Magically Informative Loot

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Re: Magically Informative Loot
« Reply #15 on: June 15, 2011, 07:40:46 PM »
Ah, but you can only loot lairs and corpses, not trashcans.  The move as written is actually already very good for what I'm describing - all the loopholes are already buttoned up.  It's just the text in the back of the book that gets in the way.

And why shouldn't every dead monster or lair have something interesting and informative about the surrounding dungeon?  These monsters don't live in little random encounter bubbles.  Or, at any rate, they shouldn't.

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sage

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Re: Magically Informative Loot
« Reply #16 on: June 16, 2011, 11:03:59 AM »
I think a lot of our text there is to cover up for the fact that we probably need a "The GM can say you've found everything" option. Kind of like saying "nothing" to "What here is valuable to me?" The GM needs that permission, but they should use it rarely, if at all.

Smart ideas, everyone.

Re: Magically Informative Loot
« Reply #17 on: June 16, 2011, 11:13:40 AM »
And why shouldn't every dead monster or lair have something interesting and informative about the surrounding dungeon?  These monsters don't live in little random encounter bubbles.  Or, at any rate, they shouldn't.

There are other moves that cover the "interesting and informative" part about the surrounding dungeon. I don't think that onus should fall entirely on Loot's shoulders.

Loot is specifically for ... loot. Right?

Just because a creature isn't carrying loot doesn't mean you can't Discern Realities or whatever and learn information about it. I can "closely study" a creature's body and get the same information, whether it has loot or not.

Re: Magically Informative Loot
« Reply #18 on: June 16, 2011, 12:55:02 PM »
You should always be able to find loot.  Anything could be valuable to someone.  The questions, given encumbrance, are: Can you use it now? Is it likely to help you later? Are you willing to carry it out?  Can you find a market for it? 

Re: Magically Informative Loot
« Reply #19 on: June 16, 2011, 12:57:43 PM »
You should always be able to find loot.  Anything could be valuable to someone.  The questions, given encumbrance, are: Can you use it now? Is it likely to help you later? Are you willing to carry it out?  Can you find a market for it? 

The way loot is worded seems to imply a specific idea of what loot is.

"the GM will tell you what gold and gems the monster had"

Gold. Gems.

Then, possibly something useful or magical.

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sage

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Re: Magically Informative Loot
« Reply #20 on: June 16, 2011, 02:15:04 PM »
Loot, as written, requires a bit of fictional/GM permission. It's for specific things: bodies and lairs, pretty much. "Gold and gems" may be too specific a wording, but it's close.

John says "I search the goblin barracks for anything valuable." The goblins have to have something, so I say "Sure, sounds like you're looting." He makes the roll and gets some coin as well as some swords, too well-crafted to be goblin work (they're informative - the goblins have allies - and at least a little valuable).

John says "I search the hallway for anything valuable." It's just some random hallway, so I say "Uh, okay. So you're like looking around the seeing what you notice? Sounds like Discern Realities."

It's the fictional difference of "Place we reasonably know has valuable stuff" v. "Random location."

Is this the right way to do it? I'm not sure. Some good points have been made here, I'll think on them.

Re: Magically Informative Loot
« Reply #21 on: June 16, 2011, 02:26:06 PM »
Sage, that's exactly what I was trying to say too.

Looting is when you are actually searching through treasures, not just searching. Discern Realities is when you are just searching.

At least, based on how it's worded and my interpretation of it.

Re: Magically Informative Loot
« Reply #22 on: June 16, 2011, 03:44:35 PM »
And what if you're trying to skin the croc so that you'll have a valuable hide to sell to the boot-maker back in town?

Re: Magically Informative Loot
« Reply #23 on: June 16, 2011, 03:47:17 PM »
And what if you're trying to skin the croc so that you'll have a valuable hide to sell to the boot-maker back in town?

When the Ranger did this in the campaign I was DMing, I said, "Sure, but it'll take some time to skin it and whatnot." He was like, "Sure." And, so we skipped an hour and I was like, "Yo. You have an alligator skin now."

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sage

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Re: Magically Informative Loot
« Reply #24 on: June 16, 2011, 03:57:11 PM »
Taking the skin is probably actually Looting, yeah. I have to disagree with Michael here, not because his example doesn't sound good, but because the move is always triggered by the fiction.

Remember, the Loot roll doesn't change that he gets the skin. That's set. What it might say is that he gets it quikcly, or without smelling like entrails (which might attract monsters), or that there's something important in the croc's belly.

Loot doesn't tell you the basic value of what they find, that's up to the fiction (and the GM's prep and creativity). It just says how easily they get it, and what unexpected bonuses they get.

Re: Magically Informative Loot
« Reply #25 on: June 16, 2011, 04:00:11 PM »
I have to disagree with Michael here, not because his example doesn't sound good, but because the move is always triggered by the fiction.

It's all good. When I DM, I don't really consider skinning creatures "looting" necessarily. :) I'm sure in some campaigns it is.

What about the goblin I behead? Is that looting?

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sage

  • 549
Re: Magically Informative Loot
« Reply #26 on: June 16, 2011, 04:10:47 PM »
"And with that you slay the last goblin. Their bloody smelly bodies are strewn about the room. What do you do?"
"I'm going to pick over the bodies take whatever's valuable or useful."
"Sounds like Looting to me. The town guard is paying for goblin heads, so those are certainly valuable. There's also a few assorted coins, about 1 gold worth, and of course the shoddy blades they were shanking you with. Make you roll."
"I got a 7. I get it with little trouble. I get 5 heads to take back to town, 1 gold in small coin, and I'm not even going to bother with weapons. Those are heavy."
"Little trouble, eh? Well, you take your time to avoid all their wicked open sores and jagged rusty jewelry, so you don't end up disgusting and diseased. It does take you a while, though, and in that time you start to hear chanting from down the hall. Maybe they've noticed the guard haven't come back and started the ritual early? What do you do?"



The Loot move is based on John's scavenge move, so think of it a bit like that. It's all about how you find things, with the option of choosing to find something special on top of that.

I wonder if the magic and information options aren't misleading. The move isn't really about what you find, it's about how you find it. You just have the option of trading some control of how for a little control of what.

Re: Magically Informative Loot
« Reply #27 on: June 16, 2011, 04:16:30 PM »
Like I said, in some campaigns (where Goblin heads are currency I guess), hacking off extremities could be considered "looting"... ;)




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sage

  • 549
Re: Magically Informative Loot
« Reply #28 on: June 16, 2011, 04:20:36 PM »
Yeah, that was kind of my example, above. If goblin heads are worth something, you get them as part of the move. Same as if the heads popped off and turned into coins :) (though that might be easier to carry).

Coins or heads, you're still taking time to gather something valuable. Coins or heads, that's still looting, and you still might get it quickly, without trouble, or neither.

The fact that "coins and gems" are mentioned specifically is an oversight. Consider looting for anything of value.

Re: Magically Informative Loot
« Reply #29 on: June 16, 2011, 04:52:22 PM »
Right. So, you are saying that there needs to be something valuable first before looting takes place.

If the goblin heads aren't valuable, there's no looting right? Loot doesn't spring into existence because someone "loots"? There has to be loot that someone is retrieving?

That's what your post seems to indicate.

Let's say the goblin heads weren't valuable in my campaign.

"And with that you slay the last goblin. Their bloody smelly bodies are strewn about the room. What do you do?"
"I'm going to pick over the bodies take whatever's valuable or useful."
"There's nothing of much value here. Dirty goblin rags and crude sticks sharpened to a point."
"Aight. Let's move on."