Homesteading an Empty Continent

[MrZJunior]

My character will be landing on a (mostly) empty continent soon and trying to carve a life out of the wilderness on it. What sort of supplies should he bring?

[Nifft]

My character will be landing on a (mostly) empty continent soon and trying to carve a life out of the wilderness on it. What sort of supplies should he bring?

A cleric, a backup cleric, a druid, a backup druid, and sprinkle on arcane spellcasters to taste.

One ring gate, with the other in the hands of an ally who can pass through chickens and seeds.

[JoeJ]

It might be helpful if you gave some sort of indication of what sort of technology and/or magic is available in your game. Are we talking nanotech replicators? Spells that create food? Both? Neither?

[Potato_Priest]

What do you mean by "empty"? Your mundane gear choices should vary pretty dramatically depending on what kind of terrain, vegetation, and climate you'll be expecting.

Definitely bring a lot of different varieties of "old world" (as in, the continent you're leaving) seeds though. You don't really know what's going to grow well there, so it's best to not put all your eggs in one basket.

Also, if this is in a roleplaying game my guess is that continent won't be entirely "empty". I'd suggest having some magical assistance for understanding and speaking different languages.

[MrZJunior]

It might be helpful if you gave some sort of indication of what sort of technology and/or magic is available in your game. Are we talking nanotech replicators? Spells that create food? Both? Neither?

Good point, sorry about that. It looks like "generic psudo European medieval fantasy.". Unfortunately I am poor and can't afford magic.

What do you mean by "empty"? Your mundane gear choices should vary pretty dramatically depending on what kind of terrain, vegetation, and climate you'll be expecting.

Definitely bring a lot of different varieties of "old world" (as in, the continent you're leaving) seeds though. You don't really know what's going to grow well there, so it's best to not put all your eggs in one basket.

Great thinking on the seeds! I will do so.

As to climate, I think it's temperate forest.

Also, if this is in a roleplaying game my guess is that continent won't be entirely "empty". I'd suggest having some magical assistance for understanding and speaking different languages.

There are some primitive goblin tribes, but I'm pretty sure they don't count.

[Potato_Priest]

As to climate, I think it's temperate forest.

There are some primitive goblin tribes, but I'm pretty sure they don't count.

Well, if it's forest then you'll want to bring lots of wood cutting and land clearing tools so you can get some agriculture going. If you've got a partner bring a two-person saw for cutting down trees, a whip saw (flexible saws used for cutting boards from logs), an axe, a splitting maul, a hatchet, a pullaski (or something similar if those haven't been invented, look into axe mattocks), a shovel, a rake, as well as spares of all of the above. To save space you can bring the tool heads only and make handles when you get there using your knife and hatchet (make the handle for that one first).

You should also make sure to bring adequate carpentry supplies to make houses and such. Make sure to stock up on nails especially, or learn to make do with wooden pegs. Hinges are another thing that are annoyingly difficult to make from wood in the field, although it is possible.

A good rule of thumb is to always bring a shovel and rope, no matter where you're going. You never know when you're going to need them.

As far as farming goes, will you be able to bring livestock? If so, you might look into horses or oxen for plowing fields and hauling timber and plows and yokes, etc for doing so.

Food supplies should make absolutely sure to include salt. It's extremely useful both for preserving meat and making it taste palatable.

Also, I remain unconvinced that the goblin tribes are unimportant or that they're the only civilization on the continent, just based on the rules of drama. At the very least they ought to have nice stuff you can trade for, like stone tools etc for when yours break, or advice on what plants are edible and how best to hunt for the local game. I continue to recommend you obtain some sort of translation magic. It shouldn't be too hard to get in most editions of D&D if that's what you're playing.

[Nifft]

Good point, sorry about that. It looks like "generic psudo European medieval fantasy.". Unfortunately I am poor and can't afford magic.

Can you bring a harem of brilliant-yet-cursed brides, several of whom have been suspected of witchcraft or literacy or both?

Then let the girls know that you're cool with their witchcraft stuff, and raise a nation of mighty spellcasters.

[WindStruck]

A more important question is: who else is going with you?

Are you going all by yourself? Good luck.....

[Firest Kathon]

Remember to bring seed not only for food plants but also for raw material plants, such as hemp, flax, etc. for making clothes, ropes, etc. This is of course not required in case you already know that suitable replacement is available on the other continent.

Also remember the tools to make tools (hammer, anvil, rasps, scissors, knives etc.) and to get raw materials (picks, shovels), so that you are able to start your own independent tool production. Actual idea: play a few rounds of Settlers II, so you have some idea how to start a sustainable production cycle.

[Knaight]

That this is forest and not a more typical situation on plains both poses some problems and offers some different opportunities. A lot of the typical crops won't work, some more typical livestock won't either (particularly cattle), but other options work better.

First things first - tools. Wood cutting axes and saws are particularly obvious here, but there's also always cause for shovels, looms, spinning wheels, shears, various work knives, whetstones, etc. A temperate forest also likely gets rained on a fair bit, making it a fair bit harder to do ceramics, so bringing some pre-cut stone for an oven, kiln, and maybe even a forge (though that might be overambitious).

Then you'll want crops and livestock. Cattle are pretty much out, but pigs are essentially perfect for a forest. Supplement that with goats and chicken and you're pretty well covered. For crops there's a mix of things that can be done. Long term, orchards are very doable, scattered throughout the forest - particularly if the character will be able to recognize acorns and similar as food crops. Shorter term, a vegetable garden should work fairly well, though a meat and milk heavy diet is pretty likely. It also wouldn't hurt to bring hemp, flax, or other plants useful for textiles.

Normally work animals would be helpful, but without plowing to be done or other similar things they don't seem particularly helpful here. Plus the budget is looking a bit excessive for the character.

[Delta]

Can you bring a harem of brilliant-yet-cursed brides, several of whom have been suspected of witchcraft or literacy or both?

Then let the girls know that you're cool with their witchcraft stuff, and raise a nation of mighty spellcasters.

...in which he'll soon be utterly useless compared to his all powerful "wives" and better pray it takes them a while to realize that.

[Sinewmire]

An pickaxe/axe, a blanket, a bowl, a flask, a backpack, a camp bed (to get you off the ground whilst sleeping) and a tarp and rope (to rig a simple shelter).

According to the Dwarves, you just need the pick/axe.
With an axe you can chop wood, with a pick you can dig ore.
With fire and ore you can make simple tools.
With somple tools you can make complex tools.
With complex tools a Dwarf can make anything!

I'd settle for a solar powered habitat walker with fully stocked galley freezers, jacuzzi and defense turrets on the sundeck, if I could only bring one thing.