Feats

Byrden the Cunning has a lot of friends in town. With a few bribes, a handful of loans given without
expectation of repayment, and several donations to local churches, he’s made connections with all the
right people. When the city guard comes to arrest him for the murder of one of his enemies, the entire
matter turns out to be a case of mistaken identity. A few more coins here, a reminder of his past deeds
there, and the guard releases him. In this case, wealth can help an adventurer out of a tight spot. If you
make an investment in others, it can pay back a hundredfold. Wealth feats allow characters to gain
mechanical advantages based on the fortune they’ve acquired through their adventures. In certain
situations, a few coins in the right place can prove far more useful than a sharp sword. Wealth feats are
similar to other feats in that they give you special abilities unrelated to the talents of your class.
However, they also have several key differences. You don’t use a feat selection to gain a wealth feat—
you merely invest money in the feat. In addition, when you use a wealth feat, you usually must spend
additional money to gain its benefits.

GAINING WEALTH FEATS

You must spend a number of wealth points to gain a wealth feat. This is what’s known as the feat’s “buy-
in cost.” When you meet the other prerequisites for the feat, you spend the listed buy-in cost and then
gain the feat’s benefits. Unlike other feats, you don’t select wealth feats based on your level. You simply
meet their requirements. If for any reason you no longer meet a wealth feat’s prerequisites, you
immediately lose its benefits. Unlike many other Iron Heroes feats, wealth feats don’t have minimum
mastery ratings or expanded mastery abilities.

USING WEALTH FEATS

Wealth feats differ from other feats in another important way. Normally, to gain a wealth feat’s
benefits, you must spend money. This expenditure represents a bribe, a direct payment, money spent in
the recent past, and so forth. You can spend money to activate a wealth feat only under the conditions
given for a specific feat. If you don’t meet those conditions, you can’t use the feat. Furthermore, you
can’t use the feat if you no longer meet its prerequisites. When this occurs, you must spend any
resources needed to gain the feat again. Once you meet those prerequisites again, you can use the feat.
In most cases, wealth feats require you to establish your economic influence in a particular city or
region. You might be known as an influential philanthropist in the city of Thasp, but that reputation
means little to the hill giants of the Wyrm’s Teeth Mountains.

THE WEALTH POOL

Many wealth feats draw upon your wealth pool: an abstract measure of your standard of living. It ebbs
and flows over time as you spend cash to activate wealth feats and pour more treasure into it. The
wealth pool breaks your personal fortune into a value that’s easier to handle. Each time you place 100
gp worth of treasure into your wealth pool, the pool increases by 1 point. You can cash in your wealth
pool at a conversion rate of 50 gp per point.

Additional Uses of Wealth Pool

When making a purchase you may use your wealth pool to generate an amount of silver to for the
purchase but beware if you fail to generate enough for the purchase you lose one wealth point.
1D20+Wealth pool in Silver Coins amount generate
Wealth Feats (Master Iron pg63)
COHORT [WEALTH] Wealth pool 50 points, pay
cohort equal share
of treasure +2 wealth
points/month.
Followers Wealth pool 20 points, pay
followers 1 wealth point/month
for every five followers.
Manse Wealth cost 1–8 points/square
of area
Money Buys Innocence Initial bribe 10 wealth points, 1
wealth point/month
maintenance.
Political Connections Wealth pool 50 points, spend 10
wealth points on a party.
Social Influence Wealth pool 25 points.
Skilled lieutenant or sidekick
obeys your commands.
Gain staff members, servants,
assistants, etc., to look after your
interests.
Own a furnished home.
Go free when charged with a
crime; those you accuse of minor
crimes are found guilty.
Receive an audience with local
ruler or other important area
figure upon request and
expenditure of 1 wealth point.
Receive a +1 bonus to Diplomacy
or Gather Information checks
for every wealth point spent (up
to a +5 bonus).