Rule Suggestion - Upkeep


Alpha Release 1 General Discussion

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Hey all,

The 3.5 DMG has the great idea of upkeep, but they make it a bit complicated, and offers no benefit for living high and mighty. I offer the following ...

VARIANT: UPKEEP
Instead of worrying about meal prices, lodging, replacing torn clothing, and other miscellaneous costs, as well as to represent the kinds of costs that turn up in daily life that aren’t reflected in the PHB, you can require each player to pay a monthly upkeep cost based on the lifestyle of the character.
The upkeep can be assumed to take into consideration every expense except the cost of specific adventuring equipment – even taxes. Ultimately, each player should choose the level of upkeep she’s willing to pay.

• Destitute (1 gp/mo): The homeless, mentally ill, and vagrant, street urchins and refugees. Destitute characters have a 10% per month of contracting filth fever, and suffer a -2 penalty to all Charisma checks.

• Poor (10 gp/mo): These commoners, warriors, adepts and experts live comfortably, but without luxury. Meals are simple, and they may occasionally treat themselves to a bottle of wine or some ale. Poor characters suffer a –1 penalty to all Charisma checks.

• Common (20 gp/mo): Regularly employed folk with some skills, earning at least 1gp per day. These are the lower class in urban areas and reasonably well off farmers or hunters in rural areas.

• Good (50 gp/mo): People who live reasonably well, living in a rented house, or on property handed down from their parents (minimum social class for anyone who has purchased property). They have quality food at every meal, and own a few changes of clothing. These people, which would include most clerics, paladins or wizards, may drink wine, and have hobbies, books, or minor affordable vices.

• Extravagant (200 gp/mo): If these folk see something they want, they buy it. They hold dinner parties and eat at the finest inns, and wear the most recent fashions and expensive jewelry at all times. People who live extravagantly almost certainly employ a personal servant (one henchman NPC Expert 1) and count as having Great Renown for the Leadership feat.

• Aristocratic (500 gp/mo): Known for their status and wealth, and ownership of property (of at least 120,000 gp). People who live among the aristocracy employ a staff of people (5 henchmen NPCs of any class, 1st level), and have great renown.

• Nobility (1000 gp/mo+): These people have been accepted into the highest social classes of their realm. They are property owners (of at least 750,000 gp). The nobility are always waited upon by servants (10 henchmen NPCs of any class, 1st level), and are considered to have great renown and special power.


Nice...

On what, may I ask, are you basing these costs on? I ask because the progression is quite awkward (D->P = x10; P->C = x2; and so on)


The only problem I see is that commoners make what, 1SP a month or something ridiculously low (from a PC/adventurer stand point of course). Other then that it looks fairly sound.

Scarab Sages

Actually, with the Profession and/or Craft RAW, 1 gp per month would not be too extreme for a "poor" standard of living.

But then again, the wealth rules in D&D are jacked anyway.


Great idea. I have a suggestion that might make Upkeep more used (at least with parties that rely on Charisma checks). Instead of henchmen and Great Renown, how about giving higher social classes bonuses on Charisma checks, like the penalties for the lower ones?


Not really a rule, just a campaign thing.

Have used simlar before. It could just go in one of those little blocks at the bottom of the page.

either way doesn't matter to me.


I'd suggest lowering the Self Sufficent, Meager, Poor and Common upkeep costs since the average common laborer earns 1 SP a day which is 3 GP a month.

IMO the average lifestyle of a common laborer should be Meager at 2 GP a month and Self Sufficient should be dropped down to 3 - 12 CP.

I would like to see poor lodging costs being comparable at 7 - 21 CP a day or 2 - 6 GP a month. (Sleeping on the floor at inns)

Common should be 8 - 24 GP a month. (Sharing a room with party members and possibly other travellers)

A typical noble like in Waterdeep City of Splendors receives 75 - 100 GP a month. 2 GP (15 - 30 SP) - 7 GP a day sounds about right for Good accomadations and meshes with the DMG.

Extravagent is 200 GP+ a month.

If the PCs are going to receive bonuses for their lifestyles they should also the occassional scrutiny of the local thieves. In most games PCs will be living Common or better.

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