How to equip a TL3 knight?

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by Novembermike

You just aren't setting your sights high enough. The average wealth at TL 3 describes a peasant farmer or low-skill laborer. Your Knight probably isn't 5x as wealthy as that, you're probably looking at 20-100x as wealthy. A Wealthy Knight would probably be some unimportant guy who has some tiny fiefdom in the middle of nowhere.

GURPS average wealth at low TLs is not a peasant farmer or any town labourer. It's more like a guilded journeyman craftsman in a town, or a village priest being supported in style by the tithe and extras from the villagers (and not all village priests were "supported in style").

[Danukian]

Originally Posted by Figleaf23

I appreciate that perspective, but although it's a long list, it is strictly his arms and armor.

Yeah, and 2 weapons and a full suit of armor isn't something I'd veto as a GM, but seeing it listed and itemized like that, and reading the definition of sig-gear, my thought process instantly goes to "That was my Grandfather's Cod-Piece!"

[Novembermike]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

GURPS average wealth at low TLs is not a peasant farmer or any town labourer. It's more like a guilded journeyman craftsman in a town, or a village priest being supported in style by the tithe and extras from the villagers (and not all village priests were "supported in style").

TL 3 peasants weren't as poor as a lot of people think. They were generally well fed and I haven't seen a ton saying that your average Scandinavian peasant was worse off than Average wealth would suggest.

[pawsplay]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

If he's a landed knight, i.e. he has his own manor, then he either needs to be wealthier than the wealth level the OP has defined, or else GURPS is off-key with some costs being too high, probably armour and mount. But I've always gotten the impression that those items were expensive, so most likely the knight simply needs to be wealthier, or if he's an unlanded knight he needs a Patron.

Even if he's a landed knight, it would be expected for his lord to supply warhorses and occasional gifts. Warhorses are expensive, and often get killed, injured, or traumatized in battle.

[Figleaf23]

Originally Posted by Danukian

Yeah, and 2 weapons and a full suit of armor isn't something I'd veto as a GM, but seeing it listed and itemized like that, and reading the definition of sig-gear, my thought process instantly goes to "That was my Grandfather's Cod-Piece!"

It would probably be appropriate to add another character point or two, leaving the items the same and styling them up or making some of them fine, but this was a minimalist set for example-purposes.

[doulos05]

Originally Posted by gilbertocarlos

I'm talking about a knight like a crusader. When you go buy the equipment, there isn't enough for all the equipment that he normally carries.
A knight normally carries a thrusting broad or bastard sword, a mail suit, a lance, and rides on a warhorse.
the bastard sword costs $750.
A fine mail suit, assuming it covers legs, arms and torso, $2250
The warhorse $4k
Riding Equipment about $240
the lance $60
Total=7,3k

Starting money for a rich person at TL3=$5k

So, how do you do with the 2,3k that the knight doesn't have?
Even if he trades the bastard sword for a cheap broadsword($240), the fine mail suit for a cheap heavy mail suit($1200) he still would have to spend 5,8k.

A landed knight is status 3 and Very Wealthy. That gives you more than enough.

[tg_ambro]

While Basic goes on about how the item(s) must be defined for story purposes (Spaceships won in card games, etc.), mechanically it allows your character access to gear that is important to his archetype. So when I read:

Originally Posted by gilbertocarlos

Both buying cash with points and signature gear are solutions to a player problem, but when you think about the game per se, it's very different, a knight with signature gear? yeah, of course, 100 knights, all of them have the sword as signature gear? kinda strange...

I think that you're worrying too much over NPCs. Unless you're running a session for 100 players . . . weesh! Besides, you don't have to make it sig gear, it could just be Points For Cash (the rule name that always reminds me of those scammy gold buying people) and you don't have to worry about 100 knights, all of whom are the son of a Hero who left his sword to his son. They just have the sword they need to be professional warriors and the world-building continues.

[Agramer]

Originally Posted by pawsplay

Even if he's a landed knight, it would be expected for his lord to supply warhorses and occasional gifts. Warhorses are expensive, and often get killed, injured, or traumatized in battle.

Thats why his Lord gave him land in a first place...to be able to support himself!!!

[Novembermike]

Originally Posted by Agramer

Thats why his Lord gave him land in a first place...to be able to support himself!!!

Actually, his Lord probably gave him the land because he wanted to buy some loyalty and the lord needed someone to watch it anyway.

[Sword-dancer]

The Lance is the main Weapon of th Europena knight.
Not every knight did own a true Destrier, many would´ve to do with average Cavalry horsesof medium quality trained to be ridden into combat, neither bred nor trained as a true destrier would be.

I consider a destrier a well to very well bred and trained warhorse, äquivalent to fine and very fine swords.

The rich and powerful bred or bought these Horses, higher nobility(not every baron would or could afford one impov), and maybe the Guard Knights of Kings and Dukes, the rich Kings and dukes or those who need them and scrooged on nonessentisal and important things(a very austern court they would´ve)as well as the elite Chapters of rich military orders, the Chapter of Jerusalem of the knight templars after they become a rich order.

For most knights a destrier would be out of reach, the others mostly would be professional well paid military men, Mercenaries, like the french Compagnies de l´ordnnance(Spelling?)

A count got much more money from the crown to replace his killed horse than a knight