TEXT: 1
  LifestyLe
  1. Optional Rule:
  Status and Wealth
  This chapter can be helpful if you want to skip 
  the use of money, keeping resource accounting 
  more abstract. Each of the following systems 
  can function independently, or you can use 
  them all together..
  Wealth
  the foLLowing option is intended to repLace 
  counting savings during the game. money is 
  ignored, and instead LifestyLe, weaLth, and 
  savings determine a character’s purchasing 
  power.
  your character is described by two new traits 
  – weaLth and savings. during character
  creation spend your starting funds normaLLy, 
  but each $500 saved gives you +1 
  point of savings.
  Wealth
  Your 
  Wealth 
  determines 
  how much money you can 
  spend at a single time, 
  and usually it’s +0 unless 
  modified by Edges or 
  Hindrances. The char-
  acter’s Wealth is defined 
  by his lifestyle.
  The Poverty Hin-
  drance is replaced by 
  two new Hindrances: 
  Dirt Poor and Poor, and 
  the Rich and Filthy Rich 
  Edges 
  are 
  modified 
  (they give you the nor-
  mal amount of starting 
  funds, but they also in-
  crease your Wealth by 
  +2 and +4 respectively).
  2. lifestyle
  Each Edge or Hindrance, or just the lack of them, 
  are tightly connected to lifestyle. When describ-
  ing the everyday life of a character, use the guide-
  lines in this book, and modify purchase rolls ac-
  cordingly. The following rules assume that the 
  only way to improve your material status is by 
  spending Advancements, and that’s why you 
  can’t increase your lifestyle without buying off 
  Hindrances or purchasing new Edges.
  A character’s lifestyle depends on his Hin-
  drances or Edges.
  Dirt Poor: Homeless (Major)
  You need to make a purchase roll whenever you 
  buy something, even a simple meal. Luckily, in 
  most civilized towns there are institutions pro-
  viding help for the likes of you.
  Poor: Modest (Minor)
  You need to make purchase rolls when you 
  buy anything except the bare necessities.
  Average
  This is the lifestyle of a character 
  without any particular Edges or 
  Hindrances.  Most of the time they 
  only need to make purchase rolls 
  when they buy an important or ex-
  pensive one item (-2 purchase roll 
  modifier or more).
  Rich: Well-off 
  (Background Edge) 
  Such people make tests when they buy 
  important or costly (-4 or more) objects.
  Filthy Rich/Noble: Lavish
  Requirements:  Rich: Well-Off
  The richest elites need to make tests 
  only when they buy an important object 
  Your Status, Wealth & lifstyle
  
  2
   
  or make a truly ridiculous purchase: like a com-
  pany, a sports team or a spaceship.
  Modified Edges
  If you use the Wealth system apply the follow-
  ing changes to background Edges.
  Rich
  Rich people add +2 to their purchase rolls. 
  Their lifestyle is well-off.
  Filthy Rich
  Filthy rich heroes add +4 to their purchase rolls. 
  Their lifestyle is lavish.
  PuRchaSe ROllS
  Whenever you want to buy a major item, make 
  a Smarts roll, modified by your Wealth and any 
  other relevant modifiers like the price of an item 
  or your savings (See below). You can make up to 
  three successful purchase rolls per game session 
  (four if you spend a Bennie), but any number of 
  unsuccessful ones.
  A success means that you can afford, purchase 
  and use the new item. Failure means that the item 
  is unavailable or too expensive for the character, 
  and you can’t try to buy it again on this session.
  A raise means that this purchase roll is not 
  counted towards the limit of 3 attempts.
  Major Purchases
  Purchase rolls are supposed to portray major 
  purchases. Use them only if the item in ques-
  tion is relevant to the plot, vital to important 
  dice rolls or influences major events. Less im-
  portant items are part of character’s lifestyle, as 
  described in the basic rules.
  What defines an important item depends on 
  the GM. It’s best to assume that armor, weapons, 
  cybernetic implants, specialized tools and vehi-
  cles are always important, and require a roll. The 
  importance of other items depends on context – 
  a new computer for a hacker certainly requires a 
  roll, but a gaming rig whose purpose is to flesh 
  out a character’s hobbies doesn’t really need a test. 
  Likewise, jewelry worn by a heroine does not re-
  quire a test, but if it might help in convincing 
  someone important (and easily swayed by the dis-
  play of wealth) you might have to make the roll.
  Multiple Purchases
  If the character wants to buy a number of items 
  at the same time, pick the most expensive one, 
  and subtract 2 from the Price Modifier for each 
  additional item. A success means that all the 
  items are purchased. This counts as a single pur-
  chase test.
  Haggling
  Occasionally before purchasing you might want 
  to haggle. This is a Persuasion roll opposed by 
  
  3
  LifestyLe
  the Persuasion of the seller. A success and each 
  raise decrease the price modifier by 1.
  Debts
  If the hero really wants to buy something, but 
  the test ended in failure, he can voluntarily de-
  crease his lifestyle by one level to gain an item. 
  This lasts for a week per point of difference be-
  tween the result and TN of the roll.
  If the hero is in debt, he can’t make any purchase 
  rolls until his lifestyle returns to its normal level.
  SavingS
  The permanent Lifestyle of a character can im-
  prove only when he buys an Edge or buys off a 
  Hindrance, but this doesn’t mean he can’t rob 
  banks, receive a bonus or a gift from his family. 
  When the character receives a reasonable cash 
  bonus, they can turn it into savings. Each $500 
  earned that way is +1 Savings point. You can 
  spend any number of Savings points, and each 
  will provide +1 to a purchase roll, before or after 
  you make it. Once spent, the Savings disappear. If 
  you use the rules for Lifestyle (see page 51), the 
  character can also use Savings to temporarily in-
  crease his social class. Two savings points raise 
  Lifestyle by one level, and each additional point 
  extends the duration by one week. You can raise 
  Lifestyle by any number of levels, up to a maxi-
  mum of Lavish Lifestyle.
  Example: Homeless Bob finds the platinum 
  credit card of some millionaire, containing 10 Sav-
  ings points. Without thinking, he hires a limo and a 
  chauffeur, rents a deluxe apartment, and gets clean 
  and dressed. He spends 8 points to increase his Life-
  style by 4 levels (from Homeless to Lawish) and 2 
  remaining points to extend this windfall to 2 weeks. 
  After that the millionaire will realize that some-
  thing’s wrong and block his card – and Bob will be 
  back on streets, with only beautiful memories left.
  PRiceS Of ObjectS
  This guide will help you to determine the modi-
  fier, according to the prices of objects found in 
  the core book.
  Cheap Objects (Price: +2)
  These things are small objects used every day, or 
  cheap entertainment – anything up to $10. Most 
  characters won’t probably make tests when they 
  buy objects in this category.
  Average Objects (Price: 0)
  This category is between $10-$250, encompass-
  ing most goods and services important to ev-
  eryday life.
  Expensive Objects (Price: -2)
  These objects cost up to $1000. To buy them 
  regularly, you need to be rich.
  Costly Objects (Price:-4)
  These objects are in the $1000-$10  000 price 
  range. Even the rich have to think twice before 
  purchasing them.
  Very Costly Objects (Price: -6)
  These objects and services cost between $10 000 
  and $50 000, and require great wealth or mas-
  sive savings.
  Ridiculously Costly Objects
  (Price: -6, additional -1 per $50 000 above the 
  first $50 000).
  Big spacecraft, luxury palaces, experimental 
  military equipment and similar things fall into 
  this category.
  PRice MOdifieRS
  Availability
  If an object or a service isn’t widely available in 
  the region, you make the roll with a -1 penalty. 
  Common objects might receive a +1 bonus.
  Cheap Things
  Used or just badly-made objects have a +2 bo-
  nus to purchase rolls, but when used they break 
  down on 1 on the skill die, as if you had the All 
  Thumbs Hindrance (and if you do have it, they 
  break down on 1 and 2).
  
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  Excellent Quality
  To buy a really good item, you make the roll at 
  -2. Many such objects provide a +1 bonus to
  rolls not connected to their basic use. For in-
  stance, a custom made plasma rifle might give
  a +1 bonus to Intimidate, but not to Shooting,
  and a cool car a +1 bonus to Persuading the op-
  posite sex. Each such object can modify only
  one skill, and the bonuses never stack.
  eMPlOYMent
  Living in the Horizon system costs money, and 
  even mighty heroes need it for daily life – not 
  just for new weapons, implants or spaceships. 
  If you want to know how they earn money, you 
  can use this simplified approach.
  The default system refers to the new rules for 
  Wealth (see above). If you want to keep the ba-
  sic rules, treat each Savings point as $500, and 
  a change of lifestyle means that the hero lives at 
  one lever higher or lower than he paid for (this 
  means, for example, that when you have a Slow 
  Day you need to pay $500 to live at the modest 
  level).
  This system allows the GM to introduce the 
  regular jobs of the PCs, and build plots based on 
  the professional life of the characters. If you’ve 
  had enough of “space adventurers”, you now can 
  advise the players to create a team composed of 
  police officers, corporate agents, scientists, In-
  ternal Revenue Service agents, and so on. In this 
  way, the table of professional events will allow you 
  to describe the professional life of the team be-
  tween the more interesting events happening on-
  screen.
  Source of Income
  Assume that every character has a basic source 
  of income, and has some kind of job between 
  adventures. They spend these on everyday liv-
  ing, and gain savings thanks to adventures or 
  special opportunities (or Edges like Rich and 
  Filthy Rich, if you don’t use Wealth).
  Therefore, every character who isn’t Dirt Poor 
  (or does not have the Poverty Hindrance if you’re 
  using the basic rules for money) has at least one 
  source of income. When generating a character, 
  determine the kind of his employment and later – 
  exactly what his job is. The four suits of cards are 
  tied to the four basic kinds of jobs.
  Rich characters have two types of income, ei-
  ther independent (for instance they supplement 
  their corporate jobs by renting property) or com-
  bined. The latter usually means a higher position, 
  more investments or simply a larger business. 
  Regardless of the actual situation, treat it as two 
  sources of income – draw two cards.
  Similarly, a Filthy Rich character has three 
  sources of income which you can freely combine 
  and divide.
  Kinds of Income
  Select one of the following categories per source 
  of income:
  Spades: Entrepreneur. The character makes 
  his living on his own, as an independent business-
  man. It could mean a star merchant, an art deal-
  
  5
  LifestyLe
  er, a mercenary pilot, warrior or a mnemocouri-
  er. This category also encompasses artists trying 
  to make their living by selling their work, inde-
  pendent journalists, private detectives and any-
  one who does not receive a steady income from 
  any kind of organization. When you are your own 
  boss, you trade security and stability for personal 
  freedom.
  Hearts: Ownership. The character’s income 
  is dependent on what he or she owns. She could 
  rent farmland or houses, own a merchant ship, 
  live off a trust fund, have shares in a corporation 
  or mines, or be the author of a popular fantasy 
  saga. Since the PC does not have to work direct-
  ly, he has a lot of free time – but his life is threat-
  ened by natural disasters, financial crises, politi-
  cal upheavals, Horde attacks and similar random 
  events. Unlike the other characters, owners can’t 
  simply pack up and try their luck in another star 
  system.
  Diamonds: Employee. The character has a 
  job contract and all the benefits associated with 
  it: regular income, health insurance, access to the 
  company network and so on. The most popular 
  employers in the Horizon system are the great 
  corporations, but the character can also work 
  for a noble family, in a scientific institution, on 
  a space station, in a psionic foundation, as a po-
  liceman or a professional soldier. While the char-
  acter can count on a decent, steady income, they 
  are also burdened with a lot of duties, often time-
  consuming and problematic when you want to 
  take part in adventures.
  Clubs: Crime. The character derives their in-
  come from an illegal source. They could be smug-
  glers, assassins, space pirates, paparazzi, gam-
  blers, drug dealers, Syndicate enforcers, fixers, or 
  back alley doctors. Crime always pays well – but 
  it’s very risky. Criminal activity can lead you to 
  jail if you mess with the cops – or six feet under-
  ground if you belong to the wrong family.
  Work Time!
  After each adventure, during downtime, each 
  member of the team draws one card for each 
  source of income. Poor characters, or those 
  without any Edge or Hindrance tied to wealth, 
  draw one card, Rich ones two, and Filthy Rich 
  three. Cards whose suit does not match the 
  character’s job are discarded – they mean that 
  this source hasn’t generated any interesting 
  events. Check those with matching suits in the 
  table below.
  When a Rich or Filthy Rich character has more 
  than one source of income, the results can be 
  combined in one complicated series of soap-op-
  era events, or be treated as many events happen-
  ing in a short time.
  Deuce – Slow Day. The professional life of the 
  character – and sadly, the payments – slow down. 
  During the next adventure the lifestyle of the 
  character, and any bonus to purchase rolls, de-
  crease by 1 level.
  Examples: The DA starts to fight drugs in her 
  city – seriously hindering the dealer’s business. A 
  new art trend in arts empties the artist’s gallery. 
  Cooling systems fails and a cargo of fruit rots in the 
  merchant’s hold. A massive financial crash freez-
  es the payments from a megacorp. The cost of re-
  pairs to a boarding house drains the entire income 
  from rent.
  Three-Four – On the Edge. The character’s 
  position is endangered, and he or she must work 
  hard to bring the bacon home this month! They 
  have to pass a roll tied to their job (Piloting for 
  a pilot, Fighting for a bodyguard, Streetwise for 
  an investigator). If the character fails this test, his 
  lifestyle will be lower by 1 level during the next 
  adventure.
  Examples: Elections are coming soon, and the 
  politician must try to get his party’s nomination. 
  The commissioner wants the cop to close the case. 
  A competing fast-food restaurant opens just across 
  the street. A gossip damages the reputation of the 
  mercenary team, and the leaders must try to re-
  cover their good name. Instead of commissioning 
  an article from the reporter, the newspaper decides 
  to start a competition. The tenant of the noble’s 
  farmland turns out to be a fraud and the character 
  needs to pore over the accounts.
  Five-Seven – Overtime. Work and adventur-
  ing life start to collide. During the next adventure 
  the character needs to find some time to perform 
  professional duties. The exact time required and 
  
  6
   
  duties depend on the Game Master, who needs to 
  remember that the extra work should be an an-
  noyance but not prevent the character from star-
  ring in the adventure at all.
  Examples: The farm tenant is sick, and the 
  noble has to take care of the crops. The commis-
  sioner has given the policeman a lot of overdue 
  paperwork. A corporate drone has to prepare a pre-
  sentation, with charts. The new book is about to be 
  published – and the editors must remain sane. The 
  laboratory is close to a breakthrough – you need to 
  focus on your research!
  Eight-Nine – Bonus. Hard work brings suc-
  cess. If the character succeeds a roll in an appro-
  priate skill, he receives 1 Savings point per suc-
  cess and raise.
  Examples: The policeman closes the case. An ec-
  centric millionaire charters the independent mer-
  chant’s starship. The film you helped to produce 
  turns out to be a blockbuster. A well-treated guest 
  has left the waitress a massive tip. The office joke 
  turned out to be really amusing for a major cus-
  tomer.
  10. New toy. In the next adventure the charac-
  ter receives an expensive item, more or less rele-
  vant to his job. If he destroys it, the boss will de-
  duct the cost of the item from his wages (and the 
  PC will lose one purchase roll in the next adven-
  ture after the damage).
  Examples: A mercenary tests a new experimen-
  tal plasma rifle. Since important clients are com-
  ing, a corporate worker can use the company car. 
  A scientist gains access to an experimental commu-
  nicator. A Mafioso experiments with a psionic am-
  plifier.
  Jack – New rival. – you meet someone who 
  will hinder your efforts. The GM creates a NPC, 
  a minor nemesis who will attempt to annoy and 
  persecute the team during the next adventure , as 
  per the Enemy Hindrance.
  Examples: Another scientist competes in the 
  same contest. A sports champion from another sys-
  tem challenges a hero to a race. An ambitious lieu-
  tenant threatens a mob boss’ position. A nasty drill 
  sergeant. A hopelessly green rookie under the PC’s 
  command.
  Queen – New friend. The character meets a 
  person that might turn out to be helpful. They 
  might not be a useful contact, but they’re likeable 
  and occasionally helpful.
  Examples: A friend from school is drafted into 
  your team. An old experienced technician is fasci-
  nated by the courier’s ship. An office romance. A 
  helpful assistant. A new, more likeable boss. Your 
  cousin graduates from medical school and is able to 
  tend to the health of your team.
  King – Windfall. A hero has benefited from a 
  stroke of luck, and he has earned quite a lot. Dur-
  ing the next adventure, treat his lifestyle as one 
  level higher (and if the character is already Filthy 
  Rich, he made some great investments and can 
  add +6 to purchase rolls).
  Examples: The secretary is asked to take care 
  of a  millionaire’s penthouse while the boss is in 
  a sanatorium. A clever investment has finally re-
  alised profits. A new experimental communicator 
  is bought by a major corporation. The stolen suit-
  case is full of unmarked bills. People find a vein of 
  a rare element in your mine. A pilot wins the sys-
  tem championship.
  Ace – Time for a change! The character can 
  easily change his job – he doesn’t have to do it, but 
  it will require little to no effort.
  Examples: A corporate worker inherits a farm. 
  A policeman leaves the service and becomes a pri-
  vate investigator. A singer starts starring in movies. 
  A scientist is hired by a pharmaceutical company. 
  A journalist sells her book. A pilot starts a bar on 
  board of his ship.
  Red Joker – Golden opportunity. The hero 
  has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve 
  his material or professional status. The next ad-
  venture should have some subplot connected to 
  the character’s job. As a result their Lifestyle level 
  can rise by 1, and they can change their profes-
  sion. To increase the Lifestyle level permanent-
  ly, the player needs to buy off a disadvantage or 
  purchase an Edge. The character does not have to 
  gain the Edge – instead, she might choose to gain 
  +2d6 savings points.
  Examples: The fencer performs in a tourna-
  ment with a noble title as the first prize. A scien-
  tist is about to revolutionize his field. A pilot is ap-
  
  7
  LifestyLe
  proached by a crime boss wanting to escape from 
  the system. Your eccentric millionaire uncle isn’t 
  sure which nephew should inherit his fortune.
  Black Joker – Disaster. The hero’s source of in-
  come is under threat! The next adventure should 
  contain a subplot which will let the hero save his 
  job. A failure to do so will shut down one of his 
  sources of income. As a result, the character will 
  lose one Lifestyle level – and if he loses his last in-
  come source, he will become Dirt Poor. To regain 
  lost status and wealth, the hero must find a new 
  job – after each adventure he can make a Street-
  wise -2 roll. Success means losing the extra Hin-
  drance or recovering a lost Edge.
  Examples: Massive downsizing in the factory. 
  An explosion destroys the scientist’s lab. Internal 
  Affairs is watching the policeman closely. A ship-
  owner’s vessel is captured by the pirates. A false ac-
  cusation forces a politician to step down.
  Nobles
  Nobles have power, money and high status – and 
  also responsibilities. When character with this 
  Edge draws a card, he has only to check whether 
  it’s black or red. If the color matches one of his 
  income sources, a random event occurs.
  Stable Job
  If the character doesn’t want to risk his income, 
  they can spend a benny at the end of the game 
  (if they have any left), to avoid drawing a card. 
  Nobles don’t have it that easy – a benny causes 
  the cards to narrow down to an appropriate suit. 
  Therefore a Noble must spend two bennies to 
  avoid drawing cards at all.
  additiOnal  
  edgeS & hindRanceS
  Slacker (Minor)
  This Hindrance is a part of the employment sys-
  tem. Don’t use it if you don’t use those optional 
  rules.
  Work is not on the list of your priorities, so 
  you’re constantly causing and getting into trou-
  ble. When you check your professional situation 
  at the end of each adventure, you draw two cards 
  and choose the lower one.
  Businessman
  Requirements: Novice, Smarts d8+, Persuasion 
  d6+, Streetwise d6+
  This Edge is a part of Wealth system. Don’t use it 
  if you don’t use those optional rules.
  Your character is adept at manipulating her 
  wealth, and she is able to make one additional 
  purchase roll per game.
  Born Trader
  Requirements: Seasoned, Businessman
  This Edge is a part of Wealth system. Don’t use it 
  if you don’t use those optional rules.
  Your character is a master of making deals. She 
  gains one additional purchase roll (5 in total).
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Savage Worlds System (SWADE) [multi]/Nemezis/Savage Worlds - Nemezis - Optional Wealth Rules.pdf