DF: Suggestions for PCs wanting to purchase permanent base?

[tbone]

Somewhere in the DF series is a a set of suggestions for PCs wanting to purchase a house or other base in town (rather than living forever at the inn). Just a sidebar, I think; nothing complex.

Or so my memory tells me; I can't find any such thing now. Does this ring a bell with anyone? (Maybe it was in Pyramid somewhere?)

[Christopher R. Rice]

GURPS Dungeon Fantasy: Caverntown, p. 28.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Or What's in a Lair, Pyramid #3/86: Organizations, p. 4

[Hide]

Also there is GURPS Power Ups 2: Perks, p.17.

[tbone]

Thanks! The Caverntown writeup is what I was thinking of (but the perk and the detailed Pyramid writeup are good to know about too).

I suppose this Caverntown option can be transplanted to any DF campaign. Seems like an amazing deal - $10k per adventurer for a permanent, paid-for residence (plus hired help!), with no upkeep costs; for someone living at the inn ($150 x 52 weeks = $7800), it's an investment that pays for itself in just a year and a few months.

Then again, that's a cheap investment compared to an inn existence, which has got to be an expensive - it's living and eating at a hotel. And PCs don't pay for an inn 52 weeks a year anyway, of course; they go out and adventure.

So how good a deal that Caverntown home is depends on some things, but the rule looks like a great simple way to handle DF PCs who want a base of their own.

Thanks!

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by tbone

I suppose this Caverntown option can be transplanted to any DF campaign. Seems like an amazing deal - $10k per adventurer for a permanent, paid-for residence (plus hired help!), with no upkeep costs; for someone living at the inn ($150 x 52 weeks = $7800), it's an investment that pays for itself in just a year and a few months.

As someone who doesn't have that particular book, this strikes me as interesting. Are the upkeep costs and servant wages (normally covered by Cost of Living) just something this option ignores for simplicity, or do residences come with self-repairing servant golems (or whatever) and a self-replenishing food and water source? Or does the company that sold the residence cover all that, essentially gambling that the delver will meet an unfortunate end in short enough order for them to resell and turn a profit (all right there in the fine print - "Should the Resident be absent from the Residence for a continuous period of 30 days, or declared deceased and not raised within 10 days of declaration, whichever event occurs sooner, the Residence shall immediately return to the ownership of Delverhomes LLC.")?

[the_matrix_walker]

The Headquarters rules in Supers has some great content that you may find useful.

[Kromm]

Based on real-life averages for 2021 where I live:

To live at a hotel would cost me C$55,115/year. That's just a smallish, not-great room where I might be mugged. If I want a bigger room or any degree of luxury, go with C$110,595/year.

No food is included . . . for that, if I am not being fancy but I am paying at a restaurant rather than cooking, it's C$14,600/year, and I'm eating a lot of fast food and donuts. If I want something that won't stop my heart eventually, it's at least C$23,542/year.

And that's "dry." If I'm having beers like an adventurer, add C$4,380/year for the cheapest option and no excess drinking. If I'm drinking wine like a more refined delver, or just drinking too much beer, count on C$10,700/year.

So, my annual cost of living "at the inn" where I live would be C$74,095 to C$144,837.

I'd rather not reveal what I earn in a year, but let's just say that these are multiples greater than one but less than three of that . . . and that's all the money I earn, before tax, for everything in my life. Totaling up rent, food, and utilities, I pay less than 1/4 of the lower figure. And honestly, even that fraction is high because I left in pharmacy expenses, insurance, and telecommunications, which aren't part of the "inn" package.

So, I get a six-room apartment with lots of storage, all my food and drink, plus extras for less than 1/4 of what I'd pay for a single room and bad food "at the inn." Were I to be snobby about the food and lodging, and try to replicate the space and food quality I prefer, that fraction would be "less than 1/8."

Thus, I think the Caverntown figure is still piratical profiteering on the part of local businesses. Call this the "murdering and looting tax." About the only thing that justifies it is the relatively safe storage and presence of professional facilities for the delvers' jobs . . . which I hasten to add are included in my real-world apartment.

On an even more "meta" level, how many campaigns actually run for long enough that a year of lodgings becomes a serious concern? And of those that do, how many long-running campaigns don't quickly see the PCs becoming so wealthy that no fair price would be a serious challenge to their finances?

The "correct" way to look at it is that a home is a one-time $10,000/person cash grab the GM can use to adjust overgenerous loot.

[benz72]

Originally Posted by Kromm

The "correct" way to look at it is that a home is a one-time $10,000/person cash grab the GM can use to adjust overgenerous loot.

To generalize, what other perks/advantages available for purchase?

Keys to the City - Allows the delvers to avoid tolls (but NOT Taxes) at gates and bridges and to be let in at any time of night.

Deputy - perk bonus for dealing with the guard and king's men. They will react one level more favorably than normal. Lost if convicted of a crime. (Potentially also explained as some kind of Benevolent Guardsman's Association donation)

My Neighborhood - Bribes to/Hired threats against members of the local underworld have allowed you to establish a territory. They will not disturb your activities there without provocation or expectation of retaliation.

Letter of Marque and Reprisal - You are authorized to conduct quasi-military operations against enemies of the government with your government's backing. grants political and legal cover in civilized conflicts.

Guild Privilege - You have filled out the necessary forms and paid the required fees to form your own guild of some kind. You have the authority to set rules and standards within the scope of your profession.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Kromm

The "correct" way to look at it is that a home is a one-time $10,000/person cash grab the GM can use to adjust overgenerous loot.

From this, I'll take it that "ignored for simplicity" was the basic idea here, although I do like the idea that it's all run by someone gambling on the idea whoever buys the residence will likely be dead soon enough that it can just keep being resold over and over, making more money than renting it out to adventurers would.