Fading Suns FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
We at Holistic Design have received many queries concerning the costs of
goods in the Fading Suns universe. Hence, we provide this excerpt from the
forthcoming book: "Forbidden Lore: Technology" (in stores December)
* Economics
There are few subjects in the Known Worlds as confusing to most people as
is economics. Very few can stand far enough back to understand the big
picture. An interstellar eye is called for, and such a vantage point can
only be held by those in the five major houses, the Merchant League, the
Church, or the Emperor. And all these factions disagree on key economic
principles.
Certainly the Emperor is on the top of the economic food chain. He
controls the unit of commerce - the firebird- enforcing its use and
ensuring that only the Imperial Mint can turn out genuine firebirds. The
penalties for counterfeiting are steep, ranging from long-term
incarceration for minor offenses to execution for major scams.
Next in the chain are the nobles houses. The individual fortunes of the
houses rise and fall, but the five major houses collectively control most
of the wealth in the Known Worlds. The Hawkwoods are getting richer and
richer while the Hazat see their coffers dwindling in their war against
the Kurga Caliphate. They are beginning to rely increasingly on plunder
from that barbarian empire to make up for their losses.
Most noble's fortunes come from the simple fact that they own almost
everything - the land and the people of the Known Worlds. The profits from
the labors of most peasants - crops, handicrafts, industrial goods, etc. -
all goes into the hands of the few lords who rule over them. Very little
wealth is returned to the peasants; usually only enough to keep them alive
and relatively docile, although often the barest of living circumstances
is afforded them. The nobles' wealth is spent on a variety of things, from
the upkeep of the nobles' estates and the training of house armies and
navies, among other things. Money is also distributed to the guilds in the
form of contracts for various goods - the building of palaces, the
manufacture of war machines, legal experts to aid in suits against other
rivals, and many other services besides. A large chunk of noble money also
goes to Church tithes. Such tithes are often coerced through threat of
excommunication, but are more often given by lords who are genuine
believers in the Church and its commandments.
The Church and the Merchant League have perhaps the same amount of total
holdings (the League has more tech and resources, but the Church owns more
land). However, most Church wealth is in the hands of the Orthodoxy, with
little among the other sects. The Merchant League's wealth is spread
relatively equally between the major guilds, but each guild experiences
boom and bust periods.
Among the lowest in the chain are the yeomen, those freemen with no strong
or direct ties to a house, sect or guild. These usually make up the
membership ranks of small, local guilds, crafters, minor money lenders or
any variety of tasks too small or onerous for a person of higher class to
take on.
The last link in the chain are the serfs, the peasants who do not even own
their own freedom. They are born in thrall to a noble house and usually
spend their entire lives on the fief in which they were born. The majority
of Known Worlders are of this miserable class, too uneducated to even
realize just how low they are. If most serfs were told about the
egalitarian rights which were afforded to all Second Republic citizens,
they would refuse to believe such a world ever existed. Li Halan serfs
even believe that they were placed into their caste by the Pancreator and
have no choice but to live out the poor role given to them in this life.
* Income
With power comes wealth. Below are the average yearly incomes for
residents of the Known Worlds. They represent a variety of salaries:
stipends for noble house members, average contract payments for
guildmembers, and allowances for Church priests. The classes listed below
are suggestions only; local conditions or personal tragedies can radically
change income. A low ranking minor guildmember on Leagueheim may make much
more than a similar fellow on Cadavus, and not all barons are equally
wealthy; some build great debts or rule fiefs that have suffered war or
natural disasters, cutting down the income gleaned from them.
Firebirds/year Class
1 Serf
5-100 Yeoman
100 Low rank (3 pts - 7 pts) minor guild
300 High rank (9 pts - 11 pts) minor guild
200 Low rank (3 pts - 5 pts) major guild
700 High rank (7 pts - 9 pts) major guild
100 Low rank (3 pts - 5 pts) priest *
400 High rank (7 pts - 9 pts) priest *
1000 Knight, Bishop (Good Riches)
3000 Baronet, Consul (Well-off Riches)
5000 Baron, Archbishop (Wealthy Riches)
10,000 Earl/Marquis, Count, Dean (Rich)
20,000 Duke (Filthy Rich)
* Church income adjusted by sect as follows: Amaltheans (-10%), Eskatonic
Order (-20%), Avestites (-30%), Preceptors (-15%, no expense account but
no limit to personal riches)
* Firebird Prices
Presented here are some guidelines for determining the firebird costs for
a variety of items. The quantity of different items, worlds and conditions
prevents a comprehensive list of prices for each planet. Instead, take the
following conditions into account when characters attempt to purchase an
item on one of the Known Worlds:
Price Variation Condition
-10 - -20% Supply exceeds demand (wine on Aylon, high tech on Leagueheim)
-30 - -50% Supply greatly exceeds demand (slaves on Pandemonium)
+10 - +30% Demand exceeds supply (penicillin on Severus, food on
Leagueheim)
+50 - +100% Demand greatly exceeds supply (passage off Pandemonium. luxury
goods on Stigmata)
+30% Select manufacture: only one source makes the item (jumpkeys from the
Charioteers)
+10 - +20% Select outlet: only one place sells it on that planet (books on
Kish)
+30 - +50% Locally proscribed (books on Pyre)
+100% Universally proscribed (Vau tech)
* Equipment Benefice Costs
The Benefice cost for certain items were omitted from the rulebook;
suggested costs are given below.
Item Benefice cost
Fusion cel 1 each
Grenade 2 each
Medical Gear:
Physick's Kit negligible
MedPac 1 (2 with Elixir)
Expedition MedPac 2
Surgery Kit 3
NanoTech MedPac 5
Elixir 1 for injector, 1 per 5 doses
Communications:
Muster Voice Box (Squawker) 1 (2 for wrist model)
Whisper Pin 2
Starlight LRCD 3
Light:
Fusion Torch negligible
Tools:
Mech Tools 1
Volt Tools 1
Hi-Tech Tools 1 - 2 pts per piece
Security Systems:
Thieves' Keys 1
Scrambler Pad 3
Restraints:
Muster Chains 2
Wet Jacket 4
Planetary Transportation: (some sample vehicles)
Brute cart (10 firebirds) 1
Scraver Scrounger 9
(sort of a mega-pickup truck; 3000 firebirds)
Hoverbike (9000 firebirds) 10
Air Yacht Skimmer (25,000 firebirds) 20
Wagon of Paulus Hopper (15,000 firebirds) 17
More details on such topics as sources of income, investment and credit,
the Preceptors sects of the Church, and more (starships, artillery,
psychic tech, alien tech, etc.), can be found in "Forbidden Lore:
Technology" (available December 1996)
Visit our web site at: www.holistic-design.com
or the Holistic Design folder in the AOL Online Gaming Forum (keyword:
GCS)
Bill Bridges
Fading Suns dude
www.holistic-design.com
