Money, Cash, Dosh, Gold, Stacks on Stacks on Stacks

[Random_White_Guy]

There's a common concern spread around the server that at higher levels gold is in short commodity. In a lot of ways this is true for a variety of reasons. Low level quests are designed to have higher output to allow for supplying and similar. High level quests are more designed for action and danger and while they can indeed pay out good coin there is a certain expectaiton that you'll lose more than you gain. I myself have been a high level PC but not on the higher-end (Level 8 is only often reached by my PCs in factions, of which have a small stipend wage) but I can't imagine at level 9 or 10 the likelyhood of wanting to go on some quest just for a bit of coin.

To that end I'd like to give you RwG's Sweet Money Making Tips

Step 1: You get out of EFU what you put into it.

If your PC has made a career of taking every bit of coin he has and throwing it into his purse for potions that's gonna make things difficult. If through your rise as a PC you've invested in other PCs, made them useful in your PC plots throwing coin around, paying them for the odd jobs for your faction, faith, or agenda then you'll have some contacts.

We can all agree that some concepts DO need more potions but at the same time a worthy ally can be just as good as one more hast potion. It's something I see a lot where PCs will drop 1, 2, or more thousands of gold on sizable potion orders once it is collected-

Why? So you can survive that PvP encounter? That DM quest? That level 12 quest you always wanted to do?

Sure. But at the same time let's think of it from the other side.

10 haste potions typically run at anywhere from 1500 to 1800 gold. That's a good bit of push in a DM quest or DM event to survive.

The average low level rogue style spy in EFU you will infiltrate and make friends with an enemy for 150 to 200 coin per information bit delivered. Some may want more, or less, depending on what is IC. Typically though that's a good price in my opinion that folks often work for.

That's up to -ten jobs- from one spy. Or many jobs from many spies. And it makes conflict and get things moving as an otherwise simple PC now has a job from you. And you get the fun RP of being a spymaster.

Now granted, not every PC Is a spymaster but this expands beyond just spying.

Say there's a new mercenary that comes to town. Say your Helmite Shrine PC decides he could use a hand of six in pushing an agenda. Drop 2,000 gold on the table and say "Here boys here's supplies, here's armor, here's weapons, here's potions. You work for Helm now". Thats 2-6 PCs or any other PCs they hire in the future. Or it's 10 haste potions.

Which- Brings me to step two.

2: Use your assets

If you've cultivated over your PC's a career a lot of potential businesses and allies you can use them to get you more gold, even at higher levels. If you spent three weeks giving a mercenary company jobs and you've seen them work for other people, you can be well within your right to say "Give me a thousand gold or all the jobs I"ve been giving you stop, all the gold stops, and you can find another steady contract as good as the work I've given you".

Or if you want to take a less heavy handed approach you can push to cultivate relationships and friends IC who in your time of need you can be like "Hey man sorry to be an ass but matters are tough. Have you 250 coin you can spare?" Go to five people that's over a thousand gold instantly you can use for other plots or supplies.

3: If you're generous to PC's early on they'll be more generous once they're established.

I'll say this outright. Playing a PC Merchant can suck. A lot. It takes a lot of time to get your feet on the ground but once you get firing on all cylinders there's a massive amount of coin that gets thrown around. Like- Obscene levels of coin that potentially break EFU.  Not everyone has the patience for it but if you help out a merchant early or establish a savvy contract with them you can ensure that you get your investment back and then some, allowing you gold at higher levels.

This can be said of any PC concept though frankly. PCs early on -need- gold and supplies just as much as higher level PCs do. If not moreso because they don't have the mechanical aid.

Don't be afraid to drop a few hundred or a thousand coins on an upstart PC. It might not work out and they may fail miserably or die or quit. Or they might move on to be the most prolific Red Guild Merchant who is pushing for Prefect and one of your best friends in EFU.

It's easy to get bogged into the idea of I need gold to push plots in EFU. You don't though. As an established high level PC you likely have faction contacts, allies, friends in places of power.

"Give me 500 gold, citizen and I'll put in my personal recommendation to the Ordinants that you are worthy of their time" is a sizable recommendation for an Oathsworn from a prominent Red Guild Watcher.

You can influence EFU and see so much out of it in the long run if you spread the wealth literally.

From Crime to clever schemes to charity endeavors to fund raisers there's no shortage of ways to get coin in EFU.

The easiest I've found though is be loose with your wallet and a good friend to new PCS.

Eventually those new PCs will join you at the higher levels and may be able to lend you a hand with contracts, work for hire, paid work, to fix your gold problems.

[Random_White_Guy]

I'll also note this goes both ways. A high level PC in a faction strapped for cash can be a GODSEND to a low level PC who is struggling. Don't be afraid to approach someone.

"Hey there Black Mongoose Mercenaries. I hear you've got some contract for the Auxiliary to bust heads in the Embargo. I and the Ordinants could use some funds for our crusade. Cut us in on your contract and I and two others will lend our blades to your patrols".