Show me the money

[JCD]

For your consideration:

How do your Celestials, particularly those without a role, get money?

[Jason]

Originally Posted by JCD

For your consideration:

How do your Celestials, particularly those without a role, get money?

In my campaign, they hit up their buddies with Roles. Especially the angels of Trade.

[Rocket Man]

For Destiny angels -- every city that has a college or university needs tutors. Good way to pick up some money AND satisfy a Rite or two.

Creation angels -- sidewalk musicians, chalk artists, and other performers have an edge anywhere they can lay out a hat.

Wind angels -- That rich-looking guy walking down the street doesn't really need that wallet, and it'll do him good to re-assess his attachment to material things.

[Jennifer]

Let's see... (mind you, most of my celestials have Roles - and most of the ways to get money can easily becomes Roles if you do them consistently)

Kill people and take their stuff.
Smuggling.
On salary celestially (and let me tell you, the Boss has a very reasonable benefits package.)
Stay-at-home spouse of someone with a job.
Actually having a normal job.
Living at a commune.
Freelance computer stuff.

And a few who don't need money:
No vessel (celestial duty only).
Role as underage child.
Prisoner.
Kyriotate/Shedite.
Animal vessel.

[BillionSix]

Also, bear in mind that if you don't have a Role you are probably a Malakite or something fighting evil 24/7, and bear in mind you don't need to eat or sleep, so you don't really need rent, food or luxuries, and you can scavenge clothes off any of your victims.

[Matthias Wasser]

Originally Posted by Jennifer

Kill people and take their stuff.

This is an almost universally terrible idea, at least under the premise that it's outside of a Role. If you're affiliated, your patrons/superiors do not want you to do this, and if you're unaffiliated then you really, really do not want to do this.

(Using Soldiers to do the same: yeah, awesome! That's what they're there for.)

[Rocket Man]

Originally Posted by Matthias Wasser

This is an almost universally terrible idea, at least under the premise that it's outside of a Role.

Suddenly gets the picture of Role:Munchkin. :)

[Jason]

Originally Posted by Jennifer

Kill people and take their stuff.

One of my favorite moments of any video game RPG is when Isabela, of Dragon Age II, shouts upon entering combat: "If we kill them, we get to take their stuff!" There is something pure and hilarious about such a blunt take on a time-honored "role-playing" tradition.

That said, I think a couple of my players are getting confused that the demons they kill are never carrying much cash or any relics worth looting. It's not like the guys downstairs are getting outfitted by their bosses any better than the holy side is! :)

[William]

My guys -- who, when I played an Angelic game, were admittedly mostly Role-less, and operating in the Marches with only a rare trip to Earth -- had a budget and a supposed salary, though we rarely dealt with specific amounts. This basically constituted being able to put a phone call in to a Trade angel and have a wire transfer made, or, when dealing in the Marches, to be able to sign on the dotted line indemnifying Heaven for up to amount X.

[JCD]

I think there are a lot of Plot Hooks attendent to this niggling detail.

Heaven has a leg up on Hell in that they are all (technically) on the same team...though Stone somehow gets the short end of the stick when it comes time for Trade to share out the goodies and Michael always THINKS he's getting the short end of the stick ("War is expensive. Why should Novalis get money for tie dyed head shops when there is a war on?")

That said, every Superior probably has their own added income stream.

Hell has to have a lot of replication of effort. Every Superior has to set up their own income streams...or be able to steal/tax from other demons (Asmodeous doesn't have much problems in this regard...)

But the centralized nature of Heaven also makes them vulnerable. If the Head Trader who is financing most of the Malakim in the city gets whacked, that can cause a lot of grief. Bullets are expensive. So is bail money.

Just some thoughts.