Adventuring Gear

[Sidmen]

Hi everyone!

So, I'm about to begin a new campaign on Friday using a heavily homebrewed system that may have once been identified as the Dragon Age RPG by Green Ronin. And I've been thinking about the various and sundry equipment that have been reoccurring in games since before I was born.

I'm not entirely satisfied that the selection of Adventuring Gear I have available for my players... well, matters. Most of the things I have available for purchase are the sundries that games usually just take for granted - ink, candles, lanterns, oil, climbing gear, tents, bedrolls, and handy 50-foot sections of rope (can't forget the rope). And, well, it seems so pointless to ask my players to keep track of any of these things on their character sheets.

So, what I'm interested in is if any of you have played games (with a classic fantasy setting) that dispensed with these items, and what systems were put in place of them. Should I just say "you can have whatever gear your character is trained to use", or should there be some other sort of limitation?

[Kol Korran]

Our group have at times used something on the following lines:
- The adventurer is assumed to have an "Adveturign kit" (D&D4 actually have one of those) That cost a set amount, and have a set weight (less for small folks). The character can assume it has anything that is reasonable to produce from it. If you want, you can make 1-3 sample kits, for different weights (Some might forgo a rope and anchoring hook for example, due to the weight).

Special items who have more direct impact (Such as caltrops or alchemical items) are bough seperately, but these should be the exception, and not the rule.

Another small rule on the same lines is our "small expenses rule", which means that anything below (but not including) 20gp (In D&D, not sure what system you're playing) is not accounted for. The PCs are assumed to find enough extra treasure in their adventures to cover for that. No need for nit picking. At higher levels this set price can increase if you wish.

Of course, use plain reason to avoid this being abused. (Buying 10,000 cans of oil should cost something).

I hope this help, good luck!

[TheThan]

In my games it really does pay to be prepared. I make it a point to make sure all those miscellaneous items are usefull to adventurers.

edit
there's quite a list of gear that i consider that i consider "standard". here's my dnd list:
big list adventuring list:

Spoiler

Show

backpack
bedroll
winterblanket
flint and steel
grappling hook
hemp rope (silk if you can afford it) min 50ft
pitons for climbing
hammer (to nail in the pitons)
belt pouch
water skin
trail rations x10
caltrops
crowbar
sun rods
lantern (hooded)
small steel mirror
spade or shovel
whetstone
colapsible pole
magnet
rubber ball
twine
chalk
sack
tindertwigs (x5)
soap

total weight: 77.5 lbs
cost: 87.53 gold

budget list:

Spoiler

Show

backpack
bedroll
winter blanket
flint and steel
grappling hook
belt pouch
rope (hemp 50 ft)
water skin
trail rations (x10)
lantern, hooded
pitons
whetstone
sack
soap
collapsible pole
hammer

total weight: 58 lbs
total cost: 41 gold 63 silver

[Kaww]

In my games it really does pay to be prepared. I make it a point to make sure all those miscellaneous items are usefull to adventurers.

edit
there's quite a list of gear that i consider that i consider "standard". here's my dnd list:
big list adventuring list:

Spoiler

Show

backpack
bedroll
winterblanket
flint and steel
grappling hook
hemp rope (silk if you can afford it) min 50ft
pitons for climbing
hammer (to nail in the pitons)
belt pouch
water skin
trail rations x10
caltrops
crowbar
sun rods
lantern (hooded)
small steel mirror
spade or shovel
whetstone
colapsible pole
magnet
rubber ball
twine
chalk
sack
tindertwigs (x5)
soap

total weight: 77.5 lbs
cost: 87.53 gold

budget list:

Spoiler

Show

backpack
bedroll
winter blanket
flint and steel
grappling hook
belt pouch
rope (hemp 50 ft)
water skin
trail rations (x10)
lantern, hooded
pitons
whetstone
sack
soap
collapsible pole
hammer

total weight: 58 lbs
total cost: 41 gold 63 silver

You don't carry flasks or vials? And where's the iron pot? We don't go anywhere without flasks or vials. Candles are also useful in plenty of situations. You can easily keep track of time while underground by using candles. Needles too. I remember them being useful on plenty of occasions...

[Slipperychicken]

You could go with one of Dungeon World's ideas. You can buy "adventuring gear", which has 5 uses. For each use, you can decide on a useful mundane item and retroactively say you bought it at market. It cuts down bookkeeping considerably.

[TheThan]

I didn’t think to mention that this is separate from weapons armor and specialized equipment (thieves’ tools, spell components etc.). So it’s a fairly general list.

While the vials and flasks are very useful (either full or empty), I decided to count them as a specialist item and therefore didn’t include them. As for the pot, trail rations are preserved and long lasting food, so you don’t need to cook them. As for food gathered along the way, it’s pretty easy to whittle out a roasting spit out of some tree branches.

[Erik Vale]

Shapesand. 100gp for 12 Lb, take 20 to make anything that isn't masterwork/magical, keep some in more commonly needed forms. None of my DnD adventurers leave home without it.

And when I need to get something dangerous someplace, it's just some sand, doesn't register on detect magic. Why would you take it from me, it's just a comfort thing that oh crap just turned into a sword which I'm stabbing you in the back with.

[Mighty]

Always remember your standard 10 foot pole!

[TheThan]

Always remember your standard 10 foot pole!

collapsible ten foot pole, easier to lug around a dungeon.

also on shapeshand: thanks you just showed me something else to not include in my campaigns.

(hates easy, brainless and costless magic).

[inexorabletruth]

Try this link.

It helps create a nice, all-purpose adventuring kit for D&D 3.5 players, but I assume it would be a good set-up for most settings.

[Erik Vale]

Not Magic. Alchemy.

Also, against foes with high wisdom, they can spend a standard action to reshape/unshape your shapesand.
"Nice Ladder. Have a nice fall."
"Bwaaaa!" *Thunk*

[Sidmen]

Thanks, everyone.

I was strongly considering just listing a variety of "kits" that contain a package of items. While shapesand sounds pretty cool, it's not really appropriate for the type of system and the setting we're using.

On the other hand, having a kit that can just be used a certain number of times sounds pretty much exactly what I wanted. Thanks for pointing me towards dungeon world; for 10 bucks I'm sure it'll be more than worth adding to my collection if it has any more ideas for simplifying paper keeping.

[TheThan]

Not Magic. Alchemy.

Also, against foes with high wisdom, they can spend a standard action to reshape/unshape your shapesand.
"Nice Ladder. Have a nice fall."
"Bwaaaa!" *Thunk*

Alchemy is just another form of magic.
and now the Dm has to go out of his way to deal with an item that stinks of powergaming. better to just nip it in the bud to begin with.

[Slipperychicken]

On the other hand, having a kit that can just be used a certain number of times sounds pretty much exactly what I wanted. Thanks for pointing me towards dungeon world; for 10 bucks I'm sure it'll be more than worth adding to my collection if it has any more ideas for simplifying paper keeping.

It's one of the simplest dnd-like games I've seen*, so I'm sure you could find some more ideas in there.


*You can literally get through dungeon world's character creation in like a minute with nothing but your character sheet, the mechanics are exceedingly simple compared to 3.X, and I enjoy the not-quite-Vancian magic system.