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BIGMamaSloth
2010-11-13, 11:06 PM
ok so our DM is giving us 800 gp at lvl 1 for starting equipment. Im being a swordsage and have a masterwork short sword and a masterwork studded leather armor taking up 485 gp( both are part of back story so im keeping them.) hes not letting the leftover become pocket change so anything not spent kinda goes to waste.

I dont know what to buy.

help with spending 315 gp for level one?

Black_Zawisza
2010-11-13, 11:08 PM
What are you using in your off-hand? What role do you want to play in your party?

Jarian
2010-11-13, 11:11 PM
In no particular order:

A sling and some sling stones or a crossbow and some bolts.

A buckler, just in case.

Rope, in however many 50ft lengths you can afford. Silk, if your strength score is low.

A grappling hook to go with the above.

Oil. Lantern.

Chalk. Compass. Never get lost again!

Waterskin/rations if your DM keeps track of that sort of thing.

Blessed bandage(s), from the MiC. Technically there's no restriction stopping you from reusing one, but... ew.

As many potions of lesser vigor as you can afford.

BIGMamaSloth
2010-11-13, 11:21 PM
thanks ive got some ideas and i think im good now.

Lhurgyof
2010-11-14, 12:25 AM
Marbles, don't forget marbles. They're in the Arms and Equipment guide. Not only is it hilarious to see your foes stumble around, but if they have no ranks in balance, they can be sneak attacked while making balance checks.

Also, a cart, a chest, and a lock.

2-HeadedGiraffe
2010-11-14, 07:53 AM
Llurgyof suggested a cart. How about a horse to pull it? Or a horse for you to ride, if you're so inclined? Or a sheep, just because? Do you have ranks in Craft (Sweater)?

Last Laugh
2010-11-14, 09:40 AM
Caltrops! at least 1 thunderstone, tie it to a dagger and make a distraction.

Nets are great (A&EG) touch attacks huzzah!

Tanglefoot bags for tough encounters.

Everburning torch is 50 GP and causes no heat.

Flint and steel just in case!

spend the rest of your money on rope.....You can never have too much rope!

Kalaska'Agathas
2010-11-14, 01:26 PM
I've often found a small steel mirror to be useful, especially at low levels. A backpack to carry all your stuff in is useful too. A crowbar is especially useful for prying open sealed doors or chests (and bludgeoning things, a la Dr. Gordon Freeman). If it's winter, a winter blanket would do you well. And I'll second Rope, lots of Rope. And Twine (it's either in the Arms and Equipment Guide or Dungeonscape, if I remember correctly).

Callista
2010-11-14, 02:12 PM
Bring at least one healing potion. Clerics are not infallible, and occasionally get knocked unconscious or killed.

nedz
2010-11-14, 03:36 PM
Why has no one mentioned 10' pole ?
Too old school perhaps :smallbiggrin:

Soren Hero
2010-11-14, 03:43 PM
twelve foot poles are better :D

tyckspoon
2010-11-14, 03:56 PM
A single adamantine arrow, for use as an impromptu dagger, at 66gp + pocket change for the base arrow. Use it for cutting through locks. Use it for slicing ropes (and chains) in a hurry. Use it for opening treasure chests from the side or back panels, bypassing the traps attached to the lock and hinge mechanisms. Use it for scoring unintended treasure when your DM starts putting things in uncuttable boxes and forgets that the materials needed to do so are worth like four times as much as whatever was in there. Use it for annoying your DM, because it's kind of a cheesy use of the ammunition pricing rules and you wouldn't normally have an adamantine weapon until level 7 or so.. but it's a heck of a deal for the utility if he lets you get one.

..and never ever use it for *shooting* at somebody, because you'll just break it and the rules don't allow for that to mean 'the shaft just got bent out of true but the adamantine point is still fine.' It'll just be gone.

Warlawk
2010-11-14, 08:24 PM
A single adamantine arrow, for use as an impromptu dagger, at 66gp + pocket change for the base arrow. Use it for cutting through locks. Use it for slicing ropes (and chains) in a hurry. Use it for opening treasure chests from the side or back panels, bypassing the traps attached to the lock and hinge mechanisms. Use it for scoring unintended treasure when your DM starts putting things in uncuttable boxes and forgets that the materials needed to do so are worth like four times as much as whatever was in there. Use it for annoying your DM, because it's kind of a cheesy use of the ammunition pricing rules and you wouldn't normally have an adamantine weapon until level 7 or so.. but it's a heck of a deal for the utility if he lets you get one.

..and never ever use it for *shooting* at somebody, because you'll just break it and the rules don't allow for that to mean 'the shaft just got bent out of true but the adamantine point is still fine.' It'll just be gone.

Just thinking this idea is even vaguely viable just makes me want to post a bad /facepalm picture. Hooray for cheesy RAW abuse I guess?

EDIT: The whole concept was so farfetched that I actually went and checked the rules.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm

Ammunition

Projectile weapons use ammunition: arrows (for bows), bolts (for crossbows), or sling bullets (for slings). When using a bow, a character can draw ammunition as a free action; crossbows and slings require an action for reloading. Generally speaking, ammunition that hits its target is destroyed or rendered useless, while normal ammunition that misses has a 50% chance of being destroyed or lost.

I bolded the relevant portion. Never does it say the ammunition has to be Fired. It only has to "hit" the target. Seems to me the first time you use that arrow for all those things it was never intended for, it is a damaging effect of some sort, and likely that qualifies as a "hit" by any dm worth playing under. So this doesn't even likely work by RAW.

Tvtyrant
2010-11-14, 08:27 PM
Buy 1,000 ladders, split them in half, sell them as poles, and rinse and repeat till you can afford to buy a +5 acid burst greatsword. Then play a wizard with master's touch. :D

Also, buy a ton of silver and mint it into silver coins. They gain 50% in value for being in coin form.

Urpriest
2010-11-14, 08:51 PM
Buy 1,000 ladders, split them in half, sell them as poles, and rinse and repeat till you can afford to buy a +5 acid burst greatsword. Then play a wizard with master's touch. :D

Also, buy a ton of silver and mint it into silver coins. They gain 50% in value for being in coin form.

That last only works because nobody puts ranks in Forgery.

true_shinken
2010-11-14, 09:29 PM
Blinding eggbombs from Oriental Adventures. 10gp, a direct hit means the target is blinded. No save.
A chornocharm of the horizon walker is kinda expensive for your budget (500gp) but I love it.
Also, dragoncrafted weapons are below 1k and they add +1 to damage.

Jarian
2010-11-14, 10:26 PM
Buy 1,000 ladders, split them in half, sell them as poles, and rinse and repeat till you can afford to buy a +5 acid burst greatsword. Then play a wizard with master's touch. :D

Why does this idea even exist after so long?

A broken ladder is a broken ladder, not two ten foot poles.

A ten foot pole is not a length of wood with holes in it that look suspiciously like ladder rungs.

Siosilvar
2010-11-14, 10:31 PM
Also, buy a ton of silver and mint it into silver coins. They gain 50% in value for being in coin form.

Raw materials cost half price.
Silver bars cost the same per weight as silver coins.

Therefore, when you turn bars into coins, you double the amount of mass of silver you have.

Lhurgyof
2010-11-14, 11:31 PM
Llurgyof suggested a cart. How about a horse to pull it? Or a horse for you to ride, if you're so inclined? Or a sheep, just because? Do you have ranks in Craft (Sweater)?


Pfft. Just have the Dwarf carry it. :smallwink:

Also, Insectbane candles in the Arms and Equipment Guide if you have left over cash.

dgnslyr
2010-11-14, 11:37 PM
Aboleth Mucous? It's a DC19 SoD in a touch-attack can.

2-HeadedGiraffe
2010-11-15, 09:06 AM
Pfft. Just have the Dwarf carry it. :smallwink:


Why would the dwarf carry a sheep? :smallwink:

jpreem
2010-11-15, 10:35 AM
I do hate the adamantine arrow abuse. Shouldn't work anyway. If you hit something with your arrow (be it as improvised dagger or not) the arrow is destroyed. So at the moment you start cutting this steel a lock off the steel door it'll be destroyed - IN AN EXPLOSION also rocks will fall. ( and DMG-s will be thrown)
As for a serious note - combustibles :D Bring along at least a few normal torches. They are good for the low level physical immunes - I accidentally almost killed a level 6 PC with a spider swarm.
(there were no arcane spellcasters in party, and being dwarves they just thought why the heck should we need lamps or torches)
So torches - acid, holy water, alchemist fire might all save your low-level butt at some time. Be it ghosts, swarms or other guys with specific immunities resistances.

EDIT - ahh I see that already someone took up a rant on this adamantine arrow stuff. Still it bears repeating as it is just disgusting. :smallfurious:

Elves-as-People
2010-11-15, 10:45 AM
Why does this idea even exist after so long?

A broken ladder is a broken ladder, not two ten foot poles.

A ten foot pole is not a length of wood with holes in it that look suspiciously like ladder rungs.

That's why I always prefered tying clubs together with the bindings from a monk outfit. That way it's free, duh. :smallwink:


In all seriousness, buy some sunrods.

Psyx
2010-11-15, 11:16 AM
A single adamantine arrow, for use as an impromptu dagger, at 66gp + pocket change for the base arrow. Use it for cutting through locks.

Fail.
Tungsten carbide steel can also cut through softer cast iron lock housings. That doesn't mean that you can cut them like butter though, does it? You still need to be able to apply sufficient force. A material being harder than another is a different thing to it being able to simply cut through with no effort.


Blessed Bandage, people! Never forget it!

Grendus
2010-11-15, 11:16 AM
Go check Shax's Indispensable Haversack thread. He covers a lot of useful items there.

For here, however, there are a few items that could be useful:

-A vial of Antivenom. PHB item that gives you +5 to saves against poisons for 50 gp. Chug it if the DM puts you against enemies with poison early or if an enemy using a CR inappropriate poison hits you with one with multiple ticks. Very useful for the price.

-If the DM will let you buy anything, forget the everburning torch and get a dull gray ioun stone with eternal flame on it. Burned out ioun stones only cost 25 gp, and you can, in theory, get a cleric to cast eternal flame on it for 50-110 gp. Ioun stones float around your head, lets you keep your offhand free.

-A few of the early potions jump out as useful, namely healing and buff potions. Peruse the level one potions.

-Rope. Always carry rope. Fifty feet if your entire party carries it, one hundred or more if it's only you. Useful for climbing, useful for tying up a prisoner, improvise a bag, hoist your gear into a tree to keep away bears, hoist yourself into a tree to keep away dire bears, light bondage, hoist that puny gnome mage up a cliff, throw a weaker party member ahead of you in lieu of a rogue to find traps, improvise gnomechucks if you're disarmed... the options are endless!

Just a few suggestions.

bartman
2010-11-15, 12:56 PM
-If the DM will let you buy anything, forget the everburning torch and get a dull gray ioun stone with eternal flame on it. Burned out ioun stones only cost 25 gp, and you can, in theory, get a cleric to cast eternal flame on it for 50-110 gp. Ioun stones float around your head, lets you keep your offhand free.



1. After absorbing twenty spell levels, the stone burns out and turns to dull gray, forever useless.
2. After absorbing fifty spell levels, the stone burns out and turns dull gray, forever useless.
SRD Link (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#iounStones)


I read this as a dull gray Ioun Stone, being useless, has no magic to even float around your head.

Edit: Where does it say that a burned out Ioun Stone costs 25 gp?

Lhurgyof
2010-11-15, 02:43 PM
Better yet, spend all your money on hirelings from the AEG.

Buy like 12 Ogre Magi.

Volos
2010-11-15, 02:58 PM
Masterwork tool of (Skill). +2 at low levels helps. Also useful for knowledge checks, but become books instead of tools.

Warlawk
2010-11-15, 03:26 PM
I read this as a dull gray Ioun Stone, being useless, has no magic to even float around your head.


As a DM, since there's nothing abusive being done here I would allow it, it's just a clever little use of something that would otherwise be completely useless.

Our group has some light source ideas that we like to use when we have a character with the appropriate skills.

A polished steel scroll case with continual light cast into the bottom of it to replicate a flashlight.

A small polished steel "clamshell", like a fancy cigarette case or pocket makeup case. Hinged with a latch so you can open it or latch it closed as needed. Get a continual light effect cast inside, then clip it to your shoulder, the front of your helmet etc for hands free light.

Both are options that the raw materials will only cost you a few gold, then get continual light or flame or something cast inside them and you've got a great light source for the rest of your career.

Darrin
2010-11-15, 03:56 PM
I read this as a dull gray Ioun Stone, being useless, has no magic to even float around your head.

Edit: Where does it say that a burned out Ioun Stone costs 25 gp?

DMG 3.0 page 220. "Merely orbits without further powers."

It's also mentioned in the XPH on page 160 (which is a 3.5 source). A psionic character can "burn" a dull gray ioun stone for 1 PP, after which it disintegrates.