I have to disagree with you on that one. I purchased, at a relatively high cost, a master quality trap disarming set, which I kept on my person. I then failed to see a trap for three events and saw some that someone else disarmed on the fourth. Spending guilda on something that you might or might not need during the course of an event gets a lot more painful if the clock keeps ticking. Same issue with lockpicks.

Speak to Spirits needs a component, but unless you are specifically told that you will need to speak to a spirit, do you bring it with you when you go into a mine? If you leave it in the peace ward so it doesn’t age and there is a spirit in the mine who might have information, you feel like an idiot. If you bring it with you and it ages, but there is no spirit, that would be another few guilda that just evaporates.

If you are a generalist and have a lot of different skills, you have to carry around a lot of different in game items to be able to use those skills. If all of those items are ticking away money…

That is how it is written in the rules if Chris wants to allow that items not used are not aged that is fine.

Jim

I'm not a member of plot staff so there is nothing official here, just my suggestions on how you might try to work this...

It seems like there may be a few separate issues here.
1. Do things wear out from use or passage of time?
2. Should you have to pay maintenance costs for things you don't use?
3. Are maintenance costs too high?

1. It seems that for an ease of use the rule needs to be that if it is "in game" then it counts against it's maintenance duration.
If you want the item to be accessible during the duration of the event then the item should age whether you use it or not.
If you want to take the time to store it in such a way that it does not deteriorate then at check in you have a staff member date an initial the back of the card (or in some way indicate it was not available to the player that event) and the tag stays in your folder. It's in storage, you can't access it in game but it doesn't deteriorate.

2. If the item is not available to be used then I don't think you should have to pay maintenance. If it's available to use then maintenance should apply.

3. If this is a big issue then the question is: Is the game enhanced or diminished by this dilemma?
Is it a matter of your character not living within their means -- I buy expensive things I want but can't really afford to maintain properly?
Is it a matter of your character wanting to be able to be too versatile -- I stock up on all the things we'll ever need for every contingency?
Is it a matter of the cost of an item vs the cost to maintain the item is out of wack?

I don't think you want the system to be based on the honesty of the player. Assuming that all the players are honest and have good intentions, some (if not many) of the players are not interested in this aspect of the game and simply do not know the rules well enough to play honestly. They are here to roleplay or to hit things and don't want to keep track of money and maintenance costs. This can lead to hard feelings out of game among people that are very well versed in the rules and scrupulous with regards to paying all the costs and those that are ignorant or uninterested in finance.

Richard
(Cpt. Moroni/Alma)

I agree with what you are saying about the game in general -- taking hits, limiting their actions to things their characters can actually do -- in other words it's fine to rely on the honesty of players actions. It becomes a problem to let players inactions give them an advantage. You don't want ignorance or lack of interest to be rewarded.

Alright - let's clear this up once and for all :

=========================================================

As per the rulebook :

Page 22 of the old PDF file "Chapter 2 - Isles Rules"
Any item not being used at an event must be kept in a specifically out of game location, such as a specified trunk, foot locker or car. These items are not ‘checked in’, not considered to be ‘in’ Asylum, and cannot be brought into game during the event. If you wish to bring an item into game, you must get out the tag and sign and date it for that event. It is
considered to be carried by the character even if it is kept in a magical location, such as the effects created by Muses’ Whimsy or Inspiration of the Muses.

Now, this means - if you want access to an item - you should date the card with the event date.
This simply shows that it was "present" at the event ...
Please note - this paragrap says nothing about "duration" or "wear". This is only about having access to an item.

Page 21 of the olf PDF file :Chapter 2 - Isles Rules"
Item Duration, Maintenance, and Repair
All crafted items, unless noted otherwise, last for a base duration of 2 events for an Apprentice quality item, 4 events for a Journeyman quality item, and 6 events for a Master quality item. You must mark off 1 event of duration on the item card at the end of any event where the item was used. You do not need to mark off duration for an item tag, such as a spare weapon, that was never attached to a phys rep or used for any effect during the event.

So, by this paragraph : When you "use" and item (even if only for 1 use during an entire event), you then mark off a duration box.
An item will last forever if not actually "used" in game.

By definition : If you place tags in a Bag of Holding - the Bag of Holding 'ages'. You are making use of it's effect to carry the tags.
It does not matter if you ever take anything <out> of the bag - by putting something <In> to the Bag, you have used it for that event.

-Chris

There is not enough room to date and initial items for accessibility on seldom used items and still leave room for noting when they age.
I feel that it would also be extremely confusing to determine by looking at the back as to how aged an item is when there are many notes indicating availability.

I have no questions, issues or problems about aging an item when the item was used during the event. Is there a better way to indicate that the item is available?

Ok then we wont hear any cheese about I am just carrying the tag I dont have the item with me crap then. So when you get cut down and searched, any tag on you is available to be stolen cause it is on you.

This is a general statement in no way am I saying this about any person in particular. Dont want any misunderstanding about it.

Jim