Delvers to Go in the Dark

[martinl]

It seems pretty easy to assemble a team of DFRPG pregens from the Delvers to Go and not get anyone with a torch or lantern. Many of the casters have relevant spells, but not every group picks up such a caster, and they may want to use their energy and focus elsewhere.

A few torches would be a good addition to some of them.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by martinl

A few torches would be a good addition to some of them.

That was my immediate complaint when I read them, but I believe the response was "Everyone has enough loose change for a few torches of they want them."


Which is terrible advice if you want to use Delvers to Go and are a newb GM with newb Players.

[martinl]

My assumption from the name was they are "ready to go."

"Of course you have a few torches" is an easy GM call, but it's still annoying.

[mlangsdorf]

Alternate viewpoint: the inclusion of torches in previous "grab and go" equipment packages, instead of superior options that people actually use (Continual Light spells, glow vials, helmet/shield lanterns), was seriously annoying. It cluttered the equipment lists with stuff that people didn't really use.

I'd rather see the grab-and-go delvers without the inclusion of torches, and a delver's checklist presented:

1. Something to let you see in dark places
2. Something to let you get past locked doors
3. A way to fight dangerous enemies at a distance
4. A way to fight enemies with DR 10+
5. A way to fight enemies with very high defenses
6. A way to move a very heavy object
7. Enough food to get you to the delve site and back
8. A way to heal HP damage
9. All of the above, but without using magic

Then let the players look over their collective characters, see what they have and don't have, and let them decide how to address it - whether that means buying torches or glow vials or deciding that everyone has Night Vision 7 and it doesn't matter.

[Bruno]

Players do seem to gravitate towards hands-free lighting as soon as its possible (much as "adventurers" in real life do). You need your hands for too many unexpected things.

[martinl]

If adventurers are supposed to be using some form of non-torch lighting, then include that instead. If as a group decision they are supposed to grab some lighting options, than a sidebar or two might be useful.

But in my opinion you should be able to grab any reasonable assortment of delvers from a book called "Delvers to Go" and go delving.

mlangsdorf's list is a good one for experienced folks to pore over, but if I handed to to a bunch of well-groomed casuals intending to jump straight into a quick and dirty three hour delve, (as I do) they'd spend the first two hours and fifty nine minutes carefully considering their options. Part of the goal of DFRPG is to reduce the system mastery and chargen overhead that GURPS is so infamous for, no?

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by mlangsdorf

Alternate viewpoint: the inclusion of torches in previous "grab and go" equipment packages, instead of superior options that people actually use (Continual Light spells, glow vials, helmet/shield lanterns), was seriously annoying. It cluttered the equipment lists with stuff that people didn't really use.

That's one of those 'opinion' things. My group always carries lanterns and torches (at least a few hours worth) just in case.

Granted, not everyone carried a lantern or a torch, sometimes it was just one guy who carried the back up... sometimes it was left at the camp site, but it was packed along for missions just in case.

I'd rather see the grab-and-go delvers without the inclusion of torches, and a delver's checklist presented:

1. Something to let you see in dark places
2. Something to let you get past locked doors
3. A way to fight dangerous enemies at a distance
4. A way to fight enemies with DR 10+
5. A way to fight enemies with very high defenses
6. A way to move a very heavy object
7. Enough food to get you to the delve site and back
8. A way to heal HP damage
9. All of the above, but without using magic

Then let the players look over their collective characters, see what they have and don't have, and let them decide how to address it - whether that means buying torches or glow vials or deciding that everyone has Night Vision 7 and it doesn't matter.

That would be a brilliant list to have as a hand out for newbs and experienced groups[list=yoinked].

I can't count the number of first missions where I've heard "But I figured the mage would have a light spell so we wouldn't need lanterns" and the mage saying "No, I'm a blaster... so I could light you up with a fireball."



My only quibble is that (IME) #7 should be "Twice the food and water needed to see you through the delve and back".