Identification (ID) Cards are used to access Credits in the Frontier
Credits (Cr) are the standard unit of currency used through the Frontier.[1] Credits are electronic in nature, with nearly all transactions being handled by ID Cards and card-readers.[2]
Like the widely used Galactic Standard Time (GST) and the Pan-Galactic language, credits were developed by the Pan-Galactic Corporation to establish an economic standard that could be used by all planets and colonies.[3] The limits concerning cargo space on older ships and the need to micromanage the weight of passengers and their effects,[4] required making items like money as portable as possible.[5]
People may convert credits into tokens to be used for small, day-to-day expenditures. Withdrawing and spending large quantities of "hard" credits, however, is considered a" red flag" by criminal investigators, as is their inter-system transport (illegal in a number of systems). Without these safeguards, criminals could easily buy or sell illegal goods or services without an incriminating money trail. Token credits are usually issued by businesses and a few governments, and are subject to strict UPF regulations.[6]
Due to minimum wage and work hour standards, an unskilled worker gets paid 20 credits for 10 hours of work a day.[7] The typical work week is five days of work with three days off.[8] A skilled worker can expect to earn between 20 to 80 credits a day. Specialized skills, management responsibilities, and occupational hazards (like combat situations or dangerous work environments) often raise this.
It is not unusual for employees to learn additional complimentary skills to increase their income.[9] Employers usually cap this at 500 Cr/day, or based on the duties expected of the cross-trained worker.[10] In some systems, additional benefits are not guaranteed, but some employers do offer perks like free healthcare, housing/lodging, transportation, and/or necessary equipment; these are commonly negotiated separately.
Notes and References[]
- ↑ Alpha Dawn Basic Rulebook glossary
- ↑ Alpha Dawn Basic Rulebook p.9
- ↑ Dragon Magazine "The Mighty Mega-Corporations"
- ↑ For example, in 2016 it costs $10,000 to put 10 kg of mass into orbit. $1,000,000 in $100 bills weighs 10 kg, and would therefore cost $100,000 to put in orbit.
- ↑ Prior to the introduction of the Credit, SEU were used as currency in many places. When PGC established the credit, it was "pegged" to SEU at a rate of 5 credits per SEU (Source: Zebulon's Guide pp.63)
- ↑ House Rule
- ↑ The NPC wage table on p. 60 of the Alpha Dawn Expanded Rulebook states this is the wage for non-skilled labor (the lowest form of labor). It is assumed that this is a legal requirement.
- ↑ Star Frontiers: Alpha Dawn pp. 55
- ↑ +10 Cr per skill level per day; Star Frontiers: Alpha Dawn Expanded Rulebook pp. 60
- ↑ Ibid. pp. 55