Cost of Living
The necessities, comforts, and luxuries enjoyed by a person represent their standard of living.
Also see
Your Own Household
If players would like their characters to live in a Household other than at the Guild or at an Inn then the following is provided as a guide. All of the Households below offer characters different services. At Subsistence life is poor, but as you spend more money you end up paying for grounds to be kept, servants to clean, stables to be maintained, your yearly clothes are paid for etc. All you need do is choose a level of life style for the character and pay for it.
Subsistence: 1095 sp per annum (3 per day, 21 per week, 90 per month) Status: menials, prisoners, slaves, unskilled laborers, drafted common soldiers, beggars, recluses, etc. Food: turnips & sauerkraut, or beet soup, or potatoes & onions, or carrots & acorns, or a cereal, black bread. Little or no meat in a non-rural area. Drink is buttermilk, water (if drinkable), watered wine, young beer. Housing: perhaps none; maybe a tiny room or hut for a family; perhaps a blanket; no furniture. Clothing: sackcloth, homespun, rude leathers, nudity.
Poor: 3650 sp per annum (10 per day, 70 per week, 300 month) Status: most landed peasants, minor crafters, civilized soldiers of rank corresponding to sergeant or even lieutenant, servants of those of wealth, peddlers, captains of large boats and very small ships, assistant sorcerers, etc. Food: as per the previous income tier, plus gruel, barley bread, cheese and eggs. Meat or fish at least 1-2 times weekly. Beer, ale, cheap wine and porter are available. Housing: single dwelling, protects animals too. Furniture includes a chest or two, a table and benches, rush lights, straw mattresses and blankets. Clothing: linens, wool and leather, shoes, 1 new suit of clothes a year; winter clothes will be warm and protective.
Middle Class: 8760 sp per annum (24 per day, 168 per week, 720 per month) Status: master crafters, servants who command other servants or who have other independent responsibilities, professionals, minor merchants, traders, middle rank mechanicians, healers, alchemists, astrologers or mages, poor adventurers. Food: as per previous tier, but of better quality, plus white bread and meat or fish with most meals. Table wines. Housing: 1-2 storey house. Furniture as previous tier plus, a good bed, several tables and benches, 1-2 chairs, 1-2 wall decorations, or plastered walls. Clothing: good quality linens and cottons, some use of expensive dyes, a little fur trim, some jewelry. This is the first tier for which style is important. Other: 1-2 servants and 1-2 mounts.
Wealthy: 20,000 sp per annum (55 per day, 385 per week, 1650 per month) Status: senior crafters, moderately successful merchants, knights, thanes, other minor nobility, outstanding healers, alchemists, astrologers and mages, average adventurers. Food: as per previous tier, but of much better quality, plentiful meat and fish with all meals. Good wines. Housing: Great house, hall, manor house, fortified manor house, or large 2-3 storey townhouse. Fine furniture. Clothing: high quality linens and cotton, some silks and satins, use of expensive and/or imported dyes, fur trim, good jewelry. Other: 3-7 servants, 2-5 horses and/or a carriage, perhaps hunting animals.
Rich: 60,000 sp per annum (165 per day, 1155 per week, 4950 per month) Status: barons, less wealthy counts or earls, sheiks, secretaries and factotums to royalty, successful merchants, veteran adventurers. Food: as per previous tier, plus plentiful beef or other herbivores, fowl, shellfish, etc. Home made pastries and breads. Fine wines. Imported fruits and delicacies. Housing: large multi-roomed dwelling or castle housing the family and servants, guards, etc. Furnishings now include thrones, chairs, valuable artworks, tapestries, paneling, and fine rugs. Clothing: imported silks and satins, and decorative trims including silver and gold thread. Such folk frequently set (or always quickly follow) the latest fashion. Gold jewelry with gemstones. Other: Includes several to many servants and mounts, other staff, wagons, guards, ships, animals, etc.
Living in Other Lodgings
If players would like their characters to live in a Inn, Tavern or Boarding House and not in their own Household then the following is provided as a guide. All you need do is choose a level of life style for the character and pay for it.
Lower Class Lodgings: 2160 sp per annum (6 per day, 42 per week, 180 month) Done. Status: most landed peasants, minor crafters, servants of those of wealth, peddlers, captains of large boats and very small ships, assistant sorcerers, etc. Food: turnips & sauerkraut, or beet soup, or potatoes & onions, or carrots & acorns, or a cereal, black bread, barley bread, cheese and eggs. Meat or fish at least 1-2 times weekly. Drink is buttermilk, water, cheap wine, young beer, ale. Room: Single dwelling, furniture includes a small chest, a table and bench, rush lights, straw mattresses and blankets. Clothing: your own responsibility.
Middle Class Lodgings: 4,230 sp per annum (12 per day, 84 per week, 350 month) Status: master crafters, servants who command other servants or who have other independent responsibilities, professionals, minor merchants, traders, middle rank mechanicians, healers, alchemists, astrologers or mages, poor adventurers. Food: as per previous tier, but of better quality, plus white bread and meat or fish with most meals. Table wines. Lodgings: 1-2 storey Inn, Tavern or Boarding house. Private rooms furniture is as previous tier plus, a good bed, several tables and benches, 1-2 chairs, 1-2 wall decorations, or plastered walls. Clothing: You are expected to have: good quality linens and cottons, some use of expensive dyes, a little fur trim, some jewelry. This is the first tier for which style is important.
Better Class Lodgings: 8,820 sp per annum (25 per day, 175 per week, 740 per month) Status: senior crafters, moderately successful merchants, knights, thanes, other minor nobility, outstanding healers, alchemists, astrologers and mages, average adventurers. Food: as per previous tier, but of much better quality, plentiful meat and fish with all meals. Good wines. Housing: a fortified 2-3 storey large Inn, Tavern or Boarding house, with a courtyard. Private rooms furniture is as previous tier plus, a better bed, several tables and benches, 2-4 chairs, 3-6 wall decorations, and plastered walls. Clothing: you are expected to have, high quality linens and cotton, some silks and satins, use of expensive and/or imported dyes, fur trim, good jewelry. Other: your room has a servant on call, a may be carriage available.
Construction Costs
Also see Real Estate
Slum Hut: The home of a common unskilled laborer, beggar or poor peasant, the slum hut is constructed of wood and/or mud & wattle, or salvaged materials, with very few, if any, fixtures, and is
capable of sheltering a maximum of 5-6 adults. Size: 10' x 15' to 15' x 30'; and requiring 5 adults 2-5 days to build at an average cost of 2 Silver Pennies per square foot. Large huts may have accommodation for animals.
- Peasant's Cottage: The home of a landed peasant, minor craftier, etc. Built of stone, with a well thatched roof, and some timber bracing. Size: 20' x 15' with 3 rooms to 20' x 35' with 5 rooms, requiring 5 adults 20 to 50 days to build at a cost of 6 Silver Pennies per square foot. Minimal furnishings will add 10% to costs. May have accommodation for animals.
- Middle Class House: The home of a master craftier, trader, etc. Built of wood and stone with timber bracing, and perhaps a tiled roof. Size: 30' x 50' to 40' x 70' with 1-2 stories, requiring 20 adults 3-5 months to build at a cost of 6 Silver Pennies per square foot x number of stories. Standard furnishings and interior decoration (plaster walls, etc.), add 20% to the cost.
- Common Villa: The residence of a wealthy to rich family, the common villa is usually designed protectively around a central courtyard, with stone walls that are timber reinforced (and possibly windowless), on the outer side. If in a rural area, it will be a secondary fortification, next to the fortified manor houses and castles. Size: 70' x 100' to 110' x 130' with 1-4 stories. It requires 20 adults 5-8 months to build. The cost is 6 Silver Pennies per square foot x number of stories. Furnishings and interior decoration add up to 20% to the total cost depending on both quality and quantity. Full stabling accommodation is included.
Rental accommodation
Rental accommodation may be obtained for a price. Price shown are in Silver Pennies.
| House Type | Day | Month | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slum Hut | 5 | 21 | 260 |
| Peasant Cottage | 15 | 64 | 780 |
| Mid. Class House (sm.) | 25 | 107 | 1300 |
| Mid. Class House (lg.) | 65 | 279 | 3380 |
| Common Villa (sm.) | 80 | 343 | 4160 |
| Common Villa (med.) | 250 | 1071 | 13000 |
| Common Villa (lg.) | 577 | 2473 | 30000 |
