Month: October 2022

Mangayaw’s Economy of Commodities and Debt

by goobernuts

I want to make Mangayaw’s economy less about buying stuff with gold and more about bartering and debt. So I’m gonna experiment with some new rules. I think it sounds good so far, but who knows, it might all fall apart in play.

Big inspirations are Gubat Banwa, Weird North, and The Black Hack.

Comments are always welcome so let me know what you think!

Gold and Treasure

Ginto or Gold (gt) is how things are valued in the islands, but gold itself is not commonly in circulation. Instead, gold takes the form of Treasure (1000 gt), and is hoarded by Datus, rewarded to Timawas, and worn and flaunted by anyone who has it. Treasure grants legitimacy to one’s words, actions, and rule. 

Commodities

Trade and barter of commodities is how the economy flows in the islands. Below are 4 levels of value of commodities: Cheap, Valuable, Expensive, and Ornate.

The value of commodities differ from Barangay to Barangay, and the Mangaawit can roll to determine the exact price in gold. For items not listed here, determine its value accordingly.

Commodities of the same value level can commonly be bartered for another. 3 commodities of the same value level can be offered to buy a commodity of the next value level, provided the buyer is interested in such commodities. In the same way, 3 or more Grand commodities make up a Treasure

Common (2d10 gt)

Abaca Fibers, Bamboo, Chicken, Dried Fruit, Dried Seed Jewelry, Oripun Hiring Fee (1 week), Rattan Basket, Rice, Rice Cakes, Root Crops, Sago, Small Iron Tool, Smoked Meat/Fish, Wooden Tool

Valuable (2d10 x 3 gt)

Animal Skin, Boar Tusks, Carabao Horns, Coconut Oil, Copper Jewelry, Deer Antlers, Dye Woods, Forest Game Meat, Fruit Bundle, Honey, Iron Tool, Kalamay, Pearl, Pottery, Salt Block, Textile, Turtle Shell, Vinegar, Wine

Precious (2d10 x 10 gt)

Beast of Burden, Betel Nut Box, Brass Gong, Ceremonial Weapon, Dugout Canoe, Formal Gown, Gold Nugget, Gold Pin, Gold Ring, Jade Jewelry, Kudyapi, Medicinal Oils, Porcelain, Small Firearm

Grand (2d10 x 30 gt)

Golden Headdress, Gold Ornamental Chain, Small Artillery, Small Outrigger Boat

Debt

Debt is used by folk with power and Treasure to leverage wealth, favors, and servitude. Roughly, 1 Debt = 1 Treasure. Be sure to take note of who you owe Debt to and who owes Debt to you.

You owe Debt to another character when:

  • You borrow Treasure
  • You buy something you cannot yet afford
  • You are saved from a precarious situation
  • You surrender or are spared from from a fight

You can free yourself from Debt when:

  • You pay back an equal amount of Treasure
  • You serve your debtor for an extended amount of time
  • You accomplish a dangerous or difficult task given by your debtor
  • You take the side of your debtor at important crossroads
  • Your debtor releases you from it

Running from Debt is frowned upon, and even a cause for revenge, in the islands. If you do so, your words hold no meaning and your actions hold no power. 

Social Castes

Debt and your control over it  largely determines your social standing.

Those with Debt and no Treasure are called Oripun. They are the common folk, toiling to repay their debtors.

Those free from Debt are called Timawa. They are elites and knights, respected by Oripun and coveted by Datus.

Those who are owed Debt and those who are generous with Treasure, so much that they have a following, are called Datu. They are Barangay leaders, generals, warlords, and teachers. But Datus are not free from debt. Debt between Datus is a common part of politics on the islands.

Less Mechanic-y Weapon Descriptions for Mangayaw

by goobernuts

I’m working on revising Mangayaw because I just can’t sit still. Today, I rewrote how I presented weapons.

Here’s how it was before:

The blowpipe can be fitted with a bayonet so it’s effectively a spear. The spear is tethered to the user so it can be pulled back when thrown (iron is imported, so you gotta save it!). The weapons of the Philippines have so much character and distinction, and I wanted to teach players how to use them.

But the way I tried teaching them is not the best. The tags are clunky. The 1-2 word description leaves out so much detail (though I did provide longer descriptions in the next page of the pdf).

So, a way I thought about remedying this is by using the Cairn NPC description format, which roughly goes like this:

NPC name, NPC stats

  • Description
  • What makes it unique
  • Special effect

It makes weapon descriptions longer, but I think it gives out a lot more information about how a weapon looks, its quirks, and how to use it. And in a game like Cairn and Mangayaw, information is power.

Revised Mangayaw Weapon Descriptions

Sugob, d6 damage, 2 gp

  • A 3-4’ bamboo javelin, with a section near the head filled with sand to give it weight.
  • Effective up to near range.

Pamalo, d6 damage, 5 gp

  • A 2-4’ hardwood stick, smoothed and polished. Ones made of rattan are used for training.
  • Easy to use with off-hand.
  • Pierces through 1 Armor.

Kalis, d6 damage, 5 gp

  • A short sword, often with a wavy, double-edged blade. Straight and partially wavy blades are also used. 
  • Easy to use with off-hand
  • Easy to conceal.
  • Deals more damage against unarmored targets (d8 damage).

Sumpit, d6 damage, 20 gp

  • A 4’ blowpipe used to shoot darts with iron or fishbone heads, or clay pellets.
  • Can be fitted with an iron bayonet to be used in melee (d6 damage).
  • Effective up to near range.

Pana, d8 damage, bulky, 20 gp

  • A bow, as long as Tawo folk, used to shoot arrows with iron or bamboo heads.
  • Effective up to far range.

Kampilan, d8 damage, 10 gp

  • A long sword with a hardwood hilt and guard, and a straight, single-edged blade with a forked point.
  • Deals more damage against unarmored targets (d10 damage).

Bunang, d8 damage, 10 gp

  • An axe with a head shaped like a cross between a cleaver and a pickaxe.
  • Ignores 1 Armor.

Sibat, d8 damage, 30 gp

  • A spear with a long, leaf-shaped, double-edged blade. Tied to its user with rope, for convenient retrieval when thrown.
  • Effective up to near range.
  • Deals more damage against unarmored targets or when used two-handed (d10 damage).

Luthang, d10 damage, 100 gp

  • A musket, bought from merchants hailing from distant, neighboring islands.
  • Can be fitted with an iron bayonet to be used in melee (d6 damage).
  • Ignores 1 Armor.
  • Effective up to far range.
  • Uses musket ammunition and must be reloaded for 1 turn before it can be shot again.

Lantaka, d12 damage, 400 gp

  • A swivel gun, used in placements.
  • Ignores all Armor.
  • Effective up to far range.
  • Uses cannon ammunition and must be reloaded for 2 turns before it can be shot again.

Heavy Cannon, d12+d12 damage, 800 gp

  • A cannon used by conquistadors on their galleons.
  • Ignores all Armor.
  • Effective up to distant range.
  • Uses cannon ammunition and must be reloaded for 3 turns before it can be shot again.

I’m thinking of using this format for stuff like boats, as well.

Let me know what you think of it. Is it better? Do you prefer the old version? How can I improve it?