Loot guide

Overview

Create a loot table, deploy it to a party, then let members claim items or let a GM distribute them. Loot stays hidden until a GM or manager reveals it. Claims and distributions appear in the loot’s Activity tab.

What Are Loot Tables?

Loot tables are reusable lists of items with drop chances and quantity ranges. For example, a design could give gold a 100% chance, a magic weapon a 50% chance, and a legendary artifact a 10% chance. Deploying a table creates a separate loot pile and rolls its item chances and quantities. Manual deployments start hidden, ready for a GM or manager to review and reveal.

The Problem Loot Tables Solve

Without ScryRPG:

• “Okay, roll percentile… 73… let me check my chart…”
• “Who wants the Flame Tongue?” three hands go up
• 20 minutes of negotiation later “Fine, take it. But I get the next rare.”
• “Wait, can my character even carry that?”
• Or worse: the GM just hands everything out arbitrarily and someone feels slighted

With ScryRPG:

• A GM or manager reveals loot, then eligible players claim or vote under its claiming mode
• The GM can distribute all remaining items or select particular items to distribute
• Claims are checked against the recipient’s carrying capacity and recorded in the Activity tab

Quick Start

Two Ways to Get a Loot Table

Path 1: Use an Existing Design

• Browse the marketplace for a public loot table
• Open its detail page and choose Deploy to Party
• Select a party where you are the GM

Path 2: Create Your Own

• Create a loot table from scratch in your creator workspace
• Add items with drop chances and quantity ranges
• Save the design, then deploy it to a party where you are GM

Deploy from Your Templates

Step 1: Open the Deploy Dialog

1. Open your loot design in the creator workspace, or open a public loot design in the marketplace
2. Choose Deploy to Party
3. In the dialog, select a party where you are the GM

Step 2: Set the Name and Deploy

1. Optionally enter a value in Name Override (optional)
2. Click Deploy
3. ScryRPG opens the new loot pile in the party

Step 3: Control Visibility

• Manual deployments start hidden from party members who are not GMs or managers
• Prepare items and set the claiming mode while hidden
• When the moment is right, choose Reveal to make the loot visible to party members

The Reveal/Hide Mechanic

Controlling when your party discovers treasure is half the fun.

How It Works

When you reveal loot, party members are notified and the loot becomes visible to them. GMs and managers can toggle visibility from the management controls. A GM viewing a hidden pile also sees a Reveal button in its hidden state banner.

Example: Post-Combat Reveal

Before the session, deploy loot for encounters you have planned:

• “Goblin Camp Spoils” (minor encounter)
• “Wyvern Nest Hoard” (boss fight)
• “Hidden Shrine Offering” (exploration reward)

Keep them hidden. After the party clears the goblin camp, reveal “Goblin Camp Spoils.” Players can then open it and claim eligible items. The wyvern hoard stays hidden until you reveal it.

Understanding Loot Tables

Think of it like D&D monster stat blocks:

Snapshot Behavior

When you deploy a loot table, ScryRPG copies its details and rolls its item list at that time. Later edits to the template do not change deployed loot. You can add, remove, or update items in the deployed pile separately.

In the template workspace, use Add Items to pick an existing item or create one by hand. In a deployed pile’s Manage tab, choose Add Item to add an item, adjust an item’s quantity, or remove it.

Drop Chances

Each item in a loot table has two properties that control what appears when deployed:

Drop Chance (0-100%): The probability that the item appears when the table is deployed. A 100% chance guarantees that item; a 10% chance means it is unlikely to appear on any one deployment.

Quantity Range (min-max): How many copies appear if the item is selected. A range of 1-1 means one copy. A range of 2-6 means a random quantity from two through six.

Example Loot Table: "Bandit Hideout"

Gold Pieces        100% chance, 10-50 quantity
Healing Potion      75% chance, 1-3 quantity
Shortsword          50% chance, 1-2 quantity
Cloak of Elvenkind  10% chance, 1-1 quantity

Claiming Modes and Distribution Actions

Claiming modes control who can claim items: Open, GM Only, or Need / Greed. Separately, GMs and managers can use Round Robin, Value Balanced, or Random to distribute selected items or all remaining items. In the web dialog, select at least one character and a distribution mode. Split currency evenly is on by default. The dialog starts with Round Robin selected. The distribution service defaults to Random if a request does not specify a method.

At a Glance

Open Claiming

In Open mode, an active party member can choose Take on an item. Observers cannot claim. The take dialog lets you choose a character you own and a destination container, and set a partial quantity for a stack when available.

Claims are first come, first served. Party managers claim as players, for their own characters or the party stash. A GM or manager can assign an item to another character.

How it works:

1. GM reveals the loot
2. Players browse the items
3. Any player clicks Take on an item they want
4. Choose Take Item to move the chosen quantity to the selected character’s inventory or a party container
5. The remaining quantity stays in the loot pile, and connected web views update

GM Only

In GM Only mode, party members can see revealed items but cannot claim them. A GM or manager can assign items to a character with the take flow or distribute selected or remaining items using a distribution method.

This is ideal for narrative-driven distribution where the story dictates who receives what. The dying knight hands the holy sword to the paladin, not the rogue.

How it works:

1. GM reveals the loot
2. Players can see items but cannot take them
3. A GM or manager chooses Take on an item, then selects a recipient character and destination, or opens Distribute
4. Distribution applies the selected method to the selected items or all remaining items. Items that cannot be carried remain in the loot pile.

Need / Greed Voting

Use Need / Greed voting to let selected eligible characters vote on each item.

How it works:

1. A GM or manager opens Need/Greed Voting, selects participating characters, and chooses Start Voting
2. The web flow uses a 10-minute voting period
3. Each eligible player votes Need, Greed, or Pass on each item
4. When all votes are in (or the timer expires), items are resolved:
   • Need beats Greed beats Pass
   • Ties within Need or Greed are decided by an automatic d100 roll
   • Items auto-resolve as soon as all eligible players have voted
5. Players who do not vote before the deadline are treated as passing
6. A GM or manager can choose Resolve All to settle remaining items early. They can cancel only before any item has resolved.

If a GM or manager hides the pile during voting, voting pauses: players cannot submit votes, and deadline resolution waits until the pile is revealed again.

While voting is active, the loot view shows vote counts but does not show who cast each vote. When an item resolves, the result names the winner. If the winner cannot carry the item, the item stays in the pile reserved for that character. The reservation shows who it is for and why, and the winner can claim it later. A GM or manager can reassign it.

Round Robin

Automatic, rotation-based distribution. Fast and impartial.

How it works:

1. A GM or manager opens Distribute Loot, selects characters, and chooses Round Robin
2. Items are assigned one at a time in rotation through the selected characters
3. If a recipient cannot carry an item, that item stays in the loot pile and the rotation continues with the next character for the next item
4. The results show which transfers succeeded or failed

This method assigns items in order without choosing an item recipient individually.

Value Balanced

Automatic distribution optimized for equal total value across all characters.

How it works:

1. A GM or manager opens Distribute Loot, selects characters, and chooses Value Balanced
2. Items are sorted from highest value to lowest
3. Each item is attempted for the character with the lowest total value received so far
4. If that character cannot carry an item, it stays in the loot pile; the method does not retry that item on another character
5. The results show which transfers succeeded or failed

This method tries to balance item value across the selected characters. It does not guarantee equal totals, and an item that cannot be carried remains in the pile.

Random

Random distribution assigns each selected item to a randomly chosen participating character. If that character cannot carry the item, it stays in the loot pile and is reported in the results. With Split currency evenly on, currency is divided among the selected characters instead of going to one random recipient.

AI Auto-Populate

The loot template workspace includes Auto-Populate. Describe the items you want, review the suggestions, then choose which ones to add.

How it works:

1. Open a loot template in the creator workspace and choose Auto-Populate
2. Add optional instructions, such as a theme or item limits, then choose Curate Items
3. The tool searches available item records and suggests items, drop chances, and quantities
4. Review the suggestions, select which to keep, or dismiss them
5. Choose Accept [count] Items to add the selected items to your drop table. Auto-Populate uses your monthly AI usage allowance.

Claiming and Encumbrance

Claims and distributions check the destination’s capacity before moving an item. The party’s encumbrance settings determine which limits apply.

How Validation Works

When you choose Take Item or a GM or manager distributes an item, ScryRPG checks whether the destination can receive it. Depending on the party’s game system and inventory settings, checks can include weight, slots, and Pathfinder 2e Bulk.

The take dialog shows the selected character’s current carrying status when encumbrance is enabled. The server checks capacity when the item is moved, so a failed check leaves it in the loot pile.

Enforcement

If capacity rules reject a move, that claim or distribution does not transfer the item. A GM or manager can choose another recipient, change the amount for a manual claim, or leave the item in the pile. Some container destinations can have their own capacity limits.

Subscription Usage

Loot deployment has a monthly plan limit. Claims and manual distributions are not AI tasks. When deployment reaches its plan limit, the app blocks another deployment.

Transaction History

Loot claims, distributions, deployments, reveals, and hides are recorded in the deployed loot’s Activity tab. Access to a hidden pile and its activity follows the pile’s visibility permissions.

What Gets Logged

The Activity tab on a deployed loot pile shows a timeline of available events, including:

• Claims: Who took what item and when
• Distributions: Which items were assigned to which characters using Round Robin, Value Balanced, or Random
• Deployment and visibility: When the pile was deployed, revealed, or hidden

The feed loads additional entries as you continue through the timeline. It does not have its own search or filter controls.

Who Can Do What

You can create loot designs for a campaign and claim items as a player in a different party.

Tips

Before the Session

1. Create or fork loot designs for encounters you have planned
2. Deploy them to a party where you are GM: manual deployments start hidden by default
3. In the Manage tab, set the claiming mode you want for each one
4. Review drop chances and adjust if needed

During the Session

1. Reveal loot after combat or exploration
2. Choose a claiming mode or distribution action for the moment:
   • Quick trash mob? Open
   • Boss fight with a contested rare? Need / Greed
   • Large hoard with lots of items? Round Robin or Value Balanced
   • Story-driven reward? GM Only
3. Check the results and handle any items that could not be transferred

Advanced Techniques

Mystery Loot: Combine loot tables with item identification. Unidentified items can remain hidden from players until someone identifies them.

Post-Loot Shopping: Deploy a shop alongside your loot table. After players claim their treasure, they can immediately sell unwanted items to the merchant or buy supplies with their new gold.

Mixed Methods: Use Need / Greed for contested items, then change to Open for remaining items after voting ends. A GM or manager cannot change away from Need / Greed while its voting session is active.

Recurring Loot: Create a template for repeatable encounters, then deploy a fresh pile each time. Each deployment rolls the template’s drop chances and quantities.

Print Cards

Choose Print full set from a loot marketplace page, creator workspace, card showcase, or a deployed loot container you are allowed to view. ScryRPG sends each authorized unique item card to Card Print Studio using current item details or the exact deployed item snapshot. Players can print deployed loot only when it is revealed; authorized GMs and managers can prepare an unrevealed set. Unidentified items stay mystery-safe for players, while authorized GMs and managers retain the real details.

If Print Studio has cards, choose Replace Deck, Add to Deck, or Cancel. Printing and exporting the set are available on every plan and do not require saving it. See the Printable Cards guide for duplex setup, QR codes, PDF/PNG/ZIP, and saved-deck limits.

Common Questions

Can anyone create loot tables? Yes. All users can create loot table designs. You can publish a design for marketplace review. A party GM can deploy loot. Within a party, GMs and managers can reveal, hide, distribute, and delete loot, and manage Need/Greed voting.

Do loot tables persist between sessions? Yes. Deployed loot stays in your party until a GM or manager deletes it. Unclaimed items remain in the pile across sessions, unless the GM or manager moves or removes them.

What happens if nobody votes Need? If all eligible players vote Pass, the item remains in the loot pile. A GM or manager can start another vote or distribute the item. A voting deadline resolves remaining votes, treating missing votes as passes. If the pile is hidden when its deadline arrives, resolution waits until the pile is revealed.

Can I change the claiming mode mid-session? GMs and managers can change the claiming mode when no voting session is active. During an active session, cancel it only if no item has resolved, or choose Resolve All for remaining items.

What are the subscription limits for loot? Loot deployments have a monthly limit on some plans. Your plan determines its limit, and the app blocks additional deployments when you reach it.

Do changes sync in real-time? Connected web views receive loot updates. In Discord, use /loot browse to open the current party loot view. For voting, use /loot need-greed status and choose a loot pile. When starting a Discord vote with /loot need-greed start, choose a loot pile and, optionally, a duration of 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, or 1 hour. /loot need-greed resolve resolves remaining items, and /loot need-greed cancel cancels only before any item resolves.

What’s a drop chance? The probability (0-100%) that an item appears when loot is deployed. 100% means guaranteed. 50% means it shows up about half the time. You set drop chances per item in the loot template editor.

Does loot deploy visible or hidden? Manual loot deployments start hidden. Completing an encounter can deploy its attached loot revealed, when you can access the template and have deployment capacity.

Ready to Roll?

Build loot tables with drop chances, choose a claiming mode or distribution action, and keep the party’s treasure organized.

What’s Next?

• Shops Guide: Set up automated merchants
• Item Identification: Add mystery to your loot
• Currency: How gold and transactions work
• Discord Bot Guide: Work with loot from Discord