Wealth Level

Character Creation in Age of Intrigue
Character Creation Application Rank Period Names Wealth Level Housing Benefit Challenge Skill Religion Politics Country of Origin Reputation Fashion Inventory

We have quite a few financial details laying about in our setting, but we try and keep the accounting to a minimum. The following article is specifically aimed at creating a character, of which finances is an essential part of the noble life. A ledger will be provided to you by a moderator to keep track of expenses and income outside your wealth level (e.a. for Trade).

Definition of Wealth Level

Your Wealth Level determines the amount of money your character has available at the start of the game, and the day to day expenses he can have without needing to keep a ledger (just assuming them being paid in the background). Anything you come up with later that is outside your wealth level you'll have to account for in the ledger. That includes modifications to your house once you are in your second season. Anything that is within your level though, you can simply pop out of thin air when needed and can be noted for your own reference in your wardrobe/inventory list.

It is important to realize these are starting levels, you can always break the mold and be richer than mentioned here by working for it IC. Each season we will evaluate who will go up and down a wealth level due to their RP.

Rather than get a specific income from an estate or allowance each month, people are assumed to have enough income to support the lifestyle of their class (e.g. servants, food, wine, coaches, upkeep of estates, clothes). In addition your character can pursue jobs and other forms of preferment to gain money for extra expenses or start living above his wealth level. Your character can also choose to ask for credit to live about his wealth level. We leave this up to you to pursue IC.

Impoverished

Your character took the challenge Poverty for 3 points.

• Your starting money is 200 pounds
• You get the poor Starter Kit for clothing, once per season. It contains no silk or velvet. It contains modest jewellery.
• You will be housed in St. Marks Hall without extra cost (exceptions: underaged men and unmarried girls living with family/guardians)
• Events to be paid out of pocket.

Financially Secure

This is the standard in the game.

• Your starting money is 2000 pounds
• You get the average Starter Kit for clothing, once a season. It contains velvet and silk, but not the extra expensive cloths. It contains an average amount of jewellery.
• You will be housed in St. Marks Hall in your first season at no extra cost. In your second season you will qualify for a modest townhouse on Piccadilly Street (exclusion: underaged men living with family/guardians, as well as unmarried ladies, who qualify for separate housing upon their marriage, appropriate to the wealth level of their husband.)
• One event per IC month in season without extra cost when in London

Financially Well-to-Do

Your character took the benefit Wealth for 2 pointa.

• Your starting money is 4000 pounds
• You get the opulent Starter Kit for clothing, once a season. This includes opulent fabrics like silk and velvet, but not brocade. It contains sets of expensive jewellery.
• You will be housed in a location of your choice at no extra cost:
  • St. Marks Hall (easy access to courtly intrigue, but somewhat cramped)
  • Red Lion Inn (more opulent and wider spaced)
  • the respectable Dorchester House (ladies only) during your first season.
• In your second season you will qualify for a townhouse on St. James Square (exclusion: underaged men living with family/guardians, unmarried ladies, who qualify for separate housing upon their marriage, appropriate to the wealth level of their husband.)
• One event without extra cost per IC month in season when in London

Financial Abundance

Yes, your character is rich. You took the benefit Wealth for 4 points.

• Your starting money is 8,000 pounds
• You get the opulent Starter Kit for clothing, twice a season. This includes any fabric you wish and many sets of expensive Jewellery.
• You will be housed in a location of your choice at no extra cost:
  • St. Marks Hall (easy access to courtly intrigue, but somewhat cramped)
  • Red Lion Inn (more opulent and wider spaced)
  • the respectable Dorchester House (ladies only) during your first season.
• For your second season you will qualify for a modest townhouse on Pall Mall (exclusion: underaged men living with family/guardians, unmarried ladies, who qualify for separate housing upon their marriage, appropriate to the wealth level of their husband.)
• As many IC events you want without extra cost per IC month in season, when in London/Chelsea

Filthy Rich

You are one of the very, very few super rich in England. This benefit can only be gained in game from your second season onwards as it is such an exception. Remember those that rise this high are more likely to fall low.

• You gain no extra money except what you earned yourself
• You get the opulent Starter Kit for clothing, thrice a season. This includes any fabric you wish and many sets of expensive Jewellery. Basically, go wild.
• You qualify for a large townhouse on Pall Mall, or a mansion in Chelsea
• As many IC events you want without extra cost per IC month in season, when in London/Chelsea

What to do with your Starting Money

You can assume to own (without detailing or buying with starting money) anything that is within your Wealth Level. Detail such items only for your own enjoyment or because you want to keep track of where you keep it on your person or in your house both for yourself and for your moderators who need to determine a scene.

Free Spending

So, what DO you use your Starting money for? With the Starting Money you can buy the personal stuff with extra adornments, extra clothing should you need/want it (in addition to the free starter kit) and anything else you'd like to own that is outside your wealth level. Mostly props that you want to use to RP.

In other words: with your Starting Money you could equip your character with everything he bought previously. The wardrobe kit with clothing and all necessities will help you not spending it only on fabric and jewellery. Think also of your horse, your weapons and any scientific or other equipment you might need. If you wish you can also spend it on extra assets or investments.

You will notice that items have a Wealth Level limitation. This is for assumption of ownership during the season. You can swap a collection of poorer items from your wardrobe kit for an item in a higher level, as indicated with points per kit.

Please spend all your Starting Money via the Inventory. You don't need it for day to day expenses. At the end of the first two weeks IC any starting money not used will mysteriously evaporate. It is allowed to earmark money without detailing it till later in the game, e.a. 20 pounds on extra clothing.

Tip 1

If your character is in the habit of having some items with him at all times that might come in handy in some adventurous threads
(e.a. a dagger in his boot, a piece of string etc.), do make a note of its location in your inventory thread. You never know when
it comes up.

Tip 2 

A horse is one of the most expensive things to buy and one frequently needed.

Money in Reserve

Your starting money also contains a part that is called "money in reserve". Not all characters have immediate access to that. It may be that in order to unlock that money you will need to gain financial independence. So, if you are woman you need to be a married lady (pin money) or a widow (widow's bed), or for some other reason not utterly dependant on a man. If you are a man you need to be out from under the wings of parents or guardians, or at least they must have judged you mature enough to spent that amount.

What do you do with money in reserve? You could spent it on extravaganza like a house or expansions on existing housing, but we'd like to really urge you to use it to invest in business. Returns on investments are rolled after every Recess.

How do I get money for my ledger after the Starting Money

• Try and get a paying job or Preferment by toading up to the rich and famous
• Perhaps you have elected an extra Lump Sum as a benefit at character creation. You are well advised to spend it on assets that give income, like investment in trade, an annuity etc.
• Highway robbery, smuggling, blackmail. Name your crime and a noble was involved with it somehow, providing protection, even initiating some things. A peer cannot be tried but in the House of Lords and often got away with as much as murder.
• You could try and borrow money
• You could simply buy things and not pay for them. There would be consequences for that.

We are sure there are other ways, be creative.

Dowry

You can also try and gain a dowry by marrying a rich wife. While there is a link to her wealth level, it will also depend on your negotiating skills and the circumstances of your character.

• Impoverished: 0-5,000 pounds
• Financially Secure: 5,000-15,000 pounds
• Financially Well-to-do: 15,000-25,000 pounds
• Financial Abundance: 25,000-40,000 pounds
• Filthy Rich: 40,000+ pounds

Women and their own extra money

Unmarried girls are dependent on their guardian/family as long as they are underage (who control their money). Once they are 21 they have the legal right to assert their independence, but in practice nothing changes. They can not legally invest or have a business.

Some of the options for men will also work for widowed women, though they get a widow's bed, and not an inheritance. Only Widows have free control over their money (are allowed to invest and have a business) but often use a steward to manage their financial affairs.

Note that married women take on the wealth level of their husband. She is legally not allowed to invest or have a business. Her husband is in charge of her financial affairs and all she owns is also his, except in circumstances were family made provisions for their girls pre-marriage. A married woman's legal status is that of a child to her husband, and so needs his permission in everything. Likewise he will be held responsible for her. HOWEVER, she is due pinmoney for day to day expenses. The money in reserve is judged to be pinmoney made available to the girl by her family to ensure some independence during marriage which she may freely spend or even invest.

One very secure way of gaining extra money is gaining jewellery from admirers. It is not always necessary to actually sleep with them, you can be just a tease. Jewellery ais considered to belong the woman by any judge in case there is trouble over finances (e.a. a divorce, or family haggling over the widow's bed).

What Kind of Expenses are assumed in the background?

All day to day expenses that fit with your Wealth Level:

• housing, clothing & jewellery
• weapons
• servants (one NPC in first season, a household starting the 2nd season)
• coaches and other forms of transport
• tips, bribes
• food, drink
• gifts

Please do keep mentioning paying for things as part of your normal RP, as part of your background. Go shopping. Tip the waitress. It adds colour. You simply do not have to account for it.

What Kind of Expenses do you need to account for in your ledger?

• any attempt to live above your station. So e.a. if you want silk clothes while you have an impoverished wealth level, then you are going to have to detail how you are paying for that (or indeed if you are just amassing debt at the tailor).
• investments, buying and selling stock, and trade related finance
• extensions to your home, estate or other dwelling
• extra housing (e.a. to set up a mistress in)
• fines by the King
• conversation pieces, things or animals that have a fame of their own and therefore bestow on the owner an advantage because it is a talking piece and some of the fame rubs off.

In short anything out of the ordinary, where we might suspect there is a story to tell with a bit more precise accounting.

Optional: Further Reading

Please note that the way we use amounts of money in the game is not entirely historical correct. However, the balances within the game are.

• Jobs for Nobles
• Investment
• Real Estate in London
• Building Cost