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As a GM I have been asked to help newer players with equipment purchases. I get asked, “What is the best equipment to buy”? We all know the right answer is, “it depends”. However, in an effort to help my newer players I made 2 lists of the items that they should consider at lower levels, specifically 1st through 5th level. Of course the priority of the items will change depending on their characters class/race/level etc…. The lists also take into account the all-important “budget” question. Lower level players can’t afford items like a Ring of Freedom of Movement or +5 Mithral platemail so there is no point in suggesting them.
I divided the items in the lists into 2 groups, items to help you win battles and items that help you survive – most of these items are well known. Not every character will need most or even all of these items, but the two lists are practical and seem to help most characters.
The first list I call “Adventuring 101”. These are the common items you need to adventure day-to-day. Most of these items should be on your character by level 6. You don’t need all of them, but you should considered most of them. The belts/headbands and the Mossy Disk could be purchased later depending on the character needs. My observation is that the neck slot is more important than most people recognize. Many key items require the neck slot, so the players have important choices to make. I have also had a tough time convincing newer players that “battles” can be won or prevented by the timely use of skills like perception, diplomacy, and knowledge local.
Adventuring 101:
Magic weapons and armor 2000gp/1000gp
Belt of + physical stats or Headband of + mental stats - 4000gp
Handy Haversack - 2000gp or Bag of Holding – 2500gp
Amulet of natural armor - 2000gp
Ring of Protection - 2000gp
Cloak of Resistance - 1000gp
Travelers Anytool – 250gp
Eyes of the Eagle – 2500gp –> +5 perception
Ioun Stones:
Ioun torch -> 75gp for those that need to see in the dark
Mossy Disk-> +5 competence bonus on one Knowledge skill 2500gp
Magenta Prism cracked -> +2 to one skill per day 800gp
The second list is called “Survival 101”. This list is focused on items that keep characters and/or parties alive; most are one shot items, but they are cheap and effective. Not all of the items need to be purchased by the individual character, but should be in the party, e.g, Twitch Tonic. Having these items will keep your character going when you should have been put down by the attack/effect. The list provides options that players can use to “not die” to a given common type of death. Not every method of dying is listed, nor do all of these methods kill characters directly, e.g., “sleep”. “Sleep” doesn’t kill you per se, it just allows you to be coup de grace by an enemy. Mind control against your parties “tank” can be worse. Fear spells can send your low level barbarian running, leaving your party to be killed.
Please notice that most solutions are quick and can be used in combat with a 5 foot step. Hunting around in your backpack or bag of holding for a scroll gives you plenty of time to die. My philosophy is that taking a move action to get the potion you need from your Handy Haversack is better; breaking the Snapleaf in the middle of your fall is better than getting the potion out of the Haversack when you hit the spikes at the bottom of the pit. Items that require no effort because they are automatic, like a Talisman or Ring, are the best option. Remember, 3 Talisman can be worn around the neck.
Final note, the Snapleaf does a critical double duty for lower level characters. If the party is in way over its head or the dice hate you that day, you can always turn invisible and run.
Survival 101:
Falling: Snapleaf – 750gp or Ring of feather falling - 2200gp
Drowning: Potion of Air Bubble (50 gp), Swan Boat feather token 400gp, up to Necklace of Adaption
Crushing: Iron Rope 750gp or Immovable Rod 5000gp
Fear: Lesser Talisman of Warrior’s Courage – 450gp
Grappled: Lesser Talisman of Freedom – 900gp (does double duty with paralyzed)
Paralyzed: Twitch Tonic – 45gp or potion of Remove Paralysis 300gp
Killed: Lesser Talisman of Life’s Breath– 3500gp
Slept: Akoben Talisman – 450gp
Mind control: Mind Sentinel Medallion - 3500gp (Wayfinder + Clear Spindle Ioun Stone - is being nerfed!!!!)
Damage: Wand of Cure Light Wounds – 750gp
Poison: Potion of Neutralize Poison -750gp
Ability Damage: Potion Lesser Restoration – 300gp
Hopefully this helps newer players and GMs. Any better ideas are welcome!
Thoughts?
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Ashiel's Adventuring Guide has some good advice regarding mundane gear and consumable magic items.
Interestingly, Ashiel does not recommend magic weapons at low levels:
We Don't Need Magic Swords:
Magic weapons are expensive. The cheapest of them are 2,300 gp. That's a lot of coin to be dropping on what is only a +1 damage over any masterwork weapon. Sometimes you need that little +1 to overcome some damage reduction, or hit incorporeal foes. Worry no more. Just go on using your masterwork weapon, and carry an oil of magic weapon with you for the odd emergency. There are several excellent methods to get potent weapons on the cheap as consumables. Here are a few:
• Oil of magic weapon (CL 1st, 50 gp)
• Oil of bless weapon (CL 1st, 50 gp)
• Oil of shillelagh (CL 1st, 50 gp)
• Oil of magic fang (CL 1st, 50 gp)
Spells like magic weapon, magic fang, and shillelagh turn weapons into +1 weapons for 10 rounds, allowing you to damage incorporeal creatures and pierce armor class. Shillelagh is a personal favorite because it makes a club or staff deal 2d6 damage in addition to being a +1 weapon. Bless weapon is ideal against any an all evil creatures, as it makes the weapon hit as both a +1 weapon, a good-aligned weapon, and causes the weapon to auto-confirm critical hits against evil creatures.
Cold iron and silver weapons are good value at levels 1-5.
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Weirdo,
Thanks for the input!
It's been my experience that most players have a masterwork item after adventure 1 or 2. If we use PFS adventures as an example, characters will have received approximately 3000gp at the end of level 2. At the end of level 3 that number is up to 6300pg. At the end of level 5 they should have gained around 18k-20k gp and 24PP. The gold alone should be sufficient to get most of the recommend gear.
The example of Ashiel's party preparing for combat has multiple players using oils on one party member to attack a wyvern. This is great if you can do it, but if the wyvern goes first, you have a problem.
Please don't get me wrong, I love cheap consumables, but frequently the monsters go before the players. Getting an oil out of your backpack in the middle of a fight is a good way to die.
Cold iron and silver are great recommendations and I should have included them. I also forgot Anti-plague and Anti-venom.
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You don't always have to apply an oil in the middle of a fight. Often you can throw it on just before kicking in the door. I've seen encounters start like "The wyvern swoops down at you. You have one round before it arrives." If you're a barbarian with a greatsword, you could ready an action in case it comes within your reach... or you could drink a potion of Enlarge Person and improve your reach, damage, and CMD, and you might get an extra attack anyway if the improved reach gives you an AoO.
Sometimes it's even worth it to use consumables in-combat. Retrieving an item from a backpack is only a move action*, so you can retrieve and use a potion or oil in just one round. If I'm the rogue and I see the barbarian get hit with a poisoned stinger, I could save my life spending a round drinking Antitoxin or Delay Poison instead of rushing in for the flank. And spending the first round of combat to buff seems to be reasonably common on the boards.
Of course you don't want to get into a situation where you're flanked by shadows, can't 5-foot step, and haven't applied an Oil of Magic Weapon to your masterwork sword. But you've got to weigh that risk against the value of, say, a Ring of Deflection giving you +1 AC in every fight (including against shadows). Or a Cloak of Resistance, Wand of CLW, and Traveler's Anytool.
Yes, I'd want a magic weapon by the end of level 5. But I think a lot of beginners - including young Weirdo - assume that if you use weapons, a magic weapon should be your first "real" item or close to it. And that's not really true.
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Weirdo -
I agree. Waaaay too many beginners assume that they must purchase a magic weapon at level 1. The truth is, if you need a magic weapon at level 1, you might need a new GM.
Cheap consumables can fill a gap between 1st and 5th level character needs. You can also request that your party spellcasters, like your cleric, load spells like Magic Weapon to delay the need for high priced gear. If the spell is not needed, it's a "heal" dump.
I think that we need to help guide newer players into the types of equipment that they should consider when their characters are lower level. Unfortunately, I have seen a player insist that their 3rd level sorcerer needs a +1 magic longsword, "because I might run out of spells".
As I mentioned earlier, we also need to provide our guidance based on the character race, class, level, etc.... The best thing that we can do for the game as a whole is to increase the level of enjoyment for everyone playing. The "learn as you burn" method of teaching newer players just turns them off to the game. My intro to Pathfinder was, a friend saying, "here, roll these dice". No one ever explained to me how important certain gear or skills like Perception and Diplomacy were, I had to find out the hard way.
Thanks again for your inputs!
Every adventurer should have a backpack, 50ft of rope, and a grappling hook. Rations depending on the GM and the type of game you are playing.
Here's my 1st level Pathfinder Society shopping list. Mostly it's focused on martial builds, but plenty is interchangeable depending on the class. Much of the latter part of this list is wishlist items to pick up after you get a bit of gold to spend, but most of it should be obtainable before level 2.
This list doesn't include the cost of your primary weapons and armor since it differs by character. It's also deliberately missing anything that would cost Fame to purchase in Pathfinder Society, such as wondrous items.
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Sack of Powder - 1 cp (1/2 lbs)
Invisible enemies at low levels suck. This is a ranged AC 5 attack that outlines them for a mere copper piece.
Chalk - 1 cp (0 lbs)
A cheap way to keep track of your movement in a dungeon, leave messages to others, or draw pretty pictures on walls.
Torch - 1 cp (1 lbs)
You'd be surprised how often an open flame is handy. This also gives you a last-ditch effort weapon for swarms, even if it's only 1 point of damage per hit.
Earplugs - 3 cp (0 lbs)
You're immune to language-dependant spells or abilities whilst wearing these.
4 Candles - 4 cp (0 lbs)
Again, having an open flame handy is more useful than you'd expect.
Inkpen - 1 sp (0 lbs)
Don't be an illiterate barbarian. Seriously, even barbarians should carry one of these and be ready to write down important information in character.
3 Oil Flasks - 3 sp (3 lbs)
Grease a flight of stairs. Add a fuse and throw it at a swarm. Rub it on yourself to slip out of a tight spot. In a pinch you could also light a lantern with it, I suppose.
Waterproof Bag - 5 sp (1/2 lbs)
Five times the cost of a regular sack, but temporarily protects your gear from water damage. Remember to keep your sack of powder, torch and other water sensitive items in this.
Wooden Holy Symbol - 1 gp (0 lbs)
A great litmus test to determine if the NPC is a vampire. Present this strongly at them and see if they recoil.
Grappling Hook - 1 gp (4 lbs)
Weighty, but handy to get your rope where it needs to be.
Potion Sponge - 2 gp (0 lbs)
Keep one of these loaded with your go-to underwater combat potion and you'll never need to worry about putting ranks into Swim.
Spring-Loaded Wrist Sheath - 5 gp (1 lb)
At lower levels keep a dagger handy. At higher levels keep a wand inside. Plus it's just plain cool.
Ink, 1 oz. vial - 8 gp (0 lbs)
For your inkpen, obviously.
Journal - 10 gp (1 lbs)
Always keep notes. Write down names of important NPCs, goals for the quest, riddles encountered, copies of maps, everything. Then you get to freely ask the GM to repeat themselves by simply saying "I wrote that down in character, so I check my journal."
50 ft. Silk Rope - 10 gp (5 lbs)
Lighter but more expensive than hemp. Worth the cost to keep your weight down. Also great if your character is into kinky stuff. Never leave home without rope!
Smoked Goggles - 10 gp (0 lbs)
Makes you all but immune to gaze weapons, plus you can wear your sunglasses at night.
Pathfinder's Kit - 12 gp (22 lbs)
I prefer this kit over many others. You've got your obligatory hobo items like a backpack, bedroll, waterskin, flint and steel and rations, but doesn't load you up on torches and an iron pot like many class kits. You get a signal whistle for when you're in trouble because you split the party since it seemed like a good idea at the time. You get a whetstone for an extra +1 damage on your first hit with a bladed weapon. You get a dagger to put in your spring-loaded wrist sheath. Just add a spell component pouch if you're a spellcaster and you're set.
Total: 60 gp (38 lbs) - Leave your rations and bedroll at camp or on a mount to take 12 lbs off this total
Weapons
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Sling - 0 gp (0 lbs)
No excuse not to have a ranged option.
10 Cold Iron Sling Bullets - 2 sp (5 lbs)
An extra silver gets you a DR breaker.
Cold Iron Chakram - 2 gp (1 lbs)
If you have proficiency, this is a nice cheap backup throwing weapon. One of the few ways to deal slashing damage from range too. If you don't have proficiency, a javelin provides a good simple weapon substitute.
Net - 20 gp (6 lbs)
Don't sweat the -4 non-proficiency penalty on this. Just throw it as a ranged touch, and if you stick the attack, the enemy's entangled. If the spellcaster's out of spells for the day, hand this to them and tell them to make themselves useful. It's also a great item to use on annoying spellcaster enemies. Useful at lower levels, but consider swaping this out for tanglefoot bags at later levels.
Alchemical Silver Cestus - 25 gp (1 lbs)
Your always-on melee threat item. Make sure you do bludgeoning damage, as the piercing would suffer -1 damage penalty due to the material. A cheap means to bypass DR/silver too.
Cold Iron Lucerne Hammer - 30 gp (12 lbs)
I like this for any martial class as a backup weapon. Reach, bludgeoning, piercing and a brace weapon against charges all in one package. If you're fighting underwater, using this as a piercing weapon suffers no penalties on damage too. For simple weapon users, a longspear is a good substitute.
Total: 63 gp 2 sp (25 lbs)
Pets
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Guard Dog - 25 gp
It's a move action and DC 10 Handle Animal check to command your guard dog to defend you. You don't even need to be trained in the skill for this usage. Simply take 10 on this skill out of combat, or take 20 if you're exceptionally uncharismatic. Having an extra pool of hit points for this cost is great value for money. It can also locate invisible creatures via scent, helping you find hidden enemies. Plus it's a great roleplaying tool!
Total: 25 gp
Alchemical Items
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Tindertwig - 1 gp (0 lbs)
For when you need a fire RFN.
2 Sunrods - 4 gp (2 lb)
Light and vision is king. Unless your whole party has darkvision, carry a few of these and don't be stingy about using them.
Vermin Repellent - 5 gp (0 lbs)
Swarms suck at low levels. Vermin repellent isn't perfect, but it might just be enough to convince a swarm to go chew on someone else instead. Worth the cost.
Acid Flask - 10 gp (1 lbs)
At half the price of alchemist's fire but without a second round of burning damage, it's a decent low-cost splash weapon. You've got fire damage already, so having some acid isn't a bad idea.
Smokestick - 20 gp (1/2 lbs)
Blocks line of sight, but the rules are sketchy about whether you need to light it on fire first or if it self-activates as part of the use. If your GM is finicky about the activation, glue a tindertwig on it and call it a day. It's a handy item that can buy you total concealment against ranged attacks.
Smelling Salts - 25 gp (0 lbs)
Okay, you beat the bad guys, but where do you go next? Easy, just grab one that hasn't bled out, stabilize him and then use smelling salts. Intimidate him for information about the bad guy's plans. Does your check fail? Kill him and try the next one. Also a really handy item to have in case the party healer is knocked out.
Holy Water - 25 gp (1 lbs)
Okay, it's not really an alchemical item, but it's close enough. It's also a decent way to contribute damage against both undead or evil outsiders, especially if they've got some kind of exotic damage reduction you don't have anything to bypass.
Smog Smoke Pellet - 40 gp (0 lbs)
Remember how much invisibility sucks? This is the sack of flour's big brother. Negate a creature's invisibility for 1d4 rounds if you throw it into their square.
Tanglefoot Bag - 50 gp (4 lbs)
Entangled, no save, 2d4 rounds. All you gotta do is hit them with it. Can be a lifesaver at low levels against bosses.
Air Crystals - 50 gp (0 lbs)
Underwater combat sucks, but a bag of these can save your character if they're able to get them out in time. Just make sure you have them in your mouth before you get grappled by the kraken.
Total: 230 gp (8.5 lbs)
Potions
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Potion of Touch of the Sea - 50 gp (0 lbs)
Never worry about water again. Get a 30 ft. swim speed for 1 minute. Keep this in your potion sponge.
Potion of Enlarge Person - 50 gp (0 lbs)
Get reach, increased weapon damage dice and basically be a BAMF for a minute. Also only takes a standard action instead of a full round like the actual spell.
Potion of Remove Sickness - 50 gp (0 lbs)
The bonus to saves isn't nearly as good as the ability to negate the sickened condition for 10 minutes. There's many creatures that can inflict this status, so a counter is always handy to have as a backup.
Potion of Protection from Evil - 50 gp (0 lbs)
Typically the most common enemy type you'll face, and this one has a bunch of benefits. Deflection and resistance bonuses, prevention of mental domination, and that sweet protection from summoned creatures can shut a summoner down cold.
Potion of Feather Step - 50 gp (0 lbs)
Difficult terrain can throw a snag in many player's plans, both to get to an enemy or away from them. This lets you ignore that problem for 10 minutes.
Oil of Magic Weapon - 50 gp (0 lbs)
DR/magic can suck at low levels. Incorporeal creatures suck at low levels. This fixes both those problems, at least for a minute.
Oil of Bless Weapon - 50 gp (0 lbs)
Not as good as the above oil, but it's a cheap way to bypass DR/good, and you automatically confirm criticals too.
Total: 350 gp (0 lbs)