Neelah’s Opus on Wonderous Items

The book on all things money, gear, and loot!

Money and Wealth

Money and Wealth in Fortune Blades is abstracted into Wealth Levels, starting at 0 and going up to 10. This level represents the buying power that a Character currently has accumulated through their deeds, savings, credit, looting, and/or reputation.

Items and services have a Wealth Level as well, also starting at 0.0 and going up to 10.0, that represent how valuable the item or service is.

Any item or service the GM deems available that is less than or equal to the Character's current Wealth Level can simply be acquired by that Character. The Player doesn't need to make a Roll, and acquiring the item or service doesn't decrease the Character current Wealth Level.

So if a Character currently has a Wealth Level of 2, and a common sword also has a Wealth Level of 2, then when the Character is in a town where one could be bought they can simply acquire one without a change to their Wealth Level.

A Character can also spend a Wealth Level to obtain a single item of a higher Wealth Level, one for one.

So if a Character currently has a Wealth Level of 3, they could acquire a single level 4 item by spending one Wealth Level. The Character now has a Wealth Level of 2, and the single level 4 item. They could acquire a single level 6 item by spending all their Wealth Levels, resulting in a shiny new level 6 item and a Wealth Level of now 0.

A Character can always try to obtain something at a higher Wealth Level by trying to work out a deal. This requires at least one Roll, possibly more than one Roll, as per the GM's discretion.

The GM will reward Characters with Wealth Levels when they complete Quests and/or loot treasure. Most of the time that will be a whole Wealth Level, but in some cases partial Wealth Levels can be rewarded, such as a half or quarter level.

So if the Party has been hired by the local Lord to go into the caves to defeat the goblins therein, the payment for completing the Quest could be a Wealth Level for each of the Party. And if the Party happens to find the lost treasure within those dark caves as well, that could be another Wealth Level!

The GM can also make Hard Bargains, where the Characters could spend Wealth Levels to bribe the dragon instead of having to fight it. Or could even take away Wealth Levels as a Serious Consequence, like someone didn't notice it was getting robbed, or terrible rumors have hurt their credit in this village...

Wealth Level Examples

0 - Dead Broke, can't afford anything at all.

1 - Knives, clubs, common farm stuff

2 - Swords, bad horses, backpacks, Leather Armor

3 - Swords, good horses, chainmail

4 - Fine swords, Plate Mail

5 -

6 -

7 -

8 - A Ship

9 -

10 - An Estate

Slots

Things a Character is carrying on their person take up Slots. Slots represent the amount of trouble whatever those items have when carrying them around.

A Character with three or less Slots used has a Light load, and the GM can opt to lower the Close and Clear numbers or make the Character Lucky for certain relevant Rolls because of it.

A Character with five or less Slots used has a Normal Load.

A Character with seven or less Slots used has a Heavy Load, and the GM can opt to either raise the Close and Clear numbers or make the Character Unlucky for certain relevant Rolls because of it.

A Character with more than seven Slots used is Burdened, and is Unlucky for any Physical Roll.

Some Talents give a Character the ability to have more (or less!) Load as well.

Armor

Armor helps Characters resist Harm.

When a Player makes a Save, they can add the value of the armor their Character has to their Roll, if the type of armor matches the type of Harm.

Physical armor is the most obvious in that it resists physical Harm, and typically consists of items like clothing made of thick hide, padded clothing, chainmail, full plate armor, etc.

Mental armor are items that resist mental Harm, and are things like protective glasses, specially designed helmets, special protective wizard's robes, etc.

Spiritual armor are items that resist spiritual Harm, and are things like protective jewelry, fashionable clothing, special priest's robes, a holy symbol, etc.

There's no reason a character can't wear more than one type of armor at the same time as long as they have gear slots available for it.

There are four levels of Armor:

• Minor Armor - Takes up one gear slot, and gives +1 to Saves to resist Harm of a matching Type.
• Simple Armor - Takes up two gear slots, and gives +2 to Saves to resist Harm of a matching Type.
• Serious Armor - Takes up three gear slots, and gives +3 to Saves to resist Harm of a matching Type.
• Heroic Armor - Takes up four gear slots, and gives +4 to Saves to resist Harm of a matching Type.

Examples:

• Thick hide armor - Minor Physical Armor, which would give +1 to Saves vs. Physical Harm.
• Chainmail - Simple Physical Armor, which would give +2 to Saves vs. Physical Harm.
• Full Plate - Serious Physical Armor, which would give +3 to Saves vs. Physical Harm.
• Dragonscale Armor - Heroic Physical Armor, which would give +4 to Saves vs. Physical Harm.
• Spectacular Wizard Robes - Serious Mental Armor, which would give +3 to Saves vs. Mental Harm.
• Extremely fashionable clothes - Simple Spiritual Armor, which would give +2 to Saves vs. Spiritual Harm.

Most armor only resists one type of Harm, however more rare and/or magical armor might be able to resist more than one Type of Harm. Such as a Paladin who's wearing blessed holy fully plate, which is serious Physical armor and simple Spiritual armor in one. When an armor resists more than one Type of Harm, whichever level is the highest denotes how many gear slots that armor takes up.

Physical Armor

Minor Physical Armors

• Thick Hide or Leather Armor - 20 coins
• Padded Clothing - 20 coins

Simple Physical Armors

• Chainmail or Scale mail

Special Armor

• Extremely stylish leather armor - +1 to both Physical and Spiritual Saves - 20 Silver.

Weapons

Touch - within easy reach without having to take a step. Close - within reach of a one-handed weapon, a good kick, or by taking one or two steps. Reach - within reach of a two-handed long weapon such as a spear, a great leap, or by taking multiple steps. Mid - within reach of a simple bow, a thrown rock, or a good shout. Far - within reach of a fine bow, or a good horse at a run. Very Far - just within sight

Gear

• Adventuring Gear 5 Uses, 20 coins, 1 slot
  • Adventuring gear is a collection of useful mundane items such as chalk, poles, spikes, ropes, etc. When you rummage through your adventuring gear for some useful mundane item, you find what you need and mark off a Use.
• Bandages 3 Uses, 5 coins, 0 slot
  • When you have a few minutes to bandage someone else's wounds, heal them of one level of Harm and expend a use.
• Poultices and Herbs 2 Uses, 10 coins, 1 slot
  • When you carefully treat someone's wounds with poultices and herbs, heal them of two levels of Harm and expend a use.
• Keg of Stout 10 coins, 4 Weight
  • When you open a keg of stout and let everyone drink freely, take +2 to any social Roll.
• Bag of Books 5 Uses, 10 coins, 2 slots
  • When your bag of books contains just the right book for the situation, consult the book, mark off a use, and take +2 to your Roll.
• Dungeon Rations Ration, 5 Uses, 3 coins, 1 slot
  • Not tasty, but not bad either.
• Personal Feast Ration, 1 Use, 10 coins, 1 slot
  • Ostentatious to say the least.
• Hardtack, Ration, 7 Uses, 3 coins, 1 slot

Special Gear

• Healing Potion 50 coins, 0 slot
  • When you drink an entire healing potion, heal yourself of any one Harm entirely.

Vessels

• Kayak
  • Carries one person and five slots worth of gear.
• Canoe or Rowboat
  • Carries up to four people or two people and ten slots worth of gear.

Houses

• A Shack
  • Sleeps up to four people or two people and ten slots worth of gear.

A Fortunate Blade

The magical item your Character carries gives them one additional starting Talent to pick (or be foolish and randomly roll to select) from the list below.

Doesn’t have to be a blade specifically, it can be any object you can think of. But it does need to be in your character’s possession, be given a name, and used as it was intended to be used for its Talent to apply. If the Talent you choose is in regards to a specific type of person, creature, or item, define that now as well.

1. Your Character gains two ranks in the Attribute of your choice.
2. When fighting a specific enemy, your Character’s Rolls are Lucky. Choose the enemy now and write it down.
3. When fighting a specific enemy, your Fortunate Blade does two levels higher of Effect when used. Choose the enemy now and write it down.
4. When fighting a specific size of enemy, your Character’s Rolls are Lucky. Choose the size of the enemy now and write it down.
5. Gain the Starting Talent from a Trade of your choice.
6. Your Fortunate Blade glows when near a type of person, creature, or item of your choosing. Write down what makes your Blade glow now.
7. Once per Encounter you can re-roll a Roll of your choice for free.
8. Your Fortunate Blade always returns to you somehow over time.
9. Instead of Physical Harm, your Fortunate Blade does either Mental or Spiritual Harm. Describe how that works and what it looks like.
10. Pick a Simple Spell, your Fortunate Blade can cast it once per Encounter.
11. Pick a Simple Spell, your Fortunate Blade can cast it automatically once per Quest.
12. Pick a Serious Spell, your Fortunate Blade can cast it once per Quest.
13. Pick a Heroic Spell, your Fortunate Blade can cast it once, and once only.
14. Your Fortunate Blade grants you a Familiar.
15. When your Character causes Harm using their Fortunate Blade, it’s not obvious to anyone that they caused it.
16. Your Fortunate Blade always does one level higher of Effect when used.
17. Your Fortunate Blade gives you a +2 to Physical, Mental, or Spiritual Saves. Pick which one now.
18. Your Fortunate Blade gives you three more Fortune to spend as you wish, and you'll spend these first when you do.
19. Your Fortunate Blade can talk, and is full of knowledge and wisdom. You can ask it one question per Encounter and it will answer to the best of it's ability.
20. Your Fortunate Blade lets you pass any Save without having to Roll or spend any Fortune once per Quest.

When your Character Levels Up, you can choose to take another Talent for your Fortunate Blade instead of one from a Trade if you have defeated a prominent foe while using the item. It then gains a new or additional name, and a new additional Special Ability.