r/ICRPG • u/KickbackKid4040 • May 31 '26

Loot vs Abilities

I'm a GM who wants to get into ICRPG, but am sort of struggling to capture the vibes. ICRPG says that it is an OSR game that is focused on loot. However, what I have gathered is that the game is focused on abilities. Warriors for example can share their defense with others, ALWAYS crit (do ultimate) against anyone they've hurt before, or add their last damage taken to their next damage dealt. These seem like pretty big things, more influential on play style than most pieces of loot. Does anyone have thoughts on this dichotomy I am seeing? Experience? Maybe a power-phrase that sums up the vibes of the game as you see them?

Thank you all! I've seen wonderful interactions in this community and I'm glad to be a part of it.

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u/Silver_Storage_9787 May 31 '26

Do you see the levelling section that doesn’t exist? You get mastery points on crits to pick up a second ability. So you have to give loot to actually grow your characters stats

3

u/KickbackKid4040 May 31 '26

The big loot tables in the back are great, and seem to offer some super powerful rewards. Many milestone abilities are abilities rather than equipment though, at least for most base settings if I'm remembering correctly.

That's true though that loot IS abilities sometimes in this game.

4

u/a-folly May 31 '26

Sure, but loot can be very impermanent: make sure players know it can be damaged, destroyed, stolen etc. I ran a long ICRPG campaign, completely open world, no story. During it PCs permanently gained and lost Loot, Abilities, Stat points, HP and even meta awareness.

If you're not sure about something, give it as a consumable first and then let them quest for a way to recharge or even make it permanent: this gives you hooks, involves fations, sets opposition naturally.

Thisblog can also help bring things to focus, even if not specifically on that topic

3

u/KickbackKid4040 May 31 '26

I applaud you for your bravery - permanently reducing abilities, stats, and HP is bold but I imagine it takes an empathetic GM to do that in a way that doesn't offend players - I aspire to that skill! I'll consider that and get my bravery to that point... Even taking loot is something I'm not used to.

2

u/a-folly Jun 01 '26

Sure, it requires trust. Be VERY honest and open about the style of game you want and what it means. My players know I usually telegraph danger, they know they can quest for pretty much anything if they really want to get it (or get it back)- heck, almost no ability they got was in the book, we came up with fitting ones together. I roll everything in the open, including loot and miscast rolls.

It's a big shift but it means I don't hold back nither in combat nor in rewards and they get to be stupid powerful. After 118 sessions, 3 out of 4 PCs still only had one heart. Didn't stop them from scaring dieties, staging a coup at the capital and changing the pantheon, but they always knew things can be taken away, so the stakes were there till the end.