Rather than requiring the players to track all the mundane day-to-day expenses for their character, the Adventure Guide may allow each character to pay a set amount each month to cover the cost of a chosen Lifestyle. This monthly payment covers rent, food, drink, entertainment, taxes, mundane clothing, household items, basic transportation, and any other expenses incurred AS part of the character’s daily life.
Lifestyle Levels #
The amount the character pays each month depends on their desired Lifestyle. Simple Lifestyles cost very little, while lavish Lifestyles are quite expensive. The Lifestyles Table lists the available Lifestyles and the monthly cost, AS well AS examples of the types of people who might live that Lifestyle in the typical European medieval fantasy game world. The table also includes the Action Score used when making Lifestyle Checks.
Lifestyles #
| Lifestyle | Cost/Month | AS | Examples |
| Destitute | 0 SP | 1 | beggars, urchins |
| Poor | 50 SP | 2 | peasant farmers, indentured servants, apprentices, unskilled laborers |
| Modest | 100 SP | 3 | minor merchants, skilled laborers, successful farmer, religious acolytes |
| Middle-Class | 1000 SP | 6 | successful merchants, members of the clergy, common knights, local leaders (mayor, sheriff, etc.) |
| Upper-Class | 2000 SP | 8 | wealthy merchants, high ranking clergy (high priest), landed knights |
| Noble | 5000 SP | 12 | members of the Peerage (duke, countess, marquess, baroness, etc.), elite members of the clergy (cardinal) |
| Royal | 10,000 SP or more | 15 | monarchs, heads of powerful religions (pope) |
Paying Lifestyle Costs #
Lifestyle costs are paid at the start of the month. This covers the character’s expenses for the following month, or if your game world doesn’t have standard months, for about 30 days. If the character cannot make the payment, they may continue to live at their current Lifestyle, but at the start of the next month, they must pay both the missed payment and make the payment for the new month.
If they are unable to pay the doubled payment, they may go one more month without paying, but at the start of the third month they must pay triple the normal cost to cover the new month and the missed months. In addition, the character has incurred a debt equal to triple the normal cost of their Lifestyle. It is up to the Adventure Guide to determine what this means to the character, and it might lead to a special Encounter or even an Adventure.
If the character still cannot make the payment at the start of the third month, they must drop their Lifestyle to something they can afford and pay the appropriate cost. In addition, AS described previously, they’ve incurred a debt, except in this case they owe four-times their old Lifestyle’s cost.
A character may choose to lower their Lifestyle at any time.
Lifestyle Checks #
The Lifestyle payment covers the character’s mundane expenses, but if an extraordinary mundane cost comes up, the Adventure Guide might call for a Lifestyle Check. Examples include a wedding, a fancy party, replacing a building or vehicle, or taking a major journey. Rather than paying for the special purchase directly, the Adventure Guide may ask the player to make a Lifestyle Check. Anything related to the character’s life AS an adventurer however, including armor, weapons, and magic items, must be paid for individually.
Lifestyle Checks use the standard rules for Action Checks described in Chapter 2: Action Checks and Challenges. The Adventure Guide selects a Difficulty Score based on how costly, exotic, or elaborate the expense is. The Action Score is based on the character’s Lifestyle AS shown on the Lifestyles table. On a successful Lifestyle Check, the character’s Lifestyle covers the cost of the special expense. No additional expenditure is required. On a failed Lifestyle Check, the character doesn’t have enough disposable income and must find another way to pay the expense. The Adventure Guide should only allow this type of Lifestyle Check once or twice a year in game time.
If the players and Adventure Guide don’t want to spend time in the game buying mundane items for their adventures, such AS winter gear for a journey into the high mountains or a fancy outfit for the royal ball, the Adventure Guide may allow the characters to make Lifestyle Checks to acquire the items. The Difficulty Score for such a purchase is typically quite low, rarely going above Difficulty Score 6. On a success, the character has the item. On a failure, they must go out and purchase it normally. For both types of Lifestyle Checks, the Adventure Guide should add Benefits to the Action Score for circumstances that make the character more likely to succeed. For instance, a character that is a tailor will have an easier time getting a new coat than a miner. On the other hand, the Adventure Guide should apply Drawbacks to the Difficulty Score AS appropriate, such AS finding winter clothes in a desert or hosting a lavish wedding during a time of war.