In both the Eberron and Tasha's books, there is a section for patrons. Most patrons offer adventurers a modest lifestyle for working in missions. Some even offer Comfortable housing at a modest lifestyle price. So what's the difference between the two? Why would one normally want a comfortable lifestyle over a modest one that is half the cost?
Its mainly a narrative device, but the PHB offers descriptions about what each category of lifestyle expenses are available. Modest would be akin to working-class, as it is basically described as renting, able to feed and clothe yourself adequately, and having clean, but simple accommodations and belongings. Comfortable would be akin to the middle class, able to own a small home and maintain nicer belongings
The one thing that money can't buy is happiness, no matter how many gold pieces they have, it's something you can't get with money. People love "Creature Comforts" and "Guilty Pleasures."
The only way to get happiness is to make someone else happy, and hope that they share it with you.
That's why I like to play D&D. Playing D&D, or running it, makes me happy.
If you're looking for narrative differences, then the difference might be something like a middle class lifestyle vs upper middle class. Depending on the adventure, this might grant you access to a more restricted part of the city, important people, or information. So really it's something for the DM to play with if they want. The money itself isn't usually something the party has to worry too much about (if the DM even makes them pay it).
Besides how much you spend, your lifestyle might affect how easy it is to interact socially with people of different classes. The higher your lifestyle, the more likely wealthy people will be interested in dealing with you. Having expensive clothes might even be necessary to access certain areas.
On the other hand, if your lifestyle is too high, the poor and criminals might be less likely to trust you.
As Pavilionaire said, I might grant advantage/disadvantage on social encounters where your presentability matters. Below are the descriptions of the different Lifestyles found in the PHB.
Lifestyle
Price/Day
Wretched
-
Squalid
1 sp
Poor
2 sp
Modest
1 gp
Comfortable
2 gp
Wealthy
4 gp
Aristocratic
10 gp minimum
Wretched. You live in inhumane conditions. With no place to call home, you shelter wherever you can, sneaking into barns, huddling in old crates, and relying on the good graces of people better off than you. A wretched lifestyle presents abundant dangers. Violence, disease, and hunger follow you wherever you go. Other wretched people covet your armor, weapons, and adventuring gear, which represent a fortune by their standards. You are beneath the notice of most people.
Squalid. You live in a leaky stable, a mud-floored hut just outside town, or a vermin-infested boarding house in the worst part of town. You have shelter from the elements, but you live in a desperate and often violent environment, in places rife with disease, hunger, and misfortune. You are beneath the notice of most people, and you have few legal protections. Most people at this lifestyle level have suffered some terrible setback. They might be disturbed, marked as exiles, or suffer from disease.
Poor. A poor lifestyle means going without the comforts available in a stable community. Simple food and lodgings, threadbare clothing, and unpredictable conditions result in a sufficient, though probably unpleasant, experience. Your accommodations might be a room in a flophouse or in the common room above a tavern. You benefit from some legal protections, but you still have to contend with violence, crime, and disease. People at this lifestyle level tend to be unskilled laborers, costermongers, peddlers, thieves, mercenaries, and other disreputable types.
Modest. A modest lifestyle keeps you out of the slums and ensures that you can maintain your equipment. You live in an older part of town, renting a room in a boarding house, inn, or temple. You don't go hungry or thirsty, and your living conditions are clean, if simple. Ordinary people living modest lifestyles include soldiers with families, laborers, students, priests, hedge wizards, and the like.
Comfortable. Choosing a comfortable lifestyle means that you can afford nicer clothing and can easily maintain your equipment. You live in a small cottage in a middle-class neighborhood or in a private room at a fine inn. You associate with merchants, skilled tradespeople, and military officers.
Wealthy. Choosing a wealthy lifestyle means living a life of luxury, though you might not have achieved the social status associated with the old money of nobility or royalty. You live a lifestyle comparable to that of a highly successful merchant, a favored servant of the royalty, or the owner of a few small businesses. You have respectable lodgings, usually a spacious home in a good part of town or a comfortable suite at a fine inn. You likely have a small staff of servants.
Aristocratic. You live a life of plenty and comfort. You move in circles populated by the most powerful people in the community. You have excellent lodgings, perhaps a townhouse in the nicest part of town or rooms in the finest inn. You dine at the best restaurants, retain the most skilled and fashionable tailor, and have servants attending to your every need. You receive invitations to the social gatherings of the rich and powerful, and spend evenings in the company of politicians, guild leaders, high priests, and nobility. You must also contend with the highest levels of deceit and treachery. The wealthier you are, the greater the chance you will be drawn into political intrigue as a pawn or participant.
In both the Eberron and Tasha's books, there is a section for patrons. Most patrons offer adventurers a modest lifestyle for working in missions. Some even offer Comfortable housing at a modest lifestyle price. So what's the difference between the two? Why would one normally want a comfortable lifestyle over a modest one that is half the cost?
Privacy. E.g. if your party is engaging in crafting, Comfortable is the point where your crafting room is assumed to be just for you. Modest has you renting shared spaces, so anything you craft has witnesses.
In both the Eberron and Tasha's books, there is a section for patrons. Most patrons offer adventurers a modest lifestyle for working in missions. Some even offer Comfortable housing at a modest lifestyle price. So what's the difference between the two? Why would one normally want a comfortable lifestyle over a modest one that is half the cost?
Its mainly a narrative device, but the PHB offers descriptions about what each category of lifestyle expenses are available. Modest would be akin to working-class, as it is basically described as renting, able to feed and clothe yourself adequately, and having clean, but simple accommodations and belongings. Comfortable would be akin to the middle class, able to own a small home and maintain nicer belongings
The one thing that money can't buy is happiness, no matter how many gold pieces they have, it's something you can't get with money. People love "Creature Comforts" and "Guilty Pleasures."
The only way to get happiness is to make someone else happy, and hope that they share it with you.
That's why I like to play D&D. Playing D&D, or running it, makes me happy.
<Insert clever signature here>
It is mostly narrative. I think there are a few downtime activities influenced by it.
If you're looking for narrative differences, then the difference might be something like a middle class lifestyle vs upper middle class. Depending on the adventure, this might grant you access to a more restricted part of the city, important people, or information. So really it's something for the DM to play with if they want. The money itself isn't usually something the party has to worry too much about (if the DM even makes them pay it).
Besides how much you spend, your lifestyle might affect how easy it is to interact socially with people of different classes. The higher your lifestyle, the more likely wealthy people will be interested in dealing with you. Having expensive clothes might even be necessary to access certain areas.
On the other hand, if your lifestyle is too high, the poor and criminals might be less likely to trust you.
As Pavilionaire said, I might grant advantage/disadvantage on social encounters where your presentability matters. Below are the descriptions of the different Lifestyles found in the PHB.
Wretched. You live in inhumane conditions. With no place to call home, you shelter wherever you can, sneaking into barns, huddling in old crates, and relying on the good graces of people better off than you. A wretched lifestyle presents abundant dangers. Violence, disease, and hunger follow you wherever you go. Other wretched people covet your armor, weapons, and adventuring gear, which represent a fortune by their standards. You are beneath the notice of most people.
Squalid. You live in a leaky stable, a mud-floored hut just outside town, or a vermin-infested boarding house in the worst part of town. You have shelter from the elements, but you live in a desperate and often violent environment, in places rife with disease, hunger, and misfortune. You are beneath the notice of most people, and you have few legal protections. Most people at this lifestyle level have suffered some terrible setback. They might be disturbed, marked as exiles, or suffer from disease.
Poor. A poor lifestyle means going without the comforts available in a stable community. Simple food and lodgings, threadbare clothing, and unpredictable conditions result in a sufficient, though probably unpleasant, experience. Your accommodations might be a room in a flophouse or in the common room above a tavern. You benefit from some legal protections, but you still have to contend with violence, crime, and disease. People at this lifestyle level tend to be unskilled laborers, costermongers, peddlers, thieves, mercenaries, and other disreputable types.
Modest. A modest lifestyle keeps you out of the slums and ensures that you can maintain your equipment. You live in an older part of town, renting a room in a boarding house, inn, or temple. You don't go hungry or thirsty, and your living conditions are clean, if simple. Ordinary people living modest lifestyles include soldiers with families, laborers, students, priests, hedge wizards, and the like.
Comfortable. Choosing a comfortable lifestyle means that you can afford nicer clothing and can easily maintain your equipment. You live in a small cottage in a middle-class neighborhood or in a private room at a fine inn. You associate with merchants, skilled tradespeople, and military officers.
Wealthy. Choosing a wealthy lifestyle means living a life of luxury, though you might not have achieved the social status associated with the old money of nobility or royalty. You live a lifestyle comparable to that of a highly successful merchant, a favored servant of the royalty, or the owner of a few small businesses. You have respectable lodgings, usually a spacious home in a good part of town or a comfortable suite at a fine inn. You likely have a small staff of servants.
Aristocratic. You live a life of plenty and comfort. You move in circles populated by the most powerful people in the community. You have excellent lodgings, perhaps a townhouse in the nicest part of town or rooms in the finest inn. You dine at the best restaurants, retain the most skilled and fashionable tailor, and have servants attending to your every need. You receive invitations to the social gatherings of the rich and powerful, and spend evenings in the company of politicians, guild leaders, high priests, and nobility. You must also contend with the highest levels of deceit and treachery. The wealthier you are, the greater the chance you will be drawn into political intrigue as a pawn or participant.
Privacy. E.g. if your party is engaging in crafting, Comfortable is the point where your crafting room is assumed to be just for you. Modest has you renting shared spaces, so anything you craft has witnesses.
AH! That's a useful idea. Thank you!