POWERS THAT BE

Wealth 

 

A character’s wealth has the potential to be as important as their stats, aptitudes or even powers. In PtB wealth can be a transient thing, but not so much as in other systems. The player's wealth is determined by their wealth score, which is generally similar to a stat score. It is usually based on the position they were born to and/ or their real life profession. To that score the player adds other factors, usually in the forms of aptitudes like Heir or Monetize Skill. Though some powers may inherently grant a bonus. Adding the factors together is the character's total wealth score.

 

The total wealth score sets the maximum for the character’s wealth, similar to how wound and vitality scores work. Wealth can be lost and regained in various ways. Whether newly bought wealth points apply to the current wealth or just the maximum is better left to the Narrator as a house rule.

 

The character’s wealth score determines their spending power, be it normal day to day expenses or big splurge items. Purchases can be made a bit beyond their means, but this incurs a financial burden that is represented by the loss of wealth points. There are many ways to loose wealth, and also many ways to regain wealth.

 

A character’s wealth is an abstract number but it has real world value depending upon the era, for inflation and such. This affects the mundane aspects of spending, such as day to day expenses beyond the norm. The character’s living expenses are factored before the Daily Stipend and Weekly Splurge, though there are situational affects for characters that live above or below their means. These, however, should be the exception and most characters should be encouraged to live within their means. It is up to the Narrator to decide what this entails.

 

A character’s Daily Stipend is basically random expenses that don’t include the basics day to day expenses of someone of their means. This includes things such as buying random items or services that go in any way outside the norm. Some examples for an average person might be buying a few drinks for someone else, getting a deluxe car wash or buying a kid a basic sort of toy.

 

The Weekly Splurge is similarly self explanatory. This is a once a week expense that is outside the character’s daily expenses, but is not going to break the bank at all. For an average person this may be something like buying a round of drinks, getting the car a tune up, or buying a kid an elaborate toy.

 

When a character Dips into their Savings they temporarily burn Wealth points for expenditures beyond their normal purchasing power. The value of the item(s) they are able to get in this way is based on the wealth points spent and visa versa.