Re: Hedge Wizards (was Re: (TFT) New way to improve characters.

[ErolB1@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/18/2003 9:09:09 AM Central Daylight Time, 
srydzews@ix.netcom.com writes:


> Well consider that no matter how handy not just anyone can afford a $500 
> Light item unless your economy is 'modern'  enough to support buying things on 
> an installment plan.  Sure, maybe the average guy is paying more over time 
> for the lamp oil (nice to know about the liter per day thing BTW) but that 
> doesn't matter.  If he can't save up the 500 to buy the light item, he's stuck 
> buying the alternative.

If coin money exists at all, the economy is 'modern' enough to support buying 
things on credit. If Joe Peasant can afford to make the payments of a $500 
item (a new plow horse, say) then something can be worked out. Besides, $500 is 
just 6 months income at the $20/wk subsistance wage, or maybe 3 months net 
income for the farmer who hires the $20/wk farmhands. 

For a merchant or scholar - someone who burns a lot of lamp oil and could put 
a Light item to good use - the question is even easier: $500 is only a month 
or two income, they're more connected to moneylenders (and in the case of the 
merchant may actually *be* the moneylender), and so if magical lights are more 
cost effective for them, that's what they'll have. 

So I think that anyone who could really use a $500 item could manage to buy 
one, even if they are dirt poor. Heck slaves managed to buy themselves, often 
enough that laws were sometimes passed against it. 

-- 
Erol K. Bayburt
ErolB1@aol.com
=====
Post to the entire list by writing to tft@brainiac.com.
Unsubscribe by mailing to majordomo@brainiac.com with the message body
"unsubscribe tft"