Abstract Art

Scribarchy uses an abstraction called the Role to encompass almost everything in a Multiverse. A Role can be an occupation, a membership, a skillset, a trait, a quality, etc.

But how do you represent some of the classic staples of tabletop roleplaying games—like money, equipment, and encumbrance—using Roles?

Well, one answer is: don’t.

Some TTRPGs simply skip these elements altogether. They assume you have whatever you need for the moment at hand. If there’s a piece of equipment you’d reasonably carry, it’s presumed you have it. If something’s too heavy to bring along, the GM will probably tell you before you you set out. Instead of tallying individual gold pieces, some games abstract that into a concept like “wealth level.”

The key question is: Is tracking this detail central to the kind of game you’re running—or is it just paperwork?

Getting back to Scribarchy, if something is important to the kind of Multiverse you’re building, how might you use Roles to represent it?

• For equipment, you might assume a Person with a particular Role has access to the gear typically associated with it. A Knight probably has armor, a Baker to pans, etc.

• For money, abstract systems like wealth levels work just fine. A merchant might have +1 in "A Person Of Means" Role while an urchin might have -1.

• For encumbrance, there’s an approach used in The Fog of War Multiverse: items that would slow someone down apply a penalty to relevant Roles—like Sprinter (a vital Role, considering how often tentacles may be involved).

Given the level of abstraction represented by Roles in Scribarchy, you’re never going to track things down to a single gold coin. The idea is to represent what matters most in your Multiverse, in a way that’s playable and flexible.