Monthly Maintenance

Each game month, each character must pay maintenance for himself and each of his henchmen, hirelings, mounts and dogs.  There are several levels of maintenance that the character can choose to pay and each of them has a specific game effects.

 

Hit Dice Procedure:  at the beginning of each game month, the player pays out his chosen level of maintenance for himself and each of his underlings and animals.  Then check the Hit Dice column for the level paid.  He re-rolls his total hit points and uses that total for the game month.  If, for example, he is a 4^th level fighter with 13 constitution, he is due 4d8+4 hit points.  If he chooses “Good” level, he would spend 240gp on maintenance (60gp x4), and would then roll 4d8+4 two times and use the higher of the two totals as his hit points for the month’s adventuring.

 

A—People

Level	Cost	Hit Dice	Example
Minimal	10sp	Worst of 3	Prisoner, beggar
Lackey	3gp/level	Worse of 2	Servant, apprentice
Standard	30gp/level	1 roll	Soldier, craftsman
Good	60gp/level	Better of 2	Merchant
Excellent	100gp/level	Best of 3	Adventurer, knight

 

Minimal: a half ration of grain (1 bushel per month) and water.  Person will be dressed in rags and look lean and starved. Make a saving throw vs. poison once per month or come down with a disease.  Lodging is on a pile of garbage.

 

Lackey: includes a full ration of grain (2 bushels per month) and 1 mug of beer per day.  There will be a clothing allowance providing a new set of common clothes per year.  Person will have 1d8sp in spending money.  If soldiers or henchmen are supported at this level, there is a 1 in 6 chance that weapons or armor will fail due to poor maintenance.  Lodging is typically a space on the floor of the common room or stable.

 

Standard: includes 3 weeks of standard rations and 1 week of iron rations and a pint of ale or  cheap wine per day, a clothing allowance that provides for 2 sets of common clothes per year, maintenance and repair of tools and weaponry, and 1-2gp of spending money per month.  Lodging is a share of a multi-person room.  If called on to travel, the person will have 3 days of iron rations and a 2-quart skin of ale on hand.

 

Good: includes 3 merchant-quality meals per day and 1 week of iron rations per month, 2 pints of average wine per day and 1 gallon of good wine per month, one new set of merchant-quality clothing per month.  Maintenance and repair of tools and weaponry is provided, as well as 1d4gp in spending money per month.  Lodging is one half of a nice 2-person room, or better.  If called on to travel person will have 1 week of iron rations and a 2-quart skin of good wine ready.

 

Excellent: includes 3 rich-quality meals per day and 1 week of iron rations per month, 2 pints of good wine per day and 1 gallon of excellent wine per month, one new set of noble-quality clothing per month.  Maintenance and repair of tools and weaponry is provided, as well as 5gp per level in spending money per month.  Lodging is a private suite of rooms.  If called on to travel person will have 1 week of iron rations and a 2-quart skin of excellent wine ready.

 

A special note on Mystics:  since mystics are trained in self-denial and asceticism, they can support themselves at a Lackey level cost, but gain the Hit Die benefit from the Excellent level of maintenance.