P Is for Purchasing Stuff?
The Boogie Knights of the Round Table (BKotRT) does not include tables of equipment, weapons, vehicles, et cetera. There is no system for tracking money, monetary rewards, and other things related to expense reports. That sort of bean counting is fine for other games, but BKotRT isn’t about resource management as part of the struggle to survive grueling, violence-laden adventures. BKotRT is about the eternal spirit of rebellion against the collectivist forces of the Man.
So, one may ask, how do I know what equipment my hero has? The simple answer: Your hero owns the equipment your hero would reasonably own according to his qualities.
Beau Mandy, for example, would own a banjo. He certainly still has his costumes and other accessories from his days as a rodeo clown. He’s probably got a thick folder of legal documents pertaining to his status as an ex-con. We’ve already noted he owns a vehicle. Being full of homespun wisdom, he might own collections of writings by people like Will Rogers and Mark Twain. Does he own an M-16? Probably not. How about a high-quality combat knife? Again, probably not. Could he walk into a brawl swinging a tire iron? Of course he could. We’ve already seen him change a tire.
What about Uriah Gandalfini? Well, he’s a progressive rock wizard, so he probably has a few tomes related to the arcane arts as well as musical instrument of some sort. Probably a cello. As a high-brow lyricist, he’s got pens and journals, probably a collection of books about mythology, and a public library card. Since he’s an adult, it’s reasonable to assume he also owns a vehicle. He’s got clothes, a place to live, and so forth. Does Uriah have an all-seeing crystal sphere? Doubtful.
If, during the course of an adventure, a hero finds himself without his stuff, he might find his qualities reduced in utility or completely useless, depending on the situation. If Beau loses his banjo, he’s still an ex-con who can play the banjo, but he’s going to have to pass on that picking-and-grinning jam session unless someone loans him an instrument. Equipment can be lost, replaced, and acquired during the course of an adventure as the story unfolds. Can the heroes steal a Ferrari? Sure, and then they can use it in a high-speed chase.
But, there’s a catch. Between the time one adventure ends and the next begins, stuff not appropriate to a hero’s qualities goes away. This is part of the story. Last adventure, Uriah stole a Ferrari. At the start of the new adventure, he’s back to driving his hatchback. What happened to the Ferrari? Well, that depends on what makes sense and what makes the story entertaining. Likewise, Beau may get his hands on a machine gun during the course of an adventure, but he’s not going to get to keep it as a permanent part of his gear.
Permanent changes in stuff occur almost always as a specific reward from the GM or from the addition of a new quality. Otherwise, just like in a TV show, the heroes start each new episode pretty much the way they start every new episode. Heck, in some shows, the heroes’ clothes don’t even change all that much. Watch a few episodes of Magnum, P.I. to see what I mean.
