What might be expected of, or be representative of, someone at that level of affluence
10 | King of England, Aga Khan etc. |
9 | Prince or similar. |
8 | Earls, Dukes etc. Money no object. |
7 | Minor royalty, landed gentry with country estate and multiple town houses, millionaire. |
6 | Landed gentry with country estate and town house. Drones with this sort of affluence are very rare indeed. |
5 | Landed gentry with a country estate or large town house. |
4 | Can afford a good town house or substantial country mansion. |
3 | Can afford a superior central London apartment. Can always lay his hands on two fivers or afford to take a friend to dinner at a really good restaurant. |
2 | Can afford to live in a good town apartment or suite in a good hotel. Usually has enough cash in his pocket to pay for meals out, rounds of drinks, large tips etc. |
1 | Can afford a town apartment or a room in a good hotel to live in. Might be short of ready cash towards the end of the month if dependent on an allowance. |
0 | Typical Drone. Can afford club bills but probably in debt to the tailor. Doesn't need to work for a living. |
-1 | Probably works for a living e.g. prosperous doctor, lawyer or industrialist. Minimum wealth for entry to the Drones Club. A Drone at this level can usually settle a debt of honour. |
-2 | Works for a living; senior professional or owns a good business. A Drone at this level can probably buy a meal for his lady-friend at the Lyon's Corner House but not at a good restaurant. |
-3 | Works for a living; professional, bank manager, very superior servant. A Drone at this level probably avoids buying a round of drinks if he can. |
-4 | Has a reasonably well-paid job or owns a profitable small business. A Drone can buy a birthday gift for a favourite nephew but has to be careful with money. |
-5 | Earns just enough to own a small house and probably travels 2nd class. A Drone at this level requires a loan to pay the bar bill but can afford cigarettes. |
-6 | Has little spare money and probably lives in accommodation that goes with the job. Basic subsistence level for a Drone; has to wash his own socks. |
-7 | Skilled worker; probably rents a home. Visits from debtors (e.g. bookies) are a serious possibility for a Drone at this level. |
-8 | Unskilled labourer. A Drone at this level requires a loan for a bus ticket and is in debt to most tradesmen. |
-9 | Casual worker, street sweeper, paper vendor etc. |
10 | Breadline for ordinary people. |
Normal levels for a starting Drone are in Bold.
See also the Starting cash table and the Purchases table.
Buying something that is a constant drain on resources (e.g. servant, car) drops The Readies by 1 point per item as long as the character still has it.
E.g. Bertie has a The Readies rating of 3 but he employs a gentleman's gentleman, who requires a regular salary, he also runs a flashy sports car so his effective Readies is reduced to 1 when considering his ability to buy expensive things and the likelihood of him having five or ten pounds in his pocket.
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Copyright Ian Crowther, Sheila Thomas, Victoria Uren 1995-1996