The Chump is Stumped out!

[jgbrowning]

We'll the chat yesterday was fun, but nobody asked me a question I didn't have an (ok) answer for so no one got a copy of the new Expeditious Retreat Press book Party of One: Leda just NOW available on RPGnow.com.

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=1676&

So I thought I'd run a little contest til 5pm central USA time or until i run out of the 3 prizes (whichever's first, ok who am i kidding? it will be until i give out the 3 prizes, no way am i going to answer you guys's questions till 5pm. ya'll are to clever for that). The first three people to stump me get a free copy and then the contest will be over. I'll answer the questions in order of appearance. Leda is a 1 meg file so your e-mail has to be able to accept such large attachments, or you can wait till tomorrow for your free copy via RPGnow.com.

Here's the way it works. Ask me a medievalesque worldbuilding question and if i can't answer it (at least to my satisfaction ) I'll send you a free PDF of Party of One: Leda. Simple, fun, and best of all, you get to make me look stupid!

OK, who's first?


*rubs hands, checks bookshelf, secures supply of soy milk for the long haul*

joe b.

 

[BiggusGeekus@Work]

:: throws a softball to get started ::

How big does the town have to be before they can support a weaponsmith or armorsmith?

 

[jgbrowning]

:: throws a softball to get started ::

How big does the town have to be before they can support a weaponsmith or armorsmith?

Weaponsmiths and armorsmiths, 1 per 2100 population adults. But that's a very tricky question! They can appear in smaller population numbers depending upon circumstances, but that's a good ratio to use to determine if there "has" to be one. A communtiy with 2100 or more people will pretty much be guarranteed to have a weaponsmith/armorsmith.



joe b.

 

[Tsyr]

In the average village, assuming no outside mitigating factors (such as a militant religion that has a "convert or die" policy), what percentage of the people will be devout followers of a diety?

 

[Savage Wombat]

Without using magic, what's the largest population that can be supported with a less than 5% per capita risk of cholera (or equivalent sanitation-related disease), and what technological developments are used to achieve this?

 

[kingpaul]

What's the average air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

 

[jgbrowning]

In the average village, assuming no outside mitigating factors (such as a militant religion that has a "convert or die" policy), what percentage of the people will be devout followers of a diety?

Aha! Another tricky question! How many dieties do you have in your campaign?

For an average of 650pop village, you'll have 13 members of the clergy spreed amongst the various gods. This doesn't include the number of clerics as listed in the DMG. I'm assuming only clergy/clerics count as devout followers.

You'll also have a chance (46%) for a wandering mendicant (1-1400).

*takes another drink of soy milk*

joe b.

 

[kingpaul]

Now for my serious question:

What was the logic behind the witch burnings? If one was a witch, they could use their magic to escape whatever trap was presented them. However, if one wasn't, they'd die, which was against the commandments.

 

[jgbrowning]

Without using magic, what's the largest population that can be supported with a less than 5% per capita risk of cholera (or equivalent sanitation-related disease), and what technological developments are used to achieve this?

I'm afraid such a question can't be answered. Cholera is a disease prone to "break outs" that really throw off the 5% risk assumption typical to less empidemic type diseases. And most information we posses about cholera is from climates unlike the typical fantasy medieval (ie europe)

To fight cholera and other diseases caused by bad drinking water, drink upstream from any populated area, drink only from deep wells, and boil any questionable water first.

Tech developments would be catchbasns using sand to filter water similiar to what venice was doing in the early 1500's. They help, but are dependant upon rainfall to fill.

**this could be a possible stump. if two people think you stumped me and say so in their message you'll get a copy of Party of One: Leda**

joe b.

 

[jgbrowning]

What's the average air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

African or European?


joe b.