What do you track?

[garhkal]

Over the years many discussions have cropped up about what's tracked vs what's not.

So here's a poll to see what you do...

[Lyrwik]

I voted for encumbrance and arrow/bolt use. However, when I'm DMing, saying that I 'track' them is a pretty generous interpretation.

I expect and trust my players to make sure they have enough supplies, and don't try to do anything silly with regards to carrying too much. On the whole, they're pretty good with things like that, and stocking up with standard supplies (rations, arrows, etc.) when they have the chance. I don't really want to have to track it or check with them on it though. Unless it's my intention that there's a risk they'd run out of supplies (eg. the story is survival-focused in a harsh environment with limited resupply), then I find it to be tedious rather than rewarding to be picky about those sorts of details.

[garhkal]

Sound reasoning. Why don't you track spell components though?

[Stik]

I'm too busy with life to bean-count things like that.
I typically hand-wave that stuff unless there's a specific reason to keep track of something, like expensive or rare spell components, or ammunition or other consumables when the PCs are separated from a source of resupply for an extended period.

[Lyrwik]

I expect special or expensive spell components to be tracked, but that seems to be less and less necessary these days (currently playing 5th ed) as seems to be fewer spells which consume expensive components (eg. Identify, Find Familiar).

Honestly, the biggest reason for not wanting to track too much detail on this kind of thing, is I don't like the game being slowed down by people going shopping. I'm still getting my current group of players trained up in doing their shopping (for standard stuff) away from the table.

Also - my current game has 9 PCs... Even if I wanted to track things, there's no way that I can reasonably go to the effort of monitoring tracking of consumables. On the whole they seem to recognise the need to buy more supplies when they're in town, so it works out okay.


EDIT: Additionally, when I'm a player, I tend to be pretty diligent with my own tracking of consumables. Probably why I just expect/assume other players to do the same, and to at least attempt to be honest about it.

[lanir]

I went with "none of the above" but I do tell my players to use the simplified encumbrance from Skills & Powers. Basically it's a check to make sure you can carry the weapons and armor you want to use. Everything else is handwaived one way or the other unless it really stands out.

When I play, I usually don't track much either unless I'm asked to do so. Unless it's important to the GM, tracking various things is just something to help with suspension of disbelief. But nit-picky bean counting doesn't help me do that generally. I wouldn't mind trying out a different style though: Torchbearer in particular is something I'm curious about. I just don't know anyone who'd run it.

[Halaster-Blackcloak]

I checked arrows, encumbrance, and other - FOOD and WATER! My PCs love to go out on an adventure and, for some reason I cannot understand, tend never to take enough food and water.

"Oh, the ranger can find food!"

Well sure, but probably not enough to feed the entire party every night! They always run out. Always. Except for one of my groups playing in a FR campaign. They almost died several times for lack of food and water, and eventually started stashing caches of food (beef jerky, pemmican, etc.) and water and ale in remote areas throughout the land. If they went from the Dalelands to Cormyr, they buried a few caches somewhere on the way. They especially did this in areas they'd frequent.

[garhkal]

I checked arrows, encumbrance, and other - FOOD and WATER! My PCs love to go out on an adventure and, for some reason I cannot understand, tend never to take enough food and water.

"Oh, the ranger can find food!"

Well sure, but probably not enough to feed the entire party every night! They always run out. Always. Except for one of my groups playing in a FR campaign. They almost died several times for lack of food and water, and eventually started stashing caches of food (beef jerky, pemmican, etc.) and water and ale in remote areas throughout the land. If they went from the Dalelands to Cormyr, they buried a few caches somewhere on the way. They especially did this in areas they'd frequent.

Did those cashes ever get raided by hungry animals?

[Halaster-Blackcloak]

It wouldn't be any fun if they didn't!

But the PCs have gotten creative in their efforts and have gotten better at keeping the supplies from being raided by hungry animals and what not.

[garhkal]

That;s kinda why i created several "food' specific magic items!!

Ikea's portable pantry.
This is a magical door handle that is tied into a 20ft long, 12ft wide extra dimensional space, lined with shelves when ever it is placed against any vertical surface that is rigid (such as a doorway, wall or tree). Any food that is cooked and prepared can be stored inside, providing its on a proper plate (or in a bowl). Unprepared food, spoiled food or food that has been poisoned will resist being placed inside the space that gets opened up. Up to 500 platefuls and 300 bowls worth of cooked food can be thusly stored, and ALL food will be kept as hot as it was when cooked up. Besides the food it allows to get stored, it will ONLY allow empty plates, bowls and cutlery to be stored inside.
Treat this space as a portable hole for what happens if the handle is stored within a bag of holding.

Xp 600, GP 1400

Mokai's wok
This normal looking metallic oriental wok, can be used to cook food normally, and serves in that roll well. BUT if the command word for it is known, and even just a small amt of food stuff placed inside, it will 'self' cook up enough stir fry food for 18 man meals a day. This food is not only nutritious, but healthy and good tasting (those consuming one meal gain 1d3hp back, 2 meals they gain 1d5hp back and those eating 3 meals gain 2d4 back).

Xp/GP value. 750 xp. 1,800 gp

Toddle's skillet.
This frying pan was made by a human woman married to a dwarf fighter, who had a rather peculiar love for omelets.. no matter the time of day. Similar to devices like the ever full rice bowl, or the above wok, it can be used to 'create' food sufficient to make 15 man meals each 24 hr period. It can also be used to make normal food..
Once every 180 days it can be requested to make a heroes feast (as the spell), but each time this is done the handle shortens up by 1 inch. A skillet normally is found with 5-8 inches for a handle, and if the handle is ever destroyed, or dwindles down from using the above 'blessing', the skillet loses its magic.

This device has the exact same XP/GP value as Mokai's Wok.


Satchel of Horse feed.
This magical item works in a similar manner to Murlynd's spoon or the ever-full rice bowl, in that it creates a number of meals per day for animals, but said food is Only nutritious to animals, not humans or demi-humans.
It creates enough 'feed' for 12 animals a day. Riding horses consume 1 “feed” a day, Light war horses eat 1 and a half “feed” a day, Medium war horses take 2 “feeds” a day, heavy war horses 3 “feeds” a day, and draft horses 4..

XP/GP value. 2,500 xp and 7,000gp.

Bag of Preservation
This magical device is very similar in operation and appearance to that of a Bag of Holding or Hewards Handy Haversack. However it only allows the storage of food and drink. It can contain up to 300lb of food stuff (35 cubic feet), but where the true power of the item comes into play is that ANY food and drink no matter how poisonous, rotten, spoiled or normally inedible (it still must be food though), placed inside will come back out Nutritious and healthy to eat. Cooked food placed inside is kept at the same temperature it was placed in (and can even be kept on the plate or in the bowl it was served on). This is cause the bag consistently purifies food and drink as if it was a 20th level cleric.

[Halaster-Blackcloak]

Nice! I'm gonna borrow those!

[RPG Dinosaur]

Honestly, the biggest reason for not wanting to track too much detail on this kind of thing, is I don't like the game being slowed down by people going shopping. I'm still getting my current group of players trained up in doing their shopping (for standard stuff) away from the table.

Also - my current game has 9 PCs... Even if I wanted to track things, there's no way that I can reasonably go to the effort of monitoring tracking of consumables. On the whole they seem to recognise the need to buy more supplies when they're in town, so it works out okay.

I think I've come up with a system for the DM's like Lyrwik with too many PC's to track things, or for DM's who don't want to track all or certain things for whatever reason. It starts when the PC's stock up on spell components, arrows etc. that the DM feels necessary to track, at a particular time. The DM records how much of a particular material a PC has with an understanding with a player(s) that the player is on the honor system of maintaining an accurate record of said materials, but that the DM might also keep running track of one or all categories of materials and, at any time, might perform an AUDIT. If the Audit shows surplus discrepancies of more than one in the players favor then there is a pre-set penalty suffered by the PC; I was thinking along the lines of deducting experience points. Too harsh you say? Maybe, but I bet the prospect of losing X.P. is a good 'reminder' to players for keeping the numbers of that stuff straight. The cushion of one in the players favor and not requiring both the players and DM's numbers to have to match up exactly is to allow for human error, after all, in the heat of a melee it's possible for a player to forget to mark off an arrow. That part could be a DM option.
It would be really important for the DM to have the penalty, whether it involved X.P., loss of treasure or whatever you wanted to use, determined beforehand, and then clearly explained to the player, so that they know the consequence for trying to cheat the system, if and when you perform your Audit and the numbers don't match up.
I haven't used this system, it's just an idea I came up with this week. Would you consider using this system or something like it? By the way, this idea wasn't consciously inspired by it being tax time here in the States, but it's possible that it was subconsciously!

[garhkal]

I have. At times after taking a pc's sheet back to updae in the CRE program, i realised "Hey this guy shouldn't have 20030 xp he's only at 17294.. Where the extra 3k come from?"

Or "ok, so this guy keeps at 5 move as a dwarf, but he's carrying almost 100lb of stuff? How the hell is he no encumbered?

So for those, the first time i count it as an honest mistake. If i catch it a 2nd time i dock 25% of the next sessions XP for that pc.. then it goes to 50% if its caught a third time. FOLLOWED by a major talking to.

[RPG Dinosaur]

So for those, the first time i count it as an honest mistake. If i catch it a 2nd time i dock 25% of the next sessions XP for that pc.. then it goes to 50% if its caught a third time. FOLLOWED by a major talking to.

I hadn't worked out the specifics of the X.P. penalty, but that sounds like a pretty good system.

[garhkal]

Thanks. One of the times i used it, since the person there, was the younger brother of another player (who had to somewhat push to get little bro included in the group) i actually had it where HIS XP was docked instead, cause he was supposed to be keeping an eye ON little bro... After the 2nd time, both got real good, and about 9 sessions later, the Elder bro became group treasure trackers AND the little bro took up doing the mapping, showing he had really came around....