Budgeting

GURPS Action assumes that heroes don’t normally buy gear with starting money. They can live in whatever style they like “off the clock” – watch three cop movies and you’ll see three officers at the same pay grade living in a shotgun shack, a houseboat, and a fancy condo, all of whom nevertheless have virtually the same equipment. Watch a military action movie and you won’t even see the soldiers’ home lives! Thus, most PCs shouldn’t take Wealth other than Average. Instead, there are other options.

In most action games, the heroes draw their gear from their organization – it isn’t theirs, but their employer’s. Even criminals follow this rule; the equipment (no doubt the avails of crime) belongs to the crew, and personal kit is off-limits because it’s easily traced. Thus, most teams have a budget. The GM sets this figure, but here’s a suggestion:

• Starting Budget: $30,000 x (number of PCs on team).
• Replacement Budget: $6,000 x (number of PCs on team).

Starting budget buys the crew’s initial gear. If the heroes hold Rank, everyone creates a “wish list” but the team member of highest Rank makes the final call. If there’s no leader or no Rank, the GM should let each PC spend an equal share – but everyone should set aside something to pool for major expenses, notably vehicles.

Replacement budget becomes available at the start of the second and later adventures. It’s used to replenish ammunition, replace destroyed vehicles, and acquire specialized tools to meet new challenges. Spending it works the same way.

Budgets aren’t cash but the nominal value of the squad’s hardware. Holding a fraction for later, discretionary use is fine – but this represents departmental pull, a note with Guido the Fence, etc., not money.

Heroes may pay 1 point per $15,000 in Signature Gear (p. B85). This stuff is personal – usually distinctive hardware such as Ferraris and very fine .50-caliber rifles. It comes with the standard promise from the GM that you won’t often be without it, plus one of these guarantees:

• If you’re a private citizen (criminal, mercenary, PI, etc.), your foes can’t trace it, in the tradition of cinematic gangsters with extraordinary firearms and cars that would be instantly recognizable in reality.
• If you belong to an organization, your bosses won’t hassle you about non-issue gear. (Harry Callahan’s .44

Magnum probably wasn’t department-issue!)

Heroes on a team with a budget who insist on buying personal gear should be allowed to do so. However, the guarantees of Signature Gear are then reversed:

• Privately owned gear is traceable. If you keep it after using it for espionage, a heist, etc., you acquire a Trademark for which you receive no points. Anyone investigating you gets +2 to skill. If they catch up with you, and what you did is illegal, the evidence may convict you.
• If you belong to an organization, your bosses will hassle you for using non-issue gear. Assistance Rolls are at -2 because you’re a troublemaker. If you’re a cop, you suffer -2 to Law (Police) rolls made to keep your police work admissible in court. If caught with the gear, your options are confiscation or resignation.

In any campaign, ignore salaries and cost of living, and assume that each PC has $3,000/month for bribes, donuts, etc., should it matter. Players who want to take above-average Wealth to improve this may do so.