Personal Basics - what are they made of?

[Phantasm]

Assume for a moment that the "Personal Basics" described in the Basic Set consists of a camping mess kit: an 8" fry pan, 8" plate/bowl (depending on POV and side depth), 1 qt soup pot with lid, 1 cp mug, and utensils (knife, spoon, fork in those cultures that use one).

At TL8 the plate, mug, and utensils are likely to be plastic, with the rest aluminum. At TL7, the standard was aluminum for everything, and at TL6 from what I could tell everything was steel.

At TL4, I can see the pan and pot being cast iron, with a tin, silver, or pewter fork; not sure about the mug.

But what about the other TLs? What would you expect the standard to be for TL 5? TL 2? TL 0?



(Also curious to know what people expect to see in Group Basics.)

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

At TL8 the plate, mug, and utensils are likely to be plastic, with the rest aluminum. At TL7, the standard was aluminum for everything, and at TL6 from what I could tell everything was steel.

At TL4, I can see the pan and pot being cast iron, with a tin, silver, or pewter fork; not sure about the mug.

But what about the other TLs? What would you expect the standard to be for TL 5? TL 2? TL 0?

Metal cookware from before 1920 is likely to be cast iron - and until around 1800 even that is relatively uncommon. Metal is *expensive* before the industrial revolution, traditional cooking vessels are almost entirely pottery of some sort. Yeah OK if you were a king or something you might serve food on silver platters or have a giant copper cauldron, but for the most part pottery, with cast iron as the expensive option, for the cookware, and wood (or bread) for the serving dishes.

Incidentally that frying pan is quite an oddity before TL5. Your travel cook kit is probably more like a single clay pot, which you both cook and eat in, a knife, a wooden spoon and maybe a cup, probably also clay or wood, and a hard rock and bit of steel you can use to start a fire.

[Turhan's Bey Company]

Originally Posted by malloyd

maybe a cup, probably also clay or wood

Also potentially leather, though wood and pottery are certainly more likely.

[Phantasm]

Did some digging... looks like the US Civil War kits issued to soldiers on both sides had a lot of tin (to keep weight down).

Anyone know for certain what the Roman field kit was composed of?

[Anaraxes]

Descriptions and photos of English/UK military kit from 1244-2014 (weighted more heavily toward the modern end, but includes 15th, 16th, 17th century examples):

Similarly, example Roman gear other than weapons from 210 AD, put together by a reenactor. "Roman" depends a lot on the time period you're talking about, of course. A couple of other descriptions of tools and clothing.

[Extrarius]

Considering the price and weight of "Personal Basics", I can't imagine it including any kind of cookware. I'd expect a tinder box, some flint and steel, some utensils, and that is about it. If you need to cook, you use a spit over a fire or the like.

I'm pretty sure the "Group Basics" (coming in at 20 lbs and specifically mentioning the Cooking skill) is where you get pots, pans, etc.

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by malloyd

Metal cookware from before 1920 is likely to be cast iron - and until around 1800 even that is relatively uncommon. Metal is *expensive* before the industrial revolution, traditional cooking vessels are almost entirely pottery of some sort. Yeah OK if you were a king or something you might serve food on silver platters or have a giant copper cauldron, but for the most part pottery, with cast iron as the expensive option, for the cookware, and wood (or bread) for the serving dishes.

Incidentally that frying pan is quite an oddity before TL5. Your travel cook kit is probably more like a single clay pot, which you both cook and eat in, a knife, a wooden spoon and maybe a cup, probably also clay or wood, and a hard rock and bit of steel you can use to start a fire.

Copper pots and pans were also in use, if you could afford metal. Copper is easier to repair than dodgy iron, and easier to work. As it also conducts heat much better, it's a pretty good choice for cooking pots, as is brass.

[tbone]

Originally Posted by Extrarius

I'd expect a tinder box, some flint and steel, some utensils, and that is about it..

That's always been my understanding, too. Fork, spoon, small utility knife, simple fire maker, and a small towel (noted in BS) or handkerchief. Toss in a single small candle and a pen/pencil, maybe a little bit of soap. . . . Anything beyond that is really pushing the weight and cost limit. No actual cooking vessels (though if a player insists a small metal cup is part of the basics, I wouldn't argue).

[ravenfish]

Personally, I'm more interested in the contents of group basics. Basic Set mentions that it includes some rope, but provides no details, and "how much rope do we have" is a perennial question among adventurers.

[Verjigorm]

Originally Posted by malloyd

Incidentally that frying pan is quite an oddity before TL5. Your travel cook kit is probably more like a single clay pot, which you both cook and eat in, a knife, a wooden spoon and maybe a cup, probably also clay or wood, and a hard rock and bit of steel you can use to start a fire.

Just to throw this out there: Richard the Lionhearted was killed by a 13 yeard old with a frying pan and a crossbow.