Time Is Money . . . Literally?

Stumbling across the various STL options we have available for 3D printers and those who use them (which would . . . um . . . also make them "3D printers"), I thought of a half-baked idea that might be of use for gamers out there – especially the GURPS players.

With 3D printing, I've found that the biggest stumbling block to getting what you want – outside of the expense of the raw material, the files, etc. – is time. If you want (say) a gargantuan octopus army or a fleet of Car Wars vehicles, you'd better get started printing more than a couple of hours before game time.

Why not steal that idea for a tabletop RPG?

Let the heroes have as much equipment as they want (from their tech options of choice, and within the confines of the campaign). But have the adventure be on a timetable. Thus, for example, maybe the Do-Gooder Organization the heroes work for can provide up to $1,000 every hour in stuff. But the time the heroes take to get stuff gives the bad guys more options or more time to accomplish the Big Evil Deed. Give the players enough info to make informed choices, but not so much info they can formulate an exact budget. (The precise mechanism that's being used to turn time into money – 3D printer, magic, efficient shoppers, etc. – is left to the GM's imagination.)

Obviously, the specific dollar amounts and timetables involved depend on the setting and the adventure, but the broad balancing act between time and money seems like it should offer both freedom and tension for the players: "Hmmm . . . the jetpack will be done 'printing' in a couple of hours, but you can leave in 15 minutes if we're willing to settle for rollerskates . . ."

-- Steven Marsh