Items of insignificant value to a player

[Nibbens]

So, for those of you familiar with the Rise of The Runelords AP, this will ring a bell. A minor BBEG is stealing items from a particular player due to an unhealthy obsession. These items are supposed to be of "insignificant value" to that player.

Now, the AP comes up with some really good examples of items to be stolen that have little value and serve to unnerve the PC in question.

So far, I've managed to alert my player of a few items which has "disappeared" from his possession, or things he's uncertain about wether or not he just misplaced them or they were actually stolen.

Now, the way I'm running the AP is that we have several weeks between our play sessions, but most of us stay in contact with each other doing minor roleplay through email and such. During these sessions (spread out in weekly instances) I've managed to work on his paranoia by having the BBEG steal:

1) a single boot from a second pair of boots the PC has.

2) Empty potion bottles (as most players consume a potion but never discuss where the glass bottle goes afterwards - this was a really cool "you don't remember if you dropped the glass bottle in the last dungeon, or if you stuck it back in your pack, regardless, it's certainly not in your possessions anymore")

3) One of his shirts were sporting a rip in the fabric where a slice of material could have been torn away.

I want to steal a couple (possibly 3) more personal yet valueless items to really weird the PC out - and that's where you guys come in. Help me freak my PC out even more, please! :) What valueless items can I steal from him that will serve to really make him paranoid?

[Bad Wolf]

Their underwear.

[Zubrowka74]

A regular arrow, bolt, sling pellet or other mundane amunition. Only one! He should know, he just counted them...

A foot of rope in his 50 feet bundle...

[ScottyDoo42]

That one item we all take, but hardly remember. Flint and Steel, Chalk, Sealing Wax? Maybe the players Weapon belt, but not the weapons sheaths.

[nedz]

Half his Moustache.

[Oddman80]

The buckle to his backpack... or The sheath for his primary weapon (hey its probably always in his hand anyway)

and the world opens up even more if you switch to a take a penny/leave a penny system...

his dagger is missing, but a different dagger has been left in its place. His dagger had a slightly curved blade and was set in an ivory handle, whereas the one at his bedside now is a crude steel blade with a simple leather wrapped handle

[Lightlawbliss]

you could steal:

The shirt he just cleaned the blood off of.

An inch of hair from one side of his head.

The random trophy he took off (insert dead enemy) at some point or another.

The stuffing in his pillow, but the outside of the pillow is still under his head when he wakes up.

[Sam K]

Some item of personal grooming. This has the advantage that it could have been stolen to get hairs or other body parts, which is a focus for all kinds of useful spells.

Then show him the ice assassin spell...

[Yael]

The wizard's spellbook.

[nedz]

Their smell.

[Oddman80]

Their SHADOW!
Now they have the Umbral Unmasking drawback.

[nedz]

Their reflections — Just not if they are into disguises or make-up.

[Starbuck_II]

Half his Moustache.

I raise you 1/2 his eye brows (so like one of them maybe).
He looks in the mirror and noticing it missing.

[Deophaun]

All the brown M&Ms.

[Oddman80]

Hmmm... Go big or go home...

ALL OF HIS BODY HAIR!
Every. Last. Inch

[YossarianLives]

His toothbrush, a single a gold piece, a piece of bread.

[Chronos]

If you want to really mess with their heads, take away things they never had.

"You notice when you get up in the morning that your silk handkerchief is missing."
"What silk handkerchief?"
"You know, the red one. You've had it ever since you joined the party. Remember? You keep on getting it out to wipe off your brow."
"I've never done that..."
"Well, anyway, it's gone now."

[CIDE]

The food and water that all the players stopped keeping track of after the first few sessons.

[Kimras]

If he does not clean his weapon regularly take the rust build up or a spot of blood that stained his sword is gone. essentialy the ap obsessively cleans everything the guy owns to keep his dirt. so basically the guy wakes up and you say all his stuff is spotless especially the undergarments he was sleeping in that will surely creep him out.

[goto124]

2) Empty potion bottles (as most players consume a potion but never discuss where the glass bottle goes afterwards - this was a really cool "you don't remember if you dropped the glass bottle in the last dungeon, or if you stuck it back in your pack, regardless, it's certainly not in your possessions anymore")

Why not throw them in the enemy's face?

[HyperDunkBarkly]

his bootstraps

[Telonius]

A single button from his shirt.
His left sock.
A patch from his sleeping bag.
The log that he was sitting on next to the campfire last night.
One bite from his trail rations.

[ericgrau]

Spell components for spells he doesn't use.

It's noteworthy that it's far easier to scry on someone after taking an item of theirs. Also to cast the spell nightmare.

And I wouldn't railroad the thefts. Maybe make secret rolls for move silently, sleight of hand and the player's listen so the players don't wonder why they're rolling dice. Or take 10s on everything on both the foe and player side, which is reasonable outside of combat, so only a player who super pumps listen has a chance.

[Telonius]

Not necessarily theft, but certainly unnerving:

If the character has a spellbook (or any other sort of book), certain pages now have folded corners.

[Lightlawbliss]

Not necessarily theft, but certainly unnerving:

If the character has a spellbook (or any other sort of book), certain pages now have folded corners.

As an added bonus, have the nth letter of each spell when taken in order spell out an insult.

[Cruiser1]

Why not throw them in the enemy's face?
Drinking a potion is a standard action. So is an attack, even with an improvised weapon, such as throwing an empty vial at an enemy's face. Action economy is important, which is why players usually just drop empty potion vials as a free action (or else put them back in their back if they don't want to leave traces of their passing).

Another minor thing to take: A few memories. Tell the player he no longer remembers the name of any of the other party members. :smallwink: