Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > GURPS

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 05-13-2016, 10:42 PM   #1
Henchman99942
 
Henchman99942's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Default Secret Status

So... I am making a character who is POSING as a socialite/playboy. They actually have wealth(Struggling) as a disadvantage. But they are pretending to be Wealth(Wealthy) with a status 2. I can either buy the clothing and similar supplies needed to 'fake' it using Signature Gear or buy 'Wealth' with the limitation 'Restricted Purchase' (which is a limitation I added to wealth. It reduces the category or type of equipment you can purchase with that level of wealth.) But how to handle the status? Buy it for real and then remove it if the secret is exposed?

I was just curious if anyone created a character with this sort of background.
Henchman99942 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-13-2016, 10:51 PM   #2
Captain Joy
 
Captain Joy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Heartland, U.S.A.
Default Re: Secret Status

You might find GURPS Social Engineering a worthwhile purchase for such a character concept.
Captain Joy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-14-2016, 05:55 AM   #3
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
Default Re: Secret Status

Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain Joy View Post
You might find GURPS Social Engineering a worthwhile purchase for such a character concept.
There is a section in Chapter 3 on deception, part of which explicitly addresses methods of pretending to higher social standing than you have. The short answer is that you buy the Status you actually have and then make lots of rolls against Savoir-Faire.
__________________
Bill Stoddard

I don't think we're in Oz any more.
whswhs is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-14-2016, 05:56 AM   #4
Polydamas
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Central Europe
Default Re: Secret Status

Quote:
Originally Posted by Henchman99942 View Post
So... I am making a character who is POSING as a socialite/playboy. They actually have wealth(Struggling) as a disadvantage. But they are pretending to be Wealth(Wealthy) with a status 2. I can either buy the clothing and similar supplies needed to 'fake' it using Signature Gear or buy 'Wealth' with the limitation 'Restricted Purchase' (which is a limitation I added to wealth. It reduces the category or type of equipment you can purchase with that level of wealth.) But how to handle the status? Buy it for real and then remove it if the secret is exposed?

I was just curious if anyone created a character with this sort of background.
That sounds like a perfect use of the Secret disadvantage with "lose 2 levels of Status" as the penalty for being revealed.

Pretending to have ten times your actual income is a hard con to pull off, especially at a wealth level where you have to work for a living.
__________________
"It is easier to banish a habit of thought than a piece of knowledge." H. Beam Piper

This forum got less aggravating when I started using the ignore feature
Polydamas is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-14-2016, 03:21 PM   #5
The Colonel
 
The Colonel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Default Re: Secret Status

Going the other way might be tricky as well - as Richard I (and others) have found out to their cost. Being successfully "mistaken for the gardener" is harder than it is often portrayed as being.
The Colonel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-15-2016, 09:23 PM   #6
Henchman99942
 
Henchman99942's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Default Re: Secret Status

The character build includes all the appropriate skills for 'faking it', and doesn't 'work' for a living, but instead 'mooches off of' those wealthy people who were particularly ripe for 'plucking'. Basically he is a con man who is just running a VERY long con where he can get things like free concierge services from membership clubs, high society organizations, hotels, etc... He might eventually run a financial investment con on his circle of 'friends', but for the time being, he is happy with the high status food, drink, foot massages and manicures. He knows those skills appropriate for 'faking it' and for being a lot of fun to be around. He is addicted to the lifestyle.

The cost shouldn't be as much as actually buying those advantages (Wealth and Status), but neither should it be free. Maybe I will run it like a reverse secret. Secrets, if discovered, end up applying TWICE the value of the secret as disadvantages. So maybe the cost to 'fake' it should be HALF the price of actually buying those advantages. This would include a full wardrobe of status appropriate clothing, membership in high society clubs (Rank or Courtesy Rank and Claim to Hospitality), and so forth. I want him to be able to pick up and start over somewhere else. So I didn't want the penalty of the Secret to be too great. I will keep working on it.
Henchman99942 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
secret, status, wealth

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:50 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.