Sent to Westeros

[Faranya]

LOL! In that case, your next move should be to get Q to set up some sort of court where you can sue GRRM for libel. He didn't portray you in the most favorable light.

Yep. But I'd get a bunch of books on the history of science and various different subjects. I wouldn't want to count on making guns, because you never know, maybe the reason they don't have guns is that chemistry doesn't work the same way in Westeros. So I'd go in with a lot of different inventions, guns, telescopes, compasses, barometers, marine chronometers, steam engines, printing presses, chemical batteries, Leyden jars, seed drills, threshing machines, double-entry bookkeeping, algebra, calculus, etc. Basically I'd show up with the entire history of the scientific revolution, and spend my time working with the Maesters to see what could be reproduced in Westeros.

I'd also bring as many seeds as possible. Even for the crops they already have, since our modern versions are probably superior.

Oh, and I'd definitely bring some modern guns, ammo, and spare parts. A semi-automatic pistol to carry with me and a couple AR-15s just in case things go horribly wrong. I wouldn't use them if possible, but I'd like to have them just in case the Maesters decide it would be easier to just get rid of me and take all my things.

Re. gold, are we sure it's the best precious metal to bring? What about silver?

I doubt that either of those is a good choice. It seems to me that trying to sell bouillon is just asking for someone to start asking uncomfortable questions as to who you are, and why you have it.

[haremenot]

Where?

Ahh, pretty much any major city that's not King's Landing. Maybe Plankytown, but I wouldn't plan on staying in one place for too long.

[Chirios]

It's been mentioned but obviously we're assuming that Westerosi chemistry is the same as Earth chemistry. That goes for all laws of physics and mathematics as well.

[Xenophon]

What I really should do is bring something like velvet or spices, or maybe just paper? Fine lace? I wouldn't want to stand out too much by owning things entirely unknown, but something cheap to us, expensive to them. Spices are probably the best example.

One thing I've learned from reading the books - anything that stands out has a tendency to be chopped off.

True. Yes, spices should be excellent--light, cheap in RL, and probably fantastically expensive in Westeros. IIRC, nutmeg and pepper used to be worth more than their weight in gold in RL. My only concern would be if they were so exotic as to draw unwanted attention. Probably not in Oldtown, or other trading port, but I'd still bring a variety of good so I'd have some less exotic things to trade as well. Lace, and even just regular cloth would probably work.

Another thought--you could probably get someone interested in setting up a distillery anywhere in the Seven Kingdoms. So bring a mini distilling rig as proof-of-concept and you'd bet set wherever you end up. It's not particularly exotic, but they don't seem to have much in the way of hard spirits, so you'd be able to make good money.

[Easy]

I would take the completed ASOIAF series and give it to Hodor.

He would do a Biff from Back To The Future 2 and make a fortune gambling on tourneys and the Westerosi stock market making him the richest man in the world.

I don't care if I live or die after that.

[Chirios]

I also feel people are overestimating how useful a firearm would be. Even if no one else in the world has a firearm, you still won't be able to single-handedly take out even a single unit of cavalry, and could still be taken out by an archer at a fair range. Granted I have a limit knowledge of firearms, but a longbow can be used with a fair degree of accuracy up to about 400 yards, typically. An assault rifle is about the same, I believe (albeit with a much faster rate of fire)And if I recall my WWI history, a Canadian cavalry unit in France made a successful cavalry charge against a German machine gun nest which had three guns firing. Granted, they took extreme casualties, but the point was that they succeeded. You'd be able to cause small folk to flee, but a lord would just gather up his household guard, and you'd be overrun before you made it to your third clip.

Eh? Most people won't be trained in longbow fighting, even if they are they won't be carrying them around, and the M4 carbine has a range of ~550 yards for a point target and ~600 yards for an area target. You could take out a unit of cavalry since the Westerosi don't armour their horses, and even if that wasn't true the whole point of the exercise is to try and survive. Ending up on a battlefield is a good way to die. Cavalry charges were useful in the early stages of WWI, but largely due to shock effect. And just as many cavalry charges failed utterly as succeeded.

True. Yes, spices should be excellent--light, cheap in RL, and probably fantastically expensive in Westeros. IIRC, nutmeg and pepper used to be worth more than their weight in gold in RL. My only concern would be if they were so exotic as to draw unwanted attention. Probably not in Oldtown, or other trading port, but I'd still bring a variety of good so I'd have some less exotic things to trade as well. Lace, and even just regular cloth would probably work. Another thought--you could probably get someone interested in setting up a distillery anywhere in the Seven Kingdoms. So bring a mini distilling rig as proof-of-concept and you'd bet set wherever you end up. It's not particularly exotic, but they don't seem to have much in the way of hard spirits, so you'd be able to make good money.

We know that pepper is expensive and kept almost solely to the noble classes so, yeah that should work.

[Faranya]

Eh? Most people won't be trained in longbow fighting, even if they are they won't be carrying them around, and the M4 carbine has a range of ~550 yards for a point target and ~600 yards for an area target. You could take out a unit of cavalry since the Westerosi don't armour their horses, and even if that wasn't true the whole point of the exercise is to try and survive. Ending up on a battlefield is a good way to die. Cavalry charges were useful in the early stages of WWI, but largely due to shock effect. And just as many cavalry charges failed utterly as succeeded.

But it doesn't have to be a battlefield. If you pulled the gun for any reason, and it was noted, sooner or later some people are going to come poking around after it, and eventually that is going to include some lord's soldiers. Which would include the aforementioned archers and cavalry. Once you get the reputation as the sorcerer who slays men across the field with thunder, you are not going to be able to keep a low profile much longer, where ever you are.

And I still doubt that a singular firearm would prove as effective as people are assuming once soldiers got involved.

[The Isle of Faces]

Well, say I was a sniper in the military, I would have kept my sniper. Therefore, being the elite sniper I was, I would take:

1) My Barrett .50 Cal M82 sniper and a BUNCH of bullets.

2) A bunch of seeds.

3) Some modern farming equipment.

4) A bunch of textbooks (science, mathematics, engineering, astronomy, etc.)

5) I would also bring a Kevlar bullet-proof vest (quicker, lighter then armor.)

6) A nice cool sword/Katana and dagger.

7) A longbow for when sniper isn't needed.

8) Some warm clothes for winter (like that climate controlled jacket.)

9) A nice sleeping bag for portable sleeping.

10) Definitely some salt bags (food preservation/selling)

11) Flashlight

12) Health supplies. Vitamin/fiber pills, protein bars, etc.

13) Lighters and matches

14) Some information of eye-wear/glasses and open a business for the poor-sighted for steady income.

15) Nice fishing rod and those fake bait things.

16) Cheap home-made flamethrower of an axe bottle and lighter to fight the Others.

17) I think I'll be good. I'd fill any extra space with clothes, more books, etc.

[Talleyrand]

I'd take everything that was hugely expensive for people back in those days with me.

Get droppped of in Dorne, sell some of my things and live there in pleasant neutrality as a rich merchant for the next few years, maybe becoming a knight along the way

[Ser Frank Haven]

I Would also Bring a book on how to gasoline sell that to the maesters. Then i will pack a backpack full of TNT and grenades and just when the Red Wedding is gonna start Throw my self and explode killing everyone

[Hazl]

I Would also Bring a book on how to gasoline sell that to the maesters. Then i will pack a backpack full of TNT and grenades and just when the Red Wedding is gonna start Throw my self and explode killing everyone

...You just became a transuniversal suicide bomber. Congratulations.

[King_In_The_North]

I would attach lamps to my sword and claim I have LIGHTBRINGER!

[Noros]

I'd bring a few useful books for survival, but mostly guns. Demonstrate them to the wealthy in Pentos, trade them for gold and the Unsullied. Start a mercenary company, Nicomo Cosca's style, kill Euron and take his artifacts when he docks. Buy more Unsullied. Exchange the horn and possibly the egg for a part of Dany's treasure, or sell to the Qartheen. Buy some shadowbinders or trade our for their knowledge. Buy ships and land at Saltpans before the attack. Then it depends, offer help to White Harbor if they're against Boltons, or take Dragonstone for a short time after the army leaves, gather obsidian.

[Patrick Tully]

Cart full of pillows, conveniently located.

Or royal napkins?

[Spring Bass]

A single fire-arm wouldn't be of much use, but massed fire-arms would be (and were historically) very useful in combat. It helps that it's possible to train troops to use them in a matter of weeks to months, whereas decent bowmen take years to train (longbow-men usually took a lifetime of training).

[TrueMetis]

I also feel people are overestimating how useful a firearm would be. Even if no one else in the world has a firearm, you still won't be able to single-handedly take out even a single unit of cavalry, and could still be taken out by an archer at a fair range. Granted I have a limit knowledge of firearms, but a longbow can be used with a fair degree of accuracy up to about 400 yards, typically. An assault rifle is about the same, I believe (albeit with a much faster rate of fire)

You actually probably would be able to considering the horse and knights would start freaking out when you shot at them. And Westeros doesn't have a bow culture decent archers are few and far between.

And if I recall my WWI history, a Canadian cavalry unit in France made a successful cavalry charge against a German machine gun nest which had three guns firing. Granted, they took extreme casualties, but the point was that they succeeded. You'd be able to cause small folk to flee, but a lord would just gather up his household guard, and you'd be overrun before you made it to your third clip.

And on the flip side of that polish cavalry in WW2 got slaughtered en masse. It would be a simple matter of being on terrain the horses could charge on.

[Talleyrand]

And if I recall my WWI history, a Canadian cavalry unit in France made a successful cavalry charge against a German machine gun nest which had three guns firing. Granted, they took extreme casualties, but the point was that they succeeded. You'd be able to cause small folk to flee, but a lord would just gather up his household guard, and you'd be overrun before you made it to your third clip.

Those Canadian Horsemen knew what guns were and what they can do, the Westerosi don't. How will those knights react when they here a series of bangs and their friends just drop down dead?

[Faranya]

Those Canadian Horsemen knew what guns were and what they can do, the Westerosi don't. How will those knights react when they here a series of bangs and their friends just drop down dead?

I'm not saying that they wouldn't be at all effective.

I'm saying that a single assault rifle in your hands is not enough to singlehandly overthrow a castle.

[TrueMetis]

I'm not saying that they wouldn't be at all effective.

I'm saying that a single assault rifle in your hands is not enough to singlehandly overthrow a castle.

Who said anything about overthrowing a castle?

[MinotaurWarrior]

One thing I've learned from reading the books - anything that stands out has a tendency to be chopped off.

Where are you getting this idea from? Mel is doing quite well, as was Thoros before he freely decided to take the poor path. Qyburn didn't take too long finding the freaks that liked his depravity, and the only reason Bran is alive is because magic called to magic and the Reeds came to visit.

What I've learned from the books is to never make enemies until you've already defeated them. Tyrion was doing alright as a demon monkey imp for all those years because the only people he pissed off personally were those he cut in line at the whorehouse. Then his family pisses of the Starks, and he gets kidnapped. Next, he goes to KL, and sets Cersei up as his antagonist, leading to his eventual exile. Ned died not because he stood out as a weirdo, but because he made it clear to Cersei that her only options were run, or die along with her children.

I'd also like to address all those talking about finding a cow and chilling, or otherwise living a simple life. The problem with this plan is that even if you come from a poor background, you're still incredibly spoiled by medieval standards. You simply do not know how to live on your own in this world. Look around you, and think to yourself, "how many of the things I need every day can I provide for myself?" You're going to need a lot of support, meaning a city or a castle.

Next, a lot of people seem to think that Oldtown is safe, but iirc the plan here is to stay for five years, and something big is going to come of that whole "the maesters wage a secret war against magic" thing, and also, they'd probably be the only ones to figure out that you're an otherworldly being, and take issue with that. They actually do despise weirdness.