How does your character earn money?

[Donpom]

Hey pals! I'm curious to hear how your characters make a living, and what the money they earn goes to support! Here's three examples of what I mean:

 

I have one character, Thatcher Bookbound, who is a researcher of aether and the arcane arts. When he started out, he was just reproducing books by hand as an amateur book printer. Now, most of his money comes from research grants from wealthy patrons, but he also writes his own textbooks on advanced arcanamia, which he sells. He has a retainer who's financially savvy, who manages his money and earns extra with investments- which is lucky because he's very irresponsible with cash! The money goes toward supporting his estate, as well as helping fund independent field expeditions.

 

Another character, Mi'ke, is trying his hand at engineering, but demand for engineers in Eorzea is a little low... He's had to resort to ringfighting (boxing), as well as local levequests to scrape by. What money doesn't go to keeping himself fed and clothed, either goes to his deadbeat estranged relatives who he recently reconnected with... or his blossoming alcohol problem.

 

The third example is Amber, who aspires to start up her own independent weavers guild, but money seems to slip out of her fingers faster than she can earn it. So besides selling handmade clothing, she "pretends" to be an adventurer in order to get adventure-oriented work. (idk how you pretend to be an adventurer; i mean, if it looks like an adventurer, and quacks like an adventurer.... well she seems to feel the need for deception, so...)

 

So yeah! share a little blurb about what your characters do for a living. I'm curious to know! And if your characters don't earn money, describe what they do to stay fed, and how they support what's important to them! I'm eager to hear it!

[Kieron Lohengrin]

By going on adventures such as dungeon delving odd jobs or exploration/rescue requests, then selling/trading tomestones and crafter materials through retainers who also adventure.

 

The nice thing about the setting is daily cost of living for food isn't that much, topping out at possibly 999 for travel, and you can buy permanent housing at 500k. I avoid RPing my toon as having more than he actually has at any given point, which is usually 2-3 mil.

[r00en]

File management, paper pushing and a small side of somewhat shady business dealings. Since Roo isn't an amazing fighter she tends to help out with small causes by finding otherwise slightly seedy paper trails left by less than reputable people. If you did a bad boy thing in the past and it was written down somewhere chances are Rooen can find it, even if she has to piece together ripped or chard bits of parchment. Her room and board are covered by the company she works for as a guild historian and record keeper, she travels all over looking for informative books or information to stock the company with so they have a decent pull of references for any subject. Think of an over zealous librarian. Social and cultural exchanges are also on her list as she is often sent out to forging lands to secure trade with different races and regions for companies. Roo has a knack for money management and even haggling so shes sought after by high buyers to try and wiggle cheaper prices from merchants or competitors and that often includes learning very detailed cultural customs so she dosn't end up offending clients.

 

As a secret hobby from time to time she's been contacted for work with Magitek. While she can't make any grand strides in engineering new items she's a master at old tech repair and upkeep. Changes are she can tell you where the item came from, who used it and why it was used.  

 

Books, information or money shes your girl...if you pay her. 

[Verad]

Scams, luck, and an extreme minority stake in Vesper Bay.

[LiadansWhisper]

3 hours ago, Verad said:

Scams, luck, and an extreme minority stake in Vesper Bay.

I can vouch for his scams.

 

Not sure about this whole "luck" thing, though. 

 

But scams, for sure.  DON'T BUY ANYTHING FROM HIM OK.

[Hollow]

On 3/30/2018 at 11:54 AM, Kieron Lohengrin said:

I avoid RPing my toon as having more than he actually has at any given point, which is usually 2-3 mil.

 

Is gil generally considered to be equivalent to dollars or yen? I'd assume yen, because it's a Japanese based game, but that'd mean that even in a swords-and-magic fantasy setting you'd probably have a loaf of bread cost 500-1000 gil (yen) instead of 5-10 gil (dollars). That'd also mean that 500k gil housing would be essentially $5,000, but it makes sense that the cost would be artificially cheap because it's 'adventurer only' housing that the city-states are selling specifically to attract strong adventurers, and it isn't available to the common public or refugees. 

 

On-topic, though, my character's a retired sellsword who mostly lives off his savings and indulging in the occasional leve or escort/bodyguard job. He'd like to sell wooden carvings, but he's still learning how to actually whittle.

[Gegenji]

23 hours ago, Caldera said:

Is gil generally considered to be equivalent to dollars or yen? I'd assume yen, because it's a Japanese based game, but that'd mean that even in a swords-and-magic fantasy setting you'd probably have a loaf of bread cost 500-1000 gil (yen) instead of 5-10 gil (dollars). That'd also mean that 500k gil housing would be essentially $5,000, but it makes sense that the cost would be artificially cheap because it's 'adventurer only' housing that the city-states are selling specifically to attract strong adventurers, and it isn't available to the common public or refugees.

 

I still remain pretty confused on that matter myself, just because of the MMO standard of "higher level stuff costs more." A whole rabbit pie costs, like, less than 10 gil from a vendor... while a nomad meat pie costs around 2,200 gil. And that isn't even starting on the wild price discrepancies between gear (a full suit of iron armor costs less than a crafting hammer made of coppranickel). Which has always made pricing things ICly a nightmare for a merchant-type character like mine. Hence why I've kind of ran with the idea that Chachan is terrible at pricing things.

 

But more on the topic, he actually makes a decent bit of gil regardless. He's a rather skilled smith with his own smithy in the Goblet, and does work for the likes of the Flames and even the Sultansworn on occasion. Plus, thanks to a little adventure of intrigue and investigation, he's the acting head of a small Ul'dahn noble house's smelting guild, so he gets a decent paycheck from that. He sometimes takes up leves as well, especially if they involve helping people... though that gil - which used to just help ends meet when he first came to Eorzea - is usually turned right around and given to help people in need.

[Aegir]

My imperial engineer makes some pretty serious gil re-selling cage packages of Garlean chocolate and candy his friend sends him from the capital to cohorts in his barracks. 

 

[Aldric Sayrillont]

My Character usually earns his money by mercenary contracts and running his business with his fiance!

 

Character was a veteran of the dragonsong however, so he has some wealth from his home to draw upon from time to time

[Impstatus]

V'arekai leeches his SO's family fortune.

Oh, but no worries! If he wasn't so questionably lucky, he probably could look for job as blacksmith. And, well, if he would find employer, I'm afraid he would be just stupidly happy about it, because working metal is still his super mega dream job! I guess there isn't task too rudimentary for him. Make him forge nails or something, hundreds of them even and he is wayyy too happy about it.

Edited May 21, 2018 by Impstatus

[CavalierGamer00]

Jarrett really doesn't have a whole lot of personal property, having given that up earlier in his life, due to certain circumstances.

 

He does a lot of hunting and foraging, which often leads to items he can barter at the major cities for a bit of Gil. That Gil will buy supplies or tools he can't make for himself. When he comes across small townships, villages, or farms, he'll barter his services for food and lodging. Being a rather large Highlander, his strong back goes a long way in tilling fields, mending fences, reconstructing damaged buildings, etc. Truth be told, he thoroughly enjoys the work. It keeps his body strong, his mind occupied, and it gives him a sense of purpose.

 

From time to time he'll visit his mother's forge back in Limsa. She'll usually give him a job or three and let him keep the earnings. He'll keep what he needs and give the rest away to families that need it more.

[Shimiharu]

Shimi, even though a scholar, just carries out daily quests and odd jobs. Whatever she can find it will be, from healing strangers to taking care of chocobos and running errands. This probably explains why she also has quite little income in total.