Wealth level for the wandering adventurer?

[Cheomesh]

Something I've always kind of glossed over; if you're making a new "traditional" style wandering adventurer, what should their Wealth be? It's going to change constantly - should it just be kept "average" and left alone? I'd thought to use it to reflect what background they came from before the adventurer, but I'd like to see how you guys do it.

M.

[Anthony]

I don't allow wealth advantages or disadvantages in campaigns where wealth is expected to change rapidly.

[Refplace]

COuld be anything really. Struggling adventurer.
Wealthy high profile one, called in for specific jobs.

[trooper6]

Originally Posted by Cheomesh

Something I've always kind of glossed over; if you're making a new "traditional" style wandering adventurer, what should their Wealth be? It's going to change constantly - should it just be kept "average" and left alone? I'd thought to use it to reflect what background they came from before the adventurer, but I'd like to see how you guys do it.

M.

Their *wealth* shouldn't be changing constantly. The amount of cash they have on hand at any given time and some of their gear...but that isn't Wealth. This has been discussed a lot on the boards over time, but Wealth isn't the same thing as cash. Wealth is about your place within economic systems and your ability to stay at any given position.

Studies have shown that really poor people who win the lottery generally end up being poor again because they don't know how to Be and Maintiain Wealthiness. They have cash, but not Wealth. A Multimillionaire who goes bankrupt still has connections and credit ratings and knowledge and cronies who will get him or her back to Wealthiness...which isn't the same for a Poor or Struggling person.

Is your wandering adventurer a low born sellsword? Or a high born noble? For most of history, especially in pseudo-medieval fantasy, those people are not in anyway interchangeable even if both are out in the field adventuring.

[C4lv1n]

Originally Posted by trooper6

Their *wealth* shouldn't be changing constantly. The amount of cash they have on hand at any given time and some of their gear...but that isn't Wealth. This has been discussed a lot on the boards over time, but Wealth isn't the same thing as cash. Wealth is about your place within economic systems and your ability to stay at any given position.

Studies have shown that really poor people who win the lottery generally end up being poor again because they don't know how to Be and Maintiain Wealthiness. They have cash, but not Wealth. A Multimillionaire who goes bankrupt still has connections and credit ratings and knowledge and cronies who will get him or her back to Wealthiness...which isn't the same for a Poor or Struggling person.

Is your wandering adventurer a low born sellsword? Or a high born noble? For most of history, especially in pseudo-medieval fantasy, those people are not in anyway interchangeable even if both are out in the field adventuring.

There is a skit by Chris Rock that explains this rather well, and you're right on the ball. (I was going to say right on the money but that would be risking a lynching)

[Celjabba]

Unmodified wealth, as other said, is 2 part:
-the money and lifestyle stuff you start the game with.
-plot protection on your place in society and the incomes and lifestyle available to you (along with status and rank)

If cash is the only measure of a character wealth,
and/or if the campaign don't use job, income and cost of living rules
don't use the wealth rules, or modify them.
This was done, for example, in Gurps:Dungeon fantasy, where wealth in game only represent what percentage of an item price a character can get from a merchant.

In a game when wealth matter, simple fluctuation in cash won't (immediately) affect wealth level.

Some GM may also make sure that a character with low wealth who got lots of cash will lose that cash sooner or later, from taxes, theft, mistakes, low-merchant skills, impulse purchases, generous donations or whatever fit the background of the character.

Hope this help

Celjabba

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by trooper6

...
Studies have shown that really poor people who win the lottery generally end up being poor again because they don't know how to Be and Maintiain Wealthiness. They have cash, but not Wealth. A Multimillionaire who goes bankrupt still has connections and credit ratings and knowledge and cronies who will get him or her back to Wealthiness...which isn't the same for a Poor or Struggling person.
...

That isn't what wealth means in gurps terms. That would be having disadvantages related to impulsive buying and lack of even default economics and budgeting. Your rich person has contacts and allies which he should have paid for aside from any wealth.

I'm dirt poor for reasons completely unrelated to my ability to save and manage money.

[Captain-Captain]

Originally Posted by Cheomesh

Something I've always kind of glossed over; if you're making a new "traditional" style wandering adventurer, what should their Wealth be? It's going to change constantly - should it just be kept "average" and left alone? I'd thought to use it to reflect what background they came from before the adventurer, but I'd like to see how you guys do it.

M.

I'd rather treat wealth as a pure advantage. You're getting extra money not earned in actual play. Poor incomes aren't much nof an advantage but still outside money.

I'd break it into two parts: Extra starting cash & Stipend which comes in regularly. You can make stipend a salary by requiring work.

What you make in play costs 0 CP. A GM who puts a 2 hp dragon next to ten tons of gold deserves what he gets.

[starslayer]

In my own game to further systemize the effects that wealth have on a character- I stopped actually awarding 'money' and started awarding 'X's- where an X represented 1/12 of your basic starting wealth. One of my players absolutely hated the concept, another was so so- the rest felt it was a great way to represent things.

The idea behind it is- when you do a job for the duke; he does not give you a crushing amount of gold coins (if currency even actually exists); but instead gives you some small pocket-able items that have worth.

The dead broke person can't convince anyone that the jewels are real and/or not stolen- so can trade them for a warm meal and wash of that single set of clothes it owns.

The poor person can convince people the jewels are real or not stolen, or at least WELL stolen, however they don't have access to ways to liquidate the item well, and gets 1/5 the items value in trade goods/property etc. (IE the things they want), due to 'assurances', brokerage fees and the like.

The normal person is able to go to a jeweller in the city, and have a writ of worth given for the value of the item, which they can then exchange for goods and services in connected merchants with minimal overhead (get items actual value).

The wealthy individual can convince others of the value of the item having come from the DUKE, and has the contacts to avoid brokerage fees altogether (getting 2x the value).

The very wealthy individual can liquidate the item from there own assets, and then there vassals sell it when it's value peaks at a later date, as well they can avoid all brokerage fees as a result (getting 5x the items value)

So on and so forth up to multimillionare.

So when the duke pays you, he does not pay $200 gold coins. He pays 'richly rewarded', a collection of gems, jewlery, perhaps even a written favour, a plaque, a song composed by his personal bard- things that most certainly have value, but not a cut and dry value.

Of course the complaint was 'well my character can just hold on to the item and sell it later- so he should be able to get the very wealthy reward- to which my response was 'if your character has the knowledge and wherewithal to do so- then they are actually very wealthy, with a temporarily reduced money.'

[trooper6]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

That isn't what wealth means in gurps terms. That would be having disadvantages related to impulsive buying and lack of even default economics and budgeting. Your rich person has contacts and allies which he should have paid for aside from any wealth.

I'm dirt poor for reasons completely unrelated to my ability to save and manage money.

Kromm has said numerous time that GURPS wealth is about your ability to keep and maintain credit, connections, etc.

http://forums.sjgames.com/showpost.p...9&postcount=41
http://forums.sjgames.com/showpost.p...5&postcount=72
http://forums.sjgames.com/showpost.p...5&postcount=91
http://forums.sjgames.com/showpost.p...4&postcount=25

For Kromm, Wealth is a *social* advantage.