Lifestyle Expenses
Daily costs from free (wretched) to 10+ gp (aristocratic). Affects social access and NPC perceptions. Applies during downtime between adventures.
Between adventures, characters must pay daily living costs based on their chosen lifestyle.
Lifestyle Table
| Lifestyle | Cost per Day | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Wretched | — | Sleeping outdoors, no food security, constant danger |
| Squalid | 1 sp | Flophouse or stable, minimal food, crime-ridden area |
| Poor | 2 sp | Shared room, simple food, low-income area |
| Modest | 1 gp | Private room at an inn, adequate food, ordinary area |
| Comfortable | 2 gp | Nice room, good food, well-off area |
| Wealthy | 4 gp | Fine accommodations, excellent food, upscale area |
| Aristocratic | 10 gp minimum | Lavish quarters, finest food, high-society access |
Mechanical Impact
- Social standing: Your lifestyle determines how NPCs perceive you and what social circles you can access. A squalid lifestyle might draw suspicion in a noble court; a wealthy lifestyle provides access to powerful figures.
- Downtime activities: Some downtime activities (Practicing a Profession) can offset lifestyle costs. A modest lifestyle is maintained free through practicing a profession.
- Exposure: Higher lifestyles attract attention — both from those who want to sell you things and those who want to rob you.
Adventuring Lifestyle
During adventures, characters typically pay no lifestyle expenses — the adventure itself defines their conditions (camping in dungeons, sleeping in wilderness, etc.). Lifestyle expenses apply mainly during downtime between adventures.
This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 ("SRD 5.2.1") by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
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