Post/Author/DateTime	Post
danielmayer 09-08-07, 11:06 AM	Hi, all! Do you know any source where the starting gold is dependend on social status? The class-dependend starting gold in PHB does not conform my image of economics.... I know of good old Mystara the tabels of "pennyless", "struggling", "comfortable", "wealthy", "very wealthy" and "royality". combining them with the merchants classes of another Mystaran book, I think about this: pennyless: 10 gp. This gold represents your parents lifetime savings. "gold" was your whole lifetime a color you seldom saw. You think twice before buying even food in an inn. You start with old and clearly worn, cheap clothing for comfortable temperatures. struggling: 2d4*10 gp. Your parents have been working long and hard to give you a starting for your own life. They work as temporary staff in private households, building sites, etc. They even may be employed in larger household staffs but only in very low positions (cleaning, serving). You own enough to get your food and cheap but tended clothing. But even here: Your money is money your family will miss. comfortable: 3d6*10 gp. Your familiy has a secured life. One or both of your parents work in solid jobs as guards, farmers or craftsmen (e.g. blacksmith). Your familiy earned enough to give every leaving child this money as starting money without suffering from its loss. Your wear well-tended clothing, good boots, and even some cheap jewelry, perhaps (copper, silver). wealthy: roll d%: 01-50: 3d8*10 gp 51-70: 3d10*10 gp 71-100: 3d12*10gp You come from a wealthy house of merchants, successful farmers, rich craftsmen (e.g. jeweler) or even of low nobility. You don't need to have bad thoughts about taking the money and try your luck. They won't miss it. You may even have first moods of being spoiled. You wear fine and expensive clothing according to actual fashion. Some jewelry and a second/third complete outfit are at your disposal. Perhaps you carry a large bag with you. Leaving home isn't done without some necessities. very wealthy: roll d%: 01-50: 3d8*10 gp 51-80: 3d10*10 gp 81-98: 3d12*10 gp 99,100: 3d20*10 gp Your family is rich. You are rich. Your sister is rich. No problems. Rich merchants, a large mercantile clan, rich/high nobility, something putting money in your familys hand with or without working will exist. You have your own personal reason why you're out on adventuring. Fun? Maybe. Life at home was boring. In any PC-class you are, you most likely have all you need. Armor, weapons, spellbooks, spell components, whatever. Starting with good outfit is natural to you. But remember: families with influence have enemies. Maybe you didn't see them, but they're somewhere. royality: roll d%: 01-50: 3d10*10 gp 51-70: 3d20*10 gp 71-95: 6d20*10 gp 96-100: 9d20*10 gp Whatever your starting gold is: either your parents want you to learn about life and where money is coming from or only the first part. You are a prince, baron, perhaps even the young king, knowingly or not. You may had rich partens and do not know about titles? Most likely. Because most royal childs are in quite a danger. Use your money to get *safe* through some years, will you?
LittleCarp04 09-11-07, 06:52 PM	i like it but i dont see how it can work positively for the team, i mean when 2 characters are next to eachother one dirt poor and the other rich as hell dont you think there would be some sort of ill feelings?
The Simbul 09-11-07, 08:02 PM	Every Forgotten Realms character begins play with roughly 300gp worth of bonus equipment depending on their home region, in addition to starting gold. So no one is really dirt poor if they are an adventurer. As a DM I generally would be opposed to any option that gives someone a significant gameplay advantage (or disadvantage) over other players simply due to a bit of background information, without an equalizing in-game cost or penalty being in play as well. Normally if a character background involved a PC coming from the aristocratic class, I would rule that either A) The character's family has fallen on hard times (bankruptcy, besieged/looted family home and wealth, etc) and the character has set out with a band of adventurers to recover the family name, fortune, or avenge fallen relatives (think Nalia De'Arnise from Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn) B) The character has run off from home, and either left his/her former life with only meager possessions, or was simply robbed of any excessive wealth by common brigands shortly after his/her departure. C) The character has been disowned or otherwise financially cut off by the head of the noble house for bringing social disgrace on the family by choosing to go slumming around with adventurers. Alternatively, if additional wealth is a must have feature of the character, then I would resolve the inequality among characters in-game. For example, if you are a noble who decided to run around with commoner adventurers, then I would assume the rest of the party would cut short your share of treasure for the first few encounters (until you all have equal wealth totals), given that you are already "quite well off" as it is. Alternatively, when interacting with non-noble citizens you might receive a penalty to charisma based checks---or worse, you might begin with "unfriendly" as the initial NPC attitude instead of the standard "indifferent". A slightly less ad-hoc example would be to use the regional feat system to cover this issue. Using the Mercantile Background regional feat as an option, we can have the following alternative: Noble Blood [regional] You descend from a prosperous noble family in your region. Prerequisites: (insert race/subrace and associated regions here). Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus to Diplomacy and Knowledge (nobility and royalty) checks. In addition, you being play with an additional 300gp of starting equipment. Special: You may only take this feat at 1st level. You may only have one regional feat.
Suin Bahhar 09-12-07, 09:27 AM	Elegant feat. Consider it stolen.
LittleCarp04 09-12-07, 06:09 PM	yeah im totally ganking that feat, damn nice work!
MarkHall 09-12-07, 10:20 PM	Alternately, you might consider a Flaw, called Poor, where you only start with half the money by character class, and no bonus equipment. Not available past 1st level; if someone tries for it, I give them half WBL.
The Simbul 09-13-07, 04:40 AM	Elegant feat. Consider it stolen.yeah im totally ganking that feat, damn nice work!Thanks. However, it really did not require much creative energy on my part. I took 1/2 the benefit of Mercantile Background, and added the usual skill bonuses (with one being a sub-category) associated with either regional feats or their less-powerful core rules contemporaries (Acrobatic, Agile, Alertness, etc). In addition, there is a Noble Born feat in Dragon #333, as part of a fairly good article on playing characters from nobility. I partially used that feat as a baseline as well, as it gives bonuses to the same skills, but also lets you consider them as class skills and it grants a bonus to your leadership score (assuming you take Leadership at level 6+).
The Simbul 09-13-07, 04:44 AM	Alternately, you might consider a Flaw, called Poor, where you only start with half the money by character class, and no bonus equipment. Not available past 1st level; if someone tries for it, I give them half WBL.As long as you do not combine it with Vow of Poverty it could work. It may however make some classes less playable, even with the added feat. The Fighter is a bit more dependent on wealth than the Ranger or Barbarian, since the fighter may want to get the best armor possible, while latter two are at their best in light or medium armor. Likewise, a poor wizard may be a bit of an oxymoron, given that their spellbook at level one is worth 100gp + 100gp per spell level written within. However it could be that they only barely managed to pay for their apprenticeship or education, thus explaining the lack of (other) wealth.
MarkHall 09-13-07, 04:48 AM	Oh, hey, this reminds me of a PrC I made up a while ago. I was playing a Asimaar in a 1st level game, and talked the DM into my usual rule... you can play a +1 LA race, but you have to take your first level in an NPC class. So I took mine in Aristocrat, and started going with the idea of a noble character, and worked up a PrC for him. It intentionally starts low (after 3rd level), and would easily add the Nobility feat as a prereq (though I wouldn't; not everyone of noble background will have that feat). I eventually left the game, but I still have the PrC: The Noble PrC Requirements: Skills: Knowledge: Nobility 6 ranks, Diplomacy 6 ranks Special: Character must be a member of an exant noble family, which is still maintains a noble life-style, and have been raised as such. Hit Die: d8 Skills: 4 + Int per Level Class Skills: As Aristocrat BAB: 3/4 Saves: Will Good, others poor 1st Title of Nobility, Noble's Grace +1 2nd Bonus Feat 3rd 4th Leadership, Noble's Grace +2 5th Bonus Feat 6th 7th Born Leader +1, Noble's Grace +3 8th Bonus Feat 9th 10th Born Leader +2, Noble's Grace +4 11th Bonus Feat 12th 13th Born Leader +3, Noble's Grace +5 14th Bonus Feat 15th 16th Born Leader +4, Noble's Grace +6 17th Bonus Feat Class Features: Title of Nobility: This character has a minor title of nobility (Sir, Lady, Baron, Baroness, Baronet) and all of the attendant priveledges. They also have lands or other holdings or offices which grant them a stipend equal to a Diplomacy skill check *10 gold pieces per month, representing income from their holdings (this may be rents and fines paid, loans come due, an allowance from elder family members, or other such things). If the roll on the Diplomacy check is ever a 1, there has been some sort of mishap with the character's holdings, and all income for that month is lost (a drought, bandit raids against his caravans, or higher than usual costs associated with running the holdings). If three consecutive months go without the character recieving his stipend (i.e. three straight ones on the Diplomacy check), his holdings will cease to provide any income until he tends to them personally (though he will maintain his title, regardless). Noble's Grace: At the 1st level, and every 3 levels thereafter, the Noble gains the listed bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate, Knowledge: Nobility, and Sense Motive skill checks. Bonus Feat: Starting at 2th level, and every 3 levels thereafter, the Noble gains a bonus feat, from the following list. He must meet all requirements for the feat. These feats represent activities which nobles usually involve themselves, their duty to protect their realm, and their access to a broad education. Alertness, Animal Affinity, Blind-Fighting, Cleave, Cloak Dance (XPsi), Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Decietful, Diehard, Diligent, Dodge, Endurance, Far Shot, Great Fortitude, Improved Critical, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Initiative, Improved Shield Bash, Improved Trip, Investigator, Iron Will, Jack of All Trades, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Mounted Archery, Mounted Combat, Negotiator, Open-Minded (XPsi), Persuasive, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Power Critical, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, Ride-By-Attack, Skilll Focus (class skills only), Spring Attack, Superior Expertise, Track, Trample, Two-Weapon Fighting, Two-Weapon Defense, Weapon Finesse, and Weapon Focus. Leadership: At 4th level, the Noble automatically gains the leadership feat. Natural Leader: At 7th level, and every 3 levels thereafter, the Noble gains the listed bonus to his leadership score for the purpose of determining number and loyalty of followers. It does not affect the level of the Aristocrat's Cohort, but does aid in their loyalty.