4 SUPPORT AND CURRENCY

4.1 Support

A character must pay Livres (the monetary unit of this game) equal to twice his Social Level each month for support (clothes, servants etc). A character who fails to do so loses one Social Level.

A character may gain one additional Status Point each month by conspicuous consumption. This consists of spending three times his Social Level for the month, rather than two, for support.

Characters will also need to secure a residence suitable to their station. (See Housing Rules). Privates (and troopers in cavalry regiments) can live in their regimental barracks at no cost. Officers and everyone else needs to secure a place to call home - be it a small appartment or sprawling chateau. The Church provides and maintains suitable rented accommodation for Churchmen. Suitable residences may be rented at reasonable cost until a sufficient fortune has been amassed for outright purchase.

Note that if a character cannot pay his or her support costs or housing expenses (after all other costs have been paid) s/he loses a social level.

While a character is at the Front, he does not pay any Support or Club dues.

4.2 Gifts and Loans

Characters may borrow money from other players, or from local moneylenders or Shylocks. Characters do not charge interest on loans to other characters; this is ungentlemanly. At any time after three months from the date of the loan, however, the lender may demand payment from the borrower. If the borrower is unable to pay, he is disgraced: he must join a Frontier Regiment and remain with it until he is able to pay.

When a character borrows money from a Shylock, he must pay back the money plus 10% interest at the end of six months’ time. If unable to pay, the character is disgraced and must join a Frontier Regiment until he can pay his debts. When borrowing from a Shylock, the maximum amount that any character can borrow is 100 times his Social Level. If a character borrows up to his capacity and is promoted a level, he may, if he desires, borrow more up to his new limit.

Gifts will always be accepted unless ordered otherwise.

If the total gifts between one character and another exceed 250 livres in any one month then the gift is taxed at 50%. So, for example, if Athos orders a gift of 600 livres to Porthos then Porthos only receives 300 livres with the other 300 livres going to the treasury. If Athos only gives 250 livres to Porthos then Porthos gets the full amount.

This also applies to houses, carriages and estates exceeding 250 livres in value - including cash and property left in player characters' wills.

Naturally, sums transferred from the treasury to other ministries to cover ministerial running expenses are exempt from this gift tax.

To circumvent this, loans between characters can be left running long after the three months when they become due, but such loans will be called in immediately by the estate executors if the character having made the loan dies.

Characters calling in loans to other players must order this as a pre-monthly action, and the debtor must repay the loan the following month.

If a character fails to repay the Shylocks, but has the money, the Shylock will come and take it anyway!

Characters who cannot repay loans are disgraced until the loan is repaid. They are sent to the frontier until they can repay it. Priests are sent on a mission to the Holy Land and Female PCs forced to work as servants or in the Rue Bourdel. The courts will confiscate property worth 120% of the loan if a character refuses to repay a loan.

4.3 Sale of Possessions

Characters may sell horses to cover debts and will receive 75 Livres for each. Houses and estates may sold at 50% of their value in a quick sale, or for 75% of their value if advertised for a month previously. They may be sold to other PCs for whatever sum is agreed between them.

4.4 Conspicuous Consumption

Conspicuous Consumption (Con Con) costs Livres equal to half a character’s support costs (1 x SL livres) and gives one additional Status Point.

4.5 Going Incognito

In certain circumstances (when a loan which cannot be paid is coming due, when an impending charge is suspected or when working 'undercover') characters may find it advisable to go Incognito. They give out that they are leaving Paris then move to a different area where they will not be recognised and adopt an assumed name. Characters serving in Frontier Regiments to escape the Shylock are assumed to have gone incognito too.

Characters who are incognito cannot raise their Social Level, but do not need SPs to maintain their current one (their genuine persona is assumed to be floating). They still need to cover their support, however. The Alter Ego adopted by characters going incognito can be of their own SL or lower.

Incognito characters cannot borrow cash from the Shylocks unless they have property whose quick sale value equals or exceeds the loan - but can perform services for other PCs for payment and take loans/accept cash from them. They can join regiments under their assumed alias, gain loot and accept promotions. They do not get MiDs, however, unless (by arrangement with the GM) they give up their old persona and continue thereafter with the new one.

Working as a servant can prove an attractive option for incognito characters.