter) like a basic cake.

With a quick run to the shops and a few slight adjustments we can take that cake and dress it up.

Lets take the cake example and make it an iron shortsword. No frills, cheap and easy and gets the job done. Not much on the wow factor though. 

Melee range
1D6 damage
5 - 7 gold

However, sharpening the blade (+1 damage), switching the hilt (less weight), improving the balance (+1 to hit), reforging the metal (steel for 1d8 rather than 1d6 or even silvered to fight back the undead) and adding compartments (more carry options) are all cheap, easy ways to improve upon the weapon. 

The best part is that all of these can be quest materials! The mines have been overrun by three armed albino cave tribes? The woods have become infested with reversed spider men? (Think carapace upper body with eight fleshy human legs). Better get going and sort them out. 

Your average backwater town blacksmith shouldn't have every sword and suit of armour just lying around. Its unrealistic, boring and frankly lazy and it rips players out of the game.

Leave that to the video games and make your players quest for those upgrades.


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