Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Kerrus Apr 11, 2009 15:55:58	I'm that man- in our current campaign, I'm the only veteran player- DM aside. As such I've been working to prepare for everything I can, but I've been running out of ideas. Coupled with the fact that my character's a monk and doesn't have enough skill points to make a proper investiture in UMD, well, I'm stuck to mundane or non-UMD requiring items. Party is currently eighth level, and about to move into a new campaign. Extremely limited gold, though there's no doubt we could procure more via selling off some treasure. Anyways, I'd like to get some suggestions on what I can try and pick up (using Core, MIC, and some completes) to keep prepared for what we might face. Good investments, or even simple objects that are underused. I've already got a haversack filled with misc gear, but I'd like some specific reccomendations on things to try and procure that would be advantageous to a non-preparation oriented party.
#2 oxybe Apr 11, 2009 17:01:32	i'm guessing this is 3rd ed? * Candle (10. it's nice, small illumination when you need to do things hush-hush in the dark) * Chain (several feet) * Crowbar (you can't spell break & enter with C.R.O.W.B.A.R.) * Flint and Steel (fire) * Grappling Hook * Hammer (just a normal hammer. nothing to see here.) * Ink + inkpen * Lock (3 of the best quality you can get. one for the chain, on for the manacles & one just in case) * Manacles (masterwork) * Oil (always good) * Rope, Silk (100 foot long piece. multiple is nice) * Vial (10) * Mapcase, made of metal and made reflective because... * Everburning torch (this + mapcase = flashlight with cap. poke a hole in the bottom of the case, thread the torch in and voila!) * pitons (AS MANY AS YOU CAN CARRY. these little iron spikes with holes in it are great for: jamming into doors/chests, with rope you get pulleys, ect... very nice to have) * chalk of different color, otherwise white chalk and black coal. * a spellbook (100 pages, hardbound. cheaper then 100 actual pages.) * a fishing gaffe (10-foot pole with a hook on the end used to pick up buoys) * a few sacks are nice to have, moreso because you can use them to wrap around sharp things you don't want poking holes in your haversack. * a shovel + mining pick (find something to cover the pokey bits though) * flour. yup, normal flour. you'd be amazed how helpful it is hope this helps!
#3 goblin_pride Apr 11, 2009 17:18:53	Don't forget a whetstone. You can't do a thing without something to keep the party's blades good and sharp. I tend to pick up a healing kit for my utility kit, but then I usually play rogues for that. A climber's kit is good, but if you've got weight issues, forget it. Waterskins are a must, as are enough rations to last you or the party a week or so. A tent, a couple winter blankets or some canvas for making a makeshift shelter is good, but if weight is an issue.... I buy a merchant's scale because utility seems to always entail "does anyone have appraise?" The same holds true for a magnfying glass. Depending on whether you want to carry the utility role to an extreme, a mule to carry everything the party needs might come in handy. If so, multiple tents, an iron pot and possibly a portable ram.
#4 Kerrus Apr 11, 2009 18:03:35	I'll pick up a scale when I'm in town, but I think I have most things covered. A 'glass is a bit pricy on my limited budget, but I'll coerce the wizard 6/bard 1 into getting one and putting a bunch of ranks into appraise so we stop getting ripped off. Also, if at all possible, I'm picking up a Talisman of the Disk to float all my **** around that we collect. 500 GP's pretty good for T's Floating Disk/3 hours/day. Also getting Continual Flame cast on my bullseye lantern.
#5 goblin_pride Apr 11, 2009 19:33:26	Also, if at all possible, I'm picking up a Talisman of the Disk to float all my **** around that we collect. 500 GP's pretty good for T's Floating Disk/3 hours/day. A mule only costs 8gp and can carry 230 lbs for the same number of hours you can walk. I tend to favor them because I've gotten used to playing in lower magic games.
#6 Kerrus Apr 11, 2009 20:39:01	True, but a mule tends to get eaten by the goblins and is one more asset I'd have to worry about. It'd be much easier to descend into the dungeon vertically from 60 ft up without having to worry about how to get the mule in and out.
#7 goblin_pride Apr 11, 2009 22:11:51	True, but a mule tends to get eaten by the goblins and is one more asset I'd have to worry about. It'd be much easier to descend into the dungeon vertically from 60 ft up without having to worry about how to get the mule in and out. Hah! Your companions are much tastier. It's a poor goblin that sets his sights so low. Although that would save me buying rations next time...
#8 Mad_Jack Apr 11, 2009 22:57:36	Either glass/metal marbles or sling bullets... Real cheap for a big bag, and so many uses... Throw em for distractions, spread em out to trip people, roll em to see which way the floor tilts or if the corridor slopes downward or to check for pits covered by illusions... And you may as well get a sling, too, if you're using sling bullets - it's a three-foot-long leather strip, which is useful in and of itself...
#9 pigknight Apr 11, 2009 23:51:21	You see the chart of stuff in the PHB? Just tell your DM you have all of that.
#10 Kerrus Apr 12, 2009 2:17:07	I very nearly do. I just need to feed the wizard an arbitrary amount of resources to convert into alchemical creations, rather then buying them at the store. He's a new player, all boom, no utility. Well, aside from that which I've heavily suggested he take, which has allowed him a bit of balance.
#11 goblin_pride Apr 12, 2009 19:23:36	I very nearly do. I just need to feed the wizard an arbitrary amount of resources to convert into alchemical creations, rather then buying them at the store. He's a new player, all boom, no utility. Well, aside from that which I've heavily suggested he take, which has allowed him a bit of balance. Just like my current character. In a group full of combatant-types, I'm the only one with weapon and armorsmithing skills.
#12 exposed_wires Apr 12, 2009 19:57:01	Learn languages! Take feats like Listen to This! Carry nets and chalk and extra bedsheets. Carry oil and fuses. Carry glue and bells. You will find uses for all of these things.
#13 Kerrus Apr 12, 2009 23:32:47	Listen to this! isn't a feat that I'm aware of, but the bedsheets thing is noted.
#14 exposed_wires Apr 12, 2009 23:40:14	Listen to this! isn't a feat that I'm aware of, but the bedsheets thing is noted. Apparently, I have the name all wrong, but one of the players in my group has it. It lets you reproduce sounds you hear with a concentration check. Super handy.
#15 wraithstrike Apr 13, 2009 0:14:31	I'm that man- in our current campaign, I'm the only veteran player- DM aside. As such I've been working to prepare for everything I can, but I've been running out of ideas. Coupled with the fact that my character's a monk and doesn't have enough skill points to make a proper investiture in UMD, well, I'm stuck to mundane or non-UMD requiring items. Party is currently eighth level, and about to move into a new campaign. Extremely limited gold, though there's no doubt we could procure more via selling off some treasure. Anyways, I'd like to get some suggestions on what I can try and pick up (using Core, MIC, and some completes) to keep prepared for what we might face. Good investments, or even simple objects that are underused. I've already got a haversack filled with misc gear, but I'd like some specific reccomendations on things to try and procure that would be advantageous to a non-preparation oriented party. I would drop the monk and go rogue(for the skill points and UMD, not sneak attack), scout(skill points and other abilities), or factotum(maybe PrC into Chameleon). All of them are decent combatants, and have d8 skill points.
#16 Kerrus Apr 13, 2009 1:10:10	Apparently, I have the name all wrong, but one of the players in my group has it. It lets you reproduce sounds you hear with a concentration check. Super handy. I'm pretty sure it's a skill trick (complete scoundrel) and usable once per encounter. I'll have to see if our DM is allowing skill tricks. As for the replies of 'drop your character, run something stereotypical' I must respectfully decline. I'm running a monk because I haven't run a monk before, not because I think it's some bastion of optimization. It's a fun character, and I'm not just going to drop it to become a skill monkey.
#17 wraithstrike Apr 13, 2009 2:25:05	I'm pretty sure it's a skill trick (complete scoundrel) and usable once per encounter. I'll have to see if our DM is allowing skill tricks. As for the replies of 'drop your character, run something stereotypical' I must respectfully decline. I'm running a monk because I haven't run a monk before, not because I think it's some bastion of optimization. It's a fun character, and I'm not just going to drop it to become a skill monkey. I thought you were trying to be the skill monkey. The only other suggestions I can give are to take feats such as the skill knowledge feat from Unearthed Arcana which would allow you to make UMD a class skill, cheapening the cost of putting ranks into it. I would also put more points into intelligence. This will decrease your combat ability, but unless you go with kung-fu genius and carmadine(spelled incorrectly?) monk you will most definitely have to make a sacrifice somewhere. PS: I just noticed the character was already made. You may not be able increase intelligence, but making UMD a class skill might help.
#18 natural_1 Apr 15, 2009 21:51:36	the singular most useful item in the entire game is a spare bowstring (longbow sized). you can use it string on bows whose strings have been cut exposed to water etc, even if the 6 ft string dangling on you hand crossbow looks stupid it works. it can be used to bind people (6 feet of cord goes a long way). i takes up almost no room and is nearly free. and the best part can be summed up into one word, garrote.
#19 exposed_wires Apr 15, 2009 23:08:50	the singular most useful item in the entire game is a spare bowstring (longbow sized). you can use it string on bows whose strings have been cut exposed to water etc, even if the 6 ft string dangling on you hand crossbow looks stupid it works. it can be used to bind people (6 feet of cord goes a long way). i takes up almost no room and is nearly free. and the best part can be summed up into one word, garrote. That is super genius, but then it begs the question of how realistic is this game? Does this DM ever break a player's bowstring or count it as unusable if it gets wet? It doesn't happen in any games I've played in. I think that's very pertinent to what would be useful.
#20 wraithstrike Apr 16, 2009 0:12:33	the singular most useful item in the entire game is a spare bowstring (longbow sized). you can use it string on bows whose strings have been cut exposed to water etc, even if the 6 ft string dangling on you hand crossbow looks stupid it works. it can be used to bind people (6 feet of cord goes a long way). i takes up almost no room and is nearly free. and the best part can be summed up into one word, garrote. This falls along the lines of DM fiat. I used to break my characters bowstrings on a nat 1, but it was nowhere in the rulebooks.
#21 goblin_pride Apr 16, 2009 23:16:43	This falls along the lines of DM fiat. I used to break my characters bowstrings on a nat 1, but it was nowhere in the rulebooks. Every DM I've ever played with has done the same. I guess it was a bit more generous than having the bow itself break.
#22 Kerrus Apr 17, 2009 14:35:30	Our DM just happened to break the ranger's bowstring last session. How much would a bowstring for a longbow cost, would you think.
#23 goblin_pride Apr 17, 2009 16:15:01	3-4 gold pieces for a regular bow. A bow with a heavier pull should cost 10-20 gold pieces.