I've asked before a few times about my Alchemist, whom has a kind of "Every situation pack", or, 2 bandoliers and 2 spring loaded wrist sheaths loaded up with alchemy items, potions, and other gear. From sun and moon rods, to cure potions in Iron vials, to Liquid blades or Bladeguard, or remedies like antitoxin/antivenom or Antimetic Snuff.
But recently, I had a DM introduce an item to me from a DM (N)PC, a Staff of anti-BS, loaded with a few different spells to help deal with random usual adventurer problems, like knock, see invisibility, dispel magic, etc. Which got me to thinking, what other items, be they normal items, or custom magic items, might exist to augment regular play like that? I know some items might be specific to certain characters, like gloves of storing. But whether specific or in general, I was hoping to find out what you guys might recommend to carry around to deal with adventuring problems, like a bag of flour for Profession chef or the like, that can be used to show invisible creatures by tossing it over them, or looking for footprints in the dust on the floor after.
Thank you all for taking the time to read this, and even more so if you take the time to reply!
Previous threads about the "Every situation packs":
Alchemists Every Situation Packs
Alchemist Don't Die Medkits
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Every Hitchhiker's most important tool, is a towel.
Seriously though, I never worry too much about this. Read the Survival skill. It is an Untrained skill and you don't need specialized tools for it. So long as you don't have a penalty to Wisdom and you're not actively under duress, you can technically by RAW take 10 and forage enough food and water to survive indefinitely in any environment.
Are you a weapon-focused combatant? Have a primary weapon, then have the opposite type as a secondary. If you're ranged based, ranged=primary, melee=secondary, or reverse them if you're melee based. Early levels, make sure you can deal with DR/Bludgeoning, Slashing/Piercing, and you have a splash weapon or some way to deal with swarms.
If you cast magic, make scrolls. Period. At low level they're cheap; ad mid-levels when you need "that one spell" that is ideal for the job, its more cost effective to have 1 use of all your utility spells instead of 50 uses of one of them in a wand. What utility spells do you need? You'll drive yourself crazy trying have enough, so just make sure you've got a way around traps, around environmental hazards, and any kind of divinations you can find on scrolls.
Healing: wands. The whole party will need healing, so the whole party should be chipping in for these. By "healing" I don't just mean HP recovery either. Lesser Restoration, Remove Blindness/Deafness, Shield Other, these are all ways to keep the party alive and functioning and should be lumped into this bucket.
Finally, alchemy to fill in the gaps. I can't say enough about Weapon Blanch. DR is a pain in the rear for so many groups at my tables. Pre-coating some ranged ammo or having multiple copies of the same mundane weapon coated with the right blanch prior to combat is very important.
You'll never be ready for everything, but to be more prepared than others, do your research. If your GM gives you the plot hook: "Farmer Ted says giant rats are infesting his barn. He'll pay you all 100 GP to go take care of them", do your research, time permitting:
1. ask other villagers if they've had similar problems
2. research the village and see if this is part of a historical trend
3. use your Knowledge checks to understand if this is normal dire rat behavior or what kind of humanoid might be using said rats
4. scout the area looking for tracks
5. watch the barn, see if the rats leave the area or are helped by anyone/anything
6. set up snares or bear traps to thin out the enemy numbers
And so on. Finally, when you have a decent idea of what you're likely to face, bring the right tools for the job.
Last, but certainly not least, you must have extra-dimensional carrying devices as soon as possible.
Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
A well-prepared adventurer should (IMO) have the following:
1) A ranged weapon (or set of thrown weapons, probably a mix of cold iron and alchemical silver), plus cold iron ammunition treated with weapon blanch (silver). After a few levels, purchasing some durable adamantine ammunition is a good investment.
2) A mix of primary (and maybe secondary) and backup weapons covering all of blunt, piercing, and slashing. A battle aspergillum (alchemical silver, probably) makes a good secondary or backup weapon with added usefulness against evil outsiders and undead (including incorporeal ones) when filled with holy water. The humble dagger (eventually masterwork cold iron and mithral) are great as a backup weapon and general tool (and relatively inexpensive). At higher levels, one of the weapons should probably be adamantine for dealing with constructs.
3) Some way to deal area damage. This can be as simple as acid flasks, alchemist's fire, etc.
4) Any equipment or tools needed for using their skills (like artisan's tools for Craft, a musical instrument for Perform, thieves' tools for Disable Device, etc.). Eventually, masterwork or magical versions that provide bonuses.
5) Some form of armor and/or a shield. Even for arcane casters, a haramaki and a mithral buckler are usually good investments; at higher levels, they can provide better protection (and magical abilities) than mage armor and shield spells or bracers of armor.
For backup weapons on the cheap a club is free. So are wooden stakes that also can be thrown weapons. Have wooden stakes on all of my PFS characters. Another thing I found super useful at least for PFS was skeleton keys. Give u Disable Device with a +10 on basically every lock. Had a ring of 4-5 of these on all my PFS characters as well. Never know when the party will lack someone with disable device. Made me the backup rogue in a lot of games. If u have a high dex character maybe just sub in masterwork lock picks. Flasks of lamp oil also made a cheap backup to alchemist fire too.
Magically speaking, if anyone in the party intends to succeed in combat by using damage, you NEED diversity. Expect that your Force damage, or Sonic damage, or Fire damage will eventually be countered by Resistance or Immunity and plan accordingly. I would say a necessity for such types would be spells in other energy types until a metamagic rod becomes affordable, or else picking a specific class ability or feat that lets you change energy types.
Retreat. Is. A. Combat. Option. I can't ever stress this to my players enough, though they rarely take it and subsequently their PCs have been killed needlessly. Some of your escape from melee or ranged threats will be situationally impossible, or at other times situationally aided by your environment, foes, and tactics.
That being said, having an "escape kit" isn't bad advice. Smokesticks or Potions of Obscuring Mist are good at low levels. Also having a wand of Expeditious Retreat handy. At upper levels teleportation magic is important until the Contingency spell can be commonplace. Know your exits and know how to use them both mechanically and narratively.
Use the Mending Spell, and later Make Whole, as well as Prestidigitation. Think about how often you encounter humanoids, monstrous humanoids, outsiders or certain undead that all wear armor or have weapons your PCs can use. Now think of how often the ammo for those weapons is broken through use, or the armor has the Broken condition when you find it, and is just soiled and shabby in general.
Mending will fix the Broken condition and heal 1d4 HP to an item weighing 1lb/CL. At level 1, that spell and 10 minutes can fix broken arrows or bolts, repair cloth, mends a broken dagger and such. Prestidigitation can clean and polish such items; it won't be some brilliant, mirror shine but it can help with the restoration. Make Whole later on heals 1d6 damage per CL (max 5d6) to ANY object that is 10 Cu Feet/CL, or any construct regardless of size.
If your GM takes their time describing an object in an adventure, take note of that object. It may have value or significance. More than that, you might be able to profit from it. If your characters are exploring some mouldering old tomb for example, don't just disregard that tarnished old broken candelabra fixture on the wall; find the chunks of it, stow it and get ready for Make Whole and Prestidigitation later on.
And don't just collect enemy gear for resale either. Infiltration might be important, or it might help with historical research. Heck, just having a bunch of extra arrows if your GM keeps strict count of your ammo can come in handy. I rate these spells as necessary for "off camera" parts of the adventure, but necessary even still.
I rather like Robe of Useful Items.. Though I don't like how expensive it is given once you use up all the patches its a mundane robe and you can have things like windows.
Cold Iron Kunai.
Swarmbane Clasp.
Blood Reservoir of Physical Prowess.
Mirror.
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