diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 60ac970..84c0348 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -137,3 +137,14 @@ for ad-hoc code testing on a real worker
 %dask also installs `client`, a reference to the client, and `tqdmprogress` from `leylines.dask`,
 and `upload` which uploads a file and returns a delayed function which will fetch the filename on a
 worker
+
+### resources
+
+there is an abstract idea of nodes having resources which can be controlled by `leylines
+add-resource` and `leylines del-resource` (and `leylines status` shows you the resources). currently
+this assigns those with quantity 1 when starting the workers. due to a limitation of dask every
+worker process inherits the same quantity of resources. you can assign resources in a more ad-hoc
+way by opening an ipython session to a worker and then calling `await
+distribted.get_worker().set_resources(someresource=1)`, which will _temporarily_ assign that to
+the worker. if you modify resources through leylines you will need to run the ansible playbook again
+to apply the changes. you can use `--start-at-task "install systemd task"` to save some time
diff --git a/leylines/leylines/__init__.py b/leylines/leylines/__init__.py
index db4aac9..adc53b2 100644
--- a/leylines/leylines/__init__.py
+++ b/leylines/leylines/__init__.py
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ class NodeImpl(LeylinesApi.Node.Server):
         )
 
     def getResources(self, _context: _Ctx, **kwargs) -> List[str]:
-        return db.get_node_resources(self._node.id)
+        return list(db.get_node_resources(self._node.id))
 
     def addResource(self, resource: str, _context: _Ctx, **kwargs) -> None:
         db.add_node_resource(self._node.id, resource)
diff --git a/leylines/leylines/__main__.py b/leylines/leylines/__main__.py
index d2408ce..dd2c85f 100644
--- a/leylines/leylines/__main__.py
+++ b/leylines/leylines/__main__.py
@@ -31,8 +31,9 @@ async def client_main(args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
             for node in nodes:
                 info = (await node.getInfo().a_wait());
                 public_ip = info.publicIp.some if info.publicIp.which() == "some" else None
+                resources = (await node.getResources().a_wait()).resources
                 print(f"NODE {info.id}:", info.name, public_ip, info.ip, info.pubkey,
-                      "<Have SSH Key>" if info.sshkey.which() == "some" else "")
+                      "<Have SSH Key>" if info.sshkey.which() == "some" else "", resources)
                 if info.id == SERVER_NODE_ID:
                     server_node = node
 
@@ -55,6 +56,14 @@ async def client_main(args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
                 print((await node.some.getConfig().a_wait()).config)
         elif args.cmd == "sync":
             await api.sync().a_wait()
+        elif args.cmd == "add-resource" or args.cmd == "del-resource":
+            node = await api.getNode(args.id).a_wait()
+            if node.which() == "none":
+                print("no such node!")
+            elif args.cmd == "add-resource":
+                await node.some.addResource(args.resource).a_wait()
+            else:
+                await node.some.delResource(args.resource).a_wait()
 
 
 parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="wireguard management system for dragons")
@@ -79,6 +88,14 @@ cmd_add.add_argument("-i", "--ip", type=str, help="Public IP of the node, if any
 cmd_add.add_argument("-k", "--ssh-key", type=argparse.FileType("r"),
                      help="SSH private keyfile for the node, if any", required=False)
 
+cmd_add_resource = cmd.add_parser("add-resource")
+cmd_add_resource.add_argument("id", type=int, help="Node ID")
+cmd_add_resource.add_argument("resource", type=str, help="Resource name")
+
+cmd_del_resource = cmd.add_parser("del-resource")
+cmd_del_resource.add_argument("id", type=int, help="Node ID")
+cmd_del_resource.add_argument("resource", type=str, help="Resource name")
+
 cmd_get_conf = cmd.add_parser("get-conf")
 cmd_get_conf.add_argument("id", type=int, help="Node ID")
 
diff --git a/leylines/leylines/dask.py b/leylines/leylines/dask.py
index 673f679..d0ae179 100644
--- a/leylines/leylines/dask.py
+++ b/leylines/leylines/dask.py
@@ -47,6 +47,15 @@ async def init_dask_async() -> Client:
     return await Client(dest, asynchronous=True)
 
 
+def get_settings(settings: List[str]) -> List[str]:
+    return asyncio.run(get_settings_async(settings))
+
+
+async def get_settings_async(settings: List[str]) -> List[str]:
+    async with ClientSession() as api:
+        return [(await api.getSetting(setting).a_wait()).value for setting in settings]
+
+
 class DaskTqdmBar(TextProgressBar):
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs) -> None:
         self.p = tqdm(desc="scheduling...")