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Old 10-20-2017, 11:11 AM   #40
Kromm
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Montréal, Québec
Default Re: A sack of DFRPG questions!

Dead Broke PCs in a party with not-Dead-Broke PCs who give them gear are still Dead Broke!

Their gear comes from donations – not from starting money or extra money bought with points. They start with nothing bought in a way that allows Signature Gear (or Weapon Bond, unless the GM feels generous). Due to Dead Broke, they cannot spend points on extra money to mitigate that, or for any other reason, and they have no selling power (0%). In effect, they are bottom-of-the-social-ladder individuals who serve a wealthy master who happens to be a fellow adventurer . . . their gear is their master's, not theirs (whence the absence of Signature Gear), and society refuses to accord them any financial privileges (whence the inability to trade points for cash or to sell anything).

The only facet of Dead Broke the rich associate lets the others avoid is -$1,000 apiece in gear (worth about -2 points apiece on its own). That wasn't free. The PC providing the gear spent money and possibly points to do so, with all that implies for the party's overall capabilities. Imagine:
Team A
  • One Wealth (Very Wealthy) individual with 220 points in abilities useful in the field. Gives away $17,500 and keeps $2,500 for personal gear, which can include Signature Gear and weapons with Weapon Bond.

  • Five Wealth (Dead Broke) people with 250 points in abilities useful in the field. Each has $3,500 in gear from the person above, which cannot include Signature Gear or weapons with Weapon Bond.

Team B
  • One Wealth (Average) delver with 247 points in abilities useful in the field. Traded 3 points to have +$1,500 in cash, for a total of $2,500 in gear, which can include Signature Gear and weapons with Weapon Bond.

  • Five Wealth (Average) adventurers with 245 points in abilities useful in the field. Traded 5 points to have +$2,500 in cash, for a total of $3,500 in gear, which can include Signature Gear and weapons with Weapon Bond.
Both teams have $20,000 in gear, distributed the same way (1 × $2,500 + 5 × $3,500). Team A averages 245 points in adventure-useful stuff, while Team B averages 245.3 points in adventure-useful stuff. Team A has one person with signature or bonded hardware; Team B has six people with gear like that. Team A has one star seller (sells at 100%), but can't do business if anything happens to that person; Team B has six salespeople who can sell at 40%, possibly a bit better if any have suitable abilities (as any bard, thief, or cleric is likely to).

I honestly couldn't tell you which is better – it looks like a genuine coin toss to me. I see Team A spending a lot of time at first rescuing their Very Wealthy pal from danger, because if that person dies, they're out of luck selling treasure; yes, the player could create a replacement, but not right away. I see Team B doing better in battles but not quite as well at getting rich in town. I imagine it comes down to what the players find fun! And regardless of whether anybody gets killed, after the first adventure, starting gear won't matter much anyway and the real meaning of Wealth level will be selling treasure. Having one person be good at that to compensate for the rest isn't any different from having one person having, say, huge reaction bonuses and doing all the negotiating for a group full of people with disadvantages that give reaction penalties.
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