Need some help with necessary mundane items

[BasketOfPuppies]

I just started playing in a campaign after a long break and am looking for suggestions for mundane items that come in handy. I'd also like an example or two of when it'd be useful.

e.g. A bag of flour: can be used to detect tripwires, invisible creatures, and air currents.

[whibla]

Bag of Marbles - detecting sloping floors, creating makeshift tricky ground, trading with street urchins, playing marbles. Also work in slings and catapults (the hand held variety) as ammunition.

Fishing Hook and Line - Hobby craft earings, trip wires (best used with a small bell as a warning device, rather than actually expecting anything to trip over the line, in reality), bridging a long gap so a heavier rope can be pulled across, catching something to eat for supper.

Small Bell - hidden warning device (trap), annoying shop keepers (wtf? my door bell keeps going but no-one comes in?), some disguises (mendicant monks / scholars / priests), calling your party to supper.

Candles - Sealing bottles / jars / small holes, sticking light objects together or to something, measuring time, creating bigger fires, a light source.

Chalk(s) - Graffitti / Pavement Art, "I woz ere" in a maze, "I went dis way" when scouting ahead, countering indigestion / neutralising mild acids, detecting invisible creatures (not as good as a bag of flour, but chalk dust will do in a pinch ... boom boom!), disguises, writes on most surfaces.

Manacles - getting jiggy with the druid when the rest of the party is asleep, have you ever manacled a horse's back legs together then watched the expression on its riders face? Priceless! Oh, and prisoners... pfft.

Magnifying glass - making fires, making small stuff bigger, making big stuff smaller, freaking out the barbarian.

[hymer]

Towel (http://hitchhikers.wikia.com/wiki/Towel). Accept no substitutes.

Crowbar. When finesse just won't do, or you just can't be bothered.

[JellyPooga]

Ball of string/twine: For when Rope is too big.

Empty sacks: 'cos sometimes there's just too much loot to fit in your backpack. Also a quick 'n' easy blindfold. Racing (you know, when you're bored).

Pot/Gourd/Kettle or similar (also any empty flasks you have left over after using all that holy water, oil and suchlike): Empty vessels are mostly used for transporting liquids or granular solids (like sand). Often useful for weight/volume-puzzles and getting extra loot ("hmm, there's a large quantity of acid under this pit-trap; if only I had something to transport it..." or "Dang! Cockatrice blood is worth a fortune on the open market and all I have is my waterskin" ). Kettles are particularly useful as they can also be used to make the tea.

Strong Alcohol: Wine or spirits are effective disinfectants in a pinch. Depending on how simulationist your GM is, you may get a bonus to 1st Aid checks for bringing it up. Also an effective bribe. Stronger alcohol burns quite nicely too. Good for parties.

Deck of Cards: Useful distraction. Bored/lazy guards may well ignore the fact that you're an intruder if you offer to entertain them with a game. Crowds will often gather around someone performing card tricks. Gambling. Magic Users (particularly Illusionists) can get a bit more dramatic flair using cards.

Spare Blanket and (winter) Clothing: For unexpected weather, giving to rag-clothed prisoners, getting changed after falling into pits of acid/dung/garbage, donating to peasants/churches (cheap gifts are A)cheap and B)earn a lot of respect in certain circles), tearing up for bandages, creating a bivouac, makeshift rope, covering a pit-trap, makeshift sack, makeshift cloak, makeshift gasmask, bragging to the rest of the party about how warm you are in your winter blanket and toasty warm clothes whilst they freeze in their summer bedroll when it's 3 degrees below outside.

[Ninja_Prawn]

So basically, if four PCs take all the default items from their backgrounds and equipment packs, you'll probably have everything you need.

One that I'd highlight is writing equipment. Especially if your DM likes using illusory puzzles to split the party.

[TurboGhast]

The classic 10 ft pole: Allows you to trigger traps from further away, pole vault, check stuff to see if it is hazardous, have a backup shaft for a spear, and many other uses. This thing is a classic utility item with as many uses for it as you can think of.

[PoeticDwarf]

A way to cast summon bigger fish. That's all I want.

[PhantomRenegade]

Salt: You can throw it in peoples faces instead of sand or flour, also conserving food i guess.

Laxative herbs: To put some extra spice in the guards dinner.

Climbers kit: Always useful although its a bit heavy so i'd consider it a second tier option.

[Slipperychicken]

mundane items that come in handy. I'd also like an example or two of when it'd be useful.


10ft pole: Probe suspicious objects and bodies, move things without touching them, press buttons from a distance, check for traps, hold it in front of you to detect gelatinous cubes before you walk into them. If you're serious about detecting traps, get at least one of these no matter what anyone says. Quarterstaves and polearms make for good alternatives.

Small Mirror: Check around corners, look under doors, reflect light to use as a signal, avoid gaze attacks, safely read cursed text. It gets more useful when you put it on a stick.

Flint and Steel: Use this to make fire. Burn down a wooden fort, cook food, keep yourself warm. Fire has way too many useful applications to list. If you can't solve your problem with fire, then you're not using enough of it.

Rope and String: Scale walls, rappel downward like a cat-burglar, secure prisoners and objects, lasso creatures from a distance, move across chasms, spice things up in the bedroom, tie one end to a bell to help create an alarm, secure yourself to other ropes or objects to avoid falling to your death, keep the party together in limited visibility, and remember the path you took through a dungeon. The sky's the limit with rope and imagination.

Chains: A sturdier and more expensive alternative to rope. Secure a very strong creature, bear an extremely heavy load. Chain belts and harnesses are convenient for attaching items or ropes to yourself.

Grappling Hook: Attach to a rope so you can scale walls more quickly, or secure rope to areas and objects which you can't reach. A must-have rope accessory.

Pitons and Spikes: Hammer into the ground next to a door to hold it open or shut (great for haunted houses!), secure exit routes in case the doors decide to slam shut, create handholds and footholds for climbing, attach to walls to make securing rope easier. No handhold? No problem!

Hammer, Maul, or Sledgehammer: Hammer pitons, smash manacles and chains, knock the hinges off a door, deal double damage to skeletons.

Chalk, Charcoal, and other Writing Implements: Write messages, keep a journal/diary with notes (to easily recall details), record what that cult's symbol or weird statue looks like, draw maps, take rubbings of inscriptions carved into walls, mark walls so you remember which areas you visited before. Paper is a must-have. Hell, take a whole book full of blank paper so you don't run out. Giving everyone chalk and chalkboards allows easy nonverbal communication, which can be extremely nice if someone gets cursed, polymorphed, or otherwise can't speak (which is more common than you'd think).

Torch: Provide light, set fire to objects, throw down a pit to see how deep it is, use as a surprisingly-good weapon against creatures which are vulnerable to fire. See if you can get a sconce on your shield so you don't have to waste a hand holding the torch.

Knife: Cut ropes efficiently, open bags and sacks, sever monster parts, carve wood and bone, use as a weapon. Knives are the quintessential survival tool; you'd be a fool to go without one.

Shovel: Bury objects and bodies, pry valuables from a wall or statue, dig for a while to make some shelter, use as an improvised weapon.

Oil: Slick surfaces to make enemies slip, set fire to objects and creatures (such as KO'd trolls), grease yourself up if you plan on fighting a grappling creature.

Waterskin and Flasks: Pour water on fires to help put them out, drink it so you're less thirsty, wash off monster grime, hold poisons, blood, and other liquid stuff.

Blanket/Towel: Smother fires, wipe yourself off after a fight, sleep cozily, wear on head as a makeshift turban.

Bags and Sacks: Carry loot, conceal suspicious objects, cover prisoners' heads, store loot without touching it, keep heads in there for when you need to prove someone's dead, cut holes in one and wear it on your head to conceal your identity.

Tongs: Also useful for handling dangerous items, especially ones which look magical. You never know if something's cursed.

Medicine Kit: It can literally save your life. Stabilize people in one action without needing to roll or use magic, deal with some diseases or ailments. Very helpful if people are making death saving throws and the only PCs standing are fighters.

Thieves' Tools: Even if you're not proficient, you can still try to break open a lock, get through a window, or disable a trap.

Crowbar: Open a door, box, window, you name it. This is how you steal everything that's nailed down, and then steal the nails too. Getting advantage on strength checks couldn't be easier. Also can serve as a weapon if needed.

Portable Ram: Crowbar isn't cutting it? Get an ally to help out, and now you have +4 and advantage to open that door. If your barbarian can't bust a door open now, consider getting a new barbarian. It's faster than the crowbar and helps you feel like a tacticool SWAT guy.

Carts, Carriages, and Wagons: Transport the sick, dead, and wounded, load it up with loot, use it as cover, use it to block an area, flip it on its side for better cover, get your DM to shut up about encumbrance penalties, mount a ballista on it, put metal plates on the sides to armor it, take long and short rests while traveling (drive it in shifts), take a cart into the dungeon to carry loot easier. The utility on these things is insane. Cover the wagon (think oregon trail or gypsy wagons) to conceal anything you don't want seen. Obviously much more useful with beasts of burden.

Beasts of Burden: Good for riding, carrying loads, baiting monsters, pulling your wagon, and also emergency rations (mongol soldiers could sustain themselves up to month drinking their horses' blood mixed with horse milk, without even killing the animal!). Some are also helpful in a fight. If you can ride a warhorse, that will effectively improve your move speed. If you're too poor for a horse, mules are just as good for only 8 gold. Secure them before you enter a dungeon, and try to keep a backup in case monsters eat one of them.

Earplugs: DM may give you advantage on saves against some charm effects and sonic thunder damage, and they can make it harder for prisoners to hear anything they're not supposed to. Also helps you sleep through the barbarian's snoring, and ignore the wizard's constant bitching. Just be careful when you put them in, as you may miss an important communication.

Manacles: Use in addition to rope to make it harder for creatures to escape. Leave them unlocked for when you want to pretend to be a prisoner.

Bells, Whistles, horns, and other noise-makers: Distract or lure enemies, send messages and signals across a distance without using words.

Here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?148101-3-x-Shax-s-Indispensible-Haversack-(Equipment-Handbook)) is a thread from 3.x. Much of it isn't compatible with 5e, but there are still useful nonmagical items which I mentioned here.

[PeterM]

Everyone already mentioned most of my ideas, but I do have one more.

Small toys or candy - I was in a two-player game back in the day, I was a good-aligned cleric and the other PC was a paladin. We were always attracting crowds of kids when we traveled through villages, and starting carrying tchotchkes and candy to hand out to them. Made us even more popular on return visits. Might also help with low-intelligence or childlike NPCs.

Also, chickens. I'm pretty sure it was the very first D&D game I ever ran, when I was fourteen or so, during some kind of no-classes day at school. The players really liked spending their starting cash, and my sister bought a dozen or so chickens. I tried telling her they wouldn't be of any use in the dungeon, but she stood her ground and I just dropped it.

Then the party got to the cave full of Piercers. Poor chickens saved a lot of lives that day, and the party ate well to boot.

[whibla]

Also, chickens. I'm pretty sure it was the very first D&D game I ever ran, when I was fourteen or so, during some kind of no-classes day at school. The players really liked spending their starting cash, and my sister bought a dozen or so chickens. I tried telling her they wouldn't be of any use in the dungeon, but she stood her ground and I just dropped it.

Then the party got to the cave full of Piercers. Poor chickens saved a lot of lives that day, and the party ate well to boot.

Livestock can be very useful in a dungeon. Everyone always extols the virtue of a 10' pole in detecting pit traps, yet misses the obvious advantages of a pig:

1. Finds many other types of traps too, not just pits
2. You don't need to carry it, leaving your hands free, &, once it's located the trap,
3. Bacon... Mmmm, bacon...

[Slipperychicken]

Livestock can be very useful in a dungeon. Everyone always extols the virtue of a 10' pole in detecting pit traps, yet misses the obvious advantages of a pig:

1. Finds many other types of traps too, not just pits
2. You don't need to carry it, leaving your hands free, &, once it's located the trap,
3. Bacon... Mmmm, bacon...

Cows are also good, since they're sure to trip any weight or height-based triggers intended for humans. I recall the first build to solo a famous dungeon (tomb of horrors?) was just a noble who lead a herd of cattle into the dungeon to check for traps.

[Vogonjeltz]

Livestock can be very useful in a dungeon. Everyone always extols the virtue of a 10' pole in detecting pit traps, yet misses the obvious advantages of a pig:

Doesn't the obvious disadvantage of loud and noisy livestock negate the advantage of detecting traps? I mean, I guess if you are playing the kick in the door variety of game, maybe...but why wouldn't the pig (being quite intelligent), run away from you (and outside the dungeon) at the first opportunity?

I'm just saying, you're hoping alot goes right that probably won't.

[Slipperychicken]

Doesn't the obvious disadvantage of loud and noisy livestock negate the advantage of detecting traps? I mean, I guess if you are playing the kick in the door variety of game, maybe...but why wouldn't the pig (being quite intelligent), run away from you (and outside the dungeon) at the first opportunity?

I'm just saying, you're hoping alot goes right that probably won't.

If you need to be fast and stealthy, then you don't lead a herd of cows to the dungeon. If your objective isn't going anywhere and the place is trapped, then you drag them along.

As for running away, that's what the handle animal skill is for. Slaughterhouses, cowboys, and herders are all quite good at convincing animals to peaceably walk into their grisly, painful deaths. Worst case, an animal survives a trap and panics until the PCs calm it down or put it down.

[JAL_1138]

A sufficient number of skeletons can fill a similar role to livestock if you're a necromancer or have one in the party.

Most of the good items have been mentioned already.

If a few feet of wire (not rope, metal wire) hasn't been mentioned, that's always useful.

Multiple sets of clothing, wildly different in appearance from each other. Peasant garb, merchant's gear, and noble finery.

A spare set of the best armor you can sleep in without an exhaustion penalty (usually leather or studded leather), if you aren't a caster or can cast in armor. A spare set of a cheaper version of your normal armor (e.g., if you wear fullplate, keep a spare set of splint on the party's wagon). And a spare weapon. And a spare shield.

If you're an unarmored spellcaster you might try keeping some clothing besides robes and wizard hats. Dress like a random schmuck when you don't need to show off. If the DM starts picking on you before you start slinging spells, ask how the enemy/guards/thieves/merchants/townsfolk/etc. know you're a spellcaster and remind the DM you're dressed like a random schmuck instead of like a wizard.

An oilcloth tarp. Waterproof, to keep valuables, trade goods, foodstuffs, or adventurers dry.

A spyglass. It's good to be able to see things a long way off.

[Ninja_Prawn]

If you're an unarmored spellcaster you might try keeping some clothing besides robes and wizard hats.

Also, you can't put on your robe and wizard hat if you're already wearing it, so you need at least one change of clothes.