Lifestyle fixes for non-Lankhamar-ian adventurers

[Shionjin]

I'm finally starting my own FC game, but my players (and myself a bit, honestly) felt a bit constrained by the Lifestyle system. No one liked how all of your money just disappeared after every adventure and downtime except for the small percentage you get to keep from Prudence, plus the small amount given to you by Panache. It just seemed too much like Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, where their adventures are largely unconnected and anything they gained (or lost, in some cases) between adventures was just glossed over. We're more interested in the overall story than unconnected adventures.

So I dreamed something up and thought I'd throw it up on here so I could get some constructive ideas from you peeps, since you're so good at it. 


Prudence: The percentage listed is how much your stake increases, as your investments mature. This happens at the start of every adventure and after every month of downtime.
Panache: The Appearance bonus to your Panache increases by one step, as if your panache was one point higher on the table listed on p.155, with a Panache of 12 giving a +4 appearance bonus. However, keeping that lifestyle has a cost in bribes, parties, and updating your wardrobe; a fee equal to half the amount listed on the 'income' portion of the table must be paid out at the beginning of every adventure and after every month of downtime. If this is not or can not be paid, your Appearance bonus is decreased by one point for every month or adventure that it is not paid.

[Gentry]

So they're okay with the extra bookkeeping as opposed to the default bookkeeping?

Speaking for myself, I think you'll find after four or five (maybe even 2) adventures that your players will come to realize that they don't really need the money anyway, as there's no magic items to buy. Give the system a good solid try before you start this level of tweaking.

[Shionjin]

So they're okay with the extra bookkeeping as opposed to the default bookkeeping?

Actually, they all seemed appreciative of the change, as it was the players who were most vocal about losing 'all' their money. Of course, this is just after coming from a ...  Similar game, published before the most recent update ... where the dm (not myself this time) intentionally gave out very little money or loot as a way to balance out the unrealistic abilities he let us have: we were each a gestalt of two classes. But that's a different story for a different time.

...your players will come to realize that they don't really need the money anyway, as there's no magic items to buy.

...That is a very solid point that I hadn't considered. Once they get all this money, what in tarnation are they going to do with it? They can't buy holdings -- that's Reputation -- nor magical items -- that's Reputation, too -- nor love. And there's only so many upgrades you can put on weapons and armor before they're completely unrealistic. That goes back to something that I found by searching for it along another line on this very forum:

'you must unlearn what you have learned'

[Sletchman]

...That is a very solid point that I hadn't considered. Once they get all this money, what in tarnation are they going to do with it? They can't buy holdings -- that's Reputation -- nor magical items -- that's Reputation, too -- nor love.

Hey - there is a time honoured tradition of buying love.  That said, my group was at the point of literally throwing money away.  We would just dump wheelbarrow loads at the feat of local kings to "show fealty" [read: bribe] and to get authorities to look the other way when the bodies started piling up*.  The Drake just put it in a big hole in the middle of his fortress and sorta swam in it, Scrooge-McDuck style.

Just as an example: In an adventure we came across an ancient treasure vault - filled with gold, artifacts, gems and other valuables.  As one we asked the GM if we could donate it to anyone in exchange for Rep, no one wanted actual cash...


_{*My group has an unfortunate and simple way of dealing with the bulk of problems they come across.  I usually run adventures designed to make them try other methods, but the other guys often encourage it}

[Psion]

You can buy love. See the 4th entry on table 4.14.

But anyways, as Krensky alludes to in another thread, I'm in favor of not fixing what's not broken.

Players are used to not having to worry about buying anything but magic if they play 3e or 4e. To me, that was a major obstacle in my appreciation of the game because I never felt like I could model nobles and wealthy merchants, that sort of thing. There was nothing to distinguish them from the beggar-burglar from the streets (perhaps laden with debts from the local loan shark) or the barbarian-warrior who squanders all this loot on ale and whores.

And really, prudence isn't about losing your money. It's about how much of your money you keep compared to the other pc. Something I might add is factored into the balance of your class. The burglar has nothing on the courtier when it comes to the petty cash department, but those points are somewhere else in the class progression.

You know from the other thread I wasn't shy about telling you to tweak it. In this case, I'm going to recommend you try it as-is for a while.

[Shionjin]

You can buy love. See the 4th entry on table 4.14.

Pwn'd XD

And really, prudence isn't about losing your money. It's about how much of your money you keep compared to the other pc.

That just seems like you're saying the glass is half full when I'm saying the glass is half empty. But I do get your point. Already, with what we did do, the players were surprised by how much silver they got from the random loot tables. Of course, they also rolled really well, but that's beside the point.

Though, talking about that, is there a system for bribery in this system? I figure, there's a system for everything else, maybe there's one for bribery, too...

[Doublebond]

You can buy love. See the 4th entry on table 4.14.

Pwn'd XD

And really, prudence isn't about losing your money. It's about how much of your money you keep compared to the other pc.

That just seems like you're saying the glass is half full when I'm saying the glass is half empty. But I do get your point. Already, with what we did do, the players were surprised by how much silver they got from the random loot tables. Of course, they also rolled really well, but that's beside the point.

Though, talking about that, is there a system for bribery in this system? I figure, there's a system for everything else, maybe there's one for bribery, too...

You can use currency to augment persuasion and coercion checks. You'll note that the chart associated with those two checks assigns bonuses for various amounts of money offered to the target.

[MilitiaJim]

You can buy love. See the 4th entry on table 4.14.

Pwn'd XD

That is not buying love, that is renting love.

Buying love would be more along the lines of bribing the Duke to give you his daughter's hand in marriage.   

Buying Love is not in fact possible, though lack of money can strain relationships past their breaking point.   

[pawsplay]

Why don't the distressed players simply select Yeoman's work, and specify that instead of using their Downtime to wench, they Craft or work a job?