Employment Contracts in Mothership
I really like Mothership’s Net Worth table. It’s tucked in the Warden’s Operation Manual — the idea being that if players don’t like counting every coin, they can choose to only track big expenses for their income level. It’s a great little way of cutting down on bookkeeping, but I think I can go further. I’m combining income bands with a fully abstract wealth system and a little flavor of corporate horror. Enjoy.
So, you’ve signed a contract with the Company to work on their space station. Congratulations! As part of your contract, you’ve been leased a work visa identifying your department and clearance. You have to pay a fee to cover your lease, but you’ll receive a stipend commensurate with your clearance level.
Cross out any reference to Credits on your character sheet. Instead, you have a new Stat, Credit, which starts at 2d10+10. Whenever you spend a significant amount, roll 1d100. If you roll lower than your Credit, you can afford the expense. Otherwise, you can still afford the expense, but you lose 1d10 Credit and gain 1 Stress. A roll of 90-99 is always a failure.
At 0 Credit, you have no purchasing power, and cannot afford any expenses. If you want to increase your Credit, you’ll have to find off-the-books work. Payouts can add 1d10, 2d10, or 3d10 Credit depending on their size. Of course, this is all relative — equivalent payouts are worth 1d10 more for each visa level below yours, or 1d10 less for each level above.
What counts as a significant purchase depends on your visa level. Make a Credit check to purchase a notable expense for your level. Anything below your visa level you can acquire without a check (unless you purchase in bulk).
For expenses one level above you, make a Credit check at Disadvantage. If successful, you can afford it, but you lose 1d10 Credit and gain 1 Stress. Otherwise, you can’t afford it.
You cannot directly purchase anything two or more levels above you, but you might be able to acquire it through play.
| Visa | Jobs | Notable Expenses | Lifestyle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 5 | The station governor and Company executives | Small spacecraft, ship fuel and maintenance | Palatial estate, live-in staff, elite social circle |
| Level 4 | Senior managers and department heads | Cybermods, private contractors, skill training | Large home, rich neighborhood, generational wealth |
| Level 3 | Middle managers, educated professionals, and skilled specialists | Weapons, advanced equipment, hefty bribe | Multi-room suite, regular vacations, university opportunities |
| Level 2 | On-site supervisors, white-collar clerical employees, and tradespeople | Basic equipment, shore leave, medical treatment, small bribe | Studio apartment, secondary education, occasional luxuries |
| Level 1 | “Unskilled” blue-collar workers and service employees | Visa fee, basic living expenses, food and drink | Dormitory bed, abject poverty, minimal schooling |
Furthermore, certain sections of the station are locked off to those without the requisite employment contract. Entire schools, neighborhoods, and employment opportunities are inaccessible to those without the proper clearance, sharply segregating the populace along class lines.
Contracts with the Company are always at risk of annulment due to insubordination, prohibited or illegal activity, affiliation with criminal organizations such as labor unions, or mere incompetence. Those with annulled contracts are due to be arrested and deported, though one can always find communities of “aliens” living outside the law in maintenance tunnels or other forgotten corners of the station.
A thriving black market exists for forged identifications granting access to prohibited areas. Union organizers steal weapons from Security and smugglers store contraband in Cargo, but it’s not just for illegal activity — often, it’s the only way to replace a deteriorated air cycler or faulty airlock. The station is suffering under appalling neglect, and working around the authorities is typically more effective in keeping the horrors of outer space at bay.