The Economy
December 29, 2018Dice Tweak
January 6, 2019
One thing that sets Breakaway apart is the charter system. Players gain a charter for housing in the port city at the beginning of the game as a means to bring a party together. This could mean friends or family pooled their money, a person advertised for interested parties to buy in on an opportunity, or a corporation advertised a charter to expand their brand into the port city. Charters are very expensive, and laws forbid one person or group of people to own multiple charters. Unfortunately, this does not stop corporations from finding loopholes or the wealthy from greasing palms. They also allow people to begin an adventure together by completely skipping the "we met in a tavern" trope.
Rights and privileges for owners are defined in their charter, but all charters include the following:
- The charter can be expanded to its boundaries if able
- The charter can undergo renovations
- No original foundations can be removed or changed in the charter
- The charter area must not go past defined boundaries
- The charter area must not encroach on other charters
Tier | Cost | Crest Generation | Requires |
1 | 1 Crest/week | 1 Crest/week | 1 team member/3 days |
2 | 1 Crest/week | 2 Crest/week | 1 employee |
3 | 2 Crest/week | 4 Crest/week | 2 employee |
4 | 4 Crest/week | 8 Crest/week | 4 employee |
All charters incur an upkeep of 1
Crest a week - you will lose your charter if you do not pay this cost. Paying 1 Crest symbolizes taking care of assorted bills, ensuring permits and inspections are up-to-date, and any small miscellaneous costs that might pop up. Charters can also generate income if they are looked after. If you and your team take the time to work the charter, it can generate Crest passively and open opportunities for more pay. See below for charter tiers, what they require to run, and how much they can generate. In order to ensure your charter is passively generating income at the first tier, one of your team must work at the charter for 3 days of the week. More people working at the charter means more opportunities to make money.
If the timing makes sense, a player who cannot make a game could have their character working at the charter during that time. This allows players who miss a session to have their character still working in the background. When the player returns, the CA can give them any information they might have learned or any opportunities that may have come up. There are many examples of charters that players can take. Charter availability changes daily, with people moving in or losing their charters weekly. Here is a list with examples that could spark your imagination!
Type | Examples |
Food | Restaurant, Butcher, Coffee Shop, Chocolatier |
Agency | Journalists, Private Investigators, Public Relations, Advertising |
Transport | Taxis, Busses, Rentals, Chauffeurs |
Sanitation | Janitors, House Service, Crime Scene Cleaners, Sewage Workers |
Construction | Charter Renovators, Tunnel Clearing & Support, Bridge Builders |
Public Sector | Firefighters, First Responders, Police |
Entertainers | Wrestlers, Acting Groups, Comedy Troupes, Ballet Dancers |
Characters do not necessarily have to be skilled in whatever charter they decide to take - this can just simply be their ticket into the port city. There’s also nothing wrong with highly-skilled individuals seeking out a charter that compliments their skill sets. Some charters will require active attention. For example, if you choose to become firefighters and do not attend to your duties, you will lose your charter very quickly. On the other hand, if you choose a restaurant charter… who says you have to be open? You pay your dues to the city, why use it for anything other than a base of operations?
In order to advance tiers,
Crest must be spent. From Tier 1 to Tier 2, 4 Crest is required. From Tier 2 to Tier 3, 8 Crest is required. From Tier 3 to Tier 4, 16 Crest is required.
Players begin their time in Breakaway living in their charter property. Most come with a small space to sleep. Though things can be cramped at first, the opportunity to expand allows for bigger and better charters - and more comfortable living spaces. The places where a charter can start is also variable. Consider how mobile you want your charter to be. Do you want to be in a boat or bus? Would you prefer a small house or apartment? Is an office appealing, or would you prefer the privacy of an underground bunker?
Note: Backers at the $1 Patreon tier get access to all the rules, which includes 5 examples of Charters - and guidance on how to make your own! You can find the
Breakaway Patreon here, or you can pop into the Breakaway Discord by clicking
this link!