Runner's Companion.pdf - Free

Simon Wentworth (order #1132857) 9advanced lifestyles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154Lifestyle CategoriesThe following section introduces the five advanced LifestyleCategories: Comforts Entertainment, Necessities, Neighborhood,and Security.ComfortsThis section is all about making your house a home. Thisincludes the quality and quantity of furnishings, interior design,artwork, and household conveniences, such as drones, self-cleaningwindows, work-from-home networks, and other things tomake your life easier. Comforts represent things that other peopledesire, and if you have a level of Comforts that is higher than yourSecurity or Neighborhood, thieves, burglers, and other undesirablesmay consider your home a free-for-all shopping opportunity.You know the saying about a fool and his gold…Street (0 LP)Comfort?Examples: Hopefully, you have a coat, shoes, and a hat. Ganggraffiti art decorates your alley.Squatter (1 LP)You own a few pieces of furniture, but if anyone comes over,they’ll probably have to sit on the floor. What you do have is scavenged,barely functional, and outdated.Examples: There’s a bare mattress on the floor, crates for atable, and a stolen folding chair.Low (2 LP)You own some cheap furniture, purchased second hand orat a mass-market retailer. Still, your chairs probably match, andyou have somewhere to sit while enjoying your AR. You mighthave a single household drone to help with chores; sure, it’s proneto glitches, but at least you don’t have to vacuum. Your walls aredecorated with cheap AR paints.Examples: You have a complete bed, matching table andchairs, and a sofa. You have a limited subscription to a virtual wallspace program to decorate the apartment.Middle (3 LP)Your home has enough comfortable furniture to fill it. It’sprobably mass-produced, but it won’t break when someone sitson it. You probably have three or more household drones and amulti-function soy processing unit. Your walls are fully coveredwith AR paint or wallpaper. You may even have a collection ofknick-knacks. Your CHN is secure enough that you could telecommute.This is the lifestyle of typical wageslaves.Examples: You have a full bedroom set, a matching livingroom set, and a full subscription to a virtual wallspace programwith virtual weather and virtual windows. You have three orfour useful drones, such as the BusyBuddy, including drone orvirtual pets.High (4 LP)You have all the furniture and accessories you want, includingthe matching curtains. Your furniture is higher end or antique, andwell-made. You have real art in your home, plus as much virtualart and décor as you want. Your household drones are efficientand well-maintained. In addition, you might have a metahumanhousekeeper.Examples: Your furniture is made of real wood, and it mightbe heirloom antiques. You eat on real china plates and drink fromcrystal wine glasses. Work around the house is done by a RenrakuManservant drone or a live housekeeper.Luxury (6 LP)You have priceless antiques and original art by famous artistsin your home. Your furniture is custom designed by well-knowndesigners, and your interior décor looks like it belongs in the centerfeature of a home and garden trid show. You have a full staff.Examples: The wall paneling is made from precious hardwoods,and the faucets are gold-plated. There’s a Picasso on thewall, a library of rare manuscripts and first editions, and a domesticstaff of 4–5.EntertainmentThis section details how much fun your life is. You get whatyou pay for, so characters who want to enjoy themselves shouldinvest in this category. This includes both in-home entertainmentand life out on the town. Although much of the personalentertainment in the 2070s is accessed via a personal commlink,the capabilities of your home restrict the level of external entertainmentequipment you can install, as well as your access to thewireless Matrix, so Entertainment is limited by your Necessities(not to mention that if you’re not dressed right, you certainlywon’t get into those exclusive clubs). As a result, you cannot choosean Entertainment rating more than one level higher than yourNecessities. For example, if you pick Low Necessities, you can haveEntertainment at the Middle rating or lower. In addition, whilethe purchase of a commlink is not included in Entertainment, themonthly subscription to a (legal) Matrix Service Provider (MSP)and various subscription services is.Street (0 LP)Entertainment is whatever amuses you, is accessible, and free.Examples: You watch devil rats fight and read SPAM.Squatter (1 LP)You have a meager, inconsistent budget for entertainment,which can be hampered by the level of Necessities orNeighborhood.Examples: You go out for occasional drinks at a local dive orattend a dogfight. You watch the occasional pirated trid or cheapAR program on your ‘link.Low (2 LP)You have a budget to cover some basics and enough to payfor a monthly subscription or two, all of it commercial-ladenor low quality. You also can afford a few date nights and basicpersonal care.Examples: You have a subscription to a few trid shows,music, or casual AR gaming sites with a vanilla avatar. Date nightconsists of a show at the local simsense theatre and dinner at thesoy-noodle stand. You hang out at the local hole-in-the-wall club& bar with synthahol and recorded music. You make a monthlyvisit to the barbershop or low-end salon.Runner’s Companion