The Perfect Adventurer's Pack

[Cicciograna]

I did a thing.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RFZtF7ODBSgPZxAtnmRp9tRxKtbCkUMi/view

Impressions? Ideas for new items to add?

EDIT: added version 1.2.
EDIT: added version 1.1, Appendix at the end details changelog.

[Dork_Forge]

A cool thing! I'm really liking the art work.

[HappyDaze]

That's great! One of my players is big about packing gear, with this, he might be able to pull others in on his kink.

[Greywander]

"Sovereing Glue"

Aside from that, it looks pretty cool. I wonder if you're not underestimating fishing tackle, though. Fishing line is useful for things like traps and alarm systems, though it's not clear how much fishing line is included (fishing line, by itself, should perhaps be treated as a separate item). I also didn't think to consider the items included in the various tool kits. If you have a forgery kit, do you need to buy ink and paper separately, or do you essentially have an infinite supply as part of the forgery kit? The intent seems to be that you don't need to worry about such minutia, but it should probably be enforced if players start abusing it, e.g. 5 sp per page produced, which accounts for both ink and paper.

I also think that a bedroll and blanket should be moved to the bare minimum or basic improvements section. You gotta sleep somewhere, unless you expect to find an inn or hostel every evening. A healer's kit, and maybe the tent as well, should probably also be moved to basic improvements. Injury is a certainty when adventuring, and not every party is fortunate enough to have magical healing available (and even if they do, what happens when the cleric gets taken out?).

Anyway, good work on this. I may download it so I can reference it in the future. You should probably include a link or a website in the actual document where we can find up-to-date versions of it.

[Cicciograna]

A cool thing! I'm really liking the art work.

Actually the artwork is the reason for which I was very cautious in sharing it. I didn't draw the art, I found it on Google and have no idea what their copyright situation is. I tried to track down the various authors to give credit, but all I got were Pinterest and russian websites.


"Sovereing Glue"
Thanks for the heads up! No matter how many times you proof-read a document, there will always be something that gets overlooked :smalltongue:
And also thanks for the thorough comments, I'll reply to them singularly.



Aside from that, it looks pretty cool. I wonder if you're not underestimating fishing tackle, though. Fishing line is useful for things like traps and alarm systems, though it's not clear how much fishing line is included (fishing line, by itself, should perhaps be treated as a separate item).
I was torn until the end on where to put it, because as you say it is a very useful item. As I wrote in the text, the only reason I didn't include it in the "basic improvements" section is that essentially every item in the fishing tackle can be replicated with other stuff already present in the previous lists. Technically a fishing rod is good enough only to be used as a fishing rod, it's too flimsy to be used as a weapon or a tool, and at the end of the day it could be entirely forgone or in a pinch replaced with a regular stick; likewise, wile the tools could be used in some more creative ways, having included the more versatile needles means that there is a way to fashion them (not to mention that hooks can be fashioned also out of bone or wood (http://www.survivalebooks.com/08.htm#par4)); the silken line is good and strong, but I already included the thread in a previous list; the netting would actually be useful, and as it stands is the only non-replicable item of the kit.
In short, to reiterate, the fishing tackle is VERY useful and VERY versatile, but just a matter of replicability prompted me to put it in the "useful additions" rather than the "basic improvements". It's very high in the list, for sure.



I also didn't think to consider the items included in the various tool kits. If you have a forgery kit, do you need to buy ink and paper separately, or do you essentially have an infinite supply as part of the forgery kit? The intent seems to be that you don't need to worry about such minutia, but it should probably be enforced if players start abusing it, e.g. 5 sp per page produced, which accounts for both ink and paper.
That was another headscratcher. Initially I didn't think to include the single items from the kits, but when I noticed that the Thieves' tools include a mirror I realized that, considering that the XGE did a very good job at detailing them, I could go fish through them to see what was included. At the end of the day, even if I don't know how to disarm a trap or pick a lock, I can certainly use the mirror, the files and the other tools (save perhaps the lockpicks themselves).
I think that when it comes to the kits the limiting factor would be the cost: sure, a forgery kit includes inks, quills, scrolls and other tools, but the sum of it would be more pricey (15 gp) than simply buying the separate items.
We can make a quick calculation and see if it turns out right. According to the XGE, the kit contains:

several different types of ink, a variety of parchments and papers, several quills, seals and sealing wax, gold and silver leaf, and small tools to sculpt melted wax to mimic a seal
As a starting point, I'd like to give my interpreation regarding the forgery kit, which is that it is not intended to write books or manuscripts, but to forge shorter documents, ideally letters or missives: the keyword here is "shorter", meaning that the needed materials should be kept low.
Let's put ink aside for a second and lemme consider the other items first.


It's reasonable to interpret "a variety of parchment and papers" as five parchments and five sheets of paper, more than enough to forge letters or orders. According to the PHB, one parchemt costs 1 sp and a sheet of paper costs 2 sp.
"Several quills", again, let's not go overboard and let's consider 3 inkpens, priced 2 cp each.
"Seals and sealing wax": while we have the price of sealing wax (5 sp) we don't have the pricing for seals. The closest we have is the "signet ring", which would be very expensive (5 gp); but then, I assume that the price is to be ascribed to the fact that it is a seal in ring form, and typically be fashioned with fine materials to be worn by nobles and rich merchants: YMMV, but I think it could be reasonable to price it at 5 sp. Let's buy 5 of them.
"Gold and silver leaf" is very generic, and to be honest I am clueless about this: let's say that it costs at most 1 gp and call it a day.
"Small tools to sculpt" etc., here too, we don't really have a reference, so eve here we can assume 1 gp for the tools to sculpt wax.
Finally there's the ink. An ounce of ink is prohibitively expensive (10 gp), and the kit contains "several different types of ink". My take on this is that it's a matter of quantity: you get smaller quantities of various kind of inks, enabling you to write shorter documents, rather than a lengthy, ponderose manuscript. This guy here calculated how much you could write with 1 oz of ink (https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/awa17w/how_much_could_one_write_with_a_1_oz_bottle_of_ink/), and while I think he is overestimating the number of pages (as a guy in the comments suggests), we can at least infer that 1 oz of ink is enough to write a lot. Let's then assume that yes, you pay 10 gp, but for four or five smaller vials of ink, maybe in many colors, to cover all your forging bases.
Finally, let's add 1 gp for a carrying case, modeled after a maps or scroll case (you want it to be waterproof).

Adding everything up (monetary values in gp)
10 (inks) + 0.2×5 (sheets of paper) + 0.1×5 (parchment) + 0.02×3 (pens) + 0.5 (sealing wax) + 0.5×5 (seals) + 1 (gold and silver leaf) + 1 (sculpting tools) + 1 (case) = 17.56 gp, not too far from the 15 gp for a forgery kit. To me, this is a good estimate, and assuming that someone buying a forgery kit has these tools available, even if unable to properly forge documents, is a good deal.



I also think that a bedroll and blanket should be moved to the bare minimum or basic improvements section. You gotta sleep somewhere, unless you expect to find an inn or hostel every evening.
I have been playing Dwarf Fortress too much as of recently, and seeing dwarves being able to sleep everywhere without fussing too much led me to think that tent and bedroll could be forgone: nice additions, for sure, but there are other ways (http://www.survivalebooks.com/05.htm) to sleep comfortably and protected from the elements.



A healer's kit, and maybe the tent as well, should probably also be moved to basic improvements. Injury is a certainty when adventuring, and not every party is fortunate enough to have magical healing available (and even if they do, what happens when the cleric gets taken out?).
I put the healer kit so low in the list because it's something that requires proficiency to be used effectively not true (but see my next couple of posts): you can do without it with a Wisdom save or, even better, having your dying companion quaff a potion of healing (that instead I consider more important). The single components of the kit don't seem to be too useful by themselves either, unless you have the proficiency.



Anyway, good work on this. I may download it so I can reference it in the future. You should probably include a link or a website in the actual document where we can find up-to-date versions of it.
Thank you again for your input and suggestions. I will probably make this more public when I manage to trace the authors of the art, so that I can properly reference them.

[Derpldorf]

Yeah, your 'bare minimum' kit is pretty spot on as things I always pack for every character. Except for a journal, a bottle of ink and quill, and a stack of parchment paper. Seriously basic writing and recordkeeping materials are essential and people often seem to forget it.

[Cicciograna]

Yeah, your 'bare minimum' kit is pretty spot on as things I always pack for every character. Except for a journal, a bottle of ink and quill, and a stack of parchment paper. Seriously basic writing and recordkeeping materials are essential and people often seem to forget it.

Eh, you make a fair point. I'll kick the forgery kit up a notch, writing is too important to pass on it.

I'm still undecided if to add a proper journal and writing implements to the "bare minimum" kit: my main issue is cost here, and books and ink are awfully expensive. To somehow cut prices, I thought that instead of considering a full-fledged book, 100 pages per 25 gp, one could consider that a "journal" would be a shorter, smaller notebook, maybe 50 pages with each sheet being only 25% as big as the regular thing: this custom journal could be priced only:
25 gp × 0.25 (sheets are 25% of regular size) × 0.5 (only 50 pages) = 3.125 ≈ 4 gp
approximating by excess to account for craftmanship and call it a day.
Ink is expensive, no matter what. Maybe one could carry only half the amount for half the price.

Yeah, I might include this in the "bare minimum" kit.

[elyktsorb]

I put the healer kit so low in the list because it's something that requires proficiency to be used effectively: you can do without it with a Wisdom save or, even better, having your dying companion quaff a potion of healing (that instead I consider more important). The single components of the kit don't seem to be too useful by themselves either, unless you have the proficiency..


Isn't the point of a Healers Kit that it doesn't require anything to use? It's supposed to be that you can stabilize people without the medicine check.

[Cicciograna]

Isn't the point of a Healers Kit that it doesn't require anything to use? It's supposed to be that you can stabilize people without the medicine check.

Doesn't it require profieciency?
Look at that, I learned something new.

Hmm, I'm still torn, though. A potion might still be the best bet, as it doesn't merely stabilize the dying character, but springs it back to being operative. I would say that the kit is less essential than potion themselves, although the price is certainly more competitive. For the moment being I'll leave it in the "useful additions" section, but now I'm pondering.

[Biggstick]

Doesn't it require profieciency?
Look at that, I learned something new.

Hmm, I'm still torn, though. A potion might still be the best bet, as it doesn't merely stabilize the dying character, but springs it back to being operative. I would say that the kit is less essential than potion themselves, although the price is certainly more competitive. For the moment being I'll leave it in the "useful additions" section, but now I'm pondering.

The Healer's Kit has 10 uses and costs 5 gold. A standard potion of healing has 1 use and costs 50 gold.

The kit is essential for any class that doesn't have healing spells or features available to themselves to save a dying ally. Sometimes, the Rogue is the only one who can reach the dead ally 100' away to stabilize them. I would also highly suggest it on classes who do have healing spells as something that can be used on thereselves should they go down and someone comes over to their body to attempt to stabilize them.

[stoutstien]

I'd add scroll case(s) to this list. having a safe spot to store your parchment is the key reason but also the fact it can be used for so many things like a easy toggle flashlight makes it a very utilitarian item to carry.

[da newt]

I find manacles to be high on my list of items I wish I had with me that you don't include (unless I missed it).

Other than that, well done.

[Greywander]

Actually the artwork is the reason for which I was very cautious in sharing it. I didn't draw the art, I found it on Google and have no idea what their copyright situation is. I tried to track down the various authors to give credit, but all I got were Pinterest and russian websites.
I believe I may have found the identity of the "tottok" who has signed several pieces there. She seems to be one Natali Kalashnikova, of St. Petersburg, Russia. Seems she posts to a website called ArtStation under the username "tottor_atta".

Have you tried a reverse image search for the other images? I'd be cautious about using someone else's work without permission; not only might they not be happy about you doing so, but it can also cause problems for them if they sell/license their art professionally. The art is gorgeous, so it would be a shame to simply axe it, but see if you can replace it with something that is public domain or Creative Commons. At the very least, do your best to give credit to the original artist.


Thanks for the heads up! No matter how many times you proof-read a document, there will always be something that gets overlooked :smalltongue:
And also thanks for the thorough comments, I'll reply to them singularly.
Sometimes you just need a second pair of eyes. My understanding is that when you re-read a section for typos, you're not actually reading what you wrote, but what you intended to write. To properly check your own work, you have to let it sit for a few days without looking at it, so that your brain flushes those memories out and you have to actually read what you wrote.


the silken line is good and strong, but I already included the thread in a previous list;
I imagine fishing line is stronger than thread, though weaker than rope. You might be right, though: any use you'd have for fishing line might be accomplished with either rope or thread. I still think it's odd it's not listed as a separate item.



Finally there's the ink. An ounce of ink is prohibitively expensive (10 gp), and the kit contains "several different types of ink". My take on this is that it's a matter of quantity: you get smaller quantities of various kind of inks, enabling you to write shorter documents, rather than a lengthy, ponderose manuscript. This guy here calculated how much you could write with 1 oz of ink (https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/awa17w/how_much_could_one_write_with_a_1_oz_bottle_of_ink/), and while I think he is overestimating the number of pages (as a guy in the comments suggests), we can at least infer that 1 oz of ink is enough to write a lot. Let's then assume that yes, you pay 10 gp, but for four or five smaller vials of ink, maybe in many colors, to cover all your forging bases.

I was actually looking for this, and wasn't able to find it. From the sound of things, a 1 ounce bottle of ink lasts "basically forever", unless you're writing full-on books. If we're talking individual pages, it's basically forever.


Adding everything up (monetary values in gp)
10 (inks) + 0.2×5 (sheets of paper) + 0.1×5 (parchment) + 0.02×3 (pens) + 0.5 (sealing wax) + 0.5×5 (seals) + 1 (gold and silver leaf) + 1 (sculpting tools) + 1 (case) = 17.56 gp, not too far from the 15 gp for a forgery kit. To me, this is a good estimate, and assuming that someone buying a forgery kit has these tools available, even if unable to properly forge documents, is a good deal.
Not sure I agree with some of the assumptions you've made here, but it's probably a "good enough" estimate. The point is to not have to assemble each individual component, so the actual price or number of something you have isn't so important, just that you have what you'd reasonably expect to need to fulfill the function the tool is meant to serve.


I have been playing Dwarf Fortress too much as of recently, and seeing dwarves being able to sleep everywhere without fussing too much led me to think that tent and bedroll could be forgone: nice additions, for sure, but there are other ways (http://www.survivalebooks.com/05.htm) to sleep comfortably and protected from the elements.
You're also talking about dwarves here. Imagine some foppish high elf nobleman trying to sleep on the ground. Dwarves also get a CON bump, and a CON save might be called for if you're sleeping in less that ideal conditions (so dwarves would have a slightly easier time shrugging it off).

You also have to remember the rule of threes: You can survive...

Three minutes without air.
Three hours without shelter.
Three days without water.
Three weeks without food.

Sure, if it's a nice, balmy summer night, you might be fine. But what about the dead of winter? Or the middle of a rainstorm? Or a heatwave?


I put the healer kit so low in the list because it's something that requires proficiency to be used effectively not true (but see my next couple of posts): you can do without it with a Wisdom save or, even better, having your dying companion quaff a potion of healing (that instead I consider more important). The single components of the kit don't seem to be too useful by themselves either, unless you have the proficiency.

Doesn't it require profieciency?
Look at that, I learned something new.

Hmm, I'm still torn, though. A potion might still be the best bet, as it doesn't merely stabilize the dying character, but springs it back to being operative. I would say that the kit is less essential than potion themselves, although the price is certainly more competitive. For the moment being I'll leave it in the "useful additions" section, but now I'm pondering.
A healing potion is "better", but it's also a lot more expensive. And sure, you can substitute a healer's hit with a Medicine check, but do you really want to risk failing that check? For a party starting off on their first adventure, I'd recommend not getting the potion and instead putting that money toward other essential gear. Even when you're swimming in potions later on, it's still not a bad idea to have a healer's kit on everyone, just in case.

A healer's kit, from my understanding, is basically a first aid kit, and that's definitely something you'd want when going adventuring. Frankly, it's something you'd probably want when going hiking, which is like adventuring but without all the dangerous parts.


Thank you again for your input and suggestions. I will probably make this more public when I manage to trace the authors of the art, so that I can properly reference them.
Maybe you could try asking on the forums if someone has art they'll let you use, or where you might be able to find art you're allowed to use. Also, search for images in the public domain or Creative Commons.

[Cicciograna]

I believe I may have found the identity of the "tottok" who has signed several pieces there. She seems to be one Natali Kalashnikova, of St. Petersburg, Russia. Seems she posts to a website called ArtStation under the username "tottor_atta".

Have you tried a reverse image search for the other images? I'd be cautious about using someone else's work without permission; not only might they not be happy about you doing so, but it can also cause problems for them if they sell/license their art professionally. The art is gorgeous, so it would be a shame to simply axe it, but see if you can replace it with something that is public domain or Creative Commons. At the very least, do your best to give credit to the original artist.

I managed to find out another couple of authors, but two of the pictures are still missing.



A healing potion is "better", but it's also a lot more expensive. And sure, you can substitute a healer's hit with a Medicine check, but do you really want to risk failing that check? For a party starting off on their first adventure, I'd recommend not getting the potion and instead putting that money toward other essential gear. Even when you're swimming in potions later on, it's still not a bad idea to have a healer's kit on everyone, just in case.

A healer's kit, from my understanding, is basically a first aid kit, and that's definitely something you'd want when going adventuring. Frankly, it's something you'd probably want when going hiking, which is like adventuring but without all the dangerous parts.

Yeah, you and the other posters vouching for the Healing kit convinced me. Bumped it off to "basic improvements".