Housing cost is determined by figuring out how many Lifestyle Points the housing situation is using. This then converts into a monthly credit cost, seen on the table below. The Total Lifestyle Points is the sum of points spent on Comforts, Entertainment, Necessities, Neighborhood, Security (Collectively known as CENNS) and any positive or negative qualities. Details on the CENNS levels and qualities can be found below the table.
BUYING A PERMANENT LIFESTYLE
Buying a permanent lifestyle costs 100 times the monthly cost. This can be bought on credit, though monthly payments must be made, and a down-payment is frequently required.
However, it is possible to purchase only a portion of the total lifestyle, with each category representing different things.
Security + Necessities + Neighborhood: These three must be bought together, since they represent your home and its location.
Comforts: This represents what you have inside your home.
Entertainment: This represents your entertainment.
For example, you may wish to buy the Entertainment category to reflect your permanent memberships to nightclubs. To figure out your price, add up the LP for the categories you wish to purchase. Then, divide those LP by your total Lifestyle Point cost. Finally, multiply that figure by your base monthly lifestyle payment, and then by 100.
After a permanent lifestyle category purchase, your remaining monthly cost is based only on the point values of the categories you did not buy.
A Lifestyle that has been permanently purchased cannot be upgraded; in order to change some (or all) aspects of the Lifestyle, you must first sell it, then purchase the new one.
ROOMMATES
When two or more people share a home, they can share the lifestyle costs, although having extra people increases the total lifestyle costs. Each additional person beyond the first adds 10% to the credit cost of the lifestyle. It’s up to the roommates to decide how to divide the costs amongst themselves.
Player characters may also choose to live with one or more NPCs. In that case, the gamemaster must decide what portion of the base costs the NPC will shoulder. (If gamemasters find players abuse this option just to save money, they can feel free to assign various lifestyle qualities to help keep game balance—and bring some humor into the game).
Player characters who are supporting dependents (by taking the dependent quality on p. 104) will normally pay all (or most) of the cost of the dependents’ lifestyles (base and individual). A person with two children, for example, would pay 120% of the normal base cost of their shared lifestyle.
VEHICLES
Lifestyles totaling 20 LP or more include the cost to lease and maintain one vehicle. At 25 LP or above, the lifestyle includes the lease and maintenance of two vehicles, plus a chauffer to drive them. Purchasing a vehicle is only included when a permanent lifestyle (at or above 20 LP) is purchased. Note that the vehicles are normal ground vehicles only—people who want other vehicles, upgraded vehicles, or restricted vehicles or upgrades must pay for them or the upgrades separately.
| TOTAL LIFESTYLE POINTS | COST | SIMPLE EQUIVALENT |
| 0 | 0 Credits | Street |
| 1 | 50 Credits | |
| 2 | 100 | |
| 3 | 150 | |
| 4 | 200 | |
| 5 | 250 | Squatter |
| 6 | 400 | |
| 7 | 550 | |
| 8 | 700 | |
| 9 | 850 | |
| 10 | 1000 | Low |
| 11 | 1300 | |
| 12 | 1600 | |
| 13 | 1900 | |
| 14 | 2200 | |
| 15 | 2500 | Middle |
| 16 | 3000 | |
| 17 | 3500 | |
| 18 | 4000 | |
| 19 | 4500 | |
| 20 | 5000 | High |
| 21 | 7500 | |
| 22 | 10000 | |
| 23 | 15000 | |
| 24 | 20000 | |
| 25 | 25000 | |
| 26 | 30000 | |
| 27 | 35000 | |
| 28 | 40000 | |
| 29 | 45000 | |
| 30 | 50000 | |
| 31+ | +12500 per additional level |
COMFORTS
This section is all about making your house a home. This includes the quality and quantity of furnishings, interior design, artwork, and household conveniences, such as drones, self-cleaning windows, work-from-home networks, and other things to make your life easier. Comforts represent things that other people desire, and if you have a level of Comforts that is higher than your Security or Neighborhood, thieves, burglars, and other undesirables may consider your home a free-for-all shopping opportunity. You know the saying about a fool and his gold…
Street (0 LP)
Comfort?
Examples: Hopefully, you have a coat, shoes, and a hat. Gang graffiti art decorates your alley.
Squatter (1 LP)
You own a few pieces of furniture, but if anyone comes over, they’ll probably have to sit on the floor. What you do have is scavenged, barely functional, and outdated.
Examples: There’s a bare mattress on the floor, crates for a table, and a stolen folding chair.
Low (2 LP)
You own some cheap furniture, purchased second hand or at a mass-market retailer. Still, your chairs probably match, and you have somewhere to sit while enjoying your chosen form of entertainment. You might have a single household drone to help with chores (obviously one that relies on programming, not an AI); sure, it’s prone to glitches, but at least you don’t have to vacuum. Your walls are decorated with cheap paints.
Examples: You have a complete bed, matching table and chairs, and a sofa.
Middle (3 LP)
Your home has enough comfortable furniture to fill it. It’s probably mass-produced, but it won’t break when someone sits on it. You probably have three or more household drones (run by programs, not AI) and a multi-function soy processing unit. Your walls are fully covered with paint or wallpaper. You may even have a collection of knick-knacks. Your home network is secure enough that you could telecommute. This is the lifestyle of typical wage slaves.
Examples: You have a full bedroom set, a matching living room set. You have three or four useful drones, such as the BusyBuddy, including drone or virtual pets.
High (4 LP)
You have all the furniture and accessories you want, including the matching curtains. Your furniture is higher end or antique, and well-made. You have real art in your home, plus as much virtual art and décor as you want. Your household drones are efficient and well-maintained, and probably run Dumb AI. In addition, you might have a housekeeper.
Examples: Your furniture is made of real wood, and it might be heirloom antiques. You eat on real china plates and drink from crystal wine glasses. Work around the house is done by a manservant drone or a live housekeeper.
Luxury (6 LP)
You have priceless antiques and original art by famous artists in your home. Your furniture is custom designed by well-known designers, and your interior décor looks like it belongs in the center feature of a home and garden show. You have a full staff, and your AI are smart AI.
Examples: The wall paneling is made from precious hard- woods, and the faucets are gold-plated. There’s a Picasso on the wall, a library of rare manuscripts and first editions, and a domestic staff of 4 to 5 personnel.
ENTERTAINMENT
This section details how much fun your life is. You get what you pay for, so characters who want to enjoy themselves should invest in this category. This includes both in-home entertainment and life out on the town. Although more and more personal entertainment is moving towards being primarily accessible via comlink, the capabilities of your home restrict the level of external entertainment equipment you can install, as well as your access to the net, so Entertainment is limited by your Necessities (not to mention that if you’re not dressed right, you certainly won’t get into those exclusive clubs). As a result, you cannot choose an Entertainment rating more than one level higher than your Necessities. For example, if you pick Low Necessities, you can have Entertainment at the Middle rating or lower. In addition, while the purchase of a comlink is not included in Entertainment, the monthly subscription to a Net Service Provider (NSP) and various subscription services is.
Street (0 LP)
Entertainment is whatever amuses you, is accessible, and free.
Safehouse/Bolthole: You are in a static zone and only have what you brought with you for entertainment. You miss the graffiti on the walls. Sock puppets anyone?
Examples: You watch rats fight and read spam and discarded junk mail.
Squatter (1 LP)
You have a meager, inconsistent budget for entertainment, which can be hampered by the level of Necessities or Neighborhood.
Safehouse/Bolthole: You’ve got a few old datacards with nothing more than text on them. There’s a novel or two, and apparently the Gideons came by sometime to drop off a King James Bible chip. Or perhaps, in an ironic move, someone stole the Bible from a motel.
Examples: You go out for occasional drinks at a local dive or attend a dogfight. You watch the occasional pirated film or cheap TV program on your comlink.
Low (2 LP)
You have a budget to cover some basics and enough to pay for a monthly subscription or two, all of it commercial-laden or low quality. You also can afford a few date nights and basic personal care.
Safehouse/Bolthole: There is a TV, which is something, even though the color’s a little off and won’t fix. There’s also a collection of classic flat and 3D shows that everyone has already seen a million times, even though once was enough. For a change of pace, you could peruse the drive with a bunch of scandal blogs from the early 2020s if you want to read about all the rumors of the post-war environment.
Examples: You have a subscription to a few 3D shows, music, or casual AR gaming sites with a vanilla avatar. Date night consists of a show at the local theatre and dinner at the noodle stand (or equivalent location). You hang out at the local hole-in-the-wall club & bar with recorded music. You make a monthly visit to the barbershop or low-end salon.
Middle (3 LP)
Your home is well equipped, and you can afford subscriptions to multiple entertainment sites. Date nights are more frequent, and you can go to the occasional large event. At this level, you can keep up pampering treatments and can budget for a modest vacation annually.
Safehouse/Bolthole: A new (if cheap) off-brand 3D-capable TV graces the room along with a decent sound system and a fine collection of classic and much-loved media. A good collection of books-on-chips is also here—it’s mostly training and self-help materials that seem to be aimed specifically at people like you. The one on dealing with paranoia makes you think someone is trying to tell you something. And that you are being watched.
Examples: You have an assortment of shows to watch at home, either on the TV or in AR. You eat out regularly at a popular chain restaurant and have season tickets to a sporting event or occasional tickets to a rock concert (nose-bleed seats). People know your name at a neighborhood bar or club. You can take a five day cruise ship vacation or spend a week camping. You can afford occasional minor cosmetic surgery (tummy tuck, nose-job).
High (4 LP)
You have state-of-the-art entertainment technology in your home, and you have access to commercial-free or exclusive on-line entertainment. You don’t have to worry about budgeting for date night and can have a few standing reservations to exclusive restaurants or clubs. Your entertainment access and tech is enough to make your friends envious and impress your dates. Vacations last longer or occur more frequently.
Safehouse/Bolthole: You’ve got a name-brand 3D-capable TV that was the top of yesterday’s line and a hacked broadcast feed that gives you all your favorite shows as they come on (though no premium content—sorry). Old but serviced arcade machines line a wall, along with an ancient pinball machine. A spoofed online library card allows you to download any books you would want to read.
Examples: You have access to Underworld 93 in Seattle. You always get front row seats at a concert or a box at your favorite sporting arena. You take a ten day cruise to someplace warm in the winter or weekend hops to ski resorts at a whim. You get a little gene therapy now and again. Vacations elsewhere in the Sol system are commonplace for you.
Luxury (6 LP)
Life exists to entertain you. If you want it, you can have it.
Safehouse/Bolthole (5 LP): Well, it is not a room in the Dancer’s Chant casino in Las Vegas, but then, what else is? A forged executive’s account gives you any show or special event you would want to watch on the high-definition 3D-capable TV. A personal trainer drone is available to help you stay in shape or even work on some new skills, and a bath with a bottle of your favorite beverage is waiting for you after your workout session. The only thing you lack for is company.
Examples: Top artists grace private parties at your home, you tour the set of your favorite show whenever you like, and you play customized AR games made just for you and your friends. You have a regular table at exclusive clubs in multiple locations. You can afford exclusive treatments at high-end clinics and spas. You take a vacation out of the Sol system, just to get away from it all.
THE NECESSITIES
The necessities cover those aspects of life everyone needs to survive, namely food, water, clothing, and shelter. The necessities also cover the basics of sprawl life, such as access to a wireless system, electricity, waste disposal, and other modern sprawl essentials.
Street (0 LP)
Hey, rat is free! At the street level, you scavenge garbage or hunt rats for food, you drink water from polluted puddles or streams, and you steal your clothing from other homeless people. Your shelter is a spot under a bridge, a doorway, or a dumpster. You might use public restrooms, but most neighborhoods with those amenities won’t let you in with the way you smell… You generally go cold and hungry.
Safehouse/Bolthole: The stock of food here would make a starving barrens rat turn up their nose. No clothing of any type has been laid away; you only have what is on your back. And you don’t have a washing machine. The water ration is so low that it is barely enough to last a day, and its source is questionable at best. You wish you could go back to your nice, full dumpster full of thrown-out food and drink the acid rain as it falls from the sky.
Examples: You live under an overpass, eat a dead rat, and wear stolen clothes—what more could anyone want?
Squatter (1 LP)
You have a roof and three or four walls to keep you dry and keep the elements out. There’s enough room for you to have a visitor, but if they want to spend the night, it’ll be very cozy. You have limited power, light, and heat, either heavily rationed or with enough fuel to run portable sources a few hours a day. You might not suffer from malnutrition, but you certainly aren’t the picture of health. Wireless coverage is spotty, at best.
Safehouse/Bolthole: You’re stocked with third-rate military rations whose “best before” date was worn away long ago and a few small cases of bottled water, which is preferable to the brown water that comes from the sink. A number of one-size-fits-none flats await your use.
Examples: You live in an abandoned building, a homeless shelter, a shantytown hut, or a coffin motel. You have enough food to eat at least one solid meal a day, but it’s unprocessed, unflavored soy, and you drink rainwater or second-hand bottled water with it. You wear clothing from charity bins or the Salvation Army. You might have an army surplus sleeping bag and a flashlight.
Low (2 LP)
Your home has all four walls, a mostly watertight roof, and you might even have a balcony (or at least a large window). There’s room for you and a roommate. You have water and electricity for your place, although they might come from an illegal tap or be subject to rationing, so a backup generator and bottled water are a good idea. Wireless coverage is available but at a low signal rating. You don’t go hungry, but there isn’t much variety. Your in-home kitchen is cheap but functional.
Safehouse/Bolthole: Recently expired high-end military rations and municipal water with a shut-off timer await you, though no hot water flows. Generic, knock-off clothing near your size promises to (hopefully) not give you a rash when worn. Electricity is haphazard at best, and there’s rarely a warning when it’ll go off, or when it will emit a device-destroying surge.
Examples: You live in a small studio or one bedroom apartment in a large block apartment building, a room in a communal house, or a dormitory. There’s a garage or lot to park your car. You eat soy nutrition bars or universal patties with flavor packets, you wear clothes from a second hand store or the sales rack at a superstore, and you do your laundry at a coin-operated facility.
Middle (3 LP)
Your home is comfortable and cozy. You have stable utilities, although the occasional peak-usage brownout still occurs. Your home has room for a small family, with perhaps an extra guest room.
Safehouse/Bolthole: A variety of food-like substances accent the soy that comes with all the flavoring you could want, except for the ones that actually taste decent. The water ration allows for two quick showers a week in lukewarm water that might even be clean. High-quality knock-off generic streetwear keeps you from being naked, and a housecoat stolen from a major hotel chain can work as a smoking jacket to provide a small simulacrum of culture and refinement.
Examples: You have a 90–100 square meter home with a small yard or an apartment with patio/porch. It comes with a designated parking space in an underground garage or a garage attached to the home. Food is prepared on a multi-function soy processor and is almost indistinguishable from the real thing, and you can afford to eat ‘real food’ a few days a week. You can afford bottled water, you have centrally controlled appliances that work, such as a laundry machine and dishwasher, and you have mid-priced new clothing, or items you bought on sale from a higher-end clothier.
High (4 LP)
Your home is beyond cozy, with enough space for a few guests or entertaining visitors at home. All your basic needs have been met, and you are working on indulgences. Only exceptional situations interrupt your utilities.
Safehouse/Bolthole: You’ve got military rations that just fell off the back of a truck, along with a lot of hot sauce to make them almost palatable. The hot water is rationed, but you can have as much cold water as you want, along with a good supply of bottled water for emergencies (and having a system that has not adjusted to the local water may count as an emergency). Low-end name-brand clothing fits you as well as off-the-rack provides, along with an ill-fitting suit in case you have an emergency business meeting.
Examples: You have a 300 square meter condo or apartment, or a 200 square meter single family home with a large yard and nice garden. You have at least two private parking spaces in a secured underground facility or a two-car garage. You eat real food prepared by drones or human staff and indulge in high-priced real chocolate and milk. Your appliances have all the bells and whistles. You wear current trendy styles of clothing and jewelry or tailored high-end clothing.
Luxury (6 LP)
You have more room than you know what to do with, and your comforts rival those of royalty. Only your imagination and the time to get the ingredients limits your cuisine.
Safehouse/Bolthole (5 LP) Prepared food packed full of preservatives and flavor are a nuke ‘n’ serve away, along with all the hot water you want. The faucets have a purifier attached, but bottles of emergency water wait as well. The clothing is not fashionable, but includes a light armor weave, just in case you feel like getting into a fight in your boxers, housecoat, and slippers.
Examples: You live in a 750 square meter villa, a mansion with extensive grounds, or a multi-story penthouse. Your appliances are kept up to date or bleeding edge, you eat quail eggs and peacock tongue for breakfast, and you only drink wine that has aged for more than 50 years, all prepared and served by a small domestic army of servants. The water on tap is from melting glacial ice you ship in. You shop the fashion shows in Paris, Syria Planum, and Tsiolkovskiy Crater, and have a private account at the stores that sell the cutting edge of clothing.
NEIGHBORHOOD
Real estate wisdom through the ages has held that the utmost value is in location, location, location. This is even more true in the 2030s. From the dangerous barrens to the luxury corporate enclaves, where a character lives is a primary concern. In game terms, Neighborhood is measured by the security level of the area. Once a player determines the security level of their Neighborhood, they can talk with the GM to determine a more accurate idea of where exactly they are living.
Street – Off-limits zones/Barrens (0 LP)
Your neighborhood isn’t much of a neighborhood at all. These are the worst areas possible on Earth, the most dangerous of barrens, the vicious slums of a feral city, the lawless spread of destroyed and uninhabitable tenements or urban blight. Your neighbors are the homeless and desperate, society’s outcasts. There is no security here, beyond what you can provide with your own strength. It’s not all gloom, however—at least you won’t be hassled by police, since even the cops know better than to venture into these areas.
Limitations: All other categories are limited to Street level.
Examples: This is actually a very difficult area to find on Earth. You’ll pretty much only find this kind of areas in places that are actually off-limits to people, such as the CEZ and the SEZ.
Street (0 LP)
The streets—or the sewers, almost uninhabitable condemned buildings, rusted-out car frames, or the ever popular underside of a bridge—are a miserable, dangerous place to live. The down and out you call neighbors consist of other homeless, drug addicts, criminals, transients, and street gangs. There is little to no police presence. For the most part, the gangs provide security to those who can afford it (and prey on the rest).
Limitations: You cannot choose higher than Low for Comforts.
Examples: These can be found just about anywhere, if you know where to look.
Squatter (1 LP)
A step up from the lawless chaos of the streets, this neighborhood has some (mostly) inhabitable buildings, some shops or markets (which probably deal in barter or certified cred only), and a neighborhood watch or larger gang to provide security. Of course, anyone walking the streets had better be armed, but chances are you won’t be killed just for your shoes. Police presence is minimal, although they will enter the area (heavily armed, of course) if there are major problems, such as high-profile serial killers. Residents tend to live crammed together in squatted buildings, but at least they have a roof and three or four walls. Garbage is collected by scavengers, or it accumulates in the alleys.
Limitations: You cannot choose higher than Middle for Comforts.
Examples: These can be found just about anywhere, if you know where to look.
Low (2 LP)
The Low lifestyle neighborhood actually has some community to it. Most people live in apartments or multi-family housing and even pay rent. This is a typical part of the sprawl, with dilapidated buildings, petty crime, and little maintenance or public services. There is power and water available, although the utility companies probably ration it. The residents are low-paid wage slaves, factory workers, day laborers, and the elements of the unskilled labor workforce. The neighborhood may have an actual (barely) functioning police department, or it may pay a gang or criminal syndicate for security (response times of 10 – 20 minutes). Either way, you can walk the streets during the day without being mugged, and a sturdy lock will keep your things safe.
Examples: These can be found just about anywhere, if you know where to look.
Middle (3 LP)
The Middle lifestyle neighborhood is a pleasant, well-kept community. It may be a mix of high-density housing and shops, or it could be a suburban neighborhood. The public utilities, such as electricity and water, are reliable, the wireless coverage is up 24/7, and the neighborhood has a reputable police department or a well-respected criminal syndicate providing protection (response times of less than five minutes). Drones patrol the streets, and you can go out at night without body armor. There are probably several popular chain restaurants to choose from, the grocery delivery services are well-stocked, and there might even be a park or green space. Your neighbors are middle management, white-collar wage slaves, entrepreneurs, and successful criminals. Neighborhood watches are common, and street crime is not.
Examples: These can be found just about anywhere, if you know where to look.
High (4 LP)
Home to executives, doctors, mafia accountants, and other well-to-do, a High neighborhood is a community of nicer condos in a prosperous downtown area or a gated suburban community with larger homes and pretty gardens. Police drones patrol the streets, scanning everyone for their IDs, as well as contraband, and officers are quick to respond to any issues (response times of less than three minutes). Neighborhood watches will report anyone who doesn’t fit in with the right “look” to the police. The neighborhood has a park or rooftop gardens, nicer restaurants that are members-only, and community features, such as swimming pools or tennis courts, are maintained by a homeowners association. Corporate enclaves are generally in the High category.
Limitations: You cannot choose less than Middle for Security or Necessities.
Examples: Vladivostok Artificial Solutions Enclave (Russian Federation)
Luxury (6 LP)
Luxury neighborhoods are where the truly rich spend their days and nights. Around the clock security, with drones, magical and psionic support, and polite and good-looking officers are the norm. The communities are gated and exclusive—security keeps out everyone except residents and their guests. Response time for police, fire, and medical emergencies is less than one minute, and they will come fully prepared for any problems. There are no spam zones. Estates are park-like, and exclusive country clubs and golf courses are the gathering place of choice. Restaurants are members-only. This is the lap of luxury.
Limitations: You cannot choose less than High for Security or Necessities.
Examples:
Luxury—AAA (7 LP)
If living with the rich and famous just isn’t quite enough, step into the ultimate luxury lifestyle. Sprawling mansions, staffed with dozens, are the norm. Residents have their own highly trained and equipped security, although the local police forces stand ready to respond, if needed (if the location is one that has location police forces). The neighborhood has stunningly beautiful plant life; the native wildlife is restricted to beautiful songbirds and the occasional cute squirrel (usually – some people have eccentric tastes). The only bugs are butterflies. Even the people are more beautiful here. It’s like something out of a movie…
Limitations: You cannot choose less than High for any other category.
Examples: Rublyovka (Moscow, Russian Federation), Beverly Hills (California, WSA, COA), Grand Duchess’s Compound (Tycho, Luna)
SECURITY
Security is the category that describes what personal security you have on your residence. The details depend on what the player and gamemaster decide is appropriate, from manual locks to payments to the neighborhood street gang. Players may have access to well-programmed drones or may benefit from the security on the Yakuza gambling den next door. The guidelines presented below provide quick and easy suggestions for a gamemaster to use in determining security; gamemasters and players can flesh out the specific details of the security features to best suit their games.
The ratings depict how easy—or difficult—it is to get access to your residence and your stuff. In game terms, the rating of the security level is the threshold for any checks against your security. If you have Squatter level Security (Device Rating 1), then your rusted footlocker with a manual padlock has a DC of 15 for all Mechanic checks made to defeat the lock. On the other hand, if you had a Middle level Security (Device Rating 3), the rating applies to not only the locks on the door (Maglock Rating 3 has a DC of 25), but also other physical security devices. Human security is rated by their Professional Rating.
There are hideouts everywhere. Each rank of neighborhood increases the threshold to find the person by two. No one expects a bunch of shadowy criminal types to be hiding in corpville, after all. Z-zones and barrens decrease the threshold by two, as the folks there will sell out anyone at even the cheapest price.
Street (0 LP)
Security is what you can provide with your own fists. If you stop looking at your stuff, it’s likely to disappear.
Safehouse/Bolthole: “Um, chummer, where’s the door?” Anonymity is your only security.
Device Rating: 0
Professional Rating: 0
Examples: Carry a gun. Don’t sleep.
Squatter (1 LP)
You have somewhere to put your stuff, even if it’s just a locked box inside your tiny hovel or a DIY storage unit. It’s out of sight, but even common thieves will have little trouble getting access.
Safehouse/Bolthole: A door that could be picked with a hairpin, or kicked in by an anorexic elf (Armor 2, Structure 3) is your primary protection. There is a chair you can wedge against the knob; too bad the door opens out.
Device Rating: 1
Professional Rating: 0
Examples: Locker at bus station, mechanical locks, scavenged safe.
Low (2 LP)
You have decent locks, probably electric, which deter crimes of opportunity. Your building is secured by a contract security guard or an agreement with a low-level street gang. If you lock your doors, you can sleep (relatively) safely at night.
Safehouse/Bolthole: This place sports high-end physical locks whose tumblers are changed annually and a silent alarm that goes to your PAN and whatever passes for the front desk. The door is a fireproof synthetic pressure-formed model (Armor 4, Structure 5) that a weightlifter might have to kick twice.
Device Rating: 2
Professional Rating: 1
Examples: Maglock on door, screamer alarm on windows, Barking Dog drone, typical security guard
Middle (3 LP)
Your apartment building’s security keeps out unwanted visitors and casual thieves. Determined thieves will have to work to get access to your place. Locks and in-home security are above average. Your neighbors are likely to notice any suspicious characters or loud noises and call security. Smoke detectors and fire suppression systems are standard in all apartments and homes at this level. Your Net system has an average firewall and will at least monitor itself for intrusions. There may be a panic button in the home connected to contracted police or a silent alarm system that contacts building security. Either way, you can feel safe and secure in your home.
Safehouse/Bolthole: A decent but outdated maglock covers the solid vat-grown hardwood door (Armor 6, Structure 7). If this is a safehouse, a bouncer (Professional Rating 1) armed with whatever the game- master feels is appropriate is always on duty. He even does the occasional patrol.
Device Rating: 3
Professional Rating: 3
Examples: Biometric maglock with anti-tamper technology on all the doors; embedded wireless alarm, smoke, and fire detection system on all windows and doors; trained security guards patrol the building 24/7; main building doors have functional maglocks; security drones or even a big, hairy dog.
High (4 LP)
Your home has excellent security, which deters all but the most determined and well-equipped thieves. You have a private security contract with a reputable firm, and either drones or trained metahumans patrol your property at all times. Your windows and doors have superior locks. Your Net system is well protected, too, with IC running at all times. Your neighbors are likely to call police if they notice anything suspicious, and the neighbors’ security teams will likely come as backup for your own if there are any problems. You enjoy considerable safety and privacy in your home.
Safehouse/Bolthole: A steel door (Armor 6, Structure 7, fireproof ) with a series of decent physical and electronic locks, as well as bullet- and shrapnel-resistant glass for any windows, protects the room. The location also has spall-defeating wallpaper. If it is a safehouse, a team of thugs (Professional Rating 2, with a Professional Rating 3 lieutenant) watches the place, equipped with whatever the gamemaster feels is appropriate, and they patrol the area at irregular intervals, with biomonitors (either cybernetic or built into their clothing/armor) to indicate unconsciousness or death as an alarm to be raised.
Device Rating: 4
Professional Rating: 4
Examples: Human security team, spirit (Rating 4) patrol, electrified fence, security cameras, armed patrol drones, remote spider to monitor the Net.
Luxury (6 LP)
You are as safe as anyone in the world can be. It would take a dedicated team of specialists to infiltrate your property. In fact, your security is so good it gets in your way sometimes, but hey, better your own security than the riffraff, right?
Safehouse/Bolthole (5 LP): A reinforced steel storm door with every lock you could ever want covers the doorway. The Kevlar wallpaper is not fashionable, but it is bullet-resistant and completely covers the room (making it Armor 8, Structure 9). If this is a safehouse, the guards on duty all have military training (Professional Rating 4) and know how to blend into their surroundings. They are equipped with assault rifles that have stun batons bayonet-mounted on them.
Examples: Executive protection team (up to 6 members), multiple rating 6 guard spirits, on- site mage, cutting edge automated gun systems, on-site spider, drones, passkey node access.
Device Rating: 6
Professional Rating: 5–6
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
A variety of other considerations may come up when dealing with lifestyles. A few of the more common ones follow. In other circumstances, the gamemaster and players can come up with solutions that best fit their game.
HOTELS
Some people like to live footloose and fancy-free, and the Hotel lifestyle might be just what they’re looking for. The table shows the typical cost and aspects of living in a few sample hotels. Hotels can be found in any part of town (within reason), and different neighborhoods can change the average price. To calculate a daily rate for a specific hotel, calculate the lifestyle cost and divide by thirty.
Coffin Hotel: There’s one long room with a plastic futon mattress as the floor, allowing for simple automated cleaning. Net access is usually included, but its quality is dependent on the area. There’s maglock security for the door, communal bathrooms, and vending machines for clean, unisex clothes, and sometimes food. Coffin hotels began popping up in pre-War Tokyo, and have since spread to major metroplitan areas. They have also become popular in areas with limited room, such as colonies. Rates are variable, but almost always low.
Hostel: These have the same basic amenities as a coffin hotel, but with communal rooms with bunk beds fitting four to twelve complete strangers in a room. Frequently the communal room includes some sort of kitchen. These establishments are popular with youth and seniors, though those two groups usually stay at hostels aimed specifically at their age brackets.
Motel: Here, you have a private bedroom with a single to king-sized bed and a private bathroom. There will be an on-site laundromat, vending machines, and nearby restaurants that deliver. Security includes maglocks on the door, security guards, and standard monitoring equipment in hallways and shared areas. Depending on the location, the room price might include a light continental breakfast. Net is included in the price.
Hotel: A standard room would be a mini-suite, with one bedroom and a small living area. There will usually be an on-site, mid to high-class restaurant and bar, with room service available at an extra charge. Cleaning and concierge services are available. The price includes an all you can eat breakfast at the hotel restaurant. The business class option would also include complimentary happy hour in the lounge for a correspondingly higher room rate. Security consists of private security guards, security cameras in public areas, maglocks on all doors – and sometimes on elevator access for some floors.
Suites: This consists of one bedroom and a bathroom connected to a central living room and possibly a kitchen nook and dining area. Luxury suites have luxury comforts and more than one bedroom or bathroom than a normal suite. Security is top- notch, including well-armed (and discrete) security guards, secure elevator access, an on-site net technician, and sometimes an on-site mage and/or psion.
SAMPLE HOTEL RATINGS
| Hotel | Security | Comforts | Necessities | Neighborhood | LP* |
| Coffin Hotel | Low | Squatter | Squatter | Squatter | 5 |
| Hostel | Squatter | Squatter | Low | Squatter | 5 |
| Motel | Middle | Low | Middle | Middle | 11 |
| Hotel | High | High | High | High | 16 |
| Luxury Suite | Luxury | Luxury | Luxury | Luxury | 24 |
*These values are samples and may change depending on where the hotel is located, its management, and any qualities the gamemaster decides to attribute to the place. Note, the point value doesn’t include Entertainment; characters choosing to live full-time in a hotel will need to add Entertainment into their lifestyle.
PAY UP (OR MOVE OUT)
A character who is unable to make their monthly lifestyle payment suffers a variety of ill effects. It’s a matter of luck as to how long they can avoid their landlords, the collection calls, and the friendly neighborhood bill collector, Bruno.
For every month the character is unable to pay their full life- style, determine the difference between the number of Lifestyle Points they did pay for and the total point cost of their lifestyle (round down to the nearest point). The gamemaster should roll a number of dice equal to the Lifestyle Points unpaid x 2. Any hits are subtracted from the Lifestyle Point total, to determine the
new lifestyle. The gamemaster chooses from which categories to subtract points and what the effects are. The character can choose to restore their lifestyle by paying their debt. However, until that debt is paid, the lower lifestyle will remain in effect (of course, if the next month, the character is unable to pay the lower amount, their lifestyle will again get reduced by the same method).
The Easy-going Landlord quality decreases the dice rolled by two, while the Trigger-Happy Landlord quality increases the dice rolled by two.
Gamemasters may choose to assign Negative qualities or remove Postive qualities to characters who regularly default on their payments.
LIFESTYLE QUALITIES
Lifestyle qualities add to the final Lifestyle Point cost of a life- style when determining monthly cost. They also affect Availability. To determine the effect of qualities, first calculate the total LP cost for the five lifestyle categories. Then, add the total LP cost of Positive and Negative qualities. This total is added (or subtracted) to the base Lifestyle Point cost to determine the monthly cost. Note, however, that the lifestyle remains at the level of categories chosen; the final LP tally with Positive and Negative qualities effects only the final cost, not the level of lifestyle.
Note that these lifestyle qualities are separate from the character qualities purchased during character creation. For qualities that require a periodic check, gamemasters should generally roll once per month. Gamemasters may choose to make the check more frequently or at particularly dramatic moments.
INCOMPATIBLE QUALITIES
Bolt holes and safehouses cannot have the following qualities unless otherwise mentioned: any of the neighbor qualities except No Neighbors, Homegrown Farming, Rad Pad, Corporate Owned (use Affiliated quality below), Crash Pad, Living by Committee, Living with Parents, No Forwarding Address, No Privacy, This Isn’t Big Bob’s Autos.
POSITIVE LIFESTYLE QUALITIES
Characters who really want to make their house a home can choose from one or more of these Positive qualities. Some qualities may have limits, as described. In addition, players and gamemasters are encouraged to come up with other qualities that best suit their game.
Alternate Energy +1 – This can be a bunch of car batteries, a stationary bicycle, or an army of small rodents running on wheels hooked up to generators. This ensures electricity is available during brownout/blackout conditions, and it could also provides exercise or entertainment during the long, boring hours ahead.
Armory +2 – Part of the fee for the site includes two firearms, with ammunition and 5 clips for the same. Please, use them responsibly! You must purchase the firearms and ammunition up front, but they are considered always available as long as you have this lifestyle.
Commercial Zone +1 – You have taken up residence in a place such as a mall or stadium. Your Necessities and Comforts are dependent on what vendors you can get into and what refuse people throw away. Roll a d6. If a 5 or 6 is rolled, Comforts and Necessity are increased by one for a time period determined by the gamemaster. If a 1 is rolled, Comforts and Necessities are reduced by one for a time period determined by the gamemaster. The overall lifestyle cost is limited to a maximum of 7 points.
Concerned Neighbors +2 – The character’s neighbors are tighter knit (or proactively paranoid) and keep an eye on each other. They will investigate unusual sounds and will either check on the character or call the police/security. Consider concerned neighbors as an additional security feature (around the level of standard trained police). Just be sure to tell your neighbors when your weirdo friends are coming to visit.
Dug a Hole +2 – Bolthole/Safehouse only. However you did it, you disappeared with barely any traces. Even the rats are having a hard time finding you. This makes it much more difficult for people to find you.
Easygoing Landlord +1 – The Landlord isn’t overly concerned with late payments, noisy parties, or the occasional gunfight.
Escape Tunnel +3 – The healthy paranoia of the previous owner or accidental design has left the home with an entrance and exit that is invisible to those observing the house. This can be a stairwell to the sewers behind a bookshelf or basements connected to an adjacent residence.
Feng Shui +2 – The house has been arranged to focus unseen positive energies and divert negative ones. These energies enhance your creative juices. Working from home provides +4 dice to Mechanics skill checks.
Free Access +1 – A free access node is within range, allowing you to access it from the comforts of your home. It’s unsecured or you’ve breached the security. You’re able to surf the net from this node and no one has noticed. Back-hack attempts made against you while you are home take a -4 penalty.
Friendly Neighbors +1 – The neighbors are nice enough that they always say hi, offer a coffee, and eagerly lend a hand. They act friendly to the character and friends he introduces to them. The character can ask for simple favors from his neighbors, such as holding a package, giving a ride, or delivering a message.
Fully Stocked Bar +1 – When your days are full of doing a whole lot of nothing, a little libation can lighten the day. Part of your daily rations is a small dose of your drug of choice to stave off boredom. Or at least salve frayed nerves.
Hasty Exit +2 – The home is built with well-designed exits in case of an emergency. This may mean a quick-access fire exit, stairs, or a more complex express elevator or evil genius escape pod for penthouses and other luxury homes. Barring unusual circumstances, a character can exit the home in one combat turn.
High Traffic +1 – The location has an entrance and exit that is in a public and busy place that is not easily monitored by drones or cameras. It allows someone to enter or leave the place without being noticed, provided they take adequate precautions.
Homegrown Farming +1 – Part of the home has been set up with a garden to provide fresh, non-soy food (raising the food aspect of Necessities by two levels).
Inaccessible +3 – Those monasteries in the Himalayan Mountains are as convenient as convenience stores compared to your hideaway. It is hard to get into, with lots of places to plant discreet sensors and traps. This also means that it is hard to get out unless Hasty Exit is also chosen.
Inconspicuous Housing +2 – This home looks like any other one in the neighborhood, or some information is wrong or missing on the Net, making the place hard to find. Increase the threshold to find the place by two (players must choose either physical or Net for this aspect).
Legitimate +2 – Safehouse only. Something about this place makes it appear unlike a den of thieves. Be it the home of government official or a suburban home that distinctly lacks a “dead human storage” sign in the front yard. Any legal searches have the DC for the search increased by 8.
Made It to Mexico +5 – Bolthole/Safehouse only. Your bolt hole or safehouse is not just hidden away from where your troubles were, it’s in a different country altogether. The DC to find you is increased by 8, and there are politics to take into consideration when dealing with trying to get at you, as even criminal types are territorial. On the downside, you have to jump the border yourself in order to get there first.
Middle of Hicksville +2 – “This place is so remote you can watch your dog run away from home for three days straight.” With the changes to borders and the population shifts away from some areas, there are plenty of ghost towns and low-population areas to choose to hide out in. There is not much company or municipal resources, but if someone new shows up in town, you can be pretty sure what they are there for.
No Masters +5 – The area is a neo-anarchist enclave that fights against any form of control or dominion by others. By their natures, the residents are against those that would attempt to rule them by any means. It could be a group of dedicated anti-government anarchists attempting to live under the radar, or it could be an experimental anarcho-syndicalist commune where residents each take a turn acting as a sort of executive officer for the week (but all decisions of that officer have to be ratified in a bi-weekly meeting by the residents (simple majority for internal affairs, 2/3rds majority for external affairs)). You are required to help out the community, but they will not sell you out either.
No Neighbors +1 – This place can be in a remote location or a place that people have left or avoid. Regardless, there is no one to bother you—or help you. This can’t be taken with any other Neighbor quality.
Nurse/Doctor/Healer Is In +3/+4/+5 – Safehouse only. The site is set up like a long-term hospital room with a health professional that comes in to check on injured or sick individuals and provide treatment when necessary. A nurse (3 LP) has a Treat Injury check of +16 and the Experienced Medic feat. A doctor (4 LP) has a Treat Injury check of +20 and the Cybernetic Surgery feat. A healer (5 LP) has a Magery check of +16, the Lay on Hands talent, and a spell suite that contains four instances of the Vital Transfer spell.
Parabellum +1 – Safehouse only. Everyone here is armed, including the kids. Especially the grandmother that bakes everyone cookies – watch out for her shotgun. The security guards at this site are two levels higher than they would be otherwise. There is also a pistol range in the basement.
Perfect Roommate +2 – Friendly, polite, and loves to do the dishes, this roommate is perfect. In addition, your roommate has positive qualities (gamemaster discretion) that benefit you: she might be a trained martial artist or know someone well connected, like a cousin in the mafia, a sister in Military Intelligence, or a girlfriend who is a mage or psion.
Privacy Screen +1 per level (up to 3) – Something about the home or the neighborhood makes external observation of the house difficult. Examples include loud fountains, blocking buildings or vegetation, and heavy Net traffic. Add +2 per level to the DC to any Perception check when attempting to perform surveillance on the home or residents. Choose the type of observation (Net or Physical) to receive this quality – you can have it for either kind of observation, but it must be purchased separately for each.
Quiet Neighborhood +1 – The home is on a quiet little street, where people feel safe enough to walk at night. Gangs are passive or apathetic to the area. Crime around here is half what is expected for the given type of neighborhood purchased.
Rad Pad +1 – If you have the pimped up car and the tricked out pistols, then you gotta have a rad pad. Your house is themed to the extreme. While this adds a +4 bonus to any checks involving Persuasion (that involves the home). The downside – it’s easy to find your house based on a description.
Security Conscious +2 – The interior design of the home makes it perfect for defending against intruders. Whether by design or accident, the layout, rooms, and furniture make perfect cover and give residents (and regular visitors) an advantage in battle. Residents and regular visitors can always find partial cover or full cover in combat.
Stocked Up +1 – Bolthole/Safehouse only. Either you prepared your bolt hole well, or you knew who to bribe at the safehouse to get the good stuff. Your food and water portion of the Necessities category is increased by two levels.
Stunt Doubles +5 – Safehouse only. You do not know how, but the safehouse managers found people that roughly fit your gross biometrics and moved them around town a few times until they stopped at a different site. Any attempt to find you has a 50% chance of failing, no matter what the check result is.
Ultramodern +1 – The best and brightest technology can be found in your place; the cutting edge wishes it was as sharp as what you have here! Increase the Device Rating of all the electronics by 1.
Well Made +1 – The home is well-insulated and well-made. The owner stays dry and comfortable, even in extreme weather events such as 100 degree or higher temperatures or severe thunderstorms.
Workplace +1 – The home has an attached garage or an available large space, secure from the elements, to work in, operate a small business. This could be a warehouse, large loft, or even a storefront. This raises the space aspect of Necessities by two levels.
NEGATIVE LIFESTYLE QUALITIES
Not every home is a paradise. Here are some sample Negative Lifestyle qualities. Players and gamemasters are encouraged to create other Negative qualities that will enhance their game.
Affiliated -3 – The area that you have set up is affiliated with a corporation, political movement, or government agency and is constantly monitored by them. Your room might not be, but the remainder of the site is. As long as the group is opposed to the people targeting you, they assist in concealing your presence, but you might end up a pawn in “The Great Game.”
Ambusher’s Delight –3 – Something about this home—perhaps the wide-open floor plan—gives intruders the advantage in an ambush. Residents are unable to take full cover in combat, and it will take three combat turns for them to find partial cover.
Black Hole –2/–4 – Anything small, valuable, or shiny tends to go missing in your home. Keycards, credsticks, ammo, jewelry, and matching socks disappear, although no one knows if it is the work of tiny gnomes or more mysterious forces… Any easily-concealable item is at risk. When an item disappears, the gamemaster rolls 1d6. At level 1, the items reappear in 6-(roll result) days. At level 2, on a roll of a 1, the items disappears for good.
Book Thumpers -1 – Safehouse only. Hope you like speeches—you get one every day on whatever the owner believes in, be it religion, politics, conspiracies, or their fifty snot-nosed grandkids.
Cellmate -1 to -5 – Bolthole/Safehouse only. Your bolt hole has been compromised by another person seeking a place to hide, or it is the busy season in the safehouse you are in and they need to double up on the occupancy. Either way, you are crowded in with another person(s), and neither trusts each other as far as an elf can throw a troll. The LP cost of this quality depends on how well everyone is able to play with each other.
Corporate Owned –3 – The home is part of corporate-built housing such as an arcology or gated wage-slave community. While the place is nice and secure, everything is monitored. Security watches inside and out. A character who takes Corporate Owned for a residence must have a job with that corporation.
Crash Pad –1 – This home is a magnet for friends and strangers to crash. Somehow, they bypass security no matter how many times you change the locks. It’s a small inconvenience on the character’s comforts and necessities.
Defective CHN –1 – Your Central Home Network (CHN) was improperly in- stalled. Regardless of the brand, the home manages itself in ways not intended, such as cooking and cleaning on Tycho Unified Time (not your own). On the other hand, while it could detect hazards or accidents in the home, it won’t alert the homeowner, nor take the appropriate action. “Yes sir, the house is on fire. Is there anything else you require?”
Donut Shop -2/-4 – For whatever reason, cops – or worse, TAAF Security – hang around near your home or hiding spot. At 2 LP, they are corrupt and can have “vision and hearing issues” that might let them look the other way if they are given sufficient cash as an incentive. At 4 LP, you found one of the genuine incorruptible cops left in the world, and you have to sneak past them to be safe. Nothing will help you if they catch you after you killed a “Brother In Blue.”
Green Plan –1 – The home is off the grid. Power (if any) comes from renewable sources on the premises (solar, wind, etc). This also means that there’s no extra power for an electric car, drones, or CHN. Necessities cannot be higher than Middle.
Haunted –4 – Like the movie of the house built on a graveyard, your residence has a bad karmic history. On occasion, spirits or creepy (and dangerous) critters visit or take up residence. Examples include a house on the outskirts of the CEZ (Ukraine), certain areas of Japan where millions died in the Butcher of April Incident, the burial ground of a serial killer’s victims, or the site of a mass-murder.
Hell’s Waiting Room -2 – Imagine the worst wait for an appointment ever. You wish you were back there. Pacing back and forth appears to be all you can do as the atmosphere seems to bleed any pleasure from anything except thoughts of vengeance.
Hotel California -1 – Bolthole/Safehouse only. Once you check in, you are locked in for the stay. You cannot leave no matter how much you want to, as the owners do not want a lot of traffic in or out. Your exit only occurs at a pre-arranged time.
Household Gremlins –1/–3 – Necessities are glitchy, poorly installed, or hard for the help to manage. When the character is home, roll a d6 (level 1) or 2d6 (level 2). On a roll of a 5 or 6 (on either die, if level 2), Necessities (or a particular category of Necessities) drops to Squatter level for a length of time determined by the gamemaster. This quality can only be taken with Necessities above Low.
Lax Security –2 – Whether through inexperience or indifference to the character’s home, security is not up to what it should be. The DC for detecting intruders (Perception or Use Computer checks) is increased by 4. This can be due to distracted guards, thick foliage that provides good hiding spaces, or obscured camera views around the house.
Leaky Faucet -2 – There is something about sleeping in a new, strange place that unnerves most people. This place has something that gets on your nerves for the short time you are there. It could be an incessant dripping that just grates on your nerves or some barely heard sound that keeps you on edge and checking your firearm to make sure it is loaded and the safety off. The gamemaster can choose to apply negative modifiers to skill checks due to lack of proper sleep.
Living by Committee –2 – Your Home Owners Association, community housing, or dormitory life is great and keeps costs down, except for the endless rules and regulations you must follow, and the mandatory meetings you must attend (if you miss a meeting, a new inconvenient rule will be passed just to annoy you). Chores must be done (like mowing the lawn) and rules followed, otherwise the character risks eviction.
Living with Parents –2 – The character pays less for his space because he still lives at home with his parents. While at home, the character has to obey the rules of the house, such as a curfew or parental controls on the Net. Other possible restrictions could include not inviting some of the character’s “friends” over anymore or not going out because of another appointment or event, such as relatives coming over or bowling night.
Loud Neighborhood -1 – Either the walls are really thin, the couple next door is throwing the furniture around, or the bar downstairs considers “11” to be “quiet”. Earplugs might be the only way to get some sleep.
Maid’s on Vacation -1 – Safehouse only. The previous tenants left a mess that smells worse than the dumpster behind that sketchy restaurant downtown. The smell is horrible, the trash makes the place as sanitary as a sewer, and you cannot get rid of the mold because it pays rent to the owners.
Network Bottleneck –1 – Even though wireless is everywhere, your neighborhood has a bottleneck in the traffic because of a limitation of relays or a resource hog from spambots or a school. You take a -5 penalty to all Hackcraft and Use Computer checks made against remote systems when connecting to them from home.
No Forwarding Address –1 – The previous tenants were deadbeats, and now you’ve inherited their problems. Angry creditors, stray pets, and even unwanted packages show up on your doorstop. Alternatively, your commlink gets calls from debt-collection agencies, endless spam, and the occasional disconnect notice. This quality can apply to the your commlink, physical residence, or both.
Nosy Neighbors –2 – Whether friendly and well-meaning or just plain busybodies, your neighbors are constantly poking into the comings and goings from you home and meddling in your business. Depending on the context, the neighbors may not be too happy to find out about your “alternative means of employment” (and may even report you to law enforcement). Characters with Nosy Neighbors should be particularly careful about their activities since potential antagonists will find it easy to find useful informants (possibly misguided rather than malicious) in the neighborhood. Information gathering attempts against you around your neighborhood benefit from a +6 check modifier.
Not a Home -2 – The place was not exactly designed for human habitation. There is no shower, the toilet is a chemical camping model, and it is one single room with no dividers. The area is considered to be a Street lifestyle for long-term convalescence, and after you leave you receive negative social modifiers until you have had a proper shower, shave, and you have burned the clothing you were wearing.
No Privacy –1 per level (up to 3 levels) – This home is open to the point that those on the street can see what you’re wearing this morning. External observation of the home is much easier, reducing the DC for Perception checks against residents by 2x the level chosen. The problem may be large windows, thin curtains, or a spartan neighborhood. Choose the type of observation (Net or Physical) to which you wish to apply this quality.
Pest Magnet –1/–3 – Pests and strays are drawn to your home, and they chew holes in your favorite jacket, eat food left out, and build nests in your closets. Extermination fixes the problem for a few days, at best. At the second level, the pests include venomous critters, such as black widow spiders or scorpions. The type of pest and infestation effects are up to the gamemaster.
Poor Condition –1 – The home is vulnerable to certain weather or elemental conditions. For example, when it rains, the roof leaks or the basement floods. Maybe it’s so hot in the summer or cold in the winter that the vinyl furniture molds to your butt or your goldfish bowl freezes over.
Racist Hellhole -1 to -3 – Safehouse only. The people that run this place ensure only the “right” kind of people are kept safe; the wrong kind—well, that’s the deal they had to cut to keep everyone else safe. It’s all about watching your own, after all. If you’re the wrong kind of people, the DC for finding the safehouse is decreased by 8. The cost for this quality depends on just how close you are to the “wrong” kind of people.
Rough Neighborhood –1 – The home is in an area where people are stereotypically the criminal type. Gangs are more active, people are more aggressive, and people don’t even walk in the daytime without protection. Regardless of Security, crime is double that of the given type of neighborhood purchased.
The Building that Time Forgot -1 – The place never seemed to have gotten out of the twentieth century. The tech in the building is outright ancient, with copper cable still being used for the telephone system. What is a telephone? Well, time to hit the history bookchips. If only there was a computer in the place that could read them. The device rating of every electronic item is reduced by one, to the point where you actually have to manually activate them! The remote control for the 2D-only TV is also missing.
This Isn’t Big Bob’s Autos –1 – Your commlink number is one digit off from a popular business, or your NSP provider repeatedly routes the wrong numbers to you. You constantly get calls for the other number at all hours of the day and night.
Tree-Hugging Hippies -2 – Safehouse only. The master/ mistress of this house may dwell on the side of the shadows but not the violent side. Open weapons are discouraged and might even get you kicked out, without a refund, if you flaunt them too much. The security level for any guards on site is two levels lower than it would otherwise be. Worst of all, you can never get the smell of patchouli out of the clothing you’re wearing.
Trigger-Happy Landlord –1 – Your landlord has no patience for you, your friends, and the various problems you bring home. If you’re thirty minutes late on the rent, he’ll be pounding on your door. Loud parties will be interrupted by the landlord (or he may just call the cops on you). See Pay Up (or Move Out).
Under A Rock -3 – “Wait, who are the Proximans?” You are in a complete media blackout. No net connection is just the start. No rumors, no gossip, no social networking updates, nothing! As far as you know, you will crawl out and into a nuclear wasteland with only your Ares Predator, a knife, and some road flares.
Unsound/Unsafe –2/–3 –
The house has been damaged by fire, flood, vandals, etc. and is considered condemned. Roll a die. On a hit, the house has fallen apart in some way that drops an aspect of your lifestyle (Comfort, Necessity, or Security) to Squatter level for a length of time determined by the gamemaster. This quality requires Necessities at a Low or higher level.
At Unsafe level, an occupant is injured, as well. Damage to the occupant is determined by the gamemaster.
Examples include a water pipe that leaks into the bedroom, a window falls out, mold is found, someone falls through the floor or stairs, you get food poisoning from your malfunctioning food storage unit, an outlet electrocutes you, or you discover a carbon monoxide leak.
Witless Protection -3 – Similar to Affiliated, but the security that knows you are around has a hole in its system that you could drive a supertanker through. This decreases the DC of searches to find you by 8.
Worse Neighbors –1 – While you thought your business was bad, your neighbors have worse occupations, and they occasionally bring it home, legal or otherwise. Undesirables hang around your neighborhood, and the police make constant visits. Examples of Worse Neighbors include a drug manufacturer, a bunraku parlor, a vicious animal trainer, a violent club meeting house, or a den of anarchists.
SAMPLE LIFESTYLES
The following sample lifestyles were designed using the rules in the preceding sections.
Organic Living Co-op
Living in a co-op means you get a variety of housemates to share chores and costs (and even introduce you to their hot sister). Of course, you have to spend time dealing with the lazy members of the household as well, and all their friends, and if you shirk your chores you may just find your stuff—and yourself—kicked to the curb.
Categories: Comforts (3 LP), Entertainment (2 LP), Necessities (3 LP), Neighborhood (3 LP), Security (2 LP)
Categories Total: 13 LP
Sample Qualities: Perfect Roommate (+2 LP), Home Grown Farming (+1 LP), Workplace (+1 LP), Living by Committee (–2 LP), No Forwarding Address (–1 LP), Black Hole (level 1) (–2 LP), Crash Pad (–1 LP).
Qualities Total: –2 LP
Total lifestyle cost: 1,300 credits, 9 roommates (plus you) increases the cost to 2470 credits, making each person responsible for 247 credits in rent.
Safe House
This place is designed for a paranoid person to cool off after a job gone wrong (or right, for that matter). Every additional person staying in the safe house increases the cost by 10%.
Categories: Comforts (1 LP), Entertainment (0 LP), Necessities (3 LP), Neighborhood (2 LP), Security (4 LP)
Categories Total: 10 LP
Sample Qualities, Escape Tunnel (+3 LP), Inconspicuous Housing (+2 LP), Security Conscious (+2 LP), Privacy Screen: Physical (level 3) (+3 LP), Household Gremlins (level 2) (–3 LP), Poor Condition(–1 LP)
Qualities Total: +6 LP Total Lifestyle cost: 3,000 credits Daily Cost: 100 credits
Superstar Ranch
The luxurious retreat of a famous superstar, this “rustic” home is set on acres of picturesquely rugged terrain, with stables, live horses and cattle, and a full complement of cute staff. The perfect place to prepare for your next movie or entertain agents and producers, it only enhances your artistic talents and charismatic appeal.
Categories: Comforts (6 LP), Entertainment (6 LP), Necessities (6 LP), Neighborhood (4 LP), Security (4 LP)
Categories Total: 26 LP
Sample Qualities, Feng Shui (+5 LP), Rad Pad (+1 LP), No Neighbors (+1 LP), No Privacy: Astral (level 1) (–1 LP), Lax Security (–2 LP).
Qualities Total: +4 LP
Total Lifestyle Cost: 50,000 credits
BOLT HOLES
These are either additional lifestyles purchased under the same rules as found above. The difference is that the description of the categories has changed, and certain qualities cannot be applied to them. Some of the qualities documented here can be applied to them, and those that are not will be explicitly stated as being incompatible with character-created safehouses.
Bolt holes are treated as a secondary lifestyle but require a little more finesse in upkeep in order to ensure that they remain unknown. Physical rent payments by way of local currency, corporate scrip, or certified credstick mailed into the payment office are typical; a spoofed payment (usually at a threshold of 6) through electronic transfer can also be done. Going in person while disguised, or having a trusted contact do the payments and upkeep of stored items are also options, but that brings with it the possibility of a person being recognized near the bolt hole or being tracked to it, which would remove its secrecy (and thus much of its value). Purchasing the lifestyle with a clean fake ID is the most reliable way of ensuring the bolt hole remains safe and secure.
SAFEHOUSES
Safehouses are temporary lifestyles set up by NPCs for the purpose of securing items or people of importance away from public view. A number of these are also designed for business use by individuals who will exchange money or favors for the ability to disappear for a time. Gamemasters are encouraged to have a few pre-generated safehouses that will suit their campaign, creating one for any criminal, fixer, or masters of the house contacts the players have. They should also have a few on hand for any Knowledge checks that might be made to find one. They have the same quality restrictions that bolt holes do and may make use of the new qualities below. Players should not build professional safehouses for themselves, but they have the option of building one for their own business if the gamemaster permits such an act, or as an option for retiring a character. The costs listed in the sidebar can serve as a guideline for purchasing time at a safehouse.
Safehouses require cash upfront, with rarely any provision for extending the stay at a later time. Negotiating a longer stay usually denotes desperation, giving a –4 check modifier to a player’s Persuasion check.
FINDING A SAFEHOUSE – Every fixer and most underworld contacts know of a safe- house or two; the main questions have to do with price and trust. These are safe places, which are rare and valuable commodities, even for people who are not a bunch of anti-social borderline-sociopathic neo-anarchistic mercenaries.
Getting someone to provide the location of a safehouse requires a Persuasion or Gather Information check. If searching for a safehouse for a group, factor in the reputation of all group members instead of only the searcher. Additional modifiers can be applied as the gamemaster sees fit to the situation. All the typical rules for getting information or services from someone apply as normal, though future services may be suggested as alternative payment. If that’s the case, that debt should come due soon.
OFF THE GRID
Living off the grid can be done by dropping a character’s lifestyle down to squatter or street level using the rules laid out above, and specifically avoiding contact with anyone whenever possible. The public awareness portion of reputation can drop at the gamemaster’s discretion while living off the grid for long periods of time to simulate the fleeting fame of the world. Alternatively, the following optional rules can be used to simulate a character dropping off the grid.
Living on The Road – Some vehicles are designed to be lived in (such as recreational vehicles and houseboats), and some larger vehicles can be converted into use as a living space (such as large trucks) with the living quarters modification performed on them, though if they want to be used for an extended amount of time the Basic Luxury Upgrade modification should also be used. Living on the road requires using Lifestyle Points to maintain any amenities purchased for the vehicle to represent the cost of maintenance of the vehicle, fuel used, food eaten, utilities used in various areas, and the occasional motel room. These costs should be based on the level of amenities; for example, Amenities: Middle costs 6 Lifestyle Points. Entertainment is purchased as normal, but going out on regular dates with anyone is unlikely (though there may be one-night hook-ups as you drift from town to town). Other than that, you catch whatever entertainment you can afford as you move along.
If the vehicle is not designed for use as a home, it can still be used as a small living space as you travel. The inhabitant has to use washing facilities found in truck stops or motels and public laundromats, causing some extra expenses. There are also negative modifiers imposed to social checks, and possibly even physical restrictions (such as temporary DEX penalties) stemming from the uncomfortable lifestyle that comes from sleeping in a car or at camps for weeks at a time.
While living on the road, Security and Neighborhood are considered to be Street level. No qualities may be taken for living on the road except the Poor Condition quality. Gamemasters may also apply the Unsound/Unsafe quality to the lifestyle if the vehicle is damaged, with no benefit or discount in lifestyle cost.
If the vehicle in question is parked in a semi-permanent location (such as a trailer park or marina), then Neighborhood and Security lifestyles categories can be purchased as normal (no higher than Medium), and the following qualities may be taken: Concerned Neighbors, Easy-going Landlord, Friendly Neighbors, No Neighbors, Nosy Neighbors, Trigger-Happy Landlord, Worse Neighbors.
Walking The Earth – This style of living off the grid stems from the wish to be as unnoticed as possible. In this lifestyle, the character refuses to stay in the same place for more than a few days at a time. They may have a vehicle of some sort for travel, but they might also get around using some animal mount or by walking. Security systems on most trains have destroyed the chance at riding the rails like transients of old, but some individuals still attempt to stow away on sea-going freighters or cargo trailers. The character’s lifestyle is Street or Squatter, with the added requirements of Gather Information and/or Survival checks in order to find shelter, food, and potable water while on the road.
Off-the-Grid living requires characters to abandon other lifestyles and live with what they can grab on their way out the door, or window. The fertilizer has hit the ventilator, and this is a last- ditch attempt to keep from getting caught by whatever is hunting the character. On the bright side, it is cheap and quick.