Resources
Rather than tracking money, an abstracted resources level will be used. Permanent Resources represent income more than cash on hand. Each level has associated example purchases, these are difficult but possible and will normally require a spending roll. Purchases for a lower level can be made fairly freely, a purchase for a higher level is a real stretch and would require time and character action rather than a single roll - adventure stuff.
The resources available to an individual or group are represented by an aspect, invokes from this can be spent to benefit a spending roll or any other roll where pouting out money like water would be helpful
Temporary resources are also represented by an aspect, but at the beggining of each in-game month each character using those resources must make a difficulty 4 spending roll (that must go ahead, see below).
Spending Roll
When a character wants to purchase something, compare the cost to the character's resource level
- If the cost is lower than the resource level the purchase can be made. Many purchases may be "rounded up" to the next level of resources - someone who can buy a spear and suit or armour easily may not be able to equip fifty soldiers.
- If the resource level and cost are the same then an Overcome roll (using a rating of 1) is required (difficulty defaults to 2 but is defined in the cost chart). Any free invokes on the Resources aspect can be used to boost this roll.
- Success: Purchase can be made.
- Success with Style: Not only is the purchase made, but if there is an aspect associated with the item or service bought the player gains a free invoke on it.
- Tie: Player can choose whether to make the purchase, if it goes ahead future purchases for the next month must be lower than the resource level
- Failure: Player can choose whether to make the purchase, if it goes ahead then the effective resource level drops by one (for a permanent resource level this lasts a month, for a temporary resource until something raises it again). If it does not go ahead then any future purchases for the next month must be of a lower level than the resource level.
- If the cost is higher than the resource level the player must find some way of creating an advantage for an aspect that would permit the attempt (e.g. Usurious Loan). Then a free invoke (or fate point) from this aspect allows the purchase attempt as if the cost was one level lower.
Standard Costs
| Resources | Difficulty 0 | Difficulty 2 | Difficulty 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Subsistence food | Patched second hand clothes, plain food | Normal food |
| 1 | Second hand clothes | Plain clothes, spear, prayer papers, Coca leaves | Cocaine |
| 2 | Domestic animal, Maiden tea | Fine clothes, weeks stabling, passage across the Inner Sea, poleaxe, light armour, small boat, family feast | Unskilled slave, horse |
| 3 | Weeks stabling for fine horse | Courtly clothes, skilled slave, fine horse, sword, medium armour, large boat | Lavish feast for 2 dozen |
| 4 | Crew & provender a ship for a month | Royal rainment, townhouse, ship or boat, noble jewellery, Grand banquet for 200 | Estate, erect a Manse |
| 5 | Articulated plate, royal jewellery | ||
| 6 | Build a grand palace, imperial jewellery, raise a legion |
See Weapons & Armour for specific costs
Raising Resources
Raising a character's Resources above the campaign's starting level costs Stunts. The first one level increase takes one Increased Resources Stunt, the second, two and each subsequent level costs another four; to a maximum Resources level of 5. If a character cannot buy enough stunts to increase their level they can buy one or more instances of the Financial Reserves Stunt, these can be traded in for Increased Resources Stunts later.
Resources Stunts
Financial Reserves: Once per month can either purchase an item of the character's Resources level without rolling or attempt a spending roll for an item of one level higher without requiring an aspect or Fate Point (the roll has the normal consequences). This Stunt uses the character's permanent Resources level even if prior spending has temporarily lowered or affected it.
Bargain Hunter: Gain +2 to spending rolls under specific circumstances. A certain kind of good (e.g. Horses) is likely to represent knowledge and good judgement- they spot the one better than the seller thinks it is, while a specific location (no larger than a town, "the market district" of a city would have pretty much everything for sale in a city and so is not allowed) is more likely to be contacts willing to cut the character a deal.