I was making a new 1st-level character, and found myself wondering what kind of really awesome cheap items might be out there that I could be overlooking. That line of thinking inspired me to start this thread.
What are some of your favorite cheap* items and why do you hold them in high regard?
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I'm a big fan of rope. You can do a lot of things with a good rope- climbing up, climbing down, tying up something, tying something to something else, charreada performance, depthfinding, light bondage, you name it!
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Feather Token Ladder: Emergency solution to vertical puzzles, can work as a makeshift bridge to go across a pit or help you climb to the bottom then walk across, could be broken apart to use as an emergency barricade or source of firewood, overall a fun somewhat cheap trick.
Predictable Silver Piece, it can be quite a powerful tool vs the non-suspicious mind.
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1st level scrolls.
Less than 1sp :
Alcohol : real cheap way to get a +1 item bonus to saving throws against fear effects (for 10 minutes).
Oil : cheap ranged fire damage.
Torch : cheap melee fire damage.
Backpack : for more Bulk.
Explorer's clothing : cheapest not-armor.
Earplugs : against the wailers.
Whip : 1h reach trip weapon.
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Candles, albeit mostly for the wax though I could see needing a dimmer light in specific (a.k.a. rare) conditions or maybe using the candle as a timer, perhaps even as a fuse w/ oil while doing arson.
Wax's uses might be overshadowed by PF2's smoother narrative re: Craft & other trickery, but I still like thinking of it as waterproof putty. It can double as earplugs, noseplugs, or a thick sealant, or used to copy an imprint or key (if you have a case to protect the wax in).
Paper and writing implement.
Rarely overlooked, yet if by fluke nobody has brought paper that can lead to a serious dilemma in info gathering, leaving notes, etc.
Chalk, whether to draw on small scale, leave warnings for others, or whatnot.
Empty vials; esoteric yes, but when you need them, you need them and nothing else will do, though collecting one's empty potion vials should provide more than enough.
Dagger, it's not only iconic for an adventurer to wear, it's also useful for finer cutting, giving to young children to impress them, or as a backup for if you're swallowed.
Javelins, so melee PCs don't have to switch out all of their hands when they need a ranged attack for only one or two rounds, and it has much better range than most thrown weapons.
10' pole...because sometimes you do want to stay that far away, perhaps to trigger mold spores, etc. (Arguably the 1 Bulk makes it too expensive for one's encumbrance budget.)
Signal Whistle
Extra food, and of varieties that might appeal to various types of animals and/or monsters that would rather not fight, just eat. Add beer (etc.) to the list too for befriending.
Personal seal, though I don't see it on a scan through the items. Had one group where everyone had the same seal so they could validate messages to each other.
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Drakeheart Mutagen for those of us who don't wear armor.
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The secret that nobody wants to tell you: Nobody should ever invest in the item "Rope 50 ft" unless the difference between 1 and L bulk is a deal-breaker. Instead always grab the Climbing Kit as it includes 50 feet of rope, pulleys, a dozen pitons, a hammer, a grappling hook, and one set of crampons. This not only saves you coin (1 sp saving on the hammer, 1 sp saving on the grappling hook), it can be used when you DO Climb at NO ADDITIONAL Action cost whatsoever as long as you're "wearing" it given that accessing/using it is included as part of the Climb Action. While the Kit does slow your Climb down by 1/2, ironically enough, it makes the action far, FAR safer of an activity. You can also make SO much use of a pulley, pitons, and crampons as long as you have a permissive enough GM to allow you to make use of them for things OTHER than climbing such as a super-easy way to double your ability to lift heavy loads, "lock" a door by hammering a piton into the doorframe, or safely walk on slick or icy surfaces.
A Wheelbarrow is ALSO a fantastic investment in a game where Bulk is tracked for any PC who doesn't have to travel TOO far for the purpose of an adventure and doesn't personally have a mount of their own to ride as it can pretty dramatically increase the amount of vendor junk you can haul back to down even if you're otherwise completely full on your own Bulk capacity limts.
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If you need (or want) a particular cantrip (especially if you're NOT a spellcaster), 5 gp for a Cantrip Deck (5 pack) might prove useful.
Ooooh. Those are nice. And not just at early levels. Cantrips can't be put into scrolls. A level 1 Produce Flame may not be very useful, but there are a bunch of utility cantrips would be nice to have available in item form rather than having to keep them in prepared cantrip slots.
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If you use a shield, but don't typically attack with it, Shield Augmentation looks pretty good. 8sp to add two traits, including trip and shove, adds a lot of utility if you aren't wielding a weapon with those traits. It's Uncommon from Grand Bazaar, but if you have access, it's definitely a cheap upgrade.
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Just a friendly reminder that if you're in Absalom, Uncommon items are freely available within the city's walls.
Just a friendly reminder that if you're in Absalom, Uncommon items are freely available within the city's walls.
Wait, what?
Is that PFS specific?|
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Just a friendly reminder that if you're in Absalom, Uncommon items are freely available within the city's walls.Wait, what?
Is that PFS specific?
No. Shield Augmentation definitely requires a boon in PFS (One f the Frequent Shopper boons). But it is from a store in the Grand Bazaar, so outside of PFS a GM might give you access if you're there.
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If you need (or want) a particular cantrip (especially if you're NOT a spellcaster), 5 gp for a Cantrip Deck (5 pack) might prove useful.Ooooh. Those are nice. And not just at early levels. Cantrips can't be put into scrolls. A level 1 Produce Flame may not be very useful, but there are a bunch of utility cantrips would be nice to have available in item form rather than having to keep them in prepared cantrip slots.
The 5 packs are nice things for a party to buy together. For example, everyone chipping in on a pack of stabilize and distributing them so everyone has one.
bandoleer and a pack mule, because i am a compulsive hoarder
Just a friendly reminder that if you're in Absalom, Uncommon items are freely available within the city's walls.Wait, what?
Is that PFS specific?
Actually the reverse, in the Absalom book there is a settlement statblock for the city and its ability is that uncommon items are available there generally (though it says the GM may make some exceptions).
In the PFS sanctioning of the book it says that the ability does not apply.
The 5 packs are nice things for a party to buy together. For example, everyone chipping in on a pack of stabilize and distributing them so everyone has one.If you need (or want) a particular cantrip (especially if you're NOT a spellcaster), 5 gp for a Cantrip Deck (5 pack) might prove useful.Ooooh. Those are nice. And not just at early levels. Cantrips can't be put into scrolls. A level 1 Produce Flame may not be very useful, but there are a bunch of utility cantrips would be nice to have available in item form rather than having to keep them in prepared cantrip slots.
Hmm. Reading through the item description again, it looks like the cards aren't separable.
Candle. Hands down.
I want to say "ioun torch/dull gray aeon stone with continual flame on it", but that just barely fits into the criteria (15 gp). But it probably doesn't fit the spirit of the question.
I will say that having a hands free source of light is valuable.
If you have access to it (uncommon), a psychopomp mask can be a (literal) lifesaver.
Some of the talismans can be useful, also: jade cat, onyx panther, owlbear claw, wolf fang, etc. Depending on the specific character's focus.
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I'm a fan of holy water. Because of how weaknesses work it actually does more damage, though not more proportional damage, as you go up in level.
Plus, you can drink it if you really need to hydrate.
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They haven't come up yet, so I'll mention a compass and crowbar for negating some pretty common -2 penalties.
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I want to say "ioun torch/dull gray aeon stone with continual flame on it", but that just barely fits into the criteria (15 gp). But it probably doesn't fit the spirit of the question.
I will say that having a hands free source of light is valuable.
Shield sconce FTW.
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I'm a fan of holy water. Because of how weaknesses work it actually does more damage, though not more proportional damage, as you go up in level.Plus, you can drink it if you really need to hydrate.
Or if you're not sure you're you, or that little girl is in fact mortal.
"Here, little girl oddly found unhurt in a dangerous setting, drink this to refresh yourself."
Shield sconce FTW.I want to say "ioun torch/dull gray aeon stone with continual flame on it", but that just barely fits into the criteria (15 gp). But it probably doesn't fit the spirit of the question.
I will say that having a hands free source of light is valuable.
How did I miss this item? That's really useful.
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How did I miss this item? That's really useful.Shield sconce FTW.I want to say "ioun torch/dull gray aeon stone with continual flame on it", but that just barely fits into the criteria (15 gp). But it probably doesn't fit the spirit of the question.
I will say that having a hands free source of light is valuable.
And that right there is precisely why we have this thread. :D
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A good, large, sturdy towel can be very useful.
Does the adventurer kit count as an item? Because it probably is the holder of the "best stuff ever" title
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A good, large, sturdy towel can be very useful.
Froods always know where their towel is.