Weekly/Monthly Stipend for a Group of Agents

[joca4christ]

Currently running a "modern" campaign where the party is a group of individuals representing different factions for an agency we are calling "Wardens". The campaign is episodic in nature, so there are off screen things that happen.

At any rate, since the characters are not your typical murder hobos, I am attempting to come up with some manner of getting them paid. I think having a stipend would be fair, but I don't know how much per week/per month would be good for a group of 1st level characters. Help?

[JeenLeen]

Is this using a system based on D&D?

Thinking from 3.5, I could see something like 10 gp a week seeming reasonable. That would cover a decent lifestyle, which I imagine the agency would want for decent morale. Actual equipment gains would be done generally through loot (or, to make it less traditional looting, stuff the agents find/confiscate during missions can be traded into HQ for money or advanced gear/tech.)
You'd probably be better off figuring out how long you plan for it take them to get to level 2, and standard level 2 wealth by that amount of time. Determine how much to pay based on what you plan for them to have once a given amount of time passes.

If using a dot system like in World of Darkness (resources on 1-5), I would think Resources 2 or 3, probably 2 at start but getting to 3 once they prove themselves. That's middle to upper middle class. The book that deals with 'hunters' (not really Hunters like in Hunter: The Reckoning, but traditional monster-hunters & supertech-using gov agents) had some text on what the agents get paid. It was more than middle class, but I think their time-off was such that they couldn't really use it that much, so it kinda evens out to upper middle class.

[joca4christ]

That is helpful! Thank you. Using Pathfinder, by the way.