Lifestyle Expenses

Living costs money, and when not out delving dungeons or exploring adventurers still need to eat, drink, and sleep to stay alive. A hot meal can be a glorious sight compared to the endless trail rations, and a room with a warm bed is a welcome respite compared to the unknown dangers on the trail.

While all food and lodging provides the same mechanical benefits of rest and sustenance, a bowl of gruel and a roasted pheasant have quite different costs and are usually enjoyed by different social circles. Every cultural situation is different but there are three general categories of lifestyle: poor, moderate, and rich.

Poor. A poor lifestyle is usually the most common one, and the poor social circle is typically filled with folks barely making it day by day, as well as people willing to stab or smuggle their way towards better things. Dining and lodging in poor social circles is useful when seeking out underworld contacts, fences, and assassins. A poor lifestyle inflicts a -1 Prestige penalty (to a minimum of 0).

Moderate. A moderate lifestyle is most often enjoyed by craftsmen, tradesmen, merchants, and those working for a living but otherwise managing to live comfortably. Dining and lodging in moderate social circles is useful when seeking out professionals in legitimate services, guild members, and specialists.

Rich. A rich lifestyle is rarely achieved and most often inherited, and the luxuries it entails are enjoyed by the extremely lucky or the ruthlessly cunning. Dining and lodging in rich social circles is useful when seeking out nobility, heads of state, royalty, or any leader or high-ranking member of a major organization. A rich lifestyle grants a +1 Prestige bonus.

Table: Lifestyles