A lot of people ask me about their characters owning things like real estate or vehicles in play, so I wanted to clarify the policy. Per the Living Assumptions entry in the game guide, "The basic necessities of living are assumed in downtime. Your character earns enough of a living to get by, has a roof over his or her head, owns basic odds and ends, and meets other menial obligations such as rent or taxes. You're free to detail these aspects of your character's life within reason if you so choose, but their net effect on your resources is always neutral."
Read in the context of real estate or vehicles, yes, your character can hang their hat however they please in play. You can live aboard a ship, in a cave, in a cottage, in a lodge, etc. Likewise, you can describe how you've constructed something for yourself, such as a farm, warren, earthward, or whatever. Since the overall effect is fluff, you don't even have to take downtime to do so. I only ask you observe a few common-sense limitations:
- Note "within reason" in the entry. No, you can't have a castle, a mansion, an airship, an extradimensional study, or a floating island in the sky. It can be cool to a degree; just don't go overboard.
- Limit one per customer. Whatever you choose to build, it is your character's home. We're not playing Minecraft.
- Don't step on each other's toes. If someone else built something, don't just barge in and stake a claim. Ask permission or live somewhere else.
If, in the future, I institute a system that gives buildings or vehicles in-play significance, anything you've done storywise will be null and void. This applies even if you do arbitrary downtime or somehow sacrifice for your storybook home. You won't get something for free, and I don't want to keep track of it in the mean time.
We trust this will fill your needs. We now consider the matter closed. Please stop sending us letters. ;)
Thank you for detailing this for us Thad! ♡