Things every level 1 dungeon crawler should buy.

[Zovc]

My level 1 Beguiler/Warblade is looking to spend 90gp.

I assume that I roll max for starting gold in this campaign, which puts me at 240gp, and I'm getting a Greatsword and a Chain shirt, so that leaves me with 90gp.

Is there anything in particular I should be spending that gold on? Any WotC splatbook is almost guaranteed to be approved.

[Godskook]

What's your party role?

[strider24seven]

These things are good regardless of party role

1) Marbles to trip foes
2) Caltrops to slow them down
3) Sacks for loot if your DM's a stickler
4) 11-ft pole (collapsable if possible) to get out of holes and work as an improvised reach weapon
5) A crowbar in case your Open Lock check isn't high enough
6) A few extra gp for a bribe/distraction
7) A rock for a distraction/improvised weapon
8) A few empty flasks to hold water/potions/mysterious goo
9) A few extra knives/daggers for cutting/backup weapon
10) A hammer for hammering things/improvised weapon
11) Ladders for extra money (disassemble them into 10-ft poles and rungs) if you can slip it past your DM
12) Masterwork tools if you can afford them
13) Flour sacks to foil invisibles
14) Alchemists fire and acid flasks for damage/fire/acid
15) Holy Water if your DM is good about undead's avoidance of it
16) Chalk for writing messages/explosive runes

[Zovc]

What's your party role?

Fifth wheel, backup trapfinder.

[strider24seven]

I point you to most of everything you will ever need.

[Caphi]

I point you to most of everything you will ever need.

Uh, he's on a first level budget. You read the OP, right?

OP: Ten sticks of chalk. You never know when you could use some chalk.

[Anonymouswizard]

4) 11-ft pole (collapsable if possible) to get out of holes and work as an improvised reach weapon

Yes, for just 2.2sp the ten ton weight falls a foot in front of you!

[Godskook]

A Mwk tool has potential(+2 hide or move silently!)

[strider24seven]

Uh, he's on a first level budget. You read the OP, right?

OP: Ten sticks of chalk. You never know when you could use some chalk.

Uh, there is stuff in there that's useful to a 1st level character. Most of that stuff does not require the purchase of a Handy Haversack and some is buyable at 1st level.

[Mushroom Ninja]

10 foot pole.

Most important tool of every adventurer ever.

[Tackyhillbillu]

10 foot pole.

Most important tool of every adventurer ever.

Ten Foot Pole is a Beginners Trap. Now a 10 foot Ladder...

Rope, and Grappling Hook. Every time baby.

[Mushroom Ninja]

Ten Foot Pole is a Beginners Trap. Now a 10 foot Ladder...

Don't knock the 10-foot-pole, it's old-school awesomeness.

(That said, assuming a 10-ft. ladder can be turned into 2 10ft poles, it's okay too.)

[taltamir]

Its not practical in first level... but a few levels later you should do the following:
PC: everything
DM: excuse me?
PC: I buy 20 of every mundane item under 1gp and 1 of every mundane item under 50 gp found in the SRD and <whats the most general item compendium?> and shove them all in my HHH.

PS. you want a 12 foot collapsable pole... you would be surprised just how many traps still hit you at 10 feet away but don't at 12.

[strider24seven]

I personally prefer a collapsable 11-ft pole. It saves on wood over the 12-ft pole. I avoid ladders for the temptation to break them into 2 poles and sell them for more than I bought the ladder for.

Plus, you can use it as a reach weapon. Which is awesome to have up your sleeve in a tight spot. And since it's collapsable, you get to shout:
"Powerpole, EXTEND!"

[taltamir]

I personally prefer a collapsable 11-ft pole. It saves on wood over the 12-ft pole. I avoid ladders for the temptation to break them into 2 poles and sell them for more than I bought the ladder for.

Plus, you can use it as a reach weapon. Which is awesome to have up your sleeve in a tight spot. And since it's collapsable, you get to shout:
"Powerpole, EXTEND!"

make sure you place it suggestively between your legs before shouting that :P

[strider24seven]

make sure you place it suggestively between your legs before shouting that :P

And, if I'm a monk, I could alternate between striking someone with my wooden pole and my pelvis! I just can't flurry with my wood. And, if I'm a Drunken Master, I don't take a penalty for fighting with my wood.

[Triaxx]

Obvious answer? Backup weapon. Less obvious answer? Backup weapon. Potentially a scroll of Expeditious Retreat. Nothing like being able to get in range to stomp on the bad guys even faster.

[Mushroom Ninja]

Always bring a ranged weapon and lots of ammo. Even die-hard uberchargers sometimes find themselves in situations where ranged weapons can come in handy.

[Eldariel]

Always bring a ranged weapon and lots of ammo. Even die-hard uberchargers sometimes find themselves in situations where ranged weapons can come in handy.

Especially on level 1. Before flight becomes commonly available, Sling (Str-character's choice), Javelins/Spears (#1 Str-character's choice), Longbow (Dex-character's choice) or Hand/Light/Heavy Crossbow (anyone with negative Str) can be indispensible. Especially since things have so little HP that a single bolt or spear or arrow or stone can drop them.

Couple of levels later, Crossbow-guys can afford Alchemist's Fires and Composite Longbow obsoletes most other options outside actual focused ranged builds (Crossbow-builds still use Crossbows, Throwers still use thrown weapons and...well, nobody uses Slings, I guess), but on level 1, the whole pile is useful. Some enemies simply can't reach you if you just skirmish them (Tendriculous, I'm looking at you!), some can only be engaged at range, etc.


It's really amazing how much of D&D seems written specifically for level 1 and low-magic. Everything has use then but as soon as the wallet grows a bit and spells become more available, like 90% of the mundane rules completely grow obsolete.

Oh, and vial or two of Acid is absolute gold for dungeon crawling if you can afford it; it shouldn't be hard to think of uses for it given it bypasses hardness. Melt hinges on doors, ruin locks (to keep something somewhere), etc. Also a splash weapon to use when in dire straits.

[Cyrion]

Mint extract, cayenne pepper extract and/or asafoetida (a really foul smelling substance that is used IRL in protecting people from demons and as a food spice ). These can be very useful if you need to perturb something with a good sense of smell, perticularly if it's following you. Cayenne pepper has been known to destroy dogs' sense of smell permanently.

[Critical]

Get a Guisarme/Ranseur/Glaive instead of greatsword. Teach those pesky 5ft reach guys a lesson.

[balistafreak]

Get a Guisarme/Ranseur/Glaive instead of greatsword. Teach those pesky 5ft reach guys a lesson.

As a bonus, these weapons double as 10-ft poles.

Alternatively, be a Warlock with Eldritch Glaive and have an at-will 10 foot pole that never breaks.

[AtwasAwamps]

My GMs tend to hate me because I…buy a lot of stuff.

Caltrops (you never know)
Chain (Expensive, but useful)
Crowbar
Empty Flasks (Cheap, stores potion/whiskey)
Flint and Steel
Grappling Hook
Hammer
Ink
Manacles
Mirror
Paper
Pole (of length >10 feet. I’ve created too many traps with a 10 foot range to trust other people)
Rope (ALWAYS BUY ROPE. Remember Sam from Lord of the Rings. BUY FRICKING ROPE.)
Signal Whistle (hilarity!)
Soap (The barbarian needs it)
Spade/Shovel
Waterskin
Whetstones

[Elana]

Take a few guard dogs.

For a mere 25 gp you get something that is as good as a fighter of your level.
And as property it doesn't gain a share of your xp.
(In fact everyone should buy 2, and such triple the danger your party is to any critter you encounter)

Of course, the dogs cease to be useful about the time you reach level 3, so don't bother replacing dogs that fall in battle.

(This assumes the monster entry for riding dog, just without the mount training.
Otherwise your DM would need to come up with different stats for a big dog...as a guard dog is clearly not one of the small dog races)

[Tyrmatt]

I've always liked to have a climbing kit on me, but that's because my DM ruled that it should contain a spool of rope, a grappling hook and a set of shoe grips along with a small flask of good brandy. I used to Spiderclimb to locations my party couldn't reach at low levels, set up the rope and hook so they could climb and even get a climb bonus as I helped pull them up. Plus the brandy can be drunk in cold weather or used as an improvised alchemist's fire :p

I've yet to use it as the latter but we did stop our poor goblin friend going into shock with the brandy once.

Backup holy symbols are nice too but you aren't divine in this case, unless you want to keep a spare of your resident CoDzilla's symbol.

[Zovc]

Get a Guisarme/Ranseur/Glaive instead of greatsword. Teach those pesky 5ft reach guys a lesson.

Yeah, but what do I do when they're 'all up in my face'?

[Riffington]

and/or asafoetida (a really foul smelling substance that is used IRL in protecting people from demons and as a food spice ).

It's yummy and smells good: but only after you cook it.

[Sinfire Titan]

These things are good regardless of party role

1) Marbles to trip foes
2) Caltrops to slow them down
3) Sacks for loot if your DM's a stickler
4) 11-ft pole (collapsable if possible) to get out of holes and work as an improvised reach weapon
5) A crowbar in case your Open Lock check isn't high enough
6) A few extra gp for a bribe/distraction
7) A rock for a distraction/improvised weapon
8) A few empty flasks to hold water/potions/mysterious goo
9) A few extra knives/daggers for cutting/backup weapon
10) A hammer for hammering things/improvised weapon
11) Ladders for extra money (disassemble them into 10-ft poles and rungs) if you can slip it past your DM
12) Masterwork tools if you can afford them
13) Flour sacks to foil invisibles
14) Alchemists fire and acid flasks for damage/fire/acid
15) Holy Water if your DM is good about undead's avoidance of it
16) Chalk for writing messages/explosive runes

1) A jar of Shapesand, because it's everything on this list as you need it.

Yeah, but what do I do when they're 'all up in my face'?

Kick them in the face like a real man?

[Kosjsjach]

I'm surprised no-one's yet mentioned the Standard Adventurer's Kit (Player's Handbook II, p215~216). For 15gp, it includes a backpack, belt pouch, bedroll, flint and steel, 50 ft. hempen rope, 2 sunrods, 10 days of trail rations, and a waterskin (the bedroll is free as part of the package deal).

It's certainly easier to say "I buy a Standard Adventurer's Kit" than "I buy a backpack, belt pouch, bed roll..."

[gallagher]

A disguise kit and a holy symbol of hironeous (or however you spell it)

You would be surprised how many people welcome those who look like paladins without questioning if it really is a paladin