Wealth

Wealth (B25) is a disadvantage/advantage that effects a character's starting money based on the average for the setting. The default Starting Wealth is based on Tech Level.

Amount of Wealth

These multipliers also apply to Typical Monthly Pay. The actual monthly pay can be as low as the previous TL or as high as the next TL. The typical status is also listed:

• Dead Broke [-25]: no starting wealth
• Poor [-15]: 1/5 of starting wealth, Status -2
• Struggling [-10]: 1/2 of starting wealth, Status -1
• Average: Status 0
• Comfortable [10]: 2 times starting wealth, Status 1
• Wealthy [20]: 5 times starting wealth, Status 2
• Very Wealthy [30]: 20 times starting wealth, Status 3
• Filthy Rich [50]: 100 times starting wealth, Status 4
• Multimillionaire [50+25/level]: 100*10 per level times starting wealth, Status 5 w/+1 for each level

Cities

Cities will generally have Struggling, Average, or Comfortable Wealth. "A city above that range is either an enclave for the privileged, or a magnet for immigrants seeking to find places in its rapidly growing economy. A city below it is probably dying off as its people move elsewhere in search of work." It should be noted that at a practical level this wealth level also comes with a corresponding Cost of Living. So a city with a comfortable wealth level will also have a comfortable Cost of Living to meet the city's level of "average".

Organizations

Organizations generally range from Poor to Filthy Rich. Being Multimillionaire doesn't given an organization better materials (that caps out at Filthy Rich) just more of it. Organizations on a practical level cannot be Dead Broke as members must bring something financial to the organization.

Trading Points for Money

There are two ways to have more money than the wealth level suggests.

• Quick Cash: 1 point/10% of the campaign’s average starting wealth.
• Signature Gear: One option is 1 point/50% of the campaign’s average starting wealth for equipment.

Note both these options are per the campaign’s average starting wealth not the characters.

Long Term

• Independent Income [1 point/level; max 20 points]: a monthly source of income [1% of starting wealth per level) that does not require you to work (stock portfolio, trust fund, rental property, royalties, pension, etc)
• Debt [-1 point/level; max -20 points]: represents a loan, back taxes, child support, or alimony, “hush money” paid to blackmailers, or “protection money” extorted by gangsters. Monthly payment is equal to 1% of starting wealth per level

Rank and Wealth Modifiers

In many settings Rank and Wealth provide free bonuses to Status

Status Modifier	+1	+2	+3
Rank	2-4	5-7	8 or higher
Wealth	Wealthy to Filthy Rich	Multimillionaire	Multimillionaire 2

Alternative Methods

Dungeon Fantasy

In GURPS Dungeon Fantasy, after character creation wealth mainly affects how much characters can sell loot for. Wealthy characters are accepted into better shops and can evade taxes and fees. If the wealthiest party member sells everyone's loot, he or she may charge them a fee.

Abstract Wealth

"Abstract Wealth" (Pyramid 3/44: Alternate GURPS II) simplifies the wealth part of game play while simultaneously better reflecting modern money by turning Wealth into an attribute that ranges from 5 (Homeless) to 24 (Galactic Empire) with the default 10 (Working Class). The practical range for characters' Wealth is 7 (Working Poor) to 15 (Multimillionaire).

Instead of keeping tract of how much wealth a character actually has with regards to buying stuff a character rolls against their wealth level and consults a Threshold Value table (based on TL) to determine how easily it is to actually purchase that item. The only problem with the system is TL 0 to 3 are not given though they can be extrapolated from the standard wealth table

Purchases

• Critical Success: Item bought and no adjustment to wealth for the next purchase is made
• Normal Success: Item bought and there is a -1 to Wealth rolls for one month for Normal purchases and a week for Cheap purchases; this is cumulative
• Failure: Item is not bought. Try again after one week.
• Critical Failure: Item is not bought and -1 to Wealth rolls for one month for Normal purchases and a week for Cheap purchases. this is cumulative

With the exception of level 5-7 the levels are the same as their official equivalent:

Level	Description	Cost		Level	Description	Cost
5	Homeless	[-40]		15	Multimillionaire	[75]
6	Destitute	[-30]		16	Billionaire	[100]
7	Working Poor	[-20]		17	Multibillionaire	[125]
8	Working Class	[-15]		18	Megacorporation	[150]
9	Tradespeople	[-10]		19	Small Nation	[175]
10	Middle Class	[0]		20	Medium Nation	[200]
11	Working Rich	[10]		21	Large Nation	[225]
12	Wealthy	[20]		22	Wealthy Nation	[250]
13	Very Wealthy	[30]		23	Multiplanetary Empire	[275]
14	Millionaire	[50]		24	Galactic Empire	[300]

For the other two tables they can be simplified and tweaked to make them easier to deal with:

TL	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Base	$6.25	$12.50	$18.75	$25	$50	$150	$250	$300	$400	$500	$700	$1k	$1.5k

Item Value	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
Multiplier	x1/500	x1/50	x1/10	x1/5	x1/2	x1	x2	x5	x10	x20	x200

Alternative Methods (Classic)

In Nomine

Classic: In Nomine pg 28 mentions paying for Wealth once based on the highest amount available amongst all the Roles of his Vessels.

Color of Money: Revised Wealth Rules

There some good ideas here but as presented may not be balanced even by Classic standards.

Advantages

• Fixed Prperty [10; ±1/10%]: addition to regular Starting Wealth, up to ten times that amount is tied in various properties such as land, buildings, investments etc. Possessions that can be directly used for adventuring -- such as a car or a carriage -- as well as those that can easily be converted to cash -- like rings, gems and other simple jewelry -- isn't considered property and should be purchased with the regular Starting Wealth.
• Regular Income [+1/10% of monthly cost of living]: similar to Independent Income
• Wealth Access [varies]: similar to Regular Income but it does not accumulate. Illegal (-50%)

Cost of living Multiplier	x1/2	x1	x5	x10	Unlimited
Point Cost	[5]	[10]	[15]	[25]	[50]

Disadvantages

• Increased Cost of Living (Varies): opposite of Regular Income

Cost of living Multiplier	x1,5	x2	x3	x5
Point Cost	[-5]	[-10]	[-20]	[-30]

• Privileged Worker [5, 10, or 15]: character is allowed to spend less time to work than required, while still being paid the same. The reason behind this privilege should be explained, and in accordance with the character's other characteristics: it could be because of a physical handicap, social status, personal (or Patron's) influence or wealth etc.

Reduction Factor	x0.75	x0.50	x0.25
Point Cost	[-5]	[-10]	[-20]

The article also provides this alternative chart (MCL is Monthly cost of living)

Starting Wealth Level	Starting Wealth	Point Cost
Dead Broke	MCL x1/5*	[-12]
Poor	MCL	[-7]
Struggling	MCL x2,5	[-5]
Average	MCL x5	[0]
Comfortable	MCL x10	[5]
Wealthy	MCL x25	[10]
Very Wealthy	MCL x100	[15]
Filthy Rich	MCL x500	[25]
Multimillionaire	MCL x500 x10/lvl	[25 +25/lvl]

Comment

While a good attempt it has mammoth problems thanks to the ratio of starting wealth to monthly income.
* GURPS Basic Set states that a Dead Broke character has "no job, no source of income, no money, and no property other than the clothes he is wearing" -- that last item is represented by this modifier.

Time and Money: Alternative Wealth Rules for GURPS

This is a total overhaul of the Wealth system which completely replaces the following published GURPS rules:

• Poverty
• Wealth
• Multimillionaire
• Temporary Wealth
• Trading Points for Cash
• Trading Points for Equipment
• Independent Income
• Ship Owner

Defintions

• Work Hours: Covers all time tied up in activities that keep you from adventuring, including unpaid work and commuting.
• Goods: All those possessions that cannot readily be converted to cash without taking a loss (typically 50% or worse). This includes land, buildings, vehicles, cyberwear, and magic items.
• Cash: Money, plus any possessions not counted as goods.
• Capital: All cash and goods owned. Usually this is split into 20% cash, 80% goods.
• Discretionary Income: The amount of money left over each month after you have paid for the essentials (food, lodging, etc). You can freely choose what you do with this.

Advantages

• Increased Capital [5/level]: You have more capital than average. Each level increases your capital according to the following progression: ×2, ×5, ×10, ×20, ×50, ×100, etc.
  • Special limitation: The increase only affects one part of your capital, either the cash or the goods. -50%.
• Increased Discretionary Income [5/level]: You have more discretionary income than average. Each level increases your discretionary income according to the following progression: ×2, ×5, ×10, ×20, ×50, ×100, etc
• Reduced Work Hours [1/level]: You spend fewer hours involved in work-related activities than average. Each level reduces hours worked by 10%.

Disadvantages

• Reduced Capital [-5/-10/-15]: You have less capital than average. Each level reduces your capital according to the following progression: ×1/2, ×1/5, negligible:
  • Special enhancement: The decrease only affects one part of your capital, either the cash or the goods. -50%.
• Reduced Discretionary Income [-5/-10/-15]: You have less discretionary income than average. Each level reduces your discretionary income according to the following progression: ×1/2, ×1/5, negligible.
• Increased Work Hours [-1/level]: You spend more hours involved in work-related activities than average. Each level reduces your free time by three hours per week.
• Severe Debt [-20]: Not only do you have no discretionary income, you cannot even pay for essentials without using up some of your capital. If you do not do this there will be serious consequences such as starvation, loss of status, or imprisonment. This disadvantage includes three levels of Reduced Discretionary Income.

Problems

One major problem with Wealth in GURPS is it is insanely setting dependent and not in the way you think.

For example in Lost in Space's "Treasure of the Lost Planet" the treasure of a pirate from Betelguese is pig iron - because gold, silver, and jewels are so common on his homeworld that buildings are made with them with common items like shovels, knives, forks, and even frying pans being made of silver and gold but there was no iron on Betelguese. Minecraft's emeralds similarly serves as how much the value of something changes depending on setting.

In Star Trek's "Catspaw" Kirk points out the Enterprise can make a ton of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires making them "valueless".

One of the gag emotes by the female Draenei in World of Warcraft is "This planet has a tremendous supply of sandstone. The inhabitants must be wealthy beyond their dreams."

In one of Rocky and Bullwinkle's Fractured Fairy tales King Midas tricks everyone into believing he can turn things into gold (using a gold paint) and so devalues gold that his nation abandons gold and uses turnips instead - making him the poorest man in his own kingdom.

In AD&D 1e the DMG said a character was supposed to "automatically expend not less than 100 gold pieces per level of experience per month". It was even worse regarding leveling up as the cost of doing so was the “Level of the trainee character × 1,500 gp = Weekly cost during study/training” with the number of weeks being 1 to 4 depending on how good the player role played. As expected any DM who tried to follow this rule and gave out enough wealth that his players could easily get to the next level quickly found themselves in a death spiral of having to giving out more and more treasure to “one up” the previous adventure resulting in the dreaded Monty Haul campaign.. In a "realistic" setting this would have resulted in hyperinflation.

In the Dungeons and Dragons cartoon Eric is from a wealthy family but in the Realm he is effectively dead broke as the money he has on him is worthless. The Howells of Gilligan's Island are in the same situation for their stay on the island as the money they brought with them is effectively worthless.

Even within the US the cost of living fluctuates wildly. There are places where $20,000 is average wealth and others (such as New York City) where it would be considered struggling or even poor.

Moreover, there are materials rarer then gold and silver on our Earth and yet are worth less. Rhenium comes to mind.

References

• Incanus' Color of Money: Revised Wealth Rules

Additonal Information

• Economics Explained
• Why isn't Wealth a Knight option? (post 11)