I'm GMing a game and want to know some iconic things the PCs should have access to as they level. I'm not talking skills/powers/feats; this will depend on their builds. I'm strictly talking equipment, exotic/masterwork/magic or otherwise.
The party is 1st level, just about to advance to 2nd. The party makeup is as follows:
1/2 Elf Wizard (Abjurer) headed for Loremaster
Human Cleric of Erastil - all about animals/nature
Dwarf fighter (unbreakable) headed for Stalwart Defender
Human Monk (weapon master) who will be dipping into Bard for Dervish Dancer
I know how much money. Someone in another thread said ALL PCs should be able to fly by 10th level; that's what I'm looking for. Looking at WBL everyone should have about 3000 GP. Also one of the core books suggested that PCs should devote about 25% of their WBL for weapons (or was that only NPCs?) meaning all PCs by 3rd level should still only have a couple of masterwork weapons at 3rd level. By that logic I shouldn't start handing out +1 weapons til 5th level...correct?
I'm building a treasure horde to email out tomorrow. Any thoughts at all?
Maybe this is being gone about backwards?
If you give people appropriate encounters, with appropriate rewards, things should work themselves out. People will usually have found a magic weapon by level three maybe, instead of being granted one by the GM, just from probabilities of treasure generation or from collected effort to find one.
When someone says all PCs should be able to fly by level 10, a different way of looking at it would be they have enough wealth to accommodate flight, and by CR10 encounters, they have probably had to fight flying things.
If your players expect things, it is easy for them to achieve their goals in game. No need to worry about making sure there is one magic weapon by level 3 etc.
A Bag of Holding or Handy Haversack is always a welcome find, especially at low levels.
There are lots of mundane things that some players overlook as they build characters or "go shopping" in game that I try to sprinkle into their loot to give them an opportunity to learn how to use them. Such as:
Caltrops
Firecrackers
Hammer and pitons
Crowbar
tanglefoot bags
writing materials
candles
string
mirror
etc...
If the party has no ranged abilities the loot will tend to have bows, crossbows, javelins, etc...
On the magical items front I'm sure you'll get plenty of advice there.
Handing out treasure is as much of an art as it is a science. Different players will do different things with loot.
Our group at low levels always always throws in for a cure light wounds wand. We typically don't have a "traditional" party make up and don't always have a cleric (sometimes a ranger or paladin ends up with it, or worst case rogue with UMD), so whoever can use it easily ends up with it. Regardless the wand lasts a few levels assuming we don't "push" too hard and is the best investment at the time. It's worth pushing back getting a magical weapon or other item in our experience. Heck if someone doesn't need the trait they'll get the wealthy parents one and buy the wand from the get go.
CLW wand has come up as a standard of adventuring in several threads; I'll include that in this horde. @ A.D. I have peppered in tanglefoot bags and numerous mundane goodies along the lines of your suggestion in this and other hordes. 2 flasks of alchemists fire were SOLD (you read that right) so as to purchase a donkey; smokesticks were sold to help pay for a wand of prestidigitation which in turn helps the monk with her vow of cleanliness.
This is not to say they don't use such items. They're still carrying the tanglefoot bag and their initial gear at first level includes spelunking gear, hair combs, a cooking kit, and several other tools of adventuring. This was what necessitated the donkey.
But as far as powers the party should have by level 3 I figured masterworks for everyone (I agree with many of your suggestions as well Wandslinger) so I have craftsmen from the town they saved in their first adventure working dilligently on these; I also figured one set of magical armor or a defensive item along those lines; finally I figured a wand and several consumables to deliver the iconic abilities they should have at this milestone.
Powers would include: Cure Light Wounds, a decent ranged attack and a minor movement ability. Does this sound about right?