Your "be prepared" list?


Advice

Grand Lodge

What's a list of items you try to have on all of your characters--or at least within your party? There are lots of items, and a lot are situationally useful, but when you need them they're a lifesaver. So what are your must-have items?


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Soap and rope. And a second set of clothes.
My first magic item, probably a Handy Haversack.


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Boots of the Earth are pretty awesome. 5000 gold to buy, pretty much infinite healing for the whole party, giving a bit of downtime. With an hour of time, you can heal up 600 hit points, spread among all party members that can wear boots, and are touching the earth. But that's not really situational. It's just good.

For archers, stacks of arrows with different types of weapon blanch is pretty invaluable.

I always try to have blank sheets of paper and a pen, some rope, and some empty flasks on each character I make. You never know. And, of course, Traveler's Any-Tool. Even at high level.


Soap is the only item that I've had on all my characters.

Sack x2, Belt Pouch, Waterskin, Soap, Mess Kit and Iron Pot, Bedroll and Blanket is my base-load-out for all my current characters.

Dark Archive

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On every character, my teeth and ambitions ate bared.


Rope.
Food. (Seriously: no food, no life. Not that most DMs check.)
Dagger or other light concealable weapon.

Cloak of resistance.


I don't buy food if the adventure is set on an urban environment, same with blankets and such. That's why I didn't mention them.


Potion of CLW. You can run out of spells, roll a 1 trying to UMD a wand, but a potion will work for anyone and do so reliably.

A flask or bottle of a drink better than water. It's invaluable socially.

A means of making fire.


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Air Crystals - Air is super important, and these are a cheap and easy way to get it. Standard action to put in your mouth but free action to chew and you choose when you start chewing. My characters pop these when there is even the slightest chance we might encounter a need for air.

Antiplague/toxin/stillgut - +5 alchemical bonus and extra saving roll for an hour. Pop these before each dungeon crawl.

Bottled Sunlight - 400gp and a friend with a readied action and you've ended vampire encounters.

Vomit Capsule - If you can't find something to do with this, you are playing the wrong game.

Water Purification Sponge - Not necessary for everyday life, but you'll be glad your fighter has one stuffed in his bag when you need it.

Bead of Newt Prevention - 1000gp to tell Polymorph where it can stick it? Keep at least 2 on you at all times.

Campfire Bead - This is such a stupidly good and cheap item. Get multiple and you don't even have to worry about the recharge. When one party member gets teleported to the time dilation dungeon 1 minute/month ahead of the rest of the party, this will be one of the items you'll be glad to have.

Saline Purge - 900gp to be cured of any curses or poisons affecting you. Keep a few gallons of this stuff around.

Silence Dust - This is how you stealth mission.

Snapleaf - 750gp for immediate action feather fall and invisibility.

Universal Solvent - Keep multiple bottles on hand for peace of mind.

Ring of Inner Fortitude - Ability damage and drain sucks and are common effects. This ring typically pays for itself in restoration costs alone.

Sleeves of Many Garments - Fun, cheap, and typically without much competition until higher levels.

Traveler's Any-tool - 250gp to carry almost any known tool in your pocket.

Grand Lodge

Rope, food, acid, alchemist fire, folding pole, grappling hook, more rope, hot/cold weather gear, masterwork ear horn, smog pellets, oil of bless weapon, bear traps, wire, bells, steal mirror, potion sponge, antitoxin, antiplague, metal vials, pen, paper, water skins, tent, pitons, kuni (piton and crowbar in one item that can be drawn as part of a move),wayfinder/suvival kit, tent, spring load wrist sheaths, pully, smelling salts, climbers kit, grappling arrow (better range than the hook), ear plugs, smoked goggles, false bottom scabbard.

Necessary master work tools.

Pathfinder chronicles of trained knowledges.

Weapons: dagger, spiked gauntlet, a ranged weapon, 5 slings a bullets (did you know some people don't have ranged weapons.)

Sleeves of many garments and travellers anytool.

Other characters carry more alchemical equipment or other magic like scrolls. Potions like touch of the sea, and cure light are always handy.


Corrik wrote:

Air Crystals - Air is super important, and these are a cheap and easy way to get it. Standard action to put in your mouth but free action to chew and you choose when you start chewing. My characters pop these when there is even the slightest chance we might encounter a need for air.

Antiplague/toxin/stillgut - +5 alchemical bonus and extra saving roll for an hour. Pop these before each dungeon crawl.

Bottled Sunlight - 400gp and a friend with a readied action and you've ended vampire encounters.

Vomit Capsule - If you can't find something to do with this, you are playing the wrong game.

Water Purification Sponge - Not necessary for everyday life, but you'll be glad your fighter has one stuffed in his bag when you need it.

Bead of Newt Prevention - 1000gp to tell Polymorph where it can stick it? Keep at least 2 on you at all times.

Campfire Bead - This is such a stupidly good and cheap item. Get multiple and you don't even have to worry about the recharge. When one party member gets teleported to the time dilation dungeon 1 minute/month ahead of the rest of the party, this will be one of the items you'll be glad to have.

Saline Purge - 900gp to be cured of any curses or poisons affecting you. Keep a few gallons of this stuff around.

Silence Dust - This is how you stealth mission.

Snapleaf - 750gp for immediate action feather fall and invisibility.

Universal Solvent - Keep multiple bottles on hand for peace of mind.

Ring of Inner Fortitude - Ability damage and drain sucks and are common effects. This ring typically pays for itself in restoration costs alone.

Sleeves of Many Garments - Fun, cheap, and typically without much competition until higher levels.

Traveler's Any-tool - 250gp to carry almost any known tool in your pocket.

^ This.


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Brown pants...just for those "Oh, #%¥$!" situations.


Hammer and Pitons

Grand Lodge

A few mid level items I like are:

Blood Reservoir of Physical Prowess. Easy helps it ability damage.

Fate's shears - rerolls are really powerful.

Buffering cap - because my old had does not work anymore ;)

Pathfinder Pouch.


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At starting level, and the barest minimum -
Class kit, has many useful items and are well designed.
Pickpockets upgrade for my starting clothes (+2 to conceal items).
Candles and at least a few tindertwig for those moments I need to read a scroll, or set a fire.
A candlerod or 5 for emergency low light. (seriously, they are 1gp for 12hrs of light that wont give you away as easily).
Oil, extra rope, 1 extra set of clothing (pickpockets for hidden pouches).
At least 1 extra dagger (Cant tell how many times this has saved a character, or a favorite weapon).
Pitons/iron spike, so many uses for them
Acid flask for swarms/DR.
Spring loaded Wrist sheath for my dagger/emergency wand.
Extra sack/bag/pouch.
Waterproof bag for scrolls/books/maps.
Pen, ink and paper for notes/maps/copying information.
Chalk for marking, blinding, finding invisible, drawing, extra grip, etc.
Extra Waterskin in case we find some other valuable liquid we want to take with us.
And then the already mentioned air crystals, antitox/plague for the party, a party wand of healing, and then it really depends on campaign after that.


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Low levels:
*Pathfinder's Kit - a good start for basically anyone. Leave the bedroll behind in many/most cases.
*Masterwork Backpack - until you can afford a Handy Haversack, this is a nice upgrade
*Earplugs, whistle, candles, and smoked goggles - dirt cheap (goggles slightly less so) and weightless
*Chalk, charcoal sticks, and paper/parchment - mark the walls, mark the floors, and mark your map
*Potion of CLW - a lifesaver at first level, especially if your healer goes down
*Smelling salts - can even be used to wake a stabilized enemy for easy interrogation. If he tries running, he immediately drops unconscious again.
*Potion sponge of Touch of the Sea - 52gp for a much better time when your rowboat is flipped
*Pitons. Always pitons.
*Silk rope - the cost increase is negligible after your first paycheck, and the weight is a big improvement. Everyone can find a use for rope.
*Grappling hook - for if you can't get a piton up there yet
*Tindertwigs - rarely comes up, but why would you go into the wilderness without matches?
*Sunrod - just one or two. After the early levels, these will provide nonmagical light for when your magical light sources are useless (usually because you're in an overlapping area of deeper darkness and daylight)
*Alchemist's Fire, Alkali Flasks, and Holy Water - if you have the carrying capacity, you should have these. If you don't have the capacity, hand them off to the fighter or wait until you get a Handy Haversack. Regeneration and fast healing can be nasty, as can swarms.
*Antiplague and antitoxin
*Spring-loaded wrist sheaths - even if you don't have the carrying capacity, you can hand them out to your buddies. Makes a good place to store your oops-I'm-grappled dagger and a favorite surprise-round wand.
*Sacks and waterproof sacks - because you need some way to haul off the loot, and maybe some way to keep your stuff dry
*Wand of a healing spell - either Cure Light Wounds or Infernal Healing, depending on party/GM/availability
*Ioun torch - relatively cheap, effective light that can be easily hidden
*Traveler's Any-Tool - 250gp for any tool you need. Hammer for the pitons, an axe for firewood, an ear trumpet for listening at the door, tongs for grabbing the lever in the bloodstained hole...


Clear spindle ioun stone in a wayfinder (for the resonant power). Never leave home without one (once you can afford it).

Grand Lodge

Magic light high enough to deal with deeper darkness.

A way to see invisibility. Smog pellets are the cheapest and scrolls work. For is an adequate substitute at low levels as it evens the odds.

Means of doing damage to incorporeal creatures. Magic weapon, ghost salt arrows, holy water.

A way to handle each form of DR different weapons of each material.

Dark Archive

Can someone link the vomit capsule?


Vomit Capsule

And I'll add string/twine to the list of cheap things worth having.


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Blood-Boiling Pill - Who doesn't want +2 to Init for 8 hours?
Swarmbane Clasp - swarms suck.

Those are the only two I didn't see mentioned.


I just last session tied a flail around a door. Weapons are so often tools. My witch packed a cold iron skillet that he used to great effect. You're an adventurer so there's no reason to leave home without a spiked gauntlet, there's countless acids and hoops you've got to grab things from.
Nonprofitiency is only -4 and a net is a touch attack. Pack some nets.

Another thing no one's going to be proficient with is the tekko-kagi. Everyone should strap one of these to their fore-arm. First it says you can use it like a buckler, which means when you want you don't have to. Second you can disarm without an attack of opportunity. Only at a -2 against blades. Most exotic weapons say "a proficient user can" and this awesome arm decoration does not.


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Kileanna wrote:

Soap and rope. And a second set of clothes.

My first magic item, probably a Handy Haversack.

Don't forget to bring a towel.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

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I usually bring chalk, a crowbar, manacles, soap, string, and a signal whistle in addition to the basics like rope, more rope, a couple waterskins, a couple sacks, food, a coldiron Morningstar, and a beltpouch.


UnArcaneElection wrote:
Kileanna wrote:

Soap and rope. And a second set of clothes.

My first magic item, probably a Handy Haversack.

Don't forget to bring a towel.

Not needed unless it's cold. Being clean is find, but being dry is overrated xD


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UnArcaneElection wrote:
Don't forget to bring a towel.

I always know where mine is.

Kileanna wrote:


Not needed unless it's cold. Being clean is find, but being dry is overrated xD

You need to learn about towels.

Towel Day


Liquid Blade, Feather Token (Tree), Boots of the Cat.

Its easier to get a vial of liquid through security than a knife (keep it in a hip flask, for instance). An instant tree is a good way to get cover, break swallow whole, and a number of other things. If nothing else its lighter than a 60' ladder. Boots will help with sudden falls, and you needn't worry about getting attacked while you float down unlike the ring of feather fall.

Dark Archive

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I mean the best thing to do is look at your pc and say allright, what really f$!$s me over? Oh if the creature can fly I cant do anything= get a way to deal with fly(ie. scroll of fly or even just a ranged option), Swarms= either your going to need some alchemist flasks or if your martial a swarmbane clasp is super helpful. Just find your weak points, try to find some way to help in any encounter, my superstitious barbarian carries a jar of flour because that is the closest way i can handle invisibility.


A sack is a good investment because it can hold twice as much as a backpack, is a 20th of the cost, weights a quarter of the weight, and can be dropped as a free action if you don't want to be encumbered during combat.


Fuzzy-Wuzzy wrote:

Vomit Capsule

And I'll add string/twine to the list of cheap things worth having.

One of my standard lesser magic items is the Robe of Infinite Twine. Fifty feet of rope? 10 lbs. and 1 gp. Fifty feet of string or twine? 1/2 lb. and 1 cp. An infinite supply of both that only weighs 1 lb? Priceless. (Well it actually costs 1000 gp, but it's worth it.)

With the aforementioned Traveler's Any-Tool you can make a Block and Tackle any time you feel like it. Ultimately, I like to combine those with an Immovable Rod so I can build the block and tackle anywhere.


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^The magic items list is just begging for a Towel of Infinite Twine . . . .

Silver Crusade

A smokestick, for when you want to block line of sight.


At least one Snapleaf for all your GTFOing needs.
A bead of Newt Prevention, because f&+% Baleful Polymorph that's why.

Oh, and a Shaving Kit because I like having well groomed characters.

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