Standard of Living

The characters in The One Ring are adventurers: individuals used to relying on their abilities to find sustenance in the wild, rather than by putting their hands into their money bags. To avoid the need for overly-detailed rules for economics, the game provides each of them with a Standard of Living.

Using the descriptions found below, the Loremaster and the players should be able to judge in most circumstances what a Player-hero can afford.

standard of living descriptions

There are six Standards of Living: Poor, Frugal, Common, Prosperous, Rich, and Very Rich. At the start of a game, Player-heroes are ranked based on their culture of origin — players must make a note of their starting Standard of Living, and record the corresponding worth in Treasure points using the Treasure space on their character sheets.

Poor

Impoverished folks are probably suffering from a bad harvest season, a fell winter, or the aftermath of a disease or war. They struggle every day to find what they need to survive, and have no time or resources to look for anything beyond the bare necessities, let alone equip themselves for adventure.

Frugal

Frugal folk usually live off the produce of their own lands and pastures. They wear simple clothes at most times, although they may possess finer garments for special gatherings like seasonal festivals, marriages, or funerals. Any jewels and other superior ornaments are treasured as possessions belonging to the community, and are passed down through generations of appointed keepers.

Adventurers coming from a Frugal folk do not usually carry anything of unusual worth (unless as part of their war gear), with the possible exception of one or two pieces of expensive clothing or common jewellery, like a rich mantle or a golden necklace or bracelet; (probably a token of their status among their peers). Consequently, Frugal Player-heroes can rarely afford to pay for anything, and prefer to find or make what they need instead.

• Starting Treasure rating: 0

Common

A folk benefitting from a Common Standard of Living probably hasn’t suffered meaningful setbacks in recent years. Wealth is more widespread than among a Frugal folk, but may be distributed unevenly. Poverty is rare, as is excessive wealth.

Player-heroes enjoying a Common Standard of Living have enough resources to look after themselves, and to pay for such things as simple accommodation and meals. Ever mindful of the cost of any luxury, they often lead an austere life, or resort to haggling to lower the price of whatever they are trying to get hold of.

• Starting Treasure rating: 30

Prosperous

Almost all families belonging to a Prosperous Culture can afford to live in separate, private houses. Important individuals wear fine clothing and often have one or two attendants in their service at home, like a gardener and a butler.

Player-heroes coming from a Prosperous Culture can usually pay for their share of any out-of-pocket expenses encountered along their journey, and might even pay for another member of the Company, if need be. This includes, for example, paying for comfortable accommodation, spending some time drinking in Company at an inn, and hiring beasts of burden.

• Starting Treasure rating: 90

Rich

This level of prosperity is usually a transitory condition for a folk, as great wealth can easily attract the attention of many enemies. Members of a Rich Culture live amidst many luxuries, reaping the fruits of a flourishing trade or an extensive treasure. Although those less well-off warn that affluence can easily lead to spiritual or even physical weakness, the availability of material wealth may instead set an individual free to focus on more lofty matters, like the perfection of a trade or art.

Rich adventurers fare even better than their Prosperous fellows, but not excessively so. Their life on the move does not let them take full advantage of their resources, as a good proportion of their wealth will be made up of land and riches that are not portable.

• Starting Treasure rating: 180

Very Rich

No culture in Middle-earth enjoys this level of prosperity. To reach it, Player-heroes must spend years adventuring, looking for hoards of gold and defeating the creatures jealously guarding them. If they do not die in the attempt, they deserve to spend their remaining years without any monetary concern, as they can afford anything that might take their fancy.

hoarding riches

Having several chests filled with gold under the bed makes it far easier for an adventurer to go around with a pouch filled with coins. The worth of all valuables that Player-heroes can find in the course of their adventures is expressed in terms of Treasure points.

Player-heroes begin the game with a starting Treasure rating corresponding to their cultural Standard of Living. They attain a superior rank when their Treasure score matches that of the rank above theirs, as shown in the table below.