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Old 11-08-2009, 09:30 PM   #1
Presence
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Default Dead Broke + No Cost of Living

Some beings might have Dead Broke, with little means of earning or even using cash, but suffer much less from it due to having no effective cost of living. For example, some slaves, sentient pets/golems, talking swords, etc.

How much less should Dead Broke be worth in such a case?
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Old 11-08-2009, 09:46 PM   #2
Anaraxes
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Default Re: Dead Broke + No Cost of Living

As the adage has it, "A disadvantage that doesn't limit the character is worth no points."
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Old 11-08-2009, 09:49 PM   #3
jbalsle
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Default Re: Dead Broke + No Cost of Living

Quote:
Originally Posted by Presence View Post
Some beings might have Dead Broke, with little means of earning or even using cash, but suffer much less from it due to having no effective cost of living. For example, some slaves, sentient pets/golems, talking swords, etc.

How much less should Dead Broke be worth in such a case?
Not much less, IMO, but then again, I think the whole wealth rule system is broken. Characters who have Dead Broke cannot earn money in any way -- so unless they're totally self-contained (talking sword?), then at some point in the game, they'll be inconvenienced. It's difficult, if not impossible, to get anything money-related. It's a pretty good assumption that your status will be -2 if you're dead broke.


Of course, by the description, very few people are actually dead broke, as even homeless people have bags worth of stuff. However, a particularly vicious GM might visit the homeless PC with nothing more than the stuff she's accumulated in her shopping cart with thieves who steal the meager possessions, once more reducing her net wealth to 0. This will happen regardless of your cost of living, and may go a long way to explaining status of -2.
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Old 11-08-2009, 09:49 PM   #4
Gorgoo
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Default Re: Dead Broke + No Cost of Living

Personally, I wouldn't make the disadvantage be worth less. Most of the characters that you described would have the Doesn't Eat or Drink advantage or Patrons, and many would have both, just to justify not having a cost of living. Those should use up enough points to offset the gain from taking Dead Broke as a disadvantage.

Basically, I'd say that they get full price for not being able to earn money, but that they also need advantages to represent the reasons that they don't need money.
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Old 11-08-2009, 10:03 PM   #5
Presence
 
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Default Re: Dead Broke + No Cost of Living

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Originally Posted by Anaraxes View Post
As the adage has it, "A disadvantage that doesn't limit the character is worth no points."
For it not to be a disadvantage at all is absolutely silly, unless you're in a campaign entitled "The Lonely Hermits in the Land of No NPC's". Being unable to earn/use money is always a disadvantage. The question is, how much LESS of a disadvantage is it if you don't need it to enjoy your standard quality of living.
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Old 11-08-2009, 10:25 PM   #6
David Johnston2
 
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Default Re: Dead Broke + No Cost of Living

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Originally Posted by Presence View Post
Some beings might have Dead Broke, with little means of earning or even using cash, but suffer much less from it due to having no effective cost of living. For example, some slaves, sentient pets/golems, talking swords, etc.

How much less should Dead Broke be worth in such a case?
Not a smidgeon. You still start with no equipment and that you have some kind of advantage to avoid having to eat is something you paid for with points instead of getting slightly less poverty.
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Old 11-09-2009, 12:34 AM   #7
jeff_wilson
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Default Re: Dead Broke + No Cost of Living

Quote:
Originally Posted by Presence View Post
Some beings might have Dead Broke, with little means of earning or even using cash, but suffer much less from it due to having no effective cost of living. For example, some slaves, sentient pets/golems, talking swords, etc.

How much less should Dead Broke be worth in such a case?
Dead Broke can't be worth less without breaking Universality. The cases you mention are still at a disadvantage in the course of an adventure because they have very little latitude to act or react to adversity. In particular, they have a good chance of being discarded, expended, attrited, sold, or swapped for other stuff by their owners in the course of the adventure. Their narrow roles also give little chance of earning XP or plunder, leaving them very much in the poverty trap.
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Old 11-09-2009, 04:24 AM   #8
cccwebs
 
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Default Re: Dead Broke + No Cost of Living

Quote:
Originally Posted by Presence View Post
Some beings might have Dead Broke, with little means of earning or even using cash, but suffer much less from it due to having no effective cost of living. For example, some slaves, sentient pets/golems, talking swords, etc.

How much less should Dead Broke be worth in such a case?
Dead Brooke has nothing to do with the characters need for Cost of Living, other than keeping the character from earning money. Slaves still have a cost of living paid for by the owner. Sentient pets have a cost of living paid for by the owners. Golems have a cost of living heavily modified because of Advantages they pay points for. Talking swords have a cost of living heavily modified because of the Advantages they have paid for.
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Old 11-09-2009, 10:16 AM   #9
chris1982
 
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Default Re: Dead Broke + No Cost of Living

If you are a slave and want to have a nice owner you need to buy an ally or a patron... ;-)
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Old 11-09-2009, 10:36 AM   #10
Mailanka
 
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Default Re: Dead Broke + No Cost of Living

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Originally Posted by chris1982 View Post
If you are a slave and want to have a nice owner you need to buy an ally or a patron... ;-)
And you're "totally self-contained, like a talking sword or something" (to use the words of another poster), you need something like "Does not Eat" and other, similar advantages.
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