Loot And Bling

Wealth

In the Loot And Bling rules, every creature has an additional Ability Score (in addition to Kick Ass, Bad Ass, Smart Ass and any other Ability Scores you are playing with) called Wealth. Wealth does not represent the amount of currency a creature currently has, but the level of access to material goods consistently available to the creature. Wealth may represent a creature’s salary, significant investments, stipend for a family fortune or anything else that continually provides money without the need to actively acquire that money during gameplay. A player must place zero or more of the 9 Ability Points available at character creation into Wealth. A creature may also increase its Wealth with Bigger Ass or reduce its Wealth with Smaller Ass, the same as any other Ability Score. Unlike Kick Ass, Bad Ass and Smart Ass, a creature can have 0 in Wealth. A creature with zero in Wealth does not passively gain currency in excess to its living expenses. It also cannot make Wealth Checks or any other roll that is calculated based on Wealth (unless otherwise stated).

Wealth Checks

When a creature wants to acquire an item that could conceivably be purchased, it may make a Wealth Check (1d12 + Wealth) against the item's Acquisition DC. An item’s Acquisition DC is equal to six plus the item’s Value (6 + Value). If the result is higher than the DC, the item is acquired. The Game Master determines how long a Wealth Check takes and may adjust the Acquisition DC based on the circumstances.

Money Points

Wealth represents continuous and steady sources of money, but currency can be gained and stored independently of Wealth. When a creature acquires valid currency, it gains one or more Money Points (MP). The Game Master determines how much MP is gained from any given event. MP can be spent to acquire items without a Wealth Check or to increase the result of a Wealth Check (1d12 + Wealth). The MP cost of an item is equal to the item’s Value, and each MP spent increases the result of the Wealth Check by 1. Each month (or other period determined by the Game Master), a creature gains a number of MP equal to its Wealth. There is no limit to how many MP a creature can have, unless the circumstances in game would limit the amount of currency it can possess (such as how much of the local currency it can carry or safely store).

Item Value

Any item that can be purchased has a Value of zero or greater. Everyday items that do not constitute a meaningful cost to buy have Value 0. Simple food, common tools and other items the average person can afford regularly have Value 0.

Items that replicate the benefits of a Feature have a Value of 1 or greater. If an item provides the benefits of a Feature, its Value is equal to twice the FP cost of the Feature it replicates. An item that replicates a 0 FP Feature is Value 1. An item that only works once (such as a healing potion or grenade) has half the Value of a reusable item, meaning its Value is equal to the FP cost of the Feature it replicates. For example, a pair of night vision goggles that replicate See Darkness would have Value 2, since See Darkness is a 1 FP Feature. A healing potion that replicates the benefits of Heal when consumed would have Value 3, since Heal is a 3 FP Feature and the potion can only be used once. The Game Master may adjust the Value of given items if they wish.

Value Of Services

Wealth Checks (1d12 + Wealth) or Money Points (MP) can be used to employ another creature to perform a specific task or ongoing work for a creature. A task or ongoing work performed by another creature has a Value the same way an item does. If the task or ongoing work replicates the benefits of a Feature, the Value is the same as an item that replicates that Feature. For example, hiring a mage to teleport you to a distant location would have Value 6, since the task replicates Fast Step and is performed only once. If you put a physician on retainer to treat you during any full rest you have a Damage Condition, the Value would be 2 because removing a Damage Condition during a full rest replicates the benefits of Recuperate and the physician will do so repeatedly. Unlike an item owned by a creature, another creature in a creature’s employ will eventually need to be paid again to keep performing an ongoing task. The Game Master determines how long a single Wealth Check or expenditure of MP can employ a creature, but is encouraged to make it a long enough period that the employment lasts for the foreseeable gameplay.

Availability

Just because an item can be conceived of and given a Value does not mean it exists in every time and place. The same way a Game Master may not allow certain Features to be taken by their players, they may rule that certain items are beyond the magic or technology of the region or setting the game takes place within. These items cannot be acquired with any amount of Wealth, because no member of the society that values that wealth can gain possession of those items.

Options In Options

The following rules are optional additions to the Loot And Bling rules. They each alter the style of play or help with a potential problem, but are left up to the individual group to use, ignore or reimagine. 

To Make Money

Playing with the To Make Money rule can allow players to turn the loot gathered during their escapades into lasting economic status. A creature can choose to spend Money Points (MP) equal to 10 multiplied by its current Wealth (Wealth x 10) to increase its Wealth by 1. If a creature has Wealth 0, it can spend 5 MP to increase its Wealth to 1.