This system attempts to redress one of the major failings of the
standard Alternity rules. Trying to figure how many present-day
dollars a future dollar (or credit or universal coin or whatever) is worth
is bad enough, but having to run a budget for every character is even worse.
Table
G26: Social Status does suggest an amount of money a character
could be given each month, but unless the player is compelled to maintain
a lifestyle-upkeep budget the total funds will quickly grow too high.
This revised system totally eliminates the need to keep track of specifically
how much currency a characters has. However, it does require using
at least part of the basic Social Status
system explained on pages 106-108 of the Gamemaster Guide (and expanded
in a separate section on this web site).
Under these optional rules, the Cost statistic used throughout the Player's Handbook and Gamemaster Guide is no longer treated as a raw amount of currency. Rather, it is a "relative cost" for comparison purposes only. For example, a .38 revolver (PL 5) has a real-life value of around $300 US in 1999, but its "relative cost" is 100--meaning that it is generally worth one-third as much as 9mm pistol (from the same Progress Level). When comparing items from different Progress Levels, each lower Progress Level generally reduces an item's "relative cost" by one-half (e.g., in a PL 7 campaign a laser pistol would have a "relative cost" of 1,000 while a 7.62mm rifle from PL 5 would have a "relative cost" of 250). However, rare items (or items still in demand but out of production, like old ammunition) maintain their full "relative cost" (or perhaps even increase in value).
The Wealth statistic listed on Table G26: Social Status is not treated as a specific amount of currency the character earns each month, but rather reflects the total "relative cost" worth of items the character can conceivably purchase or rent at any given time. If it ever becomes essential to know how much "pocket cash" a character could get at any given time, one-half of the amount listed on the table can be used--for example, a character with Wealth 6 could get a hold of 1,500 "relative cost" worth of currency at any given time (in a PL 5 setting, using the .38 revolver example from above, that might translate to as much as $4,500 US).
Acquisition Skill Checks: When a character wishes
to acquire a new piece of property or equipment, the GM merely needs to
have him make a single skill check to determine whether he can find such
an item for a price he can afford at the current time. If a character
is trying to buy a large quantity of the item, or a number of different
items, the GM can either add the "relative costs" together for a total
sum or require a separate skill check for each purchase. Not every
purchase even requires a roll--if a character with Wealth 8 wants to buy
a single replacement clip for his 9mm pistol, assume he can automatically
(provided ammunition isn't rare or restricted in the campaign setting).
Acquisition skill checks should only be required for minor purchases if
the player is abusing the system (e.g., buying an ammunition clip in every
scene even though his character already is carrying a dozen of them).
Depending on the type of item being sought and the route which the character
is taking to buy the item, different skills can be used for the skill check:
|
|
|
| Business-Corporate | large-scale purchases like buildings, companies, or stocks |
| Business-Illicit business | buying illegal items like drugs or restricted weapons |
| Business-Small business | shopping at stores, markets, or local dealers |
| Administration-Bureaucracy | acquiring equipment through a requisition office or bureau |
| Interaction-Bargain | can be used to buy anything with a negotiable price |
If a character does not possess the appropriate specialty skill listed above, he can make the skill check using just the broad skill (at a +1 step penalty). If he does not even possess the broad skill, then he may be forced to make an untrained skill check (using one-half of the related ability score at a +1 step penalty). Alternatively, with GM permission, a character can use the Interaction broad skill at a +2 step penalty (instead of the normal +1) in place of any other specialty skill mentioned above.
Modifiers:
Item relative cost (or total relative cost) is 25% or less of the Wealth
amount on Table G26: -1
Item relative cost (or total relative cost) is 50% or less of the Wealth
amount on Table G26: 0
Item relative cost (or total relative cost) is 75% or less of the Wealth
amount on Table G26: +1
Item relative cost (or total relative cost) is 100% or less of the
Wealth amount on Table G26: +2
Item relative cost (or total relative cost) is up to 150% of the Wealth
amount on Table G26: +3
Item relative cost (or total relative cost) is up to 200% of the Wealth
amount on Table G26: +4
Character is attempting to buy expensive items less than a month after
a previous purchase: +1 to +4
Character is willing to forego multiple future acquisition checks for
a big purchase now:
-1 to -4
Item is very common and available without any restrictions:
-1
Item is commonly available with few limitations or restrictions:
0
Item is unusual, rare, controlled, or slightly illegal:
+1
Item is high-tech, unique, military, or very illegal:
+2
Item is futuristic, one-of-a-kind, restricted, or dangerously illegal:
+3
Item is illegal and the buyer also makes a Street Smart skill check
(CF/O/G/A):
+2/-1/-2/-3
Buyer uses Charm, Seduce, or Intimidate on the seller, as appropriate
(CF/O/G/A):
+2/-1/-2/-3
Buyer uses Bluff to swindle the seller, usually an illegal act (CF/O/G/A):
+2/-1/-2/-3
Buyer uses an appropriate Contact or Allegiance to help purchase the
item:
-2
Failure: If the character fails an acquisition skill check, it means that he cannot acquire the desired item for a price he can afford at this time. Perhaps the item is sold-out, or he simply cannot raise his credit limit high enough to buy the item. At another time, the GM can allow the character to repeat the acquisition skill check. Alternatively, the GM may allow the character to acquire a lesser but similar item even on a failure--perhaps the character can't find an Amazing-quality Shadow Form program for a price he can afford, but he can get an Ordinary-quality program. On a Critical Failure, the character is completely out of luck and cannot even get a lower-quality item.
Using Authority and Fame: It is possible to use high levels in the Social Status categories Authority and Fame to influence item acquisition. For every two levels in Authority or Fame (but not both, only one can be used) higher than his Wealth level, the character can temporarily increase his Wealth level by one for the purposes of making an acquisition skill check (e.g., a character with Wealth 6 and Authority 8 can use his higher Authority to acquire an item as if he had Wealth 7). This is only possible if the item being acquired reasonably relates to his Authority (for example, an item that could be used on the job) or Fame (for example, a posh mansion, an exclusive designer outfit, or party drugs). The down side is that the character does not personally own the item acquired--it is issued by the character's employer or agency in the case of Authority, or it is rented or borrowed in the case of Fame.
Selling Items: A character can also temporarily
increase his Wealth by selling old items. If the item is still usable
and in-demand, the GM may allow the character to make a Business or Interaction
skill check (as appropriate, depending on the type of item being sold).
If the item being sold depreciates over time (for example, guns or cars),
then the characters gets 10% of its "relative cost" on a Marginal success,
25% on an Ordinary success, 50% on Good, and 75% on Amazing. If the
item being sold appreciates in value (for example, art or real estate),
then the character gets 75% of its "relative cost" on a Marginal success,
100% on an Ordinary success, 125% on Good, and 150% on Amazing. On
a Critical Failure, the character cannot find a buyer and gets nothing.
The amount generated by the sale is temporarily added to the amount listed
under the character's Wealth level for the purposes of the next acquisition
skill check only (e.g., if a character with Wealth 6 sells an old vehicle
for 4,000, then he has an effective Wealth total of 7,000 "relative cost"
for his next acquisition check).