<Just out of curiousity. I wanted to hear how other GMs ran the minutia of characters' lives in their games. For instance, I've played in groups where people had
to specify what they're characters were wearing and when they bathed and ate, etc. and I've played in other games where most of this is glossed over, sometimes the GM never even asks players to deduct money from their funds for staying at an inn or paying for food. "Okay, four days pass." might be all thats ever stated.
What I'm curious about is how much detail GMs go into and how much players like to get into the details. -doc>
It all depends on my mood on a particular night, sometimes I'll go into great details (until someone yawns) and sometimes I just don't feel like it at all and make something work quick and easy (a guy comes in who looks....a lot like Clint Eastwood).
As for money, clothes, etc. I just go with what works - the saloon gal will describe her clothing more than the guy who just blew something nasty away when they're around each other again. I leave everything that the character looks and dresses like to the player, within reason (someone wouldn't be able to get a Versace suit, I don't care how hard they look). If it's of dire importance, I ask them particulars about what they have (usually something like "and are you carrying your shotgun into this formal banquet in plain site, or are you even carrying it?")
The money thing is up to them, i remind them sometimes, but it's totally their bag of tricks. If they try to buy something ridiculopusly expensive that I know they can't afford (an ornithoptor), if they try to buy something I don't think they should have (an explosive-laden anything), something they probably wouldn't find (weapons-grade plutonium) or something that's ridiculuous (a horse-mounted gatling cannon) they have to think of a better purchase. You should probly just see what you're posse prefers and go with that.
---dan, the kinder, more benevolent marshal