1990's, Delta Green, and Handling Agent income and finances.

[Cell]

First please excuse this if it's a little sloppy, it's late where I live and I wanted to post this question before I forgot about it.

Now I've scanned through all the forum post for modern day and Delta Green and can't find the topic I'm looking for or maybe I have missed it by chance but what I'm curious to know is: How do you handle the finances for the agents in Delta Green? To elaborate do you go by the COC character Investigator yearly income and property for the 1990's in the corebook or do you actually look up to see how much that particular job in that agency actually makes and allow that to be their income? Also when you have determined the amount they receive, how do you distribute it in the game world and make it seem realistic? What I mean is how much of the overall total would go into your house? or your vehicles for various family members? or to bills, or stock, or maybe a second home in another state, or all the accumulated furniture and various other things families spend money on for their living space? Then after all that how much would they have on there person or in a bank account to spend on Delta Green operations, or how much could they spend before it started to cause various problems for the individual? (Examples) wife starts to notice and becomes angered at spending and not knowing where the money is going, starts to affect home life and ability to purchase things that are a necessity for the household, start to fall behind on bills, etc.

I try to run very realistic games and it has been something that has bothered me for sometime now. Any advice/help would be appreciated or am I being a little to detailed about something that's not that important or doesn't actually make a difference? I feel it does but I could see how some people would view it as a waste of time.

[The_Tatterdemalion_King]

There's two options.

One, you look into the salaries of US federal government employees and force the players to do actual accounting to figure all this out.

Two, you assume that, like everyone else who isn't stinking rich, the Agents are living beyond their means. They have mortgages and credit card bills, and are spiralling into ever-increasing debt until the next financial crisis drives them over the edge figuratively or literally. The Agents never have enough money; only a successful Accounting roll will get them to pool collective resources together to purchase anything over a few hundred dollars. Give them the opportunity to use all those espionage skills to forge credit cards, steal identities, or knock off bank trucks to fund their acquisition of military-grade hardware.

Also, after the end of every year, they make an Accounting roll. If the make it, they maintain their Credit Rating, but if they fail, they lose 1d20 points of CR (1/1d6 SAN if they lose that roll too).

[Noble]

Could you use the Laundry budget system?

I always imagine DG 'redirection' funds from things like food services, school buses, National Defence project. DG friendlies in accounts can juggle things, but if (when) they go over budget they risk investigation!

[The_Tatterdemalion_King]

Could you use the Laundry budget system?

I always imagine DG 'redirection' funds from things like food services, school buses, National Defence project. DG friendlies in accounts can juggle things, but if (when) they go over budget they risk investigation!

Something like that might be a worse risk to the conspiracy than a hundred cultist-filled shallow graves, although DG being taken down with a RICO charge would certainly be an interesting twist...

[Mulciber]

I try to run very realistic games and it has been something that has bothered me for sometime now. Any advice/help would be appreciated or am I being a little to detailed about something that's not that important or doesn't actually make a difference? I feel it does but I could see how some people would view it as a waste of time.

I think a bit of realism is great in the right amount. However, I'd tend not get too worried about finances unless it had a direct connection with a plotline. I think most players would find meticulous accounting in game time (or out of it) pretty tedious stuff.

I'd assume one of the (few) benefits of being in Delta Green is that agency budgets or records are able to be doctored (or there's a slush fund of some kind) that ensures the agent's regular wage is paid either because records show the agent was supposedly on normal assignment or, if on a Delta Green mission, records show it as part of annual leave or a secondment to another agency/department etc. A slush fund would cover the stocking of Green Box equipment or other necessities.

If you want to have the sword of financial worry hanging over them, have characters make occasional accounting rolls to keep their personal finances in order.... or get them to use an accountant.

[ShaneC]

I go with the standard CoC income, but we really only track major purchases. Random mundane stuff (rope, duct tape, etc) we dont track

[CAThompson]

I went with the rolling income though instead of a d10 I used a smaller dice to restrict the range (I think I started at 2 or 3 and went to 7 or 8?) The player who maxed out his roll was dealing drugs on the side. He could have been embezzling or something as well.

[Cell]

Everybody who has commented and replied to this thread, Thank You! You have all presented many different and very good ideas for me to use and I truly appreciate the feedback! Some people may look at this thread and question and think I'm being to specific or worried about something that doesn't present itself often in Delta Green or modern Call of Cthulhu. As you all know Delta Green is a game where there is much danger and chance for things to go sour for the Agents in many ways, finances is just one thing of many to throw at them when you have exhausted some options or are starting to run out of ways to screw them over and scare them. Things starting to go wrong in the Agents personal lives and with there financial stability is very realistic and will very likely occur if you have an on going scenario or campaign featuring the same players and characters.

Once again Thank You everyone, I look forward to posting more in the future and the feedback that follows.

[ShaneC]

....Delta Green is a game where there is much danger and chance for things to go sour for the Agents in many ways, finances is just one thing of many to throw at them when you have exhausted some options or are starting to run out of ways to screw them over and scare them. Things starting to go wrong in the Agents personal lives and with there financial stability is very realistic and will very likely occur if you have an on going scenario or campaign featuring the same players and characters.

Fair point, and while I commented that we haven't kept track of finances, perhaps I should revise my take on that to "not keeping track of $ amounts" thereby allowing significant others, etc to notice a change in spending habits.