Useful Items in a City Campaign?

[Denver]

Hello all.

I'm hoping to get some help finding useful items in a city campaign. My character is a small Rogue, who is the traditional skill monkey of the party with an acrobatic flavor. The setting is (by design) rather mundane; both overtly magical individuals and items are hard to come by outside of the hands of the rich and powerful. Otherwise, the Metropolis has a booming trade economy, with a plethora of shops and craftsmen or craftswomen, as well as an accessible black market.

All books are allowed, and the general wealth of the party is rather elevated compared to the proscribed Wealth by Level guides, for what that information is worth.

I have been reading for items that would be beneficial in a city setting, but I have not read all of the books by a long shot, and the city-setting is also new to me, so if anyone has any readily available suggestions, it would be appreciated!

[(Un)Inspired]

Get a rod of ropes and become Spider-Man.

[deuxhero]

Clothes it's hard to get anywhere in a city when you're naked

But seriously, a large variety of outfits is pretty cheep (being mundane items) but useful.

[JDL]

Masterwork tool of (Skill)

Adds a +2 circumstance bonus to any skill check. Whether you can convince your DM to allow tools for things like Gather Information or Sense Motive is up to you, but if you're a skill monkey you should be packing as many of these as possible.

[atemu1234]

Masterwork tool of (Skill)

Adds a +2 circumstance bonus to any skill check. Whether you can convince your DM to allow tools for things like Gather Information or Sense Motive is up to you, but if you're a skill monkey you should be packing as many of these as possible.

Gather Information? A masterwork cork-board.
Sense Motive? A masterwork lie detector test.

If you're in a city, you probably also need things that would grant you a bonus on Profession and Craft checks. I'd also say that you use profession to get jobs, if you're a merc.

[Dread_Head]

Hat of Disguise (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#hatofDisguise) - Cheap and easy disguise. If you're a rogue and you can't think of times it would be helpful to look like someone else you aren't trying hard enough.

Similarly a Shiftweave (Sharn: City of Towers) costs 500gp and lets you change between one of 5 preset outfits at will as a swift action. Again useful for disguises.

[ninjamaster1991]

Similarly a Shiftweave (Sharn: City of Towers) costs 500gp and lets you change between one of 5 preset outfits at will as a swift action. Again useful for disguises.


The Vestment of Many Styles, from one of the Eberron books, costs exactly the same but can shift into any nonmagical clothing. It has a crafting requirement of being a Changeling, though that can be ignored for a negligible bonus to DC.

[Denver]

Definitely utilizing masterwork tools currently, very helpful indeed.

I was unaware of the multi-disguise clothes though - I will definitely have to check those out. Though the setting is (by design) one in which it is difficult to simply purchase magical items. They are around, however, and must be found and identified. But there is no store or shop or overt trade in anything magical.

Thank you for the replies! Appreciate it!

[Demidos]

Definitely utilizing masterwork tools currently, very helpful indeed.

I was unaware of the multi-disguise clothes though - I will definitely have to check those out. Though the setting is (by design) one in which it is difficult to simply purchase magical items. They are around, however, and must be found and identified. But there is no store or shop or overt trade in anything magical.

Thank you for the replies! Appreciate it!

Magic Items are limited?
Go alchemical --
Tanglefoot bags, shapesand, smokesticks, etc etc.
Incredible items if you have enough action economy.

[Nibbens]

I always carry a pound of salt with my characters wherever I go. Works from melting ice, to throwing at invisible creatures to determine where they are at. Also good for pranking someone's coffee in the morning. Salt instead of sugar is bound for laughs and laughs.

Also, if you're playing PF - get glamered armor (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-armor/magic-armor-and-shield-special-abilities/glamered). So you can always look unarmed.

Scrolls of Expeditious retreat (for those annoying city chase scenes that always seem to happen)
Scrolls of Spiderclimb (When acrobatics just won't cut it)
Scrolls of featherfall For those nasty 1's on your acrobatic checks which will eventually happen)

A wagon. Always have a wagon. I cannot stress that enough - even if you don't have a horse to haul it. Make the fighter/barbarian do it. (lol) Anyway, wagons are beds with wheels on the road. A waterproof tent when raining or snowing. A barricade against incoming hordes, and likewise high-ground when fighting things from the back of it. Not to mention, it's wood and will become a makeshift raft in a heartbeat.

Always carry clatrops, and other noisy metal things to throw as a distraction. The old classic "what's-that-noise-let's-go-check-it-out" is a must in any stealth operation. Likewise a Sap, since you're a rogue. Never know when you night need to take a high value target alive. There may be some feats that allow you to make sneak damage nonlethal - if it's not already a class feature.

Then there's always this (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-armor/specific-magic-shields/burglar-s-buckler). :)

[Denver]

Certainly wish we had had a Scroll of Expeditious Retreat for last session. It was the very city-chase scene you mention, Nibbens. Also, that buckler is damn useful, as is the idea of Glamered Mithral.

Caltrops, check. I was also considering purchasing Shriek Rocks for a similar "What's that sound over there, away from that quartet of robed figures? Huh, better go check that screaming."

Tanglefoot Bags, Shapesand, and Smokesticks - thank you, Demidos!