Money and Resources; when do I give a bonus?

[Berandor]

Hey,

I'm faced with a problem understanding Resources in my (first) game right now. The characters are all quite poor and they're trying to earn some money. So far, so good. They're smuggling some drugs right now which will bring them some cash. I'd planned on granting each of them +1D to a Resource test.

Now, they'll meet a wagon who just was attacked by brigands, and they'll be offered to guard the wagon until it arrives in the next city. The characters will probably want to get paid for that. Do I hand out another bonus die? If this goes on, the characters will accumulate bonus dice quickly (though I could limit how many they can spend on any one roll). Or do I simply say they get paid and a good meal but don't really keep tabs on small time money such as this?

I don't have a problem with handing out bonus dice, per se, it's just that in comparison I feel as if I should then hand out +2D or maybe even more for the drugs, which seems excessive.

[pseudoidiot]

I remember a suggestion someone else made once. I don't know if it was anyone from BWHQ and it's probably not canon.

Instead of granting some dice on hand or whatever for situations like that, one idea was to just grant a test to resources. Could base it on the sample obstacles listed.

I have no idea how that might mess with the standard resource rules, but it was an interesting notion.

[rafial]

I don't think you need to be stingy handing out cash dice. Since they evaporate when they are used for good or ill, yes, they'll help the players ace a few resource tests (good for getting the routine tests they need to raise their overall resources), but they'll be gone soon enough.

[luke]

I'm with Rafial.

Also, you don't need to give each player a cash die. You can pay the group a lump sum -- like 2D of cash -- and leave it to them to assign it.

[stormsweeper]

My quick back of the envelope calculation has been to look at the Resources obstacle for the job they are doing, then work out what a "loan" at that ob would be.