Mundane Items...

[koboldish]

I am going to start playing in a level 1 campaign tomorrow. My characters are usually semi optimized. My question is, what items should I buy? What are the best affordable mundane items and what are some tactics to use with them? Help is much appreciated.

[Curmudgeon]

If you've got a skill that's particularly important to your character, a masterwork tool for the job gives a +2 bonus, which is fairly significant at level 1. That's 50 gp, a substantial chunk of your starting funds.

You get to pick one outfit of clothing for free (see pages 111 & 131 of Player's Handbook). The best general-purpose choice is the Explorer's Outfit. Specific classes may be better served with a different set of clothes, such as a Cloistered Cleric choosing the Scholar's Outfit.

If you might be climbing, getting some silk rope and a grappling hook is a good idea. The silk halves the weight so you can carry twice as much rope, and the grappling hook means you can climb on the rope, rather than climbing on the terrain, anywhere you can get purchase for the hook.

[Daftendirekt]

Also look through Complete Adventurer and Complete Scoundrel for fun stuff. if 3.0 books are allowed, also check out the Arms & Equipment Guide and Song & Silence.

[Gavinfoxx]

Here are some guides to items in general:

http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=11066.0
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149464
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187851
http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=350.0
http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=4854.0
http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=10396.0
http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=4400.0
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148101
http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=12837

[Chronos]

You will very quickly reach a point where you can afford everything on the list. Nonmagical stuff is cheap, in a magical economy.

And one specific suggestion I'll make: If you're not a fighter or barbarian, then also get a pack mule, to carry most of your stuff. There are a lot of things that are situationally useful, but which you don't need to get ahold of immediately, and which are too heavy to carry practically.

Here's my standard list for a Str 10 small rogue (so light load is up to 24.75 pounds):


Mundane items:
Item |Cost |Weight
*Backpack |2 |.5
Bedroll |.1 |1.25
Block and tackle |5 |5
Caltrops |1 |2
*2 candles |.02 |-
*2 pieces chalk |.02 |-
Crowbar |2 |5
*Fishhook |.1 |-
*Flint and steel |1 |-
Grappling hook |1 |4
Hammer |.5 |2
Ink |8 |-
Pen |.1 |-
*Bullseye lantern |12 |3
*Mirror |10 |.5
*2 flasks oil |.2 |2
*10 sheets paper |4 |-
Miner's pick |3 |10
10 pitons |1 |5
*Belt pouch |1 |.125
*1 day's rations |.5 |.25
4 days' rations |2 |1
*50 feet silk rope |10 |5
Sewing needle |.5 |-
*Signal whistle |.8 |-
Soap |.5 |1
Shovel |2 |8
Tent |10 |5
*Waterskin |1 |1
Whetstone |.02 |1
*Wooden holy symbol |1 |-
*Thieves' tools |30 |1
*Traveler's Outfit |- |1.25
*Leather armor |10 |7.5
*Dagger (4) |8 |2

*Burrs (8) |0 |-
*100' Fishing line |.2 |-

Pack mule |8 |-
2 days feed |.1 |20
Saddlebags |4 |8

Total |143.66 |107.375
Total carried | |24.125 (Max load 24.75 pounds)
* indicates items generally kept on person. All other items are on mule

[Daftendirekt]

Pack mule? Psh, that's what Haversacks/Bags of Holding are for.

[Chronos]

At level 4 or 5, yes, that's what Handy Haversacks are for. But they're not affordable at level 1, which is where the OP is starting.