Szilard/Resources

resources

I'm dissatisfied with the Resources system. The basic system is too vague and devalues things like the bureaucracy ability by treating bargaining as, essentially, nothing more than color. The system in Manacle & Coin involves far too much bookkeeping for my taste. Of the two, I prefer the basic system, but I would like for something in between, particularly since one of my players is really into mercantilism (for some reason).

I'm toying with a version of Resources with the following characteristics:

• Characters have a permanent Resources of 1 to 5 and a temporary Resources rating that resets to your Permanent Resources at the beginning of each story. Costs are also measured in Resources.
• If the cost of something is less than both a character's Permanent and Temporary ratings, then the character can purchase that item freely.
• Otherwise, roll the Cost of the item in dice. This is the cost of the item in Temporary points of Resources.
• If the character wishes to bargain, make a contested Wits (manipulation? charisma?)+ Bureaucracy roll. Successes add or subtract dice to the roll of the Cost of the item (minimum of 1 die).
• The buyer may attempt to reduce the cost in Temporary Resources by using his Permanent Resources. The buyer rolls Permanent Resources, successes reduce the cost on a 1/1 basis. On a botch, the cost is reduced by the entire die pool, but the buyer's Permanent Resources is then reduced by one.
• If the seller receives more Temporary Resources than he had been holding, his Temporary Resources rating rises to the new level. If the seller receives Temporary Resources equal to his current rating, then his Temporary rating increases by one. If the seller receives fewer Temporary Resources than his current rating, then he rolls the Temporary Resources gained, and adds one to his rating on a success.
• Buying Permanent Resources requires an expenditure of the level being bought in Temporary Resources in addition to the standard xp cost.