Wealth

Wealth

Variable

Above-average Wealth is an advantage; it means you start with two or more times the average starting wealth of your game world. Below-average Wealth is a disadvantage; it means you start with only a fraction of average starting wealth. The precise meaning of each wealth level in a particular game world will be defined in the associated worldbook.

Dead Broke:

You have no job, no source of income, no money, and no property other than the clothes you are wearing. Either you are unable to work or there are no jobs to be found. -25 points.

Poor:

Your starting wealth is only 1/5 of the average for your society. Some jobs are not available to you, and no job you find pays very well. -15 points.

Struggling:

Your starting wealth is only 1/2 of the average for your society. Any job is open to you (you can be a Struggling doctor or movie actor), but you don't earn much. This is appropriate if you are, for instance, a 21st-century student. -10 points.

Average:

The default wealth level, as explained above. 0 points.

Comfortable:

You work for a living, but your lifestyle is better than most. Your starting wealth is twice the average. 10 points.

Wealthy:

Your starting wealth is five times average; you live very well indeed. 20 points.

Very Wealthy:

Your starting wealth is 20 times the average. 30 points.

Filthy Rich:

Your starting wealth is 100 times average. You can buy almost anything you want without considering the cost. 50 points.

Multimillionaire:

"Filthy rich" doesn't even begin to describe your wealth! For every 25 points you spend beyond the 50 points to be Filthy Rich, increase your starting wealth by another factor of 10: Multimillionaire 1 costs 75 points and gives 1,000 times average starting wealth, Multimillionaire 2 costs 100 points gives 10,000 times starting wealth, and so on. 50 points + 25 points/level of Multimillionaire.

Wealth and Status

In some game worlds, Status is closely tied to Wealth. In a setting like this, if you are Wealthy or better, you get +1 Status for free. This bonus increases to +2 at Multimillionaire 1 and to +3 at Multimillionaire 2. No one may claim more than +3 Status from Wealth.

Independent Income

1 point/level

You have a source of income that does not require you to work: stock portfolio, trust fund, rental property, royalties, pension, etc. Your monthly income is 1% of your starting wealth (adjusted for wealth level) per level of this trait, to a maximum of 20%. If your income derives from investments, you need not specify their value; this trait assumes that you cannot or will not invade your capital.

This trait is unrelated to wealth level. A Filthy Rich heiress has Independent Income ... but so do an Average pensioner and a Poor welfare recipient.

Independent Income most often means your occupation is something like dilettante, retiree, or welfare recipient – not an actual "job." However, you can have Independent Income and a job; just add the income from both sources. If you are wealthy, this allows you to work less than full time (e.g., 10 hours per week instead of 40, for 1/4 the usual salary) and still make a good living.

Debt

-1 point/level

You owe money. This could represent a loan, back taxes, child support, or alimony ... or "hush money" paid to blackmailers ... or "protection money" extorted by gangsters. You must make a monthly payment equal to 1% of your starting wealth (adjusted for wealth level) per level of this trait, to a maximum of 20%. Debt can accompany any wealth level above Dead Broke; plenty of multimillionaires owe significant amounts of money!

Your monthly payment is deducted from your monthly earnings at your job. If your job cannot cover your Debt, you have to pay out of your cash reserves, take a second job, or steal. If you cannot pay – or choose not to pay – there will be trouble. For bank loans, this means repossession of your worldly goods. For alimony, child support, fines, or taxes, this means a court date. And if you owe money to the mob, you might end up being strong-armed into criminal activities ... or staring down the barrel of a shotgun. The GM should be creative!

It is assumed that you cannot easily rid yourself of this obligation. It takes more than money to buy off Debt – you must pay off the points and work out a logical in-game explanation with the GM.

Starting Wealth

Starting Wealth "Starting wealth" covers both money and property. Start with the amount of money your wealth level entitles you to for your game world. Buy the possessions you want to start with (see Equipment). Any unspent money is your "bank account."

Realistically, if you have a settled lifestyle, you should put 80% of your starting wealth into home, clothing, etc., which leaves only 20% for "adventuring" gear. If you are a wanderer (pioneer, knight-errant, Free Trader, etc.), or Poor or worse, the GM might allow you to spend all your starting wealth on movable possessions.

The GM should not allow wealthy PCs to bankroll their poorer associates. This makes below-average Wealth little more than "free points." The GM might allow rich characters to hire poor ones. If so, he should make it obvious – through such means as NPC reactions ("Oh, so you're the hired help?") – that the poorer PC is earning his disadvantage point by giving up some of his independence.

Trading Points for Money

If you need a little extra money, you may trade character points for it – either at the time of creation or in play. Each point yields 10% of the campaign's average starting wealth. Money obtained this way can be saved, invested, gambled, spent on equipment, etc. You are free to spend as many points as you wish, but if you plan to spend more than 10 points, you would be better off just buying Wealth!

Unlike Wealth, points traded for money do not appear on your character sheet – they are gone. If you exercise this option during character creation, you are worth fewer points than your associates (but you are better equipped!).

You can also spend points on specific equipment, if it's key to your character concept. See Signature Gear.

Later Earnings

You can depend on your adventures to bring in money ... or you can get a job. Remember that in many worlds, unemployment is cause for grave suspicion and bad reaction rolls.

If a poor PC becomes wealthy, the GM should require the player to "buy off" the disadvantage with character points.