This is going to vary a lot by social status and circumstance, so I'll kick of with the list I'm putting together for myself.

I'm a man-at-arms in the 15th century (definitely not a knight - my armour is the better end of munition grade, and my horse is nothing special in period terms). I'll normally be doing LH in a military context, like a camp or garrison.

On my person I figure I should have

- A small purse, worn UNDER my clothing, and containing a moderate amount of money. By definition, my character should be reasonably well off, but I'm not carrying it all around with me! I'm being paid 12d a day, so perhaps a couple of shillings and five or six pennies and farthings
- A cross (not a crucifix), probably of silver.
- A small belt pouch containing a small knife and a hoofpick, plus my car keys (I know, but I've got to carry them somewhere!) concealed in a separate cloth pouch.

Note that I'm deliberately carrying as little as possible - I figure nobody wants to go into battle with gear hanging off them like a christmas tree if they can avoid it.

However, you could easily add pilgrim badges, a pair of bone dice in your pouch, spare bowstrings if you're an archer or whatever.

My personal gear should be close enough I can show it, and I figure probably includes;

- A curry comb and brush for my horse...assuming I'm mounted and unless this gets dumped on somebody with lower social rank.
- A metal spoon
- Eating knife
- A wooden bowl (I don't think I'd be using metal, but I'm willing to take advice here - I just don't know)
- A wooden, metal or leather tankard - probably leather, on campaign.
- Firesteel and tinder
- Several polishing rags, leather wax etc for armour and harness
- Bronze razor, horn comb, polished bronze mirror, plus a twig toothbrush?
- A warm and reasonably waterproof cloak - my criteria for this is "Would I be prepared to sleep out wrapped in this if I had to?)

I'm sorely tempted to add a pen and parchment, or at least a wax tablet, mostly so I can talk about literacy in the period. My main prob is that there's no way I can produce good medieval handwriting, and if I can't do it write (...sorry!) I figure I'd better not do it at all.

Assuming you are a man at arms, and you have a horse, I think you need to upgrade that impression a little. As it stands, it sounds like a household archers kit.

I really think you would have at least a groom/page, who would probably have been caring for your horse & harness. Labour was cheap, and from reading Barbara Hanawalts book "Growing up in Medieval London", menial servants seem to be commonplace in average middle class households, even if its just a person scrubbing pots. Not to say that everybody of any means had a "staff" of servants, but it is a good bet you would have one at your station.

A thing to keep in mind is that Medieval values were different from ours. We prize accumulation of funds above showing of that we have cash. The opposite is true for Medieval society - you showed your station - much like poorer boys growing up in cities 40 years ago spending their cash on nice clothing - showing they were on their way up, or somebody to be reckoned with. Complaints in the Mayors court (about apprentices wearing clothing above their station), and complaints leading to sumptuary laws (usually including commentary how people are making themselves poor by spending their cash on goods above their station) show this trend.

Someone who hoarded cash became labled one of the most hated figures in Medieval society - the miser.

A person who owns horse and harness is somebody - but your not somebody if you are living like an archer. I think most of what you list is fine, (barring the leather jack), but you need more impedimentia - just some nicer things to add to the list. Check out John Howards list (at the time a wealthy knight), and then tone it down about 3/4 and you should be about right.

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quote:

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(barring the leather jack),

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Chef, please tell us more about THIS item, I've been under the impression that a leather jack and leather canteen lined with beeswax were appropriate. Wood, and especially porcelain or ceramic seems way to fragile for campaign.

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I think that a leather jack is beneath the station of a man at arms - frankly, I think a wood maser carried in the baggage to be more likely (especially gussied up with a silver rim and/or foot). Were he a man at arms, he'd likely have a sumpter beast. The good reproductions of Medieval woodware that I have do not seem to be that fragile.

If he had some dosh, why not a pewter flagon? In the various depictions I have seen of taverns and bath houses, I haven't seen any depictions of leather jacks. Admittedly, all the 15th century depictions I have seen of such things are Franco/Flemish or German in origin, and maybe leather jacks are an Anglo Phenomenon.

Most depictions of costrels give them a shape that is impossible to capture in leather, and extant specimens (mostly excavated) can be found of wood, stoneware, earthenware, and pewter. There are several barrel type leather costrels in the MOL book, but a pitch lined barrel costrel could be just as 'fragile' as my turned wood one - which isn't fragile at all.

The reproduction German stoneware we have is rather tough. Multiple items have impacted hard floors on occassion, and we have yet to have any breakage from this. Earthenware, like the standard redware is much more fragile. Unfortunately for Neil, German stoneware didn't start being imported into England in any great quantity until the mid 1470's. By the turn of the 16th century, it was so common in England to be found with frequency in digs even in remote areas.

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I would be interested in more information about the German Stoneware that you mentioned.Good period reproductions are hard to find.

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The fellow who made our German stoneware (we did the research for it) is Jeff Brown, out of Deerfield N.H. jeff brown pottery What we have is Raeren ware, which is very similar to the more famous Siegburg stoneware (the primary visual difference being the Siegburg is generaly overall grey, where the Raeren product usually has a haphazardly applied oxide slip). Jeff has in production Biconic mugs (2 size variants), jugs, and bottles. I'm trying to research a costrel for him as well.

Biconic mugs like we have started to appear in the 1450's in Germany and the Low Countries from Sieburg, with the Raeren product not appearing in the same market until a decade later.

Historic Enterprises recently has started to carry a Siegburg biconic mug as well. Historic Enterprises . Getting good reproduction pottery is a nice finishing touch to any camp.

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I'll be seeing Jeff soon (He's my Hauptman), so I'll ask about the new stoneware that he has to offer. I'd still like to see the pics of what Mr. Brown made if it's not too much trouble.Now to return to the shadows, and do some more "lurking".

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Should have made it clearer that this was JUST meant to be the stuff my persona actually had on him, not everything he owned. I almost certainly have piles of stuff (spare clothes, a cask of good wine, miscellaneous loot etc) back with the other baggage.

However, my baggage is "Off stage" partly since the LH events I'll be doing are mostly battles, rather than encampments, and partly because I'm still putting this stuff together. As my old dad said, get one thing right before you move on.

In the same way, unless I can talk somebody else into doing the job (sometimes possible), my personal servant is probably with the baggage train, too.

I'll take your point about upgrading the leather jack (probably to pewter), but what other stuff do you think I should actually have ON MY PERSON?

I'm showing money in my harness, and the fact that I have good quality clothes under it. Other than jewelry, what other signs of wealth would you be expecting?

Neil

Think of all those renaissance fencing manuals that are teaching rapier-and-cloak as a style....along with rapier-and-dagger, rapier-and-lantern, and for all I know, papier-and-teddybear.

Fashionable ones get decidedly short in the 16th cent, but campaign cloaks are probably still full-size - there actually are refeences to troops sleeping out in them.

Come to think of it, they turn up occasionally later, as well - I can remember a napoleonic reference to an officer's "boat-cloak"

I have been giving it some thought, and I don't know what else you might be carrying into a battlefield. I think the only way you can display your relative wealth other than the quality of your harness, is taking especial care to aquire high quality examples of the rest of your kit. As a for instance, any belt, swordbelt, or scabbard for your sword or sheath for your dagger ought be well made (and a lot of impressions fall short at this point - for good ideas look at "The Medieval Soldier" and "Medieval Military Costume"), and have fittinggs and decoratioins appropriate to your station.

I don't espouse the common "Christmas Tree" look, hanging yourself with a plethora of pilgrim and carnival badges. "St. George" will only let you wear one if youv'e been on the pilgimage (kind of tough for us Americans, although I intend to 'qualify' for a Walsingham badge, walking the last mile barefoot - thought it would be a nice 'Medieval' experience).

That said, religion played a larger part of Medieval life than it does ours - even though the English were known to be anti-clerical, people forget or use this falsely as an excuse to say they aren't religious in character. From my reading of Medieval religion in England, the beef was with Monks, Priests, and Bishops - not with God - public disgust at clerics acting as they ought not. On the other hand, the 15th century was an explosive time of local parish church rebuilding, many churches recieving improvements, and at the cost primarily of parishoners. The gist being don't be a 'Christmas tree', but some display of religion in some way is really a must for a proper impression. Keep in mind the sermons extant where the priests complains bitterly at the people who don't attend mass, but poke their heads in the doorway to catch a glimpse of St. Christopher in the porch - the commin belief being that if you saw an image of St. Christopher every morning, you would be safe from a sudden (and unshriven) death.

Jewelery - much more popular with men in the 15th century than today. In example, the three interlocked small silver rings overlooked on one of the Towton archers - somebody beneath 'you' in station. By the survival of scads of cheap junk jewelery, I think it would be odder for a fellow not to have a ring of some sort. These can range from 'posey' rings, to plain rings, to rings with 'stones' of varying quality from a ring of pewter with a hunk of glass, to a ring of gold with a sahpire, garnet, ruby or jet. There are 'religious' rings as well, that resemble rings with stones, the bezel being a flat surface, with a picture of a saint (usually St. Anne or St. George in England).

Keep in mind Medieval lapidiaries - people wore stones because often they believed that it would act as a charm to their benefit. Examples survive of pendants intended to be charms (this is quite different theologicaly than religious pendants - such 'charms' were frowned on by the church) - the Metropolitan Museum has a nice 15th century one in it's current catalog - a tau cross(I forget what it is supposed to be the 'soveriegn remedy' for). Then of course there are pendant relequaries - more properly religious - the 'Middleham Jewel' being the finest 15th century example, but there were scads of others - at least one was found in the 'Fishgate Hoard'.

Here is a real list of valuables carried by a knight (abouve you and I, but not one of high rank) inventoried that were stolen - dating from the last quarter of the 14th century (published in "Pleasures and Pastimes in Medieval England", by Compton Reeves - an excellent book). I'll follow it up with my eventual intended list as I fill out my 'kit'.

"While at Ospringe, Kent, in 1377, on a jouney from Dover to London, d'Angle was robbed of goods which were inventoried. The list included a girdle & pendant of gold (my commentary, fabric belt probably cloth of gold with gold fittings), a gold eagle, another eagle made of large pearls with a wreath of pearls around it, yet another eagle of smaller pearls, a gold clasp in the image of St. George with a large sapphire and an emerald and large pearls, another clasp with sapphires and rubies and pearls, rings, brooches, his seal and signet seals, and many other jewels and items of gold and silver..."

This fellow is a knight, but isn't in the upper ranks of his station. Obviously, we run a little lower down the rung. A pretty impressive list nonetheless.

My list of what I have and what I will eventually have - a few pieces at a time. I represent a very minor functionary in the Dutchess of Burgundy's household (one of hundreds - they had a quarterly rotational system with duplicate households for the Duke & Dutchess, as a means of tying a substantial portion of the gentry to them), and an officer of the lowest rank in the Burgundian army. What I portray, when you look at lists of attainders, is usually tacked on at the end, after the knights and esquires - gentleman.

A gold brooch with small sahpires and garnets, a gold and enamled 'marguirite' pin, a posey ring, a gold ring with St. George on the bezel.

Other items I've thought of but haven't made up my mind on, a copy of the Fishgate hoard heart brooch, in silver gilt with three dependant pearls, a gold or silver gilt ring with a stone (several museums offer nice 14th and 15th century examples, but expensive), and I keep toying with the idea of one of those charm pendants, or a small relequary pendant in silver gilt. I am going for 5 items in total, the first four listed I either have, or a definites.

On the religious theme, my current harness has on the breatplate stop rib "Mater Dei Memento Mei", and the replacement harness is getting a prayer as well. The portrayal I am going for is someone thoroughly conventional in religion (a mass weekly, or a couple of times a month. According to the Joan of Arc trial, many of the lower classes only attended quarterly - she was attacked for going twice daily), and slightly superstitious to boot. I hope that would represent "Joe Average" and his beliefs in the strata of society I portray.

So, I hope this adds ideas for doo-dads. I'd think you'd be very much amiss not to have at least a silver ring if you are a man-at-arms (and a nice one at that).

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another way to show off wealth is to make sure that every strap has a strap end on it, and be sure your buckles are nice ones.

--AM, who's buckles are mostly pewter and brass

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I'm with you on the idea that my clothes should be nice - right now, it's looking like they're not going to work out that much cheaper than the armour, mostly because made-to-measure long boots are !£%$$£ expensive.

My hand-and-a-half (which I've already got) is a similarly nice item, with the leather hilt bound in spiral silver wire. The belt for it is currently planned to be faced with metal plaques, but that's yet to be decided.

Jewelry and religious item - well, I've already got the cross on my list. I'm not sure about a rosary - I might own one, I think, and have it in my personal gear, but would it come onto the feild with me? My guess is not.

My character should certainly have one of more rings, very probably decidedly chunky ones by modern standards. But how do I wear them under gauntlets? Same problem with broaches etc - they'll be under my breastplate. Unless I put them on the soft hat I'll be wearing whenever I've got my helmet off.....

Neil

PS - the engraving on the armour you mention is cool, but probably well outside my price range. I've definitely identified what I can afford as "Munition quality", which is why I'm aiming at a man-at-arms rather than anybody richer.

I would agree with Gen d'Arme in concept.

armor is that which keeps you alive. a man would not skimp on that of all things (unless he's making a point, or the kind of eccentric who works at Microsoft but drives a beater old VW bug)

also, I'm a big supporter of the concept that you are best served sticking to the persona that your real world income most closely matches.

if the cost of the appropriate boots is too high for your budget, to my mind its not really appropriate to spend the money on luxery items like jewelry.

remember that boots cost a lot in the middle ages, but jewelry was even more. Luxury items like jeweled brooches would have been bought AFTER you bought your shoes and the armor and other tools of your trade. Shiney pretty things dont do you much good with a polearm through your liver, or with blisters on the inside of your knees becuase you didnt have the right boots.

also, its my considered opinion that those lovely thigh boots are for horsemen. Would your station as a "man at arms" have ridden enough to justify that expense?

again, each one of us decides for ourselves where the bar should be. For me, I'm smack dab in the middle of the bourgoise and lovin' it . My limited money is spent on carefully chosen, sturdy, basic clothing and housing first, then the tools of my trade (cookpots, etc.), and THEN sparkly things like jewelry.

I would suggest that we look at this from the medieval mindset rather than the modern...what are the most important things to our daily life? and what were their relative cost in period? (vs now...things that are expensive nowadays might have been less so back then, and vis versa. there's TONS of info on what things cost relative to a days salary back then....funny, shoes are about the same...a really good pair of modern shoes costs $100 nowadays, which is about a day or twos labor. It was about the same back then, according to my reading! but I digress....)

anyway, I hope this is helpful? I mean it to be, and not to rain on your parade at all...

-_AM

I may be wrong and Bob please point it out if I am, but what I thus far understand from what I have read - It is highly unlikely that a man at arms would have "Munition" grade armour. Munition grade armour was what would have been bought in bulk "One size fits all" style to outfit the troops such as household men etc. On the one hand wearing fancy clothing and rings etc, would have made no sense in a time when one showed ones wealth (even at the risk of depriving oneslef financially)if you were not going to wear respectable armour - as Bob pointed out if one had the wealth one showed it. It would not make sense to wear fancy clothing, thus showing you do have wealth then get into a unasuming low-cost munition armour, showing you have none. There often were minimum standards for what certain types of troops could and had to wear for armour, such as the Burgundian ordinances and others. Men-at-arms were esentially individually the same battlefield unit as a knight, although not of social ranking (however sometimes of equal financial status). As I say I may be wrong.
Pieter.[/QUOTE]

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My theory is that anybody portraying a person of means (and a man at arms - even a poorer one ranks as sombody of means), ought be identifiable as such to a knowledgeable person at a glace. Looking at it this way, it is a good thing your wardrobe is costing nearly as much as your harness, as that is a very Medieval attitude. One lives up to ones means (fortunately, our wardrobes don't need to be as extensive as a real 15th century person of means - a couple - three changes of clothes will do - not including your arming clothes. That, and we don't have a retinue to pay).

Certain items of clothing make you look like a person of station in the mid 15th century - well fitted riding boots (with pikes, prefferably), piked shoes, well fitted hosen, doublets with mahoitres, what I call 'short riding gowns', those tall caps in Flemish paintings, or those short fuzzy derbys, or chaperones - these things mark out somebody of the second estate - or somebody who is a close servant of same. I wager a 'well bred' person could guage a mans station and worth, within a few pounds, by sizing up their wardrobe and accessories, as well as their bearing in a few moments.

As to wearing the rings _ a simple band fits easily, and a simple ring with a flat bezel will also fit easily under a gauntlet. A 'stirrup' ring will not. I happen to wear my little 'jewel' in my hat. No, I do not portray a knight - I don't think anyone short of a millionare could do a decent job of that. I think you'd need to be comfortably off to do a thorough presentation of an Esquire. I portray a gentleman. The Burgundian companies of the Ordinances were one of the first military orginizations where rank didn't automaticaly equate to station, so I think I can get away with portraying the Burgundian equivilant of a second lieutenant while only being a gentleman. I am trying to do a thorough presentation of one and his accoutrements, and I think I can manage that being comfortably middle class - since I'm only doing this on weekends, and I don't have to live the lifestyle or pay those sorts of bills everyday. Anybody doing this in our day and age falls far short on the servants part - at least I have a couple of horses. But with the accoutrements, I can manage a very good presentation I think.

As an aside, there was full suits of munition armour off the peg - I think many English armourers were in large refitters of imported Milanese and Flemish harness. I have in mind an example before quoted here, where a mid 15th century English knight paid 12 pounds for an Imported suit to fit himself, and rather less than half of that for complete harness for a mounted man at arms and his squire.

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Actually, Neil does have his 'tools of the trade'. Unless I miss my mark dreadfully, Neil is a member of Destrier - so he has his tools down to the "Hosses" as we say up hear in New England.

When Neil means a 'munition harness', he is refering to a plain full harness of no extrodinary quality - a workman like piece.

What I have been going on about is it is important to have the full presentation. Too many of the fellows who have all the "shiney bits", then go off wearing something more suitable to lower middle class kit, or worse yet some atrocity of a half baked costume rather than proper clothing.

When it comes to the full presentation "God is in the details". All those little things that a fellow wouldn't be without (and clothing cut to the style of class portrayed, and in appropriate material).

Heck - I don't have my riding boots yet (coming 2002), but I have in hand or on order or under construction a full harness, a half harness, and my 'half armed' traveling harness of a brigandine, 'splints', and a chapel de fer and bevor (plus the two 'hosses') Does that mean I give up my impression because I don't have the boots yet? (I have arming boots) I have an arming sword, a bastard sword, a ballock knife, a rondel dagger, a bec de corbyn - but I don't have my lance or mace yet - can I not portray a man at arms?

I think what I am trying to get across that a kit is put together a little bit at a time. If Neil has a full harness and a horse, you can bet he is comitted to the boots - sure we complain at expense, When I read the Paston letters I see gentlemen complaining at the expense of things all the time.

We all have to start somewhere, and I think Neil is well on his way.

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also, I'm a big supporter of the concept that you are best served sticking to the persona that your real world income most closely matches.

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Exactly. I have pissed a lot of people off by taking this position - but a horse is the most important part of a truly accurate portrayal of anyone above the lower classes. I'm sure a horse cost as much then as our cars do now, but you had to have them. When someone tells me he is a "knight" and then makes the comment he can't afford a horse and doesn't wish to be bothered with the whole equestrian experience, I wince. By having a horse, I am by no means a knight or even a gentleman, but if I don't have and can't afford "many" than I am certainly not a knight. The trick seems to be in finding and researching your particular economic "niche" and working within your limitations.

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by no means do I mean to imply that you cannot do a portrayal becuase you havent reached 100% on your kit yet!

my ramblings were only meant to inspire thought, not condemn out of hand. I hope they were not interpreted as such!

I guess I'm coming from my own experience, where as de Leon discusses, nice boys want to be authentic, but have their priorities firmly rooted in the 21st century.

They want to be a knight, and spend a jillion dollars on pretty jewelry, but skimp on the accoutrements that a knight would have looked at as FIRST priority.

horse. Armor. weapons. Sturdy clothing. Even if worn, it would have been of best quality and as such would protect them from harm.

Also, I think its important to remember that ones portrayal is not a This Or That thing. the range of class is very shaded and gradual. One can portray a scullery and slowly gather together ones own pots and knives and spices. One day one is a well to do scullery. The next year after an upgrade, one becomes a less well off cuisinier. AFter a few more years of gathering toys, one becomes a full cuisinier.

one of the nice things about the middle class .

again, none of this is meant to rain on anyones parade! I think its great that somone is actually thinking that as shiney and purdy as something is, it may not be apprpriate to their station. yay! I cant tell you how many "nobles" are running around dressed like leprous peasants. But they have a big shiney hat....

annnnnnyway.........

i guess my point is (I did have one, really )jewelry is expensive and a luxury item by medieval standards. Boots are expensive but mean you can do your job. Armor is a critical neccessity for a miliatary man, and you want the very best your medieval guy could have afforded.

if you could only afford bulk cheap badly fitting stuff, than you probably could not have afforded luxury items like jewelry (unless they were cheap brass or pewter costume stuff).

again, just my spin on this. and again, I think its absolutely wonderful that you're even thinking about this stuff!!!!

--Anne-Marie, all for a rational and reasonable dialogue about this kind of stuff. yay!

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Some of it was, I'm afraid, due to my terminological inexactitude when I described my armour as "munition quality". What I mean was that it doesn't have the sort of nice features like the engraved prayers chef de chambre talks about his armour having. It's properly fitted for me, rather than one-size-fits-all off the peg stuff - after all, I plan to actually ride in this stuff. If it means anything to people in the US, I already have the limbs, from lancaster armoury and the helmet and cuirass are still to be sorted out but look like being from Dressed to Kill, depending on fitting and delivery times.

The nice thigh length boots are indeed intended for riding, and I plan to get fitted for them at the re-enactor's market at blackbird leys in three weeks. I was bitching because they currently look like costing only a little less than $400, which is enough to hurt no matter how committed you are.

I'm new into the c15th, and the first thing I did was sit down and work out how much I was willing to spend, and plan my persona around that. If I'd been doing Burgundian, I'd probably have picked the role of a coustilier, but that isn't really a term used much in the UK - more on that later.

The second thing I did was work out what basic kit I needed for that portrayal. Leaving out the horse - I have access to combat-trained horses without having to buy one - my list came out something like;

- Hose and undershirt, both good quality and made for me rather than bought off the peg
- A padded arming doublet, but without mail gussets under the arms.
- Thigh length riding boots, plus a pair of pattens for when I'm on foot
- A pair of short spurs
- Plate arm and leg harness, as discussed above
- Plate cuirass or brigandine...I'm still not sure there.
- Visored sallet and bevor
- Two light lances, one blunt for combat, one sharp for tentpegging.
- A hand-and-a-half sword, in a scabbard and belt with metal decorative plaques

I'm now about halfway through acquiring this kit, since even if I could write a cheque for the whole lot right now, it'd still take a while to arrive.

While I was waiting, I decided it'd be worth thinking about what other little bits and bobs someone of my status should have on his person, to help me seem like a historical character rather than somebody just equipped for fighting...which was kind of where this post started.

Hope that clarifies things,

AM and I are merely coming at similar problems from different angles. AM plays with a crowd where many supposed 'noblemen' run around in ill fitting polyester T-tunics with sneakers or East German army boots, and a white belt on as wide as a barbers strop for a razor dangling down to their ankles.

I see a lot of guys putting harness together trying for stuff on the order of Leon Helmschidts top drawer stuff, but dressing like Piers plowman (and they don't have a horse so lets not even go there).

AM thinks you ought to have and be able to afford all the basic tools of your trade - no argument there. I come from the point of view that if you have tools that look like they belong to the upper crust, your clothing and accessories darned well ought to as well. I am a strong believer in the 'complete impression'.

I want to look like those gentlemen who are servants of noblemen, illustrated plentifully in such places as Rene of Anjou's books - you know, the fellows carving manchet loaves and pouring wine for the real aristocrats, as on the dustjacket of "The Medieval Kitchen - Recipes from France and Italy", or the ones filling out the procession headed by the Herald of the Duke of Bar bringing an invitation to the Duke of Brittany. Those same sorts of fellows helping to organize and lead a household in military action... you get the picture.

If I can do that impression well, then maybe if I go to an event with AM's group someday, the polyester T-tunic crowd would think I must be very high-toned, and I can have my jollies telling them I'm just a very humble servant of a very great master.

(Bob - who still thinks it would be nice to help AM's group fill out all aspects of Antoinnes riding-retinue at an event, from his armed retainers to the lowliest scullery - and have a magnificent but empty tent belonging to Antoinne "who is off visiting").

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Complete impressions rock.

As I said earlier I am enjoying this board very much, there is an amazing wealth of knowledge here and I look forward to joining in more.

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nothing I like better than a good lively discussion among people not afraid to speak their mind with civility (and documentation ).

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Originally posted by NEIL G:

I'm new into the c15th, and the first thing I did was sit down and work out how much I was willing to spend, and plan my persona around that. [B]

atta boy!

[B] While I was waiting, I decided it'd be worth thinking about what other little bits and bobs someone of my status should have on his person, to help me seem like a historical character rather than somebody just equipped for fighting...which was kind of where this post started.

Hope that clarifies things,

Neil

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indeed! sounds to me like you're going at this the way I would...

how much of thier worldly goods did they carry on their person vs leaving at home, or stashing in the tent?

Modernly you got your keys, wallet and some spending money.

Medievally, what's the equivalent?

--AM

[ 10-25-2001: Message edited by: Anne-Marie ]

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