[phayman53]

The gear in Low-Tech is very expensive compared to the gear in Basic and I think, for the most part, wealth levels were balanced against the gear costs in Basic. Most RAW templates of "Knights" in GURPS have wealth of "Wealthy", though Fantasy does have "Very Wealthy" or "Wealthy" plus 10 points in Signature Gear (for a warhorse I believe). This indicates that the assumption is that a knight should be able to equip himself on $5000 (GURPS $s). This is virtually impossible for any of the "Status 2" loadouts in Loadouts: Low-Tech unless you buy an extra level of wealth. However, if you are using the "realistic" optional rule that limits you to 20% of your total wealth for adventuring gear, you need to buy even higher levels of wealth. So your Status 2 Knight needs Wealth (Filthy Rich) for 50 points to be living a settled existence (which is supposed to be the default) and be able to pay for $5-$8k in armor. The problem is the same for lower status loadouts in Loadouts: Low-Tech as well. The standard wealth levels for those status levels do not come anywhere close to paying for their gear.

My optional for using the more realistic prices in Low-Tech is to say that the Wealth given by RAW wealth levels is 20% of your total wealth that all can be used on adventuring gear. You are assumed to have other equipment as is exemplified by "What Cost of Living Gets You" type tables (such as the one on Banestorm pg. 187.

If you are truly without a home, that means you have 5x your wealth level, but you must purchase EVERYTHING you own. All clothing, mounts, food, any gear you provide for servants, etc. You also must pay 2x the standard cost of living for your status every month or suffer reaction penalties and deterioration of gear for living at a lower status. This can be mitigated with appropriate skill rolls (such as survival if you are living off the land), but you also have to roll for or pay for maintenance of your equipment, clothing, and animals. Paying your normal cost of living price for your status will keep your equipment, animals, and clothing functional, but it will look worn and cause the reaction penalty.

In all cases, if you want to purchase more equipment available for adventuring, every 1 point spent will get you an additional 20% of your wealth level's available wealth. If you are itinerant, this still is based off of the settled wealth level. You do not get more money for extra gear purchased in this way just because you are itinerant.

Example:
A TL3 Status 2 Knight is Wealthy. This means he has $5000 to spend on adventuring gear. He has a house or room in a greater house, but not a true knightly manor. He has a wardrobe and servants, as well as mounts and appropriate gear for them as determined by "What Cost of Living Gets You" tables. If he needs more adventuring type equipment (weapons, armor, camping and exploration equipment, a better horse, a boat, etc.), every 1 point he spends will get him an additional $1000 to spend.

A TL3 Status 2 Knight Errant who is truly without a home has $25000 to spend on all of his gear. He must buy every article of clothing, every mount for himself and his servants, and any gear he is arming his retainers with (though they can have their own gear, but then should probably be bought as allies of appropriate point values). He also must pay 2x the status 2 cost of living or he will suffer -1 reaction penalties from everyone except people who are completely not status conscious. If he needs more gear, every 1 point will still only get him an additional $1000 of gear.

Thoughts? Too generous?