What's the basic equipment every adventurer should have?

[ToniXX]

Another post I made yesterday made me think of this. When gen-ing a character, I always seem to forget a few things to buy that I wish I had once deep into a dungeon. I'm going to start a list of the basics (in no particular order). Continue the thread by adding anything that you think is a necessity. Of course, it would be nice to have two of everything, but that's not possible unless you use a pack animal of some sort, and even then, two of everything is overkill. So let's think of the things that a PC can carry given average strength.

rope, 50 feet
grappling hook
torches (2 or 3)
clothing (boots, robe, breeches, etc)
small mirror (for those pesky basilisks)
oil flask (1 or 2)
food
religious symbol (for clerics)
tinder box
spell components (I usually don't make players list each individually. I assume that they have what they need, and can get the basics for a few SP, and their weight is negligible. Some spells require pricey gems, etc, but those are usually reserved for higher lever PCs)

[rredmond]

Where be the 10' pole?

Some equipment lists I've stolen from other places:

Basic:
Backpack
Bedroll
Flint & Steel
Grappling Hook
Hammer
Trail Rations (4 days worth)
Waterskin
Hemp Rope (50')
2 15lb-capacity sacks
Iron Spikes (5)
Torches (10)
Oil (1 pint)
Wooden Holy Symbol



Pack 1, Delvers bundle

Backpack 2g
Bedroll 1s
Belt pouch large 1g
Blanket, winter 5s
Canteen ½ gallon 2g
Flint and steel 1g
Hammer small 1g
Lantern hooded 7g
Oil 6 flasks 6g
Pitons / spikes 10 1g
Rope 50’ hemp 1g
Sack large 2 1s
Torch 5 5c
Whetstone/weapon kit 1g

Total 25 gold


Pack 2, mage kit

Case, scroll or map 2 2g
Chalk dozen pieces 12c
Flask 6 18c
Ink 3oz 24g
Paper 10 sheets 10g
Quill 3 3s
Wax, sealing 3 3g
Tongs 6s
Vial 6 (1oz) 6s

Total 4o gold


Pack 3, cleric kit

Candle 5 sticks 5c
Holy symbol wood 1g
Incense sticks 6 6g
Prayer beads 2g
Wolves bane 2g

Total 10 gold



Pack 4, rogue gear

Belt pouch small 2 1g
Case scroll or map 1g
Chalk 3 pieces 3c
Chisel 1g
Cord 50’ 5g
Crowbar 2g
Dust bag of 3 -
File metal 1g
Pitons/spikes 10 1g
Rogues tools 30g
Sack small 1s
String 50’ 4s
Vial 4 4s

Total 40 gold

Pack 5, provisions cheap

Water skin 1g
Rations 2 weeks 6g

Total 7 gold


Pack 6, provisions good

Water skin 1g
Cheese block 2 4s
Rations 2 weeks 6g
Beer ration, daily 7g
Tea 1month supply 1s
Wine, fine 2 bottles 20g
Pipe, and 2 weeks pipe weed 6g

Total 40 gold

[dmw71]

10' pole?

^
|
|
|

This!

Nice lists. I like the different essential lists for the different classes.

[Argennian]

Great topic, ToniXX!

I have occasionally forgotten to buy stuff. It's always fun to see folks forget about that grappling hook or buy the iron spikes and no hammer! Good times!

But honestly, it's more so just not enough starting coin to get everything you might need or want. So it really comes down to the starting gold roll many times! I've had and seen some horridly low ones. In my experience, most players will opt to buy armor and weapons before they consider their gear. I've seen a lot of players go for the best armor and weapons they can afford in place of getting the gear that their character would actually need to survive. There's been times that I've gone with leather or even no armor and a spear or club for a weapon in order to have the coin to get all of the gear that I would need to pull off a mission. Many players also spend every last bit of coin they have at start and do not consider coin for food, lodging, bribes, whatever. Good times again, though...

... So let's think of the things that a PC can carry given average strength.

rope, 50 feet
grappling hook
torches (2 or 3)
clothing (boots, robe, breeches, etc)
small mirror (for those pesky basilisks)
oil flask (1 or 2)
food
religious symbol (for clerics)
tinder box
spell components (I usually don't make players list each individually. I assume that they have what they need, and can get the basics for a few SP, and their weight is negligible. Some spells require pricey gems, etc, but those are usually reserved for higher lever PCs)

I definitely make the player accountable for any/all spell components. Imho, these are just as important to a caster as a fighter wearing armor. In almost every case, I make sure they have enough of these at start to allow them to cast any particular spell they have access to a number of times. For the expensive components like those needed for Identify or Find Familiar, I'll usually allow for at least one castings worth gratis.

To the above list I would add:
- backpack (for all the gear)
- belt and large belt pouch (to keep those spell components safe and handy!)
- at least one waterskin or water jug
- bedroll (unless you do the inn thing)
- a few candles (cheap and saves the torches for exploring)
- hooded lantern (if you can afford it)
- iron spikes and hammer (for doors of all kinds & for something to tie off a rope to)
- sack(s), small or large (how else you gonna carry all the stuff you find?)


There's also some other items that aren't BtB necessarily but are mostly cheap and always seem like a good idea. Such as:
- bandages
- extra bowstring(s)
- gloves
- journal, pen & ink (nice to have a scrollcase to keep it in)
- magnifying glass (kinda specialized and unusual)
- sewing kit
- twine, 100' ball
- whistle

Where be the 10' pole?

Some equipment lists I've stolen from other places:

Basic:
Backpack
Bedroll
Flint & Steel
Grappling Hook
Hammer
Trail Rations (4 days worth)
Waterskin
Hemp Rope (50')
2 15lb-capacity sacks
Iron Spikes (5)
Torches (10)
Oil (1 pint)
Wooden Holy Symbol



Pack 1, Delvers bundle

Backpack 2g
Bedroll 1s
Belt pouch large 1g
Blanket, winter 5s
Canteen ½ gallon 2g
Flint and steel 1g
Hammer small 1g
Lantern hooded 7g
Oil 6 flasks 6g
Pitons / spikes 10 1g
Rope 50’ hemp 1g
Sack large 2 1s
Torch 5 5c
Whetstone/weapon kit 1g

Total 25 gold


Pack 2, mage kit

Case, scroll or map 2 2g
Chalk dozen pieces 12c
Flask 6 18c
Ink 3oz 24g
Paper 10 sheets 10g
Quill 3 3s
Wax, sealing 3 3g
Tongs 6s
Vial 6 (1oz) 6s

Total 40 gold


Pack 3, cleric kit

Candle 5 sticks 5c
Holy symbol wood 1g
Incense sticks 6 6g
Prayer beads 2g
Wolves bane 2g

Total 10 gold



Pack 4, rogue gear

Belt pouch small 2 1g
Case scroll or map 1g
Chalk 3 pieces 3c
Chisel 1g
Cord 50’ 5g
Crowbar 2g
Dust bag of 3 -
File metal 1g
Pitons/spikes 10 1g
Rogues tools 30g
Sack small 1s
String 50’ 4s
Vial 4 4s

Total 40 gold

Pack 5, provisions cheap

Water skin 1g
Rations 2 weeks 6g

Total 7 gold


Pack 6, provisions good

Water skin 1g
Cheese block 2 4s
Rations 2 weeks 6g
Beer ration, daily 7g
Tea 1month supply 1s
Wine, fine 2 bottles 20g
Pipe, and 2 weeks pipe weed 6g

Total 40 gold

Those are some very cool gear packs you listed there, Ron! They can be easily built on as well. I escpecially like the class-specific ones and the ration packs to boot. Very nice ode to the many-times-forgotten 10' pole!