unusual treasures for scroungers/barterers to find

[Olefin]

Had some ideas the other night when I was reading Lucifer's Hammer again - the scene where the hero dives thru a flooded drugstore for those who have read the book.

You always see people bartering for things like ammo or weapons or spare parts or scrounging for them. But what about having them find other things instead?

Like for instance a crate of toilet paper ("I am not going to be using leaves" from Red Dawn comes to mind)? Or a big cache of Necco Wafers or other similiar candies? Or a working CD player or VHS player and movies? People pay a lot for comfort - imagine going into Krakow not with Reset but instead with twenty rolls of real toilet paper or two packs of Marlboro tobacco cigarettes or two bottles of Chanel or a bottle of pre-war Scotch you found in a wrecked house.

Its also a great way to add to what people could be carrying when you search them after a firefight - instead of the usual useable ammo or food or weapons you find a half pack of Marlboros or a paperback book or toiletry items (there arent going to be a lot of new toothbrushes, razors or brushes being made in 2000)

and those kinds of things can make interesting scenarios as well - i.e. you get into a huge firefight, finally win and find out the reason they opened up on you wasnt that they were marauders or Soviets - instead they were sitting on a hoard of a thousand cartons of cigarettes or fifty bottles of Jack Daniels and thought you were trying to steal it

We had that happen in Gateway to the Spanish Main - we got into a big firefight against what we thought were Cubans -and instead it was against five guys who had found a plane in a swamp carrying a huge amount of cocaine and thought we were there to take it from them -and also in Armies of the Night where we took shelter in a building only to almost get taken down by four hoarders sitting on 500 cans of SPAM

[mikeo80]

In one of the games I played, we liberated a small town from a bunch of desperado's. The village elders were very helpfull with directions and what have you.

Then we went through the bad guy's lair. Some ammo, yes. A few weapons, granted. Some food, ok.

100 gallons of clorox bleach they had liberated from a wrecked grocery store.

We gave the weapons and ammo to the village. We also gave them 80 gallons of bleach. With instructions from our first aid guy on how to use the clorox to purify water. We kept the food.

There were only five of us in our little band. We only had so many jerry cans for water. The rest of the cans were for methanol.

Nice "reward" from the GM.

My $0.02

Mike

[Cdnwolf]

A pound of real coffee. Sugar. From Jericho... bags of salt...

A toothbrush or razor blade

An empty notebook or a pencil.

A canister of unexposed film.

Light bulbs.

Insulin for a diabetic

[mikeo80]

A pound of real coffee. Sugar. From Jericho... bags of salt...

A toothbrush or razor blade

An empty notebook or a pencil.

A canister of unexposed film.

Light bulbs.

Insulin for a diabetic

A 10 day round of Tetracycline

A stray, cute kitten

100 lbs of flour

A sealed box of condoms

2 cords of cut, stacked, seasoned firewood

My $0.02

Mike

[Adm.Lee]

An outboard motor for a boat.

A set of wrenches.

Batteries, unopened.

A box of unopened packs of ball-point pens.

One of my players is asking for a bow and arrows.

[Olefin]

Several cans of black powder that can be used in muskets and rifles.

Bottles of multivitamins and supplements.

A crate holding boxes of good boots and shoes.

Spices like pepper, ginger, nutmeg, etc.. from places that might as well be on the moon for those left in Europe.

[Greylond]

One of my players is asking for a bow and arrows.

Long Bow and Arrows is covered as basic equipment in the V1.0 ruleset. The "Longbow" skill can be used to make either...

[TrailerParkJawa]

A big box of men's underwear, size 30-32. Cause your momma says make sure you have clean underwear.

A 5 gallon jug full of pre 1982 copper pennies. All ready to be melted down and turned into bullets or something.

Several boxes of aluminum wrap. Good for cooking!

[Targan]

Cans of insect repellent. Or ant powder. Or de-lousing shampoo.

[Adm.Lee]

Long Bow and Arrows is covered as basic equipment in the V1.0 ruleset. The "Longbow" skill can be used to make either...

Yes, but that means I'm not going to make it easy for him....

[Greylond]

Yes, but that means I'm not going to make it easy for him....

Never said that... ;)


On Topic: baby food and powdered formula. Any adult is going to want those in trade for their kids.

[raketenjagdpanzer]

12 pack of canned cokes.

copper wire or tubing

books or magazines

Sports equipment

Art supplies

Working typewriter

*Any* working computer (from an Imsai 8080 with VT-52 terminal all the way to a PC)

Bicycle tires or innertubes

Glues/solvents

[mikeo80]

All 12 issues of Playboy for 1996.

The Encyclopedia Britannica, circa 1975

A .22 rifle with 100 rounds of .22LR (Realy nice for hunting little critters!!)

A bottle of 100 year old Napolean Brandy.

A sealed crate. (Once opened, nothing there....EVIL GM!!!)

Religious Relics

Historical Pictures of the town from 1870's on

A piece of jewlery. (Unless you are a jewler, is it real, is it Memorex????:cool:)

Scattered clothing, Mens/Ladies/Kids scattered sizes

My $0.02

Mike

[raketenjagdpanzer]

A bell & Howell 16mm projector (think of what we all grew up watching films on in grade school) and a selection of movies.

Oh my god, you'd probably save an entire {$AREA}'s sanity if you had that.

Parts for same.

[Bullet Magnet]

Someone already mentioned clothing. How about sheets & blankets.

Also...sporting goods. People might not have a lot of time for recreational activities, but on those rare occasions, some of them might want to throw the ball around.

[bobcat]

twinkies, dingdongs, hoho's, and for those of you that wanna really twist the universe a V1.0 twilight 2000 box set.

[Medic]

An old gramophone and a pile of records with Hitler's speaches that can be played on a faster setting for a hilarious effect.

[Greylond]

twinkies, dingdongs, hoho's, and for those of you that wanna really twist the universe a V1.0 twilight 2000 box set.

One time I put in a 1st Edition AD&D PHB, DMG and Monster Manual... ;)

[Targan]

twinkies, dingdongs, hoho's, and for those of you that wanna really twist the universe a V1.0 twilight 2000 box set.

I know what Twinkies are but I've never eaten one. I've never heard of Dingdongs or Hohos either, at least not in this context ;)

[Graebarde]

A pound of real coffee. Sugar. From Jericho... bags of salt...

A toothbrush or razor blade

An empty notebook or a pencil.

A canister of unexposed film.

Light bulbs.

Insulin for a diabetic

Salt will return to the origin of the expression 'worth your salt'. Yep it's mined, but distribution is a problem and it is 'thought to be' essential for food preservation, which is true for some items and methods.

Insulin while it's a good idea, I seriously, very seriously doubt you would find insulin that is not gone south by 2000. If it's the refrigerated type, give it a few days to weeks to go bad. I wonder what the shelf life is on the other stuff. And by 2000, based on the stuff going bad quickly and the diets people are on, I doubt there will be anyone left to take the insulin unless they are type I.. and their life is short if no insulin is avail muy pronto.

Just a thought, but good ideas.. we subbed antibiotics or pain killers for the insulin.

[Graebarde]

hummmmmm really good ideas. How about a bundle of clean shop rags, you know the ones about a foot square, usually red. I think they are a better deal than the TP, as they can be resued after wash and boil.

Or cloth diapers? Not the landfiller plasitc and absorbent.

Or a barrel of powdered chlorine rather than the washing 5% OTC washing bleach. Even a bucket will make gallons and gallons of the 5% mix, and kept dry last years. Found in hardware stores, swimming pool supply, or any place that sells pool supplies. People looking for food would pass on it, lost in the maze.

[Graebarde]

I know what Twinkies are but I've never eaten one. I've never heard of Dingdongs or Hohos either, at least not in this context ;)

Well the Dingdong is my 2nd EX.. the Hoho is my third... guess Twinkie is my first?

[Graebarde]

Long Bow and Arrows is covered as basic equipment in the V1.0 ruleset. The "Longbow" skill can be used to make either...

While this is true, I make it a very difficult task to make a good one. MOST archers do not, or have never built a self bow or arrow. Yes, there is a growing number that are into traditional archery and making their own bows and arrows, as well as string and arrowheads too. But the number is still small over all. But it's your game, call it like you see it.

[raketenjagdpanzer]

Ooh, just thought of a few more: pot, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine - basically any stuff from an evidence locker like that.

While purity would be a problem, a hospital in 2000 would already be operating on less-than-nothing and any infusion (no pun intended) of palliative medicines or even something that could be refined into an anesthetic would be invaluable.

[Cdnwolf]

Bag of dog food or tins of cat food...

Rat traps...


Protein is protein...

[Greylond]

While this is true, I make it a very difficult task to make a good one. MOST archers do not, or have never built a self bow or arrow. Yes, there is a growing number that are into traditional archery and making their own bows and arrows, as well as string and arrowheads too. But the number is still small over all. But it's your game, call it like you see it.

Yes, you're right. I happen to be one of those few. ;)

The rules make it a DIF task, and I'm alright with that... ;)

[Cdnwolf]

http://www.thepowerhour.com/news/items_disappearfirst.htm

[Graebarde]

Yes, you're right. I happen to be one of those few. ;)

The rules make it a DIF task, and I'm alright with that... ;)

I too am 'one of those', though have not whittled a stick in several years. My three I had went up in flames when the garage burnt.. another story.

The DIF task might be easier IF the player could convence you he really has done it before and explain some of the steps though. hehe maybe some bonus points to the roll or something.

[Graebarde]

http://www.thepowerhour.com/news/items_disappearfirst.htm

Good list.

[Greylond]

Along the lines of building your own arrows, a box of modern Broadhead Arrow Points.

[Apache6]

- Backpacking water filter (civilian but also issued by USMC in 90s)
- Aviator sun glasses (cool points)
- An Olympic bronze medal (Owner was a world class sprinter, then joined Spetnaz/SF/Resistance)
- A functional GPS, would be VERY rare in T2K.
- Experimental solar charger 'blanket' that will recharge a battery in 3-7 hours
- Maps are always good, may have important info, or have dated info.
- A flag, the Regimental Colors of XX Regiment or Motor Rifle Regt

- climbing rope and six carbineers
- An old foot locker containings obsolete (before the war started) but servicable uniforms 3 sets of Medium Regular jackets/trousers, a field jacket, a pair of boots, gloves, regular and cold weather hat, a fighting knife, and binos.
- Fishing rod and reel with a set of tackle
- complete set of civilian backpacking kit: good quality sleeping bag, tent, stove, mat..., but the backpack is bright blue, sleeping bag is red and tent is orange.
- Super bowl 10 ring (leave players to speculate how it got to Poland in 2002)
- Set of 10 - 15 photos of a pretty young wife and two kids in a zip lock
- A nicely pressed, high quality black suit, in large mans size, with silk tie, in dry cleaners bag.
- A wet suit
- A duffel bag full of clean laundry, an "enemy uniform" and four sets each of clean and relatively servicable socks, t-shirts, and underwear. Describe them as being MUCH better the what the PCs have been wearing for the last 90 days.
- A gortex jacket in US Woodland or "north face" version in red with black stripe
- Nine 1 gal cans of house paint 3 antique white, 2 light green, 1 each brown, beige, black, maroon.
- A 'mostly full' can of WD-40
- 1/2 roll of duct tape
- A single (or a case of 24) red cross relief pack(s) with toothbrush and paste, razor, towel, comb, soap, shampoo in small cloth sack
- A dud 82mm mortar, 155mm HE round, Mark 82 2000 lb bomb (or whatever...) round, that can with successful CbtEngr skill roll be salvaged for X lbs of explosive or used as IED. Critical failure results in death. Not recommended in real life, but common in Afghanistan...
- 3 toy "Power Ranger" walkie talkies, with rechargable AA batteries. Only good for 1 Km but better than nothing.
- A "challenge coin" from C.G. of the 2d Marine Division (or other US formation)
- Leatherman knife/pliers
- Pair of bolt cutters
- US Calvary Stetson

[Cdnwolf]

The one I liked from the 100 list...

Board Games.... imagine finding a mint copy of Monopoly.... :megawall:

[headquarters]

VHS copy of a big blockbuster movie - due to premier but never distributed due to war.. Something big from the 1990s.. big budget movie that almost noone has seen

drugs..did anyone list recreational pharmaceuticals?

[Cdnwolf]

VHS copy of a big blockbuster movie - due to premier but never distributed due to war.. Something big from the 1990s.. big budget movie that almost noone has seen



Titanic....

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120338/

[TrailerParkJawa]

How about books about surviving a nuclear war found in a basement full of skeletons? Morbid but darkly funny considering the PCs have survived a nuclear war (up to now at least) and probably didn't do anything listed in the book.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Copies of these three books

Handy Farm Devices and How to Make Them
http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/device/devicesToC.html#contents

Barkham Burroughs' Encyclopaedia of Astounding Facts and Useful Information, 1889
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/14091/14091-h/14091-h.htm

The Book of Household Management By Mrs. Isabella Beeton.
http://www.victorianlondon.org/publications7/beeton-00.htm

This last one can be a bit tedious to read as most of the (in our context) useful information starts around Chapter 4

Even if you don't read them for the survival/preparation context, they're interesting just for the insights into what life was like in the 1800s and 1900s (pre-1940s)

[Greylond]

The characters find a collection of movie film canisters and a projector. When they run the films on the projector they find that it is a complete collection of the works of director Ed Wood... ;)

[raketenjagdpanzer]

Pertinent to "scavenged films", here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_in_film#Films_released_in_1996) are the releases of 1996. The film-to-video treadmill wasn't quite as rapid-fire back then as it is now (I recall having to wait until sometime in 1999 to get saving private ryan on DVD, for example), so the 1996 releases would probably be the ones everyone was lusting after in 1997.

Ooh, look what was released: Barb Wire! Heh, talk about a weapon of mass destruction. Just what the characters would need: a pallet load of VHS tapes destined for US PX's around Europe - all copies of that movie!

[Bullet Magnet]

How about books about surviving a nuclear war found in a basement full of skeletons? Morbid but darkly funny considering the PCs have survived a nuclear war (up to now at least) and probably didn't do anything listed in the book.

Or, just one skeleton, who apparently died kneeling in front of a broken pair of glasses.

[Cdnwolf]

Even better and meaner.... a crate of these movies


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrBdDsNWK1M

[dragoon500ly]

browising through a small drug store, on a small shelf next to the toy aisle:

a dozen bags of replacement bowstrings as well as four boxes of bronze hunting arrow tips...

[weswood]

Wasn't there a member of this board whose party was guarding an M113 full of "treasure" only to find out it was full of toilet paper?

[Cdnwolf]

Lionel Train Set

[Greylond]

Wasn't there a member of this board whose party was guarding an M113 full of "treasure" only to find out it was full of toilet paper?

Sounds like "Treasure" to me!

[raketenjagdpanzer]

A full-sized semi- tractor-trailer full, front to back, top to bottom with various types of pet supplies including types of animal-only prescription drugs. How desperate are you to shake off the Kansas City flu? Desperate enough to try a "for canine use only" antibiotic?

...

A high-grade mobile-meth lab concealed in an RV. No drugs, just the "facilities" to make them. (yes I am a fan of Breaking Bad, why do you ask?)

...

A bookmobile.

...

A Laserdisk player, which the party will almost certainly ignore/leave behind due to matters of practicality.

Six months later, they find a store/truck/house with a vast collection of laserdisks.

...

a briefcase handcuffed to a skeletonized arm. On the hand is a rolex and a very expensive one at that. Said briefcase is booby-trapped to the max. After hours of blood, sweat and nerves getting the thing disarmed and open, within is the original formula for (Coke or KFC, your choice).

[Cdnwolf]

a briefcase handcuffed to a skeletonized arm. On the hand is a rolex and a very expensive one at that. Said briefcase is booby-trapped to the max. After hours of blood, sweat and nerves getting the thing disarmed and open, within is the original formula for (Coke or KFC, your choice).


The Caramilk secret....

or Secret plans of a UFO hiding in Area 51...

an old movie reel showing JFK was killed from the grassy knoll...

an original copy of the Declaration of Independence.

a Gutenburg bible...

[raketenjagdpanzer]

an original copy of the Declaration of Independence.


This could drive an entire campaign, given the MilGov/CivGov conflict.

[Cdnwolf]

Now if the characters are still in Poland...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voynich_manuscript

[TrailerParkJawa]

Or, just one skeleton, who apparently died kneeling in front of a broken pair of glasses.

LoL! Yeah that would be a good one!