Wealth Check System for GURPS (anyone?)

[nik1979]

Does anyone have a their own wealth checks system for gurps? D20 modern has one and its pretty convenient to use when dealing with the complexities of financing, credit, sales, and stuff that complicate money as TLs go up.

I've made my own but I'm wondering if anyone else has one will to show so that i can compare my notes with it.

[Maz]

I havn't made one but would very much like to see one.
I find it weird that GURPS doesn't already have an optional rule for a such as nitpicking with a few hundred $ is annoying if you have tens of thousands of $.

[nik1979]

GURPS WEALTH

Every character has a Purchase Rating that reflects her buying power—a composite of income, credit rating, contacts and savings. A character’s Purchase Rating serves as the basis of the character’s Purchasing Power, which is used to buy equipment and services for the character.

Purchase Rating.
To determine a character’s starting Purchase Rating, take her Wealth Level as the base rating. Then add The Character’s TL modifier to the and Job Prerequisite Modifier.

Base Purchase Rating per Wealth level
Poor 10
Struggling 12
Average 15
Comfortable 17
Wealthy 20
Very Wealthy 25
Filthy Rich 30
Every level Multi Millionaire +10*
*round down

Prerequisite Modifier.
Compare the Skill the PC uses on her job and the job’s skill requirement (if no level is given, it defaults to 10). If the PC’s skill is greater, she gains that difference as a bonus to her Purchase Rating, if the PC’s skill is less she gains that difference as a penalty to her Purchase rating.

Over the course of play, the PC’s Purchasing Rating will decrease as the PC procures expensive items and increase as the PC gain money through play.
A character’s Purchase Rating can never fall below 3, and there is no limit to how high the Purchase Rating can climb.
Since Wealth is an abstract concept, it’s sometimes difficult to determine how financially well off a character is. To get a general sense of how financially solvent a character is at any given time, check the table below.

Purchasing Equipment.
Purchase checks are used to determine what characters can afford and what gear they might reasonably have access to. Every character has a Purchase Rating that reflects his or her buying power. Every object and service has a purchase modifier. To purchase an object, make a Purchase check and add the Purchase Modifier.

The Purchase Check.
A Purchase Check is just like a skill check. The Purchase Rating is fluid. It increases as a character gains Wealth and decreases as the character makes purchases.

If the character succeeds on the Purchase, the character gains the object. If the character fails, he or she can’t afford the object at the time.
If the character’s current Purchase Rating is equal to or greater than the 10-Purchase Modifier, the character automatically succeeds.
If the character successfully purchases an object or service with a 10-Purchase Modifier that’s higher than her current Purchase Rating, the character’s Purchase Rating decreases.

Shopping and Time.
Buying less common objects generally takes a number of hours equal to the 10-Purchase Modifier of the object or service, reflecting the time needed to locate the wanted materials and close the deal. Getting a license or buying an object with a License Rating increases the time needed to make purchases by 9-Licence Rating days.

Taking Time.
The character can take her time in a Purchase Check, allowing her to get the proper financing, better deal or waiting for the best time to buy.
Also, there is a penalty for spending beyond a character’s means. Whenever a character buys an object that has a 10-Purchase Modifier higher than his or her current Purchase Rating, the character’s Purchase Rating decreases (see below).

Try Again?
A character can try again if he or she fails a Purchase check, but not until the character has spent an additional number of hours shopping equal to the 10-Purchase Modifier of the object or service.

Aid Another.
One other character can make an aid another attempt to help a character purchase an object or service. If the attempt is successful, that character provides the purchaser with a +1 bonus on his or her Wealth check. The character who provides the aid reduces his or her Purchase Rating by 1.

Losing Wealth.
Any time a character purchases an object or service with a 14-purchase modifier higher than his or her current Purchase Rating the character’s Purchase Rating goes down. How much the Purchase Rating is reduced depends on how expensive the object is. Given the differences between the 10-purchase modifier of a object or service when the PC makes her Purchase Check and manages to buy it she looses half that difference (rounded up) from her Purchase Rating.

Purchase Rating of 3.
A character’s Purchase Rating can never decrease to less than 3. If a character’s Purchase Rating is 3, the character doesn’t have the buying power to purchase any object or service that has a Purchase Modifier 0 or lower, and she can’t take her time. Also, it always takes a number of hours equal to the 10-purchase modifier of the object or service.

Regaining Purchase Rating.
A character’s Purchase recovers at a rate of 1pt every month if the character does not make any Purchase Checks. This can be accelerated for every point the character makes her monthly job check.

Wealth Awards.
Adventuring may result in characters finding valuable items. In such cases, the benefit translates into a Purchase Rating award.

Selling Stuff.
To sell something, a character first needs to determine its sale value. Assuming the object is undamaged and in working condition, the sale value is equal to the object’s purchase modifier (as if purchased new) minus 1.
Selling an object can provide an increase to a character’s Purchase Rating. The increase is the same amount as the Purchase Rating loss the character would experience if the character purchased an object with a purchase modifier equal to the sale value.
Regardless of the character’s current Purchase Rating, he or she gains a Purchase Rating increase of 1 whenever the character sells an object with a sale value of -2 or lower. If A character sells an object with a sale value less than or equal to his or her current Purchase Rating, and that sale value is -1 or higher, the character gains nothing.
A character cannot legally sell restricted objects unless the character is licensed to own them (without repercussion or going into some trouble). A character also cannot legally sell objects that have been reported as stolen (same as the former). Selling objects illegally usually requires that the character have contacts in the black market, and reduces the sale value by an additional –1 penalty. Selling takes a number of hours equal to the normal 10-purchase modifier of the item.

Purchase Rating to Monetary value.
Starting with $1 = +10 purchase rating modifier work your way down while increasing the monetary value by 50% (use the range and speed pattern: 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, (repeating) 15, 20, 30 etc.)

It would look something like what it is below.

$1…………+10………$100k…………-20
$1.5……..+9…………$150k…………-21
$2…………+8…………$200k…………-22
$3…………+7…………$300k…………-23
$5…………+6…………$500k…………-24
$7…………+5…………$700k…………-25

Examples:
A TL8 SUV is PM (purchase modifier) -17
A TL6 Sedan is PM-14 (an average person can purchase it only with really good financing or big load-IOW taking time x30)
A TL7 Bussiness Jet PM-32 (multi millionaire has a 37% of affording it or certainly get it with good financing-IOW taking time x4)

Still in its draft form (still have to make some corrections)

[trappedslider]

Originally Posted by nik1979

GURPS WEALTH

Every character has a Purchase Rating that reflects her buying power—a composite of income, credit rating, contacts and savings. A character’s Purchase Rating serves as the basis of the character’s Purchasing Power, which is used to buy equipment and services for the character.

Purchase Rating.
To determine a character’s starting Purchase Rating, take her Wealth Level as the base rating. Then add The Character’s TL modifier to the and Job Prerequisite Modifier.

Base Purchase Rating per Wealth level
Poor 10
Struggling 12
Average 15
Comfortable 17
Wealthy 20
Very Wealthy 25
Filthy Rich 30
Every level Multi Millionaire +10*
*round down

Prerequisite Modifier.
Compare the Skill the PC uses on her job and the job’s skill requirement (if no level is given, it defaults to 10). If the PC’s skill is greater, she gains that difference as a bonus to her Purchase Rating, if the PC’s skill is less she gains that difference as a penalty to her Purchase rating.

Over the course of play, the PC’s Purchasing Rating will decrease as the PC procures expensive items and increase as the PC gain money through play.
A character’s Purchase Rating can never fall below 3, and there is no limit to how high the Purchase Rating can climb.
Since Wealth is an abstract concept, it’s sometimes difficult to determine how financially well off a character is. To get a general sense of how financially solvent a character is at any given time, check the table below.

Purchasing Equipment.
Purchase checks are used to determine what characters can afford and what gear they might reasonably have access to. Every character has a Purchase Rating that reflects his or her buying power. Every object and service has a purchase modifier. To purchase an object, make a Purchase check and add the Purchase Modifier.

The Purchase Check.
A Purchase Check is just like a skill check. The Purchase Rating is fluid. It increases as a character gains Wealth and decreases as the character makes purchases.

If the character succeeds on the Purchase, the character gains the object. If the character fails, he or she can’t afford the object at the time.
If the character’s current Purchase Rating is equal to or greater than the 10-Purchase Modifier, the character automatically succeeds.
If the character successfully purchases an object or service with a 10-Purchase Modifier that’s higher than her current Purchase Rating, the character’s Purchase Rating decreases.

Shopping and Time.
Buying less common objects generally takes a number of hours equal to the 10-Purchase Modifier of the object or service, reflecting the time needed to locate the wanted materials and close the deal. Getting a license or buying an object with a License Rating increases the time needed to make purchases by 9-Licence Rating days.

Taking Time.
The character can take her time in a Purchase Check, allowing her to get the proper financing, better deal or waiting for the best time to buy.
Also, there is a penalty for spending beyond a character’s means. Whenever a character buys an object that has a 10-Purchase Modifier higher than his or her current Purchase Rating, the character’s Purchase Rating decreases (see below).

Try Again?
A character can try again if he or she fails a Purchase check, but not until the character has spent an additional number of hours shopping equal to the 10-Purchase Modifier of the object or service.

Aid Another.
One other character can make an aid another attempt to help a character purchase an object or service. If the attempt is successful, that character provides the purchaser with a +1 bonus on his or her Wealth check. The character who provides the aid reduces his or her Purchase Rating by 1.

Losing Wealth.
Any time a character purchases an object or service with a 14-purchase modifier higher than his or her current Purchase Rating the character’s Purchase Rating goes down. How much the Purchase Rating is reduced depends on how expensive the object is. Given the differences between the 10-purchase modifier of a object or service when the PC makes her Purchase Check and manages to buy it she looses half that difference (rounded up) from her Purchase Rating.

Purchase Rating of 3.
A character’s Purchase Rating can never decrease to less than 3. If a character’s Purchase Rating is 3, the character doesn’t have the buying power to purchase any object or service that has a Purchase Modifier 0 or lower, and she can’t take her time. Also, it always takes a number of hours equal to the 10-purchase modifier of the object or service.

Regaining Purchase Rating.
A character’s Purchase recovers at a rate of 1pt every month if the character does not make any Purchase Checks. This can be accelerated for every point the character makes her monthly job check.

Wealth Awards.
Adventuring may result in characters finding valuable items. In such cases, the benefit translates into a Purchase Rating award.

Selling Stuff.
To sell something, a character first needs to determine its sale value. Assuming the object is undamaged and in working condition, the sale value is equal to the object’s purchase modifier (as if purchased new) minus 1.
Selling an object can provide an increase to a character’s Purchase Rating. The increase is the same amount as the Purchase Rating loss the character would experience if the character purchased an object with a purchase modifier equal to the sale value.
Regardless of the character’s current Purchase Rating, he or she gains a Purchase Rating increase of 1 whenever the character sells an object with a sale value of -2 or lower. If A character sells an object with a sale value less than or equal to his or her current Purchase Rating, and that sale value is -1 or higher, the character gains nothing.
A character cannot legally sell restricted objects unless the character is licensed to own them (without repercussion or going into some trouble). A character also cannot legally sell objects that have been reported as stolen (same as the former). Selling objects illegally usually requires that the character have contacts in the black market, and reduces the sale value by an additional –1 penalty. Selling takes a number of hours equal to the normal 10-purchase modifier of the item.

Purchase Rating to Monetary value.
Starting with $1 = +10 purchase rating modifier work your way down while increasing the monetary value by 50% (use the range and speed pattern: 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, (repeating) 15, 20, 30 etc.)

It would look something like what it is below.

$1…………+10………$100k…………-20
$1.5……..+9…………$150k…………-21
$2…………+8…………$200k…………-22
$3…………+7…………$300k…………-23
$5…………+6…………$500k…………-24
$7…………+5…………$700k…………-25

Examples:
A TL8 SUV is PM (purchase modifier) -17
A TL6 Sedan is PM-14 (an average person can purchase it only with really good financing or big load-IOW taking time x30)
A TL7 Bussiness Jet PM-32 (multi millionaire has a 37% of affording it or certainly get it with good financing-IOW taking time x4)

Still in its draft form (still have to make some corrections)

Sounds almost like a covertition of the wealth system from d20 modern

[nik1979]

Originally Posted by trappedslider

Sounds almost like a covertition of the wealth system from d20 modern

Oh yeah it is. But i can't seem to make it work better. I know TL is supposed to affect this (since it affects earning and starting wealth) and i don't know what tweeks this thing needs as of yet.

[NeverCool]

We had a discussion like that loooong ago on the maillist (with 'we' I mean myself and the two other people who gave a damn... times were tough back then...), even before D20 existed. I ended up using an alternate Status (Credit Rating) and simply doing Reaction checks. This also allows weaving in negotiation checks, like Merchant, Savior Faire, or even Intimidation, depending on how you are negotiating with the buyer/seller.

In retrospect, I'm surprised it wasn't abused heavily by the players, considering that there was no 'loss' of wealth involved; buy the same trinket a 1000 times, and your Credit Rating remains the same. I guess you could simply state that a success gives you a clean trade when buying, but every 3 levels of failure means that to get the thingie, you must sacrifice 1 level of Credit Rating. OTOH, when selling, every 3 levels of success might raise it 1 (on second thought, that one has to be thought more about, or it makes selling small things a gold mine!).


EDIT: Think I solved that bug... Cheap things get a bonus when trying to buy, right? So... that bonus becomes a penalty when selling, because it gets tougher making any serious money off of it. A positive Credit Rating also becomes a penalty; the more you have, the harder it is to make enough money to really make a difference. Price Penalties and negative Credit Rating (debt?) becomes a bonus when selling - expensive things are what really boost your net value, and it is easy to make a difference in a poor man's budget with just a few bucks.

Still, half of this remains theory.

[Anders]

Originally Posted by nik1979

Oh yeah it is. But i can't seem to make it work better. I know TL is supposed to affect this (since it affects earning and starting wealth) and i don't know what tweeks this thing needs as of yet.

Add TL to the roll. On a critical failure, lose one wealth level.