A character in good standing with an organization in Thedas can earn support from their group to cover their basic needs. Anything else they acquire on top of these usual perks, from bribes to finder's fees, is their own to keep. But a member's rank will provide benefits wherever their group has contacts, reputation, or resources.
An organization must have a Wealth rating in the positive range to provide regular backing for its members at all. Those with a Wealth score of 0 have destitute followers who must largely fend for themselves. Wealth ratings of 1-2 allow groups to deliver first tier support. A Wealth rating of 3 allows for second tier investment and below. Wealth 4 grants third tier resources, and a Wealth rating of 5 or more allows an organization to provide lavish top echelon perks, along with lesser rewards for lower ranks.
If an organization has suffered a major defeat or has otherwise fallen on hard times, agents could lose their support even if they have done nothing wrong. Likewise, war, pestilence, or other major disruptions could keep a member from being covered until the situation stabilizes. Finally, a member who greatly embarrasses the group, is found to be cheating them, or who steps on the wrong toes could see their rank drop until they find a way to atone.
Note that holding rank in a group is not the same as holding a title (page 318). Rank is more easily gained and lost, but has far less prestige than a title and will not result in reliable social bonuses with their peers. Rank only covers a certain level of sway and does not automatically entitle a top member to troops, animals, vehicles, or other holdings the way a title does.
It is also worth noting that this system can be used for nearly any organization, so the structure below is generic and will need adjusting as you flesh out the details of a group. The system will simplify some of the book-keeping of day-to-day travels without padding characters' pockets with a lot of extra cash. For those who want characters to struggle for every meal everywhere they go, however, this system will probably not feel right. One possible fix is that a ranking member must tithe a certain amount to their group in order to maintain their comforts. In the end, however, it is completely optional and up to the GM.
None - The agent has no sponsored home, must keep track of all expenses, and make ability checks to lie, beg, steal, or scrounge for their sustenance. This level is generally reserved for probationary recruits. (0 cp/mo.)
First Tier - The member lives in the common areas of taverns, barracks (or other sponsored housing), or with family, but only needs to pay out of pocket if meals and tolls are 5 cp or more. Low level, newer members tend ot receive this allotment. (150 cp/mo.)
Second Tier - The affiliate has their own living space, whether it's a room or a rented cottage, and only needs to dip into personal money if a mundane expense exceed 15 cp. Veteran and trusted members earn such accommodations. (60 sp/mo.)
Third Tier - The official has a well-appointed suite of rooms in someone else's estate or their own decently sized home, and only need to cover nonmagical expenditures that are 50 cp or more. Managers and those with lower levels of authority get this kind of support. (150 sp/mo.)
Top Tier - The member has extravagant lodgings and only opens their personal stash for mundane expenses of 1 sp or above. This tier is the highest possible without obtaining a title. Members who are favored by low level lords or who otherwise show outstanding service over the years are in the top tier. (300 sp/mo.)
Allotment Option: For games where major organizations are in play or other circumstances warrant it, members could receive a salary each month. A suggested amount is in parentheses at the end of each tier's description and could be added to lodgings and petty cash or taken instead. This could throw off the economy of the game and should only be done if everyone is okay with more currency being accessible. It could also make up for fighting creatures often who have little to no treasure of their own.
With this option, as long as they remain in their group's good graces, the character will earn an allowance each month. It may sent to them directly, or it might be waiting for them at the nearest location the group controls. If the organization is broad-reaching, the character might be able to use their allotment by giving IOUs to vendors on the organization's tab.
Sample Arrangement: As an example of how this can work, let's start with fleshing out some ranks. In the army of the ancient Tevinter Empire, the lowest level was the benefici and was reserved for slaves. The most drudging assignments were theirs, and they could be commandeered by anyone, though army personnel took precedence over any other citizens save for magisters. They had to exist off the scraps of the upper echelons. Next up were the munifi, the privates, ready to be sent anywhere to do anything. They were often given the more dangerous jobs and risky explorations, at least at first.
The veterans who had proven their mettle in battle were the evocatex, and they were sent in to take care of superior threats. While in peaceful towns, they were set up quite nicely. The lower captains were the centorus. They would command on fields of larger battles and suggest legions to the praetarii. The praetarii would make suggestions of where to send troops, which losses were acceptable, and so on. They reported directly to seasoned magisters in the Circle closest to them or from their home base (or, if there was a struggle, to whichever magister was more powerful). The army had no higher structure of its own.
Citizens of all kinds could enter the legions, but mages would be supported as though they were evocatex, even as fresh recruits (though they could not give orders or munifi until actually obtaining that rank). Few mages would stay with the armies for long, though they would return as needed, and they could petition a Circle for permission to leave at any time. A soldier could be busted down the chain for misdeeds or failures, but being branded benefici meant becoming a slave in truth - a fate no citizen could stomach.
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