Things which can lose your character SPs (and which should be avoided) are
- No Companionship: C can be satisfied by spending a week in a bawdyhouse. Carousing is mandatory (costs SL in livres for 1 SP). Womanising is optional and must be specifically ordered (costing another SL in livres). Your character may be mugged leaving the bawdyhouse, so stipulate how much cash will taken to avoid losing all of it. (4 x Social Level in livres is usual, to avoid being beaten up by thwarted footpads). C can also be satisfied by being seen at an event partnering a PC or NPC paramour.
Common means of gaining SPs open to both low and high level characters are:
- Press: Writing a piece of press (In Le tambour de ville https://rpol.net/display.cgi?gi=73726&ti=21) and mentioning it in your orders will gain your character an easy SP.
- Conspicuous Consumption: Costs SL in livres for 1 SP. A cheap SP to secure.
- Visiting Church: Costs (SL divided by 2) livres for 1 SP. Once per month a conspicuous donation (costing an extra SL/2 livres and giving a further 1 SP) can be made. Listening to Semons delivered by Churchmen who are of higher SL than your character can give extra SPs, so it's best to time your church visit(s) to coincide with these if possible. (http://wiki.rpol.net/?id=73726/House%20Rules/The%20Church)
- Toadying: Toadying to higher SL characters and NPCs at clubs, house parties and balls is a great way of gaining SPs. More generous hosts will pay your character's carousing costs too. Before starting compiling your orders it's always a good idea to see what events are planned that your character can gain access too. (Also check out who is planning to deliver sermons - see above).
- Being Toadied To: Higher SL characters wishing to go to parties will often have to host their own. Inviting characters more than 3SLs below yours (who don't actually give your character any SPs) is also a good idea as it helps them to gain SLs at which they will be useful guests for your character to have. Your character will not necessarily have to pay carousing costs for guests (unless a ball is being hosted), but guests do appreciate being paid for where possible.
- Rank: Joining a Regiment/progressing to General Rank gives SPs, as does progressing up the Church heirarchy (for priests) and gaining/improving Noble Rank (for Female PCs). Generally speaking, increasing rank should be an ongoing objective.
- Appointments: Various appointments are available at various ranks - including no rank at all where Female PCs are concerned. They give varying amounts of SPs and influence - and are very useful things to have.
- Paramours: Enticing consorts is a good way for Female PCs to gain Social Points. Paramours are not a particularly dependable means of gaining SPs, since success is by no means assured and there could be competition for the lady's hand. Generally, paramours are best seen as a means of gaining influence and potential wives rather than a means to get any SPs needed in any one month. More of a long-term investment.
- Duels: Winning a duel, especially against a member of an enemy regiment, is another means of gaining SPs. Again, this is not a very dependable way to do it - duels can go either way. In fact, it's often best to assume that you will lose all duels and make sure you have sufficient SPs to rise a Social Level despite this.
Other means of gaining SPs open up when characters have some cash to throw around:
- Carriages: These cost between 200 and 800 livres and require regular upkeep thereafter. They gain their owners 1 SP - or 2SPs if fancy coaches at double the usual prices are purchased.
- Parisian Residences: Owning a residences in Paris gives SPs depending upon its size: from 1 SP for a small house costing 250 livres to buy, to 9 SPs for a Chateau costing 8.000 livres to buy and 160 livres to upkeep every month.
- Estates in the Isle de France: Owning an estate in the Isle de France (only the largest owned counts) also bestows SPs, from 2SPs/month for a small estate costing 2.400 livres, to 9 SPs for an Opulent Estate (with Chateau) costing 60.000 livres.
- Gambling: Potentially the most expensive means of garnering SPs. Those gained for wins and lost through losses tend to cancel each other out, but the total amount bet is divided by the house divisor to give a potentially large amount of SPs. Up to seven bets can be make in any one week.
My Character Still Can't Go Up A SL. What Should I Do?
The short answer is "something else". If your character can't go up SL no matter what you, then do something else that will help him and her on their way. If there is an event coming up the month after that will enable a SL rise, then train with a weapon (free with a regimental instructor), practice guile, look to raise your Church Rank, go the Military or Ladies Academy - and forget about gaining SPs so long as you have enough to prevent going down a SL.
If there aren't any useful big events on the horizon, then military characters should think about volunteering to go on campaign - preferably in command of their own battalion, squadron, regiment or brigade. It's best to have a Death Modifier of at least +4 before going on campaign if possible, which means being a major or above in a good regiment. Always order Conspicuous Bravery to death roll of 13+. This means that you only start increasing chances of mentions, promotion and loot if there is no chance of your character being killed.
Churchmen might consider going on a Church Mission - but again, try to make sure you have a high enough Church Rank to minimise chances of death beforehand.
Female PCs don't have any missions to fall back on (unless they are Ferrets), so might plan long stints improving EA or Guile, or look to earn some cash by less respectable means.
Money, Money, Money...
In the early stages of the game, chances are that military characters are going to be short of the cash they need to (raise their social level high enough to) secure a majority in a good regiment and the horses needed to support it. Ladies may find it difficult to secure the rent, horse and carriage they need to support their position or the cash to improve their skills. (Churchmen will probably be OK for cash - indeed it might be worth the while of other characters to try tapping them for a loan...)
There are a number of ways in which characters can raise cash:
- Borrowing from another PC: It's never too soon to start making friends. Characters with lots of cash can make them by loaning it. PCs don't charge interest and might be persuaded to extend loans indefinitely. If they die, however, their executors will demand immediate repayment.
- Borrowing from the Shylocks: Your character can borrow (SL x 100) livres from the Shylocks, which means that every time a SL is gained, another 100 livres can be borrowed. Loans must be repaid after six months - with 10% interest - so some thought as to how this will be found when the time comes is vital. Non-repayment may lead to disgrace (and possibly death).
- Military Campaigns: Military characters will be looking to pick up loot whilst on campaign in order to repay any loans to the Shylocks. Those commanding Battalions, Squadrons, Regiments or Brigades can volunteer their commands and enjoy favourable die modifiers by fighting with their own units rather than Frontier regiments. Only designated regiments can fight during the Summer Campaign, however. The only way Lt.Generals and above can get to the front outside of the Summer is with a dangerous frontier unit.
- Church Missions: For Churchmen, Missions are the best way to make some reasonable cash.
- Female Options: Female PCs can stumble along at the expense of their lovers, but reasonable amounts can't be made unless they slip away to the Rue Bourdel on occasion and / or take the 'Black Widow Route' - marrying a rich PC then arranging for him to meet an untimely demise so they can inherit some of his wealth.
Serious Cash
The above means are not going to garner amounts of cash serious enough to purchase chateaux in Paris or Opulent Estates in the Isle de France. Other means must be looked to if such prizes are to be attained:
- Quartemaster Embezzlement: Army Quartermasters can embezzle up to 20,000 livres once per year, and the Frontier Quartermaster can embezzle this amount up to three times per year. Embezzlement which leads to a reduction in military effectiveness (and greater chances of other characters getting killed) is largely frowned upon and could lead to some serious consequences.
- Royal Governors' Taxation: Royal Governors (of both Paris and the Provinces) can raise serious amounts of cash (up to 20,000 livres) each season through overtaxation. Punitive taxation can easily lead to revolts, however, but the Governor should have little to worry about provided his MA is 7 or more. Being the cause of more than two revolts, however, could have unpleasant consequences.
- Peculation from the Treasury: The Minister of Finance and the Minister of Justice can, if working in cahoots, squirrel away 20.000 livres per month. The Minister of State, Préfect of Police and possibly other Ministers will usually want a cut, however.
- Investments: Provided there is a PC in post as Minister of State, and he is willing to give advance warning of how many brigades are to be sent on campaign that year, then those with cash can use provident investment in Arms to double their money every year.
Rounding up...
- Always try plan at least three months ahead, using a worst case Scenario. That way you'll be able to see looming problems / hold-ups and hopefully be able to do something about them.
- In any given month, if you can go up a Social Level if you stay in Paris there is no point in going to the front or on a mission.
- In any given month, if you CAN'T go up a Social Level there is no point in staying in Paris. You might as well go to the front or on a mission to save some cash (no upkeep to pay) and hopefully gain some MIDs / Promotions / Loot.
- Try to make sure you have at least a +4 modifier to your Death Rolls before placing your character in danger and always order Conspicuous Bravery to death roll of 13+. This means that you only start increasing chances of mentions, promotion and loot if there is no chance of your character being killed.