Magical Group Dues, Can you be a lifelong member? Options

[toturi]

What I meant was can you pay a 1 time lump sum payment for all dues you need to pay? Of course you lose it all if you get kicked out of the magical group but that is beside the point.

Or is it possible for the group to pay a 1 time payment for their resources?

For example. in a group with High Resources, can someone or someones pay 1mil :nuyen: permanently settle accounts?

[Moon-Hawk]

Well.....if it works for lifestyle, I don't see why not, really.
Yeah, I'd use the exact same rules as lifestyle. 100 month's worth, all at once.
I think the rationale behind the lifestyle rule is that you set up accounts that will generate enough interest to make the monthly payment. (grossly simplified explanation) I don't see any real reason the group couldn't do the same thing.

[Kanada Ten]

I allow lump sums like this, but one can garner more resources by actually roleplaying that aspect. Invested in stocks, bonds and other assets, money paid to represent a lifetime payment can be lost, stolen, or even liquified once again should the need arise. Most games simply do not deal with that deal of detail, but once we begin to interlace how the money garners interest with what it supports we can see how it grows plot hooks as well.

If you keep hold of the lump sum, and use it with a competent stock brokerage and invest in shadowruns and other business ventures to support your magical group, it may have better long term consequences than simply having a lifetime membership.

[toturi]

Consider: A group with say... 10 members at High Resources to use the example in MitS. Therefore one member needs to pay 1000 per month. Or 100000 for a lifetime membership. Yes?

Consider as well: A member of a High/Luxury Resources group can live at Medium under the auspices of his group. In fact, all of them can live at Medium. So that makes it 100000 :nuyen: for a lifetime Medium lifestyle. And a Medium Lifestyle can cost up to slightly less than 10K per month if you use the definations in SSG.

[Kanada Ten]

Simply one of the perks of a magical group. One is of course living in a group provided living station, and thus does not necessarily enjoy the privacy of independent life, nor the choices of decore or location. But the medium lifestyle provided might also be the bare minimum as well, which I would consider the canon interpretation.

[Rev]

I think it might actually specifically say you can do this... but I'm not sure. I just feel like I remember reading it someplace. That some magical groups work that way, something like a lifetime country club membership... if not they should. :)

I would also think that that living in the group facilities would be a spartan medium, and possibly a social gaffe to use it very often in a wealthier group. Seems like for most groups it would be meant for temporary use, though for some cultish ones it makes sense for it to be permenant but perhaps at a lower level. For example the large cult with luxury resources has one luxury lifestyle, several high's, a dozen mediums, and a hundered lows.

[toturi]

[Edward]

Remember additional occupants only cost 10%.

Magical groups would be making use of that fact much of the time.

Edward

[Kanada Ten]

[toturi]

No, going by the description in MitS, the Resources costs that the magical group has is divided equally. Therefore there is no additional costs for additional occupants. The lifestyle provided is a perk and that is fixed.

Also at bare minimum Medium and from the description in MitS, the Entertainment part of the lifestyle is 0, therefore, there is at least 3 more points to spend.

[Kanada Ten]

[toturi]

Correct, as a Magical Group, the controlling requirement would definately be Space. Since Space controls the Rating of the Hermetic Circle, or the number of Lodges you can put in.

[Kanada Ten]

[Kanada Ten]

And I suddenly understand why paying the lump sum doesn't work: if the group changes size the dues alter.

[toturi]

Perhaps that's why some groups have Obedience as a Stricture, to keep the noobs in their place.

[RedmondLarry]

The rules are, of course, a simplification of an imaginary world. If you insist on taking them literally, and founded a 10,000 person group together, then everyone would pay 1 nuyen a month and get a middle lifestyle, including cafeteria food, clothing, and a hot shower each day.

Of course that doesn't work. It violates simple economics. 10,000 nuyen per month doesn't feed 10,000 people AND give them hot showers. You, as a GM, can figure out something that does work for your game.

Hmmm. 10,000 magicians at 3 Karma each. That's some spirit avatar.

[toturi]

Maybe the spirit avatar has Wealth power. And the dues is just a nominal fee.

[Kagetenshi]

At that point it isn't a fee, it's a bring-your-own-coffee notice on the flyer for the monthly meeting.

~J