Re: RE: (TFT) Magic Item Economics]

["Neil Gilmore" <raito@raito.com>]

> At 04:58 AM 12/3/03 -0600, Ty Beard wrote:
> >When one considers that a TFT armorer makes $100 per week, it seems that
TFT
> >armorers must work fast indeed. Assuming that the armorer wants to double
> >his money (to cover the cost of iron, equipment, fuel, etc.), this means
> >that he can turn out a full suit of plate armor in 2.5 weeks!

Back in the older, poorer days, I turned out a simple 4 plate body armor, 4
lame spaulders, 3 plate articulating elbows, simple knees and cuisses,
gorget, helmet, and half gauntlets in 12 hours time. Sold it for $250. I
could go from sheet to gorget ready for straps in under 15 minutes in
standard sizes with munition grade finish.

> * Plate in TFT isn't nearly as useful as real-world plate either, unless
> you have enough DX to overcome the penalties. The number of high-DX
> warriors wanting a NEW set of plate is probably going to be very small
> compared to the number of bozos needing new shields and other weapons.

Not to mention the usual craziness of the whole leather, mail, plate thing.
Yes, it's useful for graduated armor standards in a game, but in medieval
times you didn't really have armourers making plate and (full) mail at the
same times in history. I stress making instead of wearing because there were
guys wearing grandpa's old mail shirt for a couple hundred years. Takes a
lot longer to make mail than plate, but you have to make sheet to make
plate.

> * Armorers probably do other things besides make plate armor all the time.

I'm guessing probably not, and certainly not if there's a strong guild
system.

> * Armorers may also do a lot of repair, maintenance, and other tasks
> besides making new equipment, which they get paid for. They can probably
> oversee the work of underpaid underlings to get most of this done.

Don't give a damn about underlings, because they get paid, too. This is more
in reference to the job listing than about how things actually get done.

> * Those who aren't free-lance may have contracts with the local guard or
> military.

Pretty much in my campaigns, if you have a job straight from the table, then
you work for someone. Free-lancing goes by slightly different rules (look up
the selling price tables, and Business Sense for some ideas).

> * Armorers may have underpaid apprentices and assistants which allow
> several items to be under construction at the same time.

Again, don't care, because those guys get paid, too.

> * Armorers' underlings can also do other non-construction tasks under the
> guidance of the armorer, which the armorer gets most of the sales money
for.

Very true in history for many activities. Most master armourers with
underlings probably don't even cut their own pieces.

> * Armorer income would probably vary a lot depending on local demand and
> circumstances, and the type of shop they have, who they work with or for,
etc.

You mean, like, the state of the local economy?

Neil Gilmore
raito@raito.com
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