Luxuries

Luxury items are scavenged from houses, buildings, stores, etc. and are stored at the Shelter as a way to offset Morale losses. They are creature comforts and distractions, items that make allies forget about the horrors of survival. All luxury items or Morale bonuses contribute to a “stockpile” of positive Morale that can balance any negative Mood going around. Days where Morale turns up negative can be offset by any “surplus” of good will from the player’s actions or collection of luxury items.

You can think of it like this – while having food should be enough to generate good will, it’s not – people expect to eat, it’s an imperative. As gross as it sounds, people don’t need to bathe to live, but after a few days of hiking to the nearest towns and being covered in zombie gore, a bar of soap is going to be more valuable to your allies than gold. However low the Morale is at the Shelter that day, just having the small luxuries we’re used to can put things in perspective for the survivors – all might be lost, but at least you can still grab a cup of coffee and a hot shower, and that’s one less thing to worry about. Luxury items give people a way to forget about the horrors outside or their losses, so as long as they have toilet paper, a paperback, and a cigarette, their stress is kept to a minimum and the illusion of society is preserved for another day.

One great thing about luxury items is that if you have enough of them, you can take risks or make decisions that otherwise might cause people to get upset. In a way, they can “buy off” the negative reactions that people might have if someone you have a problem with “met an untimely end” in the field. As long as people have stuff, they generally placated and less likely to have a problem with your leadership. Of course, like all things, luxury items are going to take effort and risk to procure, and unlike food, they do not grow on trees. There are many types of luxury items with various levels of worth.

Luxury Items

	Name	Value	Weight	Description
	Basketball	5.0	3.0	Can be used to shoot some baskets in the gym or just dribbled to relieve stress.
	Beer	2.0	0.5	Even the most watered-down, grain and piss beer tastes better when they're not making anymore. However, it would be wise not to drink if operating heavy machinery or walking around the corpse-infested wilderness.
	Blanket	5.0	4.0	A clean blanket. There's never a drop in demand for these.
	Board Game	3.0	1.0	Candy Ship, a board game that spawned the phrase, "You ate my Candy Ship!" Note: Pieces should not be eaten or placed in mouth.
	Bug Spray	4.0	1.0	This takes care of the flies, mosquitoes, roaches and other pests that are attracted to the shelter.
	Candles	4.0	1.5	Wax candles. These will provide light even when the power's out.
	Candy	1.0	0.5	A piece of mass-produced candy. It's a treat, but not real food.
	CDs	4.0	3.0	A collection of CDs. None of them contain any songs about twerking or cranking anything. Music helps people think about better times.
	Chewing Tobacco	2.0	1.0	A can of chewing tobacco. Not many people chew, but for those that do or can't find cigarettes, this will help get them through the day.
	Chocolate Bar	3.0	0.5	A full-size chocolate bar. The military has been using these for morale boosting purposes for decades.
	Cigarettes	2.0	0.5	In the apocalypse, these are gold. A lot of people have taken the habit up as of late.
	Clothes	3.0	1.0	Fresh clothes to replace the dirty, worn, or bloody ones.
	Coffee	4.0	1.0	To some people, this is worth risking their life for. To others, it IS life.
	Condoms	2.0	0.5	One of the more reliable birth control methods around nowadays, condoms have been in use for centuries. Condoms have a host of other practical uses that are not related to birth control.
	Cooking Utensils	1.0	3.0	A clean set of spoons, chef's knives, measuring cups, and other tools used in preparing food.
	Detective Novel	2.0	1.0	A paperback detective novel. This one is called, "Sleepy Angels Always Ring Dead".
	Detergent	7.0	5.0	There are untold numbers of scents people want to wash out of their clothes after a day spent scavenging. It's one of the little things that makes a big difference.
	Fantasy Novel	2.0	1.0	A paperback fantasy novel. This one is called, "Barry Dragonhead and the Magical Crutch".
	Fiction Novel	2.0	1.0	A paperback novel. This one is called, "The George Washington Carver Code".
	Flashlight	3.0	2.0	While this is practical to have around, it is useless without batteries and doesn't light a room like a candle.
	Grooming Kit	5.0	1.0	A kit containing scissors, razors, combs, and other items used to keep hair trim and neat.
	Guitar	5.0	10.0	For those that know how to play, this is a comfort to have around. Some people might relax just listening to someone play.
	Lantern	8.0	5.0	This is a rechargeable solar camping lantern. This can provide a lot more light than candles or flashlights, but it needs to be charged.
	Magazine	1.0	1.0	This is a magazine from a month before the outbreak. It reminds people of a previous life.
	Newspaper	0.5	0.5	One of the last ones ever printed. Some people might find a few answers about the cause of all this inside here, but mostly it's just something to read or wipe with.
	Notebook	2.0	1.0	Notebooks have become more popular since computers stopped being an option. Some people have taken to writing journals or drawing to help them cope with their situations.
	Pack of Batteries	6.0	1.0	There's always a demand for these to power personal electronics, and they always need to be replaced.
	Paint Set	3.0	1.0	A set of several colors of watercolor paint and a paintbrush.
	Pillow	4.0	4.0	A clean pillow. There is always a demand for these.
	Playing Cards	4.0	1.0	Nowadays, this is one of the only multiplayer experiences left. Also has a single player mode.
	Porno Magazine	2.0	1.0	Read it for the articles, or tell people that's what you want it for.
	Portable Game System	5.0	1.0	The XoDS portable game system. It can be recharged, provided there's electricity. Plays any XoDS compatible game - might be worth picking up a few games for it.
	Purification Tablets	3.0	1.0	Water purification tablets. Having these around alleviates any fear that the drinking water contains harmful bacteria.
	Puzzle Book	1.0	0.5	A book of word and number puzzles. A decent distraction for people with nothing to do.
	Role-Playing Game	2.0	6.0	Kingdom of Ruleswhores - a pen and paper role-playing game for multiple people.
	Romance Novel	2.0	1.0	A paperback romance novel. This one is called, "He Brought Me Fudge".
	Sanitary Pads	5.0	1.0	While men might think these are useless, their utility to women is indisputable. And to the squeamish, they also work as bandages in a pinch, covering over major wounds.
	Sci-Fi Novel	2.0	1.0	A paperback science fiction novel. This one is called, "Galaxy Wars". Seems to based on the good trilogy.
	Sewing Machine	8.0	20.0	Allows for clothes to be mended and fabricated.
	Shampoo	5.0	1.0	Shampoo, like soap, helps keep people feeling clean and refreshed.
	Silverware	4.0	5.0	Reusable utensils so that people don't have to eat with their hands. Could also be melted down for other uses.
	Snack Cake	1.0	0.5	Chunk Bros. brand spongy yellow snack cake. Unlike the comics, throwing these at enemies won't distract them.
	Soap	6.0	0.5	Everyone feels and smells a lot better with this.
	Soda	0.5	0.5	Practically worthless as a source of nutrition, soda has a few calories and is quite refreshing after a day spent scavenging.
	Teddy Bear	3.0	2.0	A teddy bear is just comforting to some people, used as a pillow by others.
	Tennis Ball	0.5	2.0	Used for playing games and stress relief.
	Tennis Racket	2.0	1.0	Can be used to play tennis or air guitar. Not very good for self-defense.
	Textbook	1.0	1.0	Fuel for the mind or a nice, warm fire.
	Thread	3.0	0.5	Thread can be used to stitch up cloth or, in absolute emergencies, wounds.
	Toilet Paper	6.0	0.5	This may be one of the ultimate luxury items. People don't understand just how much they need it until it's gone.
	Toothbrush	3.0	0.5	Most people still want to keep up their hygienic routines, so these should be kept in stock as much as possible.
	Toothpaste	5.0	0.5	Toothpaste will keep mouths clean and healthy, which promotes better hygiene (and breath) at the shelter.
	Towel	5.0	3.0	Used for tourniquets, scrap cloth, blankets, pillows, drying off - what can't a towel do?
	Vitamins	4.0	1.0	These won't help if people aren't eating, but they might help supplement poor diets.
	Wine	4.0	2.0	A bottle of red wine. This can make any occasion feel a bit more important.