Starting Wealth is determined by Tech Level
| TL | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Wealth |
$250 | $500 | $750 | $1k | $2k | $5k | $10k | $15k | $20k | $30k | $50k | $75k | $100k |
| Typical Monthly Pay[1][note 1] | $625 | $650 | $675 | $0.7k | $0.8k | $1.1k | $1.6k | $2.1k | $2.6k | $3.6k | $5.6k | $8.1k | $10.6k |
| Percentage of Starting Wealth | 250% | 130% | 90% | 70% | 40% | 22% | 16% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11.2% | 10.8% | 10.6% |
This multiplies average pay and pay range by the same multipliers Starting Wealth has from Wealth levels on B25. The number is not just a Starting Wealth Multiplier but also a Monthly Pay Modifier!
Wealth Level (also on B517) allows Finding a Job (B517) to earn higher salaries than TMPxWM. PCs who save up enough cash to reach the "starting wealth" level of the next wealth level are unable to spend Bonus Points on anything other than buying up their Wealth Level though.
Presumably the reverse is also true: a Wealthy person could earn less money by opting to take less money per hour, or by working fewer hours than the assumed 8hrs/day + 5days/week "40 hour work week".
Limitations of Concept[]
Since Starting Wealth is connected to Tech Level it doesn't handle things like inflation and regional differences. There is major difference between 1895 and 1935 in the United States even though they are both TL6. Similarly what would be comfortable in a city like Las Cruces, NM would be considered struggling in New York City, NY but wealthy in many "Third world" countries.
Classic GURPS[]
Many of the Classic GURPS books specified their setting's average Starting Wealth but there doesn't seem to any rhyme or reason to the values given. Most TL3 books (such as Middle Ages 1, and Vikings) have 4e starting wealth.
| Classic Book | TL | Setting Starting Wealth | 4e Starting Wealth | Year range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Age | 0 | 20 $kins (20 hours work) | $250 | 1.5million BCE to 10,000 BCE |
| Greece | 1 | $5,000 | $500 | 1750 to 1050 BCE; 1000 BCE to 323 BCE |
| Egypt | 2 | $500 | $750 | 3150 BCE to 30 BCE |
| Imperial Rome | 2 | None stated | $750 | 500 BCE to 476 CE |
| Celtic Myth | 2 | $1,000 | $750 | to 600 CE |
| Russia | 2 to 4 | $1,000 | $750 to $2,000 | 600 to 1725 |
| Aztecs | 2 (Weapons, 1; Spaniards, 4) | $1,000 | $750 | 1300 to 1521 |
| Vikings | 3 (far north 2, Vinland 0) | $1,000 | $1,000 (TL3) | 793 to 1347 |
| Japan | 3 (Northern wilderness, 1; transport, 2; metallurgy, 4) | $1,000 | $1,000 (TL3) | 1467 to 1868 |
| Middle Ages I | 3-4 | $1,000 | $1,000 (TL3) to $2,000 (TL4) | 1066 to 1485 |
| Age of Napoleon | 5 | $750 | $5,000 | 1769 to 1821 |
| Cliffhangers | 6 | $750 | $10,000 | ~1925 to 1939 |
| Old West 2e | 5-6 | $200 ($1000 in mining town) | $5,000-$10,000 | 1800 to 1900 |
| WWII | 6 | $1,500 | $10,000 | 1931 to 1945 |
| Atomic Horror | 7 | $3,000 | $15,000 | 1945 to 1963 |
Clothing[]
B266 mentions characters start with a full wardrobe (free) based on their status. The value of a wardrobe is based on the Cost of Living for that status. This means that Status actually includes an aspect of wealth in it.
Characters who want quick cash could thus supplement 1 month's COL to their immediate wealth by selling their clothing. More realistically though, would be trading 1 or 2 sets of clothes for 20% or 40%.
A character could sell it all if they're willing to be naked. This wouldn't be a problem for Status 2 (they can't drop) but it would be "living below status" for others and risk a loss UNLESS there was some means of avoiding it (for example: a mage who uses illusion spells to make it look like he's wearing clothes)
Food[]
B265 assumes food is paid for by COL expenses, but there is no "starting food" stockpile, so a character WOULD need to purchase a food stockpile.
Travel rations are 5% COL per week. Lowest (COL 100 for status-2) would be 5 dollars per week. This works out to around 22 dollars per month, 260 dollars per year
- The only change is actually giving a value to status 2 Street Beggar in the modern world (100/month) which in 4e is called "Serf, street person". 4e uses the "Modern World" bottom cap of S-2.
- 4e also eliminated Status 3 in Fantasy/Medieval which was also called Street Beggar (Status-2 is "outsider, underworld" which cost 50/month to maintain
- 4e also eliminated Status 4 "serf or slave" which also cost 50/month to maintain. This might imply this is just food/clothing costs and it can't get any lower.
Not paying at least 20% COL on food (except for Doesn't Eat or Drink or Reduced Consumption characters) should probably cause health problems following the Starvation rules on B426.
- those are a bit oversimplified though. It results in losing FP then HP, but no actual loss in ST (which is TEMPORARY, comes back instantly when FP is recovered w/ food) and never a loss in HT (unless Last Gasp is used, and that's STILL temporary
- one option should be to trade permanent traits for temporary boost. For example if burning 1 HP permanently, it could be used as fuel equal to a certain amount of temporary FP loss. This would accurately reflect muscles eating themselves, which doesn't just bounce back from using a big sugary meal, you have to earn it back through resistance training and a high-protein diet
- a mechanism for this under classic rules would be that the body will always try to maintain 3 FP (so you can use Unreliable advantages, duh!) but will also try to avoid falling below 3 FP, so it will once it drops to 30% of FP, buy down maximum FP instead. When burning max FP would drop the max to less than 30% of HT, it will drop HT instead...
- UNLESS that would bring HT lower than ST. If that is the case, the body will burn off it's ST in gradual increments. HP will be first to go, UNLESS it would drop less than 30% of max ST, in which case max ST will lower. Whether Lifting ST or Striking ST goes first would depend on the lifestyle.
- a mechanism for this under classic rules would be that the body will always try to maintain 3 FP (so you can use Unreliable advantages, duh!) but will also try to avoid falling below 3 FP, so it will once it drops to 30% of FP, buy down maximum FP instead. When burning max FP would drop the max to less than 30% of HT, it will drop HT instead...
- one option should be to trade permanent traits for temporary boost. For example if burning 1 HP permanently, it could be used as fuel equal to a certain amount of temporary FP loss. This would accurately reflect muscles eating themselves, which doesn't just bounce back from using a big sugary meal, you have to earn it back through resistance training and a high-protein diet
As for how much energy you get from sacrificing character points, F162 Point Debt could be used as a guide, but instead of waiting until -125 FP to take -5 character points, take -1 character point per -25 FP.
- you could actually do this in partial amounts, like from above, 0.5 HP lost per 25 FP = 0.1 HP lost (worth 0.2cp) per 5 FP or even 0.02 HP lost per FP
- H147 corruption gives option to resist loss using Weekly will rolls. This could be adapted to starvation using weekly HT rolls. Obviously Cleaning Corruption of this sort is much easier: eat food. But that can only reduce the point debt, not buy back ST you lost: that takes training!
See also[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Altered by Monthly Pay Modifier
References[]
- "Tech Level and Starting Wealth" Basic Set p 27
- ↑ B517