Money-to-point comparison/conversion

[Stormcrow]

Originally Posted by GodBeastX

But if I was his GM I'd rob him of that 1000$ somehow IC. -25 points is a HUGE disadvantage for someone to just mitigate once play starts. There's talk all over the forums about people taking disadvantages (Such as that) without the negative circumstances.

You mean circumstances like being constantly harassed by law enforcement? Having to beg or steal just to pay your Cost of Living? Not having any connections in the economic world should the need arise? Suffering from the severe reaction penalties of your low Status—whatever it is you can manage to maintain, probably -2? And so on... All this isn't worth the 25 points? These things will continue if the character has cash and remains Dead Broke.

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by Cybren

Kind of like having Anti Plot-Protection?

Interesting take. Yeah, kind of like selling the right to keep your stuff. Signature Gearless. Or perhaps you could look at it as Pact (poverty) on your 25 CP; rather than lose some Advantage if you don't keep the Pact, you lose the CP you got from the Disad.

[Culture20]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow

You mean circumstances like being constantly harassed by law enforcement?

Which is another disadvantage: Social Stigma or Status

Having to beg or steal just to pay your Cost of Living?

$100 for Status -2 (again, a separate disad). Without a status disad, it's $600. Still very doable for a beggar or pickpocket.

Not having any connections in the economic world should the need arise? Suffering from the severe reaction penalties of your low Status—whatever it is you can manage to maintain, probably -2? And so on... All this isn't worth the 25 points? These things will continue if the character has cash and remains Dead Broke.

If the only disadvantage the character has is Dead Broke, and the GM conspires to always remove any money, he'll never afford his $600 per month and will die of malnutrition and exposure. If the GM lets the character keep his money (and spend it on the $600), then the two detriments the character still has from Dead Broke are the lack of economic connections (better jobs, etc), and the lack of the initial starting funds.
Frankly, starting funds need to be divorced from wealth so that characters can be a Poor street thief that quickly strikes it rich or a superhero whose day job pays well but life finds a way to always leave him Chronically Struggling.

[fifiste]

+1 to separation needed.
What if i want to start the game as someone moderately respected with good credit hsitory and steady job - who just prior to the campaign just happended to lose mos tof his posessions. Or vice versa someone who has a multimillionaire amount of posessions but no legit connections or nice reputation - in fact the IRS/FBI/NSA and what have you are just about to kick in the doors of my drug mansion. Better take my suitcases of money to my private airplane fast.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by fifiste

+1 to separation needed.
What if i want to start the game as someone moderately respected with good credit hsitory and steady job - who just prior to the campaign just happended to lose mos tof his posessions. Or vice versa someone who has a multimillionaire amount of posessions but no legit connections or nice reputation - in fact the IRS/FBI/NSA and what have you are just about to kick in the doors of my drug mansion. Better take my suitcases of money to my private airplane fast.

Relevant to converting points to cash and separating buy-one-receive-regularly-from-now-on influx of cash from the lump sum given at start or any other moment when points are spent:
The value of either depends on campaign length. A 10-year campaign has way more use for job income than a 1-month one. In the latter, just buying money/gear directly is commonly an outrageously better deal, particularly with Signature Gear.

[fifiste]

What is the most RAW way in the current system to start with a character who has no starting possessions to speaks of but is still able to get and entry level service job without first paying points for the latter? Just fiat - or is there some possible trickery - maybe schroedingers advantage :D ?

[Stormcrow]

Originally Posted by fifiste

What is the most RAW way in the current system to start with a character who has no starting possessions to speaks of but is still able to get and entry level service job without first paying points for the latter?

Average Wealth [0] and first act is "I donate all my possessions to charity."

[fifiste]

I'd thinkt that a starting point like that is somewhat of a handicap and worth some points though. Price this lost money as per getting money for points only negative? Or price according to debt?

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by fifiste

I'd thinkt that a starting point like that is somewhat of a handicap and worth some points though. Price this lost money as per getting money for points only negative? Or price according to debt?

Totally unofficially, I'd say that losing access to the Base Starting Wealth (assuming the character has Average Wealth!) is worth [-2]. Or [-1] for starting with half. That compares to SiG.

Pricing it at [-10] per whole base starting wealth is unfair: it compares to the [-10] for having Struggling Wealth as a permanent effect.

[WingedKagouti]

I would price it lower than what you'd get from Trading Points for Money.

a) The other players or NPCs can lend you any vital equipment needed for a task without penality.
b) It's a very temporary disadvantage that only has any gameplay effect for the first few sessions.

I would at most let this be a -5 point Disadvantage and possibly no more than a Quirk for anything but a short campaign. If the campaign is a short one, then it's very similar to Dead Broke.