I tried scouring MitS last night but couldn't find a definitive answer.

I'm in the process of trying to get one of my characters to join a magical group, and one of their strictures I was given is "maintain Middle Lifestyle". OK, easy enough. But I am curious on how various GMs interpret this for their groups. Is it "Middle Lifestyle or better" (ie, living High is permissible) or "Middle only"?

If the former, I'm good with that.

If the latter, then I have a couple of specific issues I'd like to ask. For one,it would seem to block any kind of social advancement as a char advances in money and social stature. But more critically, the rules require maintaining a High or better when healing from a Serious or Deadly wound (and magical healing fails). If one's Body score is low (which wouldn't be that uncommon for mages), then recovering from that kind of dmg can take quite a bit of time. Would living this lifestyle (while wounded) count as a stricture violation? If so, it would seem that such a group would spend a lot of time kicking members out if they are active in high-risk operations.

Unless there's a specific lifestyle stricture that I'm not remembering, it would depend on the magical group rather than the rules or GM interpretation.

~J

It's not called a stricture because it is easily manipulated and gotten around.
I'd say that they must live a certain life, safe, modest, maintained, but not extravegant which could be used to describe the Middle lifestyle.

Though I doubt this would mean that a person is kicked out because they had to convalensce in a hospital for two weeks.

MitS does mention social strictures, and specifically mentions Lifestyle as one of the options. But it doesn't specify if a Lifestyle is an equal or greater than-equal. As Nikoli says, I guess it depends on the group specifically. My bigger concern was the hospitalization issue.

Without context, my gut says the stricture represents a "you can't be a cheap bum living on the street who'll make us all look bad, so you need to have at least a Middle Lifestyle" mindset. If it's an anti-corporate/rich/establishment type group, it would likely mean the exact opposite.

If you establish a hospital as your permanent living quarters, that could count. Otherwise, I would say that you don't actually live there.

~J

Heh, living in an ICU. The only reason I'd ever see someone contemplating it is that they can sit in a hospital for the couple of months it would require to regrow a limb and have it reattached and in the end save money as compared to the mechanically inferior cyberlimb. Those rules really need to be changed.

Anyway, I agree with Funk on this one. I'd count "less-than-or-equal" as one stricture, and "greater-than-or-equal" as a seperate one. So "must have a Middle lifestyle" would count as two, 'cause it's really kinda restrictive.

The Key thing that we are missing is Why is this a stricture in this Group? The make up and message of the group and their particular goals would determine what their strictures are and what those mean.

IF they are a group of hot-shot Mages, then you could say that Stricture means, they don't want any low status twerps bringing their group down, so you could interpret "as at least middle". If they are Shamans trying to keep a neighborhood from falling apart, they might be full of wise old men who want you to be humble, thus you could interpret as "no better than middle". Depending on the Group making the Stricture, you could also imagine ones that might mean "exactly middle".

In short, I don't think you should just pick random Strictures, you should think of the people in this group, and what their goal and message is, then pick the Strictures to match that Group.

Either way, if you are in the Hospital, as long as you can maintain your Lifestyle, or at least reattain it soon after you leave, I doubt that this would put you in jeopardy in the group, once again, depending on the group. Keep in mind, these people formed a group because they know that many together are more powerful than one alone, so they would not go out of their way to kick you from their group, unless you are doing something to upset them.

I don't know the full details and charter of this group, because I just met them. I do know that it's a group specifically of Racoon Shaman (stealth, thievery, curiosity, etc) if that helps.

If you just met them, why are you trying to join?

Don't be tempted into folly by the karmic reductions. Those groups can be nasty, especially if you get involved with the wrong ones.

~J

This isn't the first group I met (character has been searching for a few months), and trust me, their strictures are far less intrusive than the other 2 I met earlier. But that's a choice I'll make and if it turns up nasty, I'll cross that bridge when it comes.

*poke* Check your mail, Lina.

I agree with others here - it depends on the group. In this case, the Order of the Raccoon was a group that tends to live in middle lifestyle and discourages flashy living (kinda defeats the purpose of stealth and secrecy if you flaunt it). So it would be the "no better than middle" side of things...but in another group it could be completely opposite.

I also don't believe that a stay in a hospital would violate that stricture - you're not living there, it's just temporary.

join an established canon group like winternight, it's safer than a GM created group

either works, or the UB if the campaign is set early enough they give a real sense of belonging, you'll never be the same

hey the New Templars are hiring...

You guys are too much fun

How about creating a group with Tutor as the Lodgemaster?

Nah, the New Templars are much funner! You even get a new cool tatoo that shows up on MADs. I guess you can even use that tat as a new Talisman geas.

Alternately, it is not impossible that the group wants certain specific locations occupied. Though it's different from what is presented here, that would be interesting; a group where one must take a Moderate lifestyle because that's the location available, and would have to jockey for position and displace a more prestigious member to get a better Lifestyle from the ones they have open.

~J

Whee is the information on lifestyle and healing.

How dose lifestyle and healing or a magical group stricture mesh with the more advanced lifestyle rules in SSG (and a mage would often want to make use of them to get a large enough aria to use magic).

Personally I believe the magical strictures depend greatly on the groups mentality. But in many cases buying in extra medical supplies (temporarily increasing your lifestyle so you can heal) or staying at a hospital would not be a violation.

Edward