Loot

When we set out to design the world of The Snarl, we specifically avoided certain fantasy tropes. Specifically, we steered away from the faux-feudalistic politics and economies that are the default for most games.

Despite its unusual environs, The Snarl was once (and still largely is!) a place of abundance. Food and the resources needed to survive are readily available to small-scale groups. The vertical environment of skyscraper-sized trees makes farming and agriculture challenging, which puts constraints on the number and sizes of large settlements.

With society organized on a smaller scale such as clans and towns, things are more collectivized. Amongst locals, resources are shared and gifted. When traveling or interacting with strangers, barter is common.

So how does this work within an RPG, where PCs are normally incentivized to kill monsters and take their treasure? In The Snarl, people do not adventure for gold and wealth — they are driven by other motivations: protection, exploration, archeology, socio-political conflicts, etc.

Rest assured, there is still loot — of a sort. First, there are goods, which are tangible items that have value to the Weald’s communities: rare foods, artisanal goods, tools, art, and other staples. These are largely handled in the abstract but can be defined by the GM for flavor (or via a random table). Goods are used to trade with strangers for gear and supplies the party needs for their kits.

Second, there are arcana — rarer, more valuable items. These are often cultural artifacts, perhaps holding significance to a particular clan or faction. They might also include items crafted from rare materials, such as sword crafted from the rare star-metal (metal otherwise not existing in the setting). It also includes things like uncommon medicines, unusual saps, and the unusual major arcana, or magic items of the setting.

Arcana are not hoarded to gain wealth, however. Instead, they are gifted to others. Gifting raises your status with that particular group or faction, until they count you as one of their own. When you achieved peer status with a group, they gift gear and other resources to you without the need for barter.

Arcana are, of course, a major source of plot hooks. Thieving arcana from a rival tribe is a favorite way of stealing thunder — the common practice of one-upping your neighbors and rival groups for status.