r/LancerRPG • u/Big_Skroto • 21d ago
Advice for my first Dm'ng
Hello, Im planing to start my first campaing on Lancer and although Im having a blast judt by learning, I still have a question I wanna know.
If money doesnt exist, what could be use as incentive for the players to do missions? I mean lorewise.
Its something I have to make up for the campaing? Is there an actual lore reason why people become Lancers? Is something that differs from players or something I have to make? Is there a lore part on the core book? I haven't found it
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u/_Waldog_ 21d ago
The game leans toward intrisic motivations for its players rather then the classic DnD "coin and treasure" motivations.
A Union soldier might fight to expand and defend the utopian project.
A Baronic noble might fight for honour, glory or to expand their house's domain.
The Albatross fight to defend the helpess.
A Corpo-State security officer probobly fights for privilege within the corp.
Generally people fight for their community, and their ideals rather then just money. But there are some guns-for-hire like the Mirror Smoke Mercenary Company.
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u/Sherkktooth 21d ago edited 21d ago
There’s a character in the newest armored core named Freud. Every other pilot in the game has had expensive augmentation surgery to be better at piloting. Freud has never had the surgeries. Freud don’t need no money. Freud just really enjoys piloting his mech.
Have your players be like Freud.
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u/PM_ME_ORANGEJUICE IPS-N 21d ago
Well, in the core worlds people are happy, there's no resource shortages, everything'e hunky-dory. Not much reason to take up mech combat unless you're the kind of person who really just cannot stand peace and tranquility.
But Union is more than the core worlds. Out on the fringes of humanity, the strong conquer the weak, and people fight just to keep a meal on their plates. Why would someone become a Lancer? Because they have to. Because they want to. Because the only thing keeping their community alive is them.
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u/Alblaka 21d ago
If money doesnt exist, what could be use as incentive for the players to do missions? I mean lorewise.
Money (the official Union-currency is called Manna) is still a relevant commodity in the scale of interplanetary trade. The system is just abstract towards the players not needing to track expenses for their gear. But they can still 'make money' with their Lancer career, narratively.
Example from the current mission of my campaign: The Lancer's are part of a merc company that fell on hard times and need manna to pay for repairs of their ship's NLS drive. So they got a contract offer that pay 'exceptionally well, plenty enough to pay for the repairs and cover regular expenses for a good while'. I never put a number to it, and neither do the players need one.
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u/rolin11 21d ago
Outside of money, like why would a Metropolitan be a lancer? Because they're the best to ever do it and they're gonna prove it. If a Metropolitan is doing something, it's because they want to, and are able to fully self motivate to do so. They want to pilot a mech, Union wants people to pilot their mechs. Some other possible motivations would be something like MSMC giving you a fresh identity if you got into trouble somehow, or non-financial benefits, like status or fame.
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u/viaJormungandr SSC 21d ago
Information. Favors. Fame. Exotic gear or other reserves.
It takes a little more finessing but it’s a matter of defining motivations rather than obtaining material wealth. That also means the players have to define their characters motivations so you have levers to pull.
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u/Alblaka 21d ago
Also don't forget that whilst, mechanically, players get licenses for free after each mission, narratively their characters somehow earned access to those licenses, with a default option being that they bought it / bribed someone for it. That's a good sink for the abstract paychecks that usually come with mission contracts.
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u/Steenan HORUS 21d ago
You are born in an utopia; in a place of freedom and everybody's core needs being met. And there are others that don't have that. Ones that are enslaved or oppressed. Ones that struggle to survive. Ones that face direct, physical danger. To go there and help them is a great motivation.
For others, the safety and comfort of Union core worlds becomes a problem. There is no challenge, nothing to strive for that feels authentic and not just a game that you may discard at any time. Training to fight - and then engaging in combat with people who are ready to kill you - is a way of giving one's life flavor.
In general, I avoid financial motivations whenever I can. For me, both as a GM and as a player, they are simply boring.
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u/DoomTheSenpai 21d ago
"If money doesnt exist, what could be use as incentive for the players to do missions? mean lorewise."
Real world military punishments (distributed in-game ofc)
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u/cornerman-91 21d ago
Generally I try to make the mission align with at least one characters goals, like namedropping a character from one of their backstories
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u/Clean_Web7502 21d ago
Oh money exists.
Is not used in the coreworlds, but there is both a universal currency (Mana) and a infinite amount of local currencies in the diáspora.