[Mor's End] OOC: Questions and comments please post here

[thepriz]

New trade item

I had read some of the geography thread yesterday and somewhere it mentioned that one of the major trades in Mor's End is the silk trade. Today I was working on entering data from the Arms and Equipment guide when I came across Insect netting. Knowing that there is a swamp near by with all sorts of insects I think it would fit in real well if the Silkers had a good reputation of making the best insect nets out of the silk that is harvested. Maybe since it is a stronger material than what is indicated in the A&E Guide it can keep out a bigger creatures (ie large swamp mosquitoes) than the small vermin (ie bees, mosquitoes, etc). This would be important to those trying to cross the swamps or those living there. Maybe because we are close to the swamp it is a necessity for the rich to own these spectacular insect nets for their comfort at night.

The stats for Insect netting, Watersilk:

Weight: 2 lb. (assuming Watersilk is lighter like regular silk)
Cost: 500gp (a regular insect net is 200gp, maybe a little cheaper if bought in Mor's End)

This is a 10' by 20' rectangle of light woven Watersilk. This silk is only found in the city of Mor's End. This net can keep out normal Fine sized vermin (ie bees, mosquitoes, etc) but because of the strength of the waterskilk it can also keep out Diminutive size vermin (Swamp mosquitoes?) if it has been set up correctly. It does not prevent larger creatures from entering the area. It can also be circumvented by burrowing vermin.

 

[Lalato]

That's a great idea...
--sam

 

[Conaill]

Re: New trade item

Cost: 500gp (a regular insect net is 200gp, maybe a little cheaper if bought in Mor's End)

Yikes! A regular insect net is 200 gp!?? That's the same price as a Royal outfit, enough jewelry to outfit two nobles, a heavy horse, two masterwork musical instruments, 1/5 of a friggin house, or 5 years wages for an unskilled laborer!

I love the idea of high quality silk insect nets, but I do think those A&EG prices are wacko...

Could anyone doublecheck those, please?

 

[thepriz]

Re: Re: New trade item

Yikes! A regular insect net is 200 gp!?? That's the same price as a Royal outfit, enough jewelry to outfit two nobles, a heavy horse, two masterwork musical instruments, 1/5 of a friggin house, or 5 years wages for an unskilled laborer!

I love the idea of high quality silk insect nets, but I do think those A&EG prices are wacko...

Could anyone doublecheck those, please?

I agree, this is the listed price in A&E guide. As I was trying to figure out a price for the Insect nets, Watersilk I was thinking the same thing. Maybe this was an error or they added an extra 0 is what I am thinking. I have an errata document. I will see if there is a correction there.

 

[thepriz]

Re: Re: Re: New trade item

I agree, this is the listed price in A&E guide. As I was trying to figure out a price for the Insect nets, Watersilk I was thinking the same thing. Maybe this was an error or they added an extra 0 is what I am thinking. I have an errata document. I will see if there is a correction there.

Sorry the errata was for another book I had. I called WOTC support and they said this is a luxury item and that it is priced right. They said that that a masterwork sword is roughly the same price and so they didn't see any problem with this being this high.

Now my opinion. I think if you used a light woven cotton to create a mosquito net it would not cost 200gp. My question is what about a heavily woven cloth that is used to make clothes? You would use a lot more material to create a pair of pants than it would to create a Insect net. I would also say that it would take more time to create a heavily woven cloth than a lightly woven cloth. Maybe I am missing something?

 

[Conaill]

No, I don't think you're missing something. Although I suspect the guys at WotC are...

Does the A&EG say anything about what material a "normal" insect net is made of? Sounds like they assume you need some sort of high quality silk to begin with. In which case we should probably not charge any higher than 250 or 300 gp for a watersilk version.

What's the listed weight for an insect net? Ordinary silk costs 20 gp per lb, for 2 square yards. 200 gp would buy you 20 square yards, which is close to the 10'x20' dimensions you mentioned. Sounds like they assume a very lightly woven silk, which has the same cost as regular silk per square yard, but is much lighter in weight.

Poor people living near a swamp would presumably use a lower quality version of this made from some sort of cheese cloth type material, costing around 1gp or so (twice the price of a blanket).

 

[jdavis]

I've got a feeling that this would be a luxury item for people going south as they are mostly pilgrims and settlers and would probably just have to make due with what they could get their hands on. As far as people with money I can see this being a real big deal and something that separates along class lines, huge screened in porches and large canopies over beds and such, even into exotic clothing. The strength of silk fish silk would allow it to be stretched very tight and very thin so it could be used as a window screen even, in the squats people probably just have a blanket hanging in thier doorway and use damp wood (for smoke) to keep the bugs away. There are probably a few roudy bard songs poking fun at the rich and their dainty silk viels while the working class man gets a old blanket full of bugs.

 

[thepriz]

No, I don't think you're missing something. Although I suspect the guys at WotC are...

Does the A&EG say anything about what material a "normal" insect net is made of? Sounds like they assume you need some sort of high quality silk to begin with. In which case we should probably not charge any higher than 250 or 300 gp for a watersilk version.

What's the listed weight for an insect net? Ordinary silk costs 20 gp per lb, for 2 square yards. 200 gp would buy you 20 square yards, which is close to the 10'x20' dimensions you mentioned. Sounds like they assume a very lightly woven silk, which has the same cost as regular silk per square yard, but is much lighter in weight.

Poor people living near a swamp would presumably use a lower quality version of this made from some sort of cheese cloth type material, costing around 1gp or so (twice the price of a blanket).

No they didn't say what it was made of it just says that it is "a light woven fabric". It would make since if the one listed in the A&EG is made from silk then I would price the Insect Netting, Watersilk around 250gp (maybe a little cheaper in Mor's End since it is produced there).

 

[thepriz]

Just for more confusion a pair of silk pants is 8gp in the A&EG.

 

[Conaill]

I can see it now...

"To protect themselves from insects, the poor of Mor's End have instead taken to wearing discarded nobles underwear on their heads."