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Wealth feat.


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It's a little disingenuous to ask that question. It's sort of like saying "Why do I need to buy Attack/Attack Focus/Attack Specialization if I want to describe myself as an expert marksman?"

There is a slight difference between the two situations, though. Wealth is described as an optional system in the Mutants and Masterminds book. There have been a couple of characters already approved who purchased Wealth without prompting, assuming that the system was in place. However, we haven't officially stated whether we're using it. I'll bring it up with the other referees, and if we decide to not use it, the people who bought Wealth will have it refunded. If we do use it here, you'll have to buy Benefit (Wealth) to be able to claim you're wealthy and be able to back it up.

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It's a little disingenuous to ask that question. It's sort of like saying "Why do I need to buy Attack/Attack Focus/Attack Specialization if I want to describe myself as an expert marksman?"

There is a slight difference between the two situations, though. Wealth is described as an optional system in the Mutants and Masterminds book. There have been a couple of characters already approved who purchased Wealth without prompting, assuming that the system was in place. However, we haven't officially stated whether we're using it. I'll bring it up with the other referees, and if we decide to not use it, the people who bought Wealth will have it refunded. If we do use it here, you'll have to buy Benefit (Wealth) to be able to claim you're wealthy and be able to back it up.

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It's a little disingenuous to ask that question. It's sort of like saying "Why do I need to buy Attack/Attack Focus/Attack Specialization if I want to describe myself as an expert marksman?"

There is a slight difference between the two situations, though. Wealth is described as an optional system in the Mutants and Masterminds book. There have been a couple of characters already approved who purchased Wealth without prompting, assuming that the system was in place. However, we haven't officially stated whether we're using it. I'll bring it up with the other referees, and if we decide to not use it, the people who bought Wealth will have it refunded. If we do use it here, you'll have to buy Benefit (Wealth) to be able to claim you're wealthy and be able to back it up.

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And I don't expect that we will going into all the detail of wealth rolls and purchase DCs and all that. We will probably implement something simple like:

Standard (starting) Wealth = Middle Class

Benefit 1 (Wealthy) = Affluent

Benefit 2-3 (Wealthy) = Wealthy

Benefit 4-5 (Wealthy) = Rich

Benefit 6+ (Wealthy) = Filthy Rich

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And I don't expect that we will going into all the detail of wealth rolls and purchase DCs and all that. We will probably implement something simple like:

Standard (starting) Wealth = Middle Class

Benefit 1 (Wealthy) = Affluent

Benefit 2-3 (Wealthy) = Wealthy

Benefit 4-5 (Wealthy) = Rich

Benefit 6+ (Wealthy) = Filthy Rich

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And I don't expect that we will going into all the detail of wealth rolls and purchase DCs and all that. We will probably implement something simple like:

Standard (starting) Wealth = Middle Class

Benefit 1 (Wealthy) = Affluent

Benefit 2-3 (Wealthy) = Wealthy

Benefit 4-5 (Wealthy) = Rich

Benefit 6+ (Wealthy) = Filthy Rich

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Here is the final verdict. The Game Rules thread has been updated.

Freedom City: PbP will be using a very basic version of the Wealth variant. All characters will be considered to have access to a middle-class lifestyle (Wealth +8): a place to live, a car if needed, money for food, clothes, etc. The players will be free to determine the details of where that wealth comes from. Players who wish to have access to a more lavish lifestyle may purchase ranks of the Benefit (Wealth) feat (+4 per Rank), which works out to something like:

Starting Wealth = Middle Class

Benefit 1 (Wealth) = Affluent

Benefit 2-3 (Wealth) = Wealthy

Benefit 4-5 (Wealth) = Rich

Benefit 6+ (Wealth) = Filthy Rich

(*Note: Ranks of profession can also increase your wealth bonus. See page 132 for details.)

The wealth level describes the character's entire lifestyle, not just the amount of cash they have on hand. So a teenage hero who has very little "allowance" but who lives in a mansion, goes to an exclusive school, and drives around in a limo, would, in fact, be Wealthy or Rich.

We will not be requiring players to make wealth rolls. Just assume that your character has access to anything that a "normal" person of your level of wealth could buy through "normal" channels. Players will not be permitted to use their wealth to buy things that are of significance to the game system: equipment, weapons, etc. Use the Equipment feat for that.

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Here is the final verdict. The Game Rules thread has been updated.

Freedom City: PbP will be using a very basic version of the Wealth variant. All characters will be considered to have access to a middle-class lifestyle (Wealth +8): a place to live, a car if needed, money for food, clothes, etc. The players will be free to determine the details of where that wealth comes from. Players who wish to have access to a more lavish lifestyle may purchase ranks of the Benefit (Wealth) feat (+4 per Rank), which works out to something like:

Starting Wealth = Middle Class

Benefit 1 (Wealth) = Affluent

Benefit 2-3 (Wealth) = Wealthy

Benefit 4-5 (Wealth) = Rich

Benefit 6+ (Wealth) = Filthy Rich

(*Note: Ranks of profession can also increase your wealth bonus. See page 132 for details.)

The wealth level describes the character's entire lifestyle, not just the amount of cash they have on hand. So a teenage hero who has very little "allowance" but who lives in a mansion, goes to an exclusive school, and drives around in a limo, would, in fact, be Wealthy or Rich.

We will not be requiring players to make wealth rolls. Just assume that your character has access to anything that a "normal" person of your level of wealth could buy through "normal" channels. Players will not be permitted to use their wealth to buy things that are of significance to the game system: equipment, weapons, etc. Use the Equipment feat for that.

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Here is the final verdict. The Game Rules thread has been updated.

Freedom City: PbP will be using a very basic version of the Wealth variant. All characters will be considered to have access to a middle-class lifestyle (Wealth +8): a place to live, a car if needed, money for food, clothes, etc. The players will be free to determine the details of where that wealth comes from. Players who wish to have access to a more lavish lifestyle may purchase ranks of the Benefit (Wealth) feat (+4 per Rank), which works out to something like:

Starting Wealth = Middle Class

Benefit 1 (Wealth) = Affluent

Benefit 2-3 (Wealth) = Wealthy

Benefit 4-5 (Wealth) = Rich

Benefit 6+ (Wealth) = Filthy Rich

(*Note: Ranks of profession can also increase your wealth bonus. See page 132 for details.)

The wealth level describes the character's entire lifestyle, not just the amount of cash they have on hand. So a teenage hero who has very little "allowance" but who lives in a mansion, goes to an exclusive school, and drives around in a limo, would, in fact, be Wealthy or Rich.

We will not be requiring players to make wealth rolls. Just assume that your character has access to anything that a "normal" person of your level of wealth could buy through "normal" channels. Players will not be permitted to use their wealth to buy things that are of significance to the game system: equipment, weapons, etc. Use the Equipment feat for that.

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  • 2 months later...

In the last few days, I've had a few people ask me this, and the folks in the chat were discussing this so I figured I'd put it in writing.

What do the Wealth ranks really mean?

-Middle Class: Just about anything that passes for "middle class" in America. You probably have a house, a good job, two cars, cable TV, a cell phone, stuff like that.

-Affluent: Well above middle class. Big house, boat, private schools, diamonds, my very own pony.

-Wealthy: Millionaire, bigger boat, bigger diamonds, a stable full of horses. The owner of a chain of successful restaurants, famous plastic surgeon, B-list celebrities who have managed their money.

-Rich: Millions and millions and millions. House in Beverly Hills, private jets, all the bling money can buy. Famous musicians, blockbuster actors, and business moguls.

-Filthy Rich: Oprah, Gates, Buffet (Warren not Jimmy).

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In the last few days, I've had a few people ask me this, and the folks in the chat were discussing this so I figured I'd put it in writing.

What do the Wealth ranks really mean?

-Middle Class: Just about anything that passes for "middle class" in America. You probably have a house, a good job, two cars, cable TV, a cell phone, stuff like that.

-Affluent: Well above middle class. Big house, boat, private schools, diamonds, my very own pony.

-Wealthy: Millionaire, bigger boat, bigger diamonds, a stable full of horses. The owner of a chain of successful restaurants, famous plastic surgeon, B-list celebrities who have managed their money.

-Rich: Millions and millions and millions. House in Beverly Hills, private jets, all the bling money can buy. Famous musicians, blockbuster actors, and business moguls.

-Filthy Rich: Oprah, Gates, Buffet (Warren not Jimmy).

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In the last few days, I've had a few people ask me this, and the folks in the chat were discussing this so I figured I'd put it in writing.

What do the Wealth ranks really mean?

-Middle Class: Just about anything that passes for "middle class" in America. You probably have a house, a good job, two cars, cable TV, a cell phone, stuff like that.

-Affluent: Well above middle class. Big house, boat, private schools, diamonds, my very own pony.

-Wealthy: Millionaire, bigger boat, bigger diamonds, a stable full of horses. The owner of a chain of successful restaurants, famous plastic surgeon, B-list celebrities who have managed their money.

-Rich: Millions and millions and millions. House in Beverly Hills, private jets, all the bling money can buy. Famous musicians, blockbuster actors, and business moguls.

-Filthy Rich: Oprah, Gates, Buffet (Warren not Jimmy).

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  • 9 months later...

I am wondering if there has been a change on how we approach the wealth feat than what Barnum listed above, in particular the part that stats that Wealth is measured by a characters overall lifestyle, not just the cash they have on hand. Which for a teenage charter, pretty much means their level of wealth would be based on their parents' wealth (assuming they parents have not completely cut them off and they don't live with their parents).

I ask this because Dr. Archeville recently stated that a Wealth of 6 for a teenage hero seemed wrong, when it was clear that player was going for the character being from a family that was filthy rich. Based on Barnum's comments above, spending 6 ranks of Wealth would have been necessary, instead of just 2 ranks.

While I have no particular preference for the framework Barnum lays out above (particularly given the low impact Wealth has in game), it does make a good bit of sense. After all, it is a bit of a disadvantage for a player to make their billionaire character (not sure if we have any at the moment, but I know we have had them before), and have to spend 6 pp to have that lifestyle, then for a teenage character to only spend 2 points on wealth and then say they live the same general lifestyle "because my parents are billionaires".

While I understand that the billionaire character has "direct" control over that money, keeping that balanced in game play is not easy. After all, the billionaire could say, "hmm, I am going to buy a new vacation home in Dubai (or the Hamptons)". But what is to stop the teenage character from saying, "well, my billionaire parents have a vacation home there as well"?

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But what is to stop the teenage character from saying, "well, my billionaire parents have a vacation home there as well"?

The GM. As I said in the char thread in question, that sort of thing should be handled via the Connected feat.

And you seem to be omitting that I pointed out the character is not living the same lifestyle as her parents, she's living in a dorm at Claremont.

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Well, living in the Claremont dorms is really a temporary thing (four years at most) and even then, she would likely spend vacations and summers at one of her parents large homes. And where you live is just one aspect of a lifestyle, living in the dorms wouldn't really prevent her from still having a wardrobe full of high end designer lables and other trappings.

This does seem a different approach than what is described above, which is fine. I was considering changing things on Velocity in light of that, but probably won't.

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