Non-Combat Obstacles and Ways to Overcome Them

[Darkxarth]

I may be playing in a one-on-one campaign soon with a friend of mine as DM. I was planning on playing a Swashbuckler/Beguiler, but with all the threads on how cool Beguiler's are (never played one myself) I've decided to play a straight Beguiler.

Now, I'm level 11, so almost anything could happen to me, and I want to be prepared for it. This is the heart of my request.

I am looking for as many different non-combat obstacles as we can think of and at least one way to overcome each one.

Now, non-magical options should be the highest priority, but I suspect that such solutions are not only scarce but also inefficient in most cases. So, that in mind, I am prepared to spend all of my significant wealth by level (66,000 gp) on goofy little gadgets and useful magical items. So, if you can think of a magical item you think I might need to overcome some obstacle, throw it out there, providing it's less that 33,000 gp.

Obstacle : Solutions
1. Locked Door : Thieves' Tools, Knock spell, Chime of Opening
2. Non-Magical Trap : Thieves' Tools, Ring of Evasion
3. Wall : 50ft Rope & Grappling Hook, Climbing Kit, Spiderclimb Slippers

EDIT: As a side note, the more reuseable the method of overcoming an obstacle, the better. Example: a Potion of Spiderclimg would be a cheaper way to get up/over a wall than Spiderclimb slippers, but it's useable only once. The permanence of the Slippers (for me) outweighs their added cost.

[Lord Tataraus]

Dungeonscape has a number of useful mundane and alchemical items with all sort of great rules like flour revealing invisible opponents and lard greasing the floor.

Useful mundane items (in order based on my opinion of usefulness):

1. Lard - just amazingly useful in all sorts of circumstances
2. Flour pouch - touch attack to reveal an invisible opponent or splash weapon with 5ft radius of revealing? Alright!
3. Rubber Ball - so many uses...
4. Finder's Chalk (w/Finder's Glass) - making secret markings is extremely useful
5. Adamantine Hacksaw - tough iron is ok if you can't afford adamantine, every useful
6. Adamantine Drill - not as useful as the hacksaw, but has its uses

Also Complete Scoundrel has some great items such as the Rust Monster Wand to completely skip lock picking

[loves_to_laugh]

A shovel is a great thing to have. They are maybe 10 gp a piece. They are always useful for something. I have always had a use for my shovel. If all else you can toss it ahead of you to get beat up or lost instead of you or your weapon. It is also great for digging holes and whatnot.
I would also suggest the chalk. It comes in handy.

I can't think of any specific encounters right now. But those are some useful items. Also the immovable rod. It costs 5000gp and its uses are endless.

[Chronos]

Obstacle: You need to get somewhere a great distance away, quickly.

Possible solutions: the spells Teleport, Greater Teleport, Tree Stride, Transport via Plants, Plane Shift, Shadow Walk, Air Walk. Teleportation can be obtained from boots or a helm, all of them can be gotten off of scrolls, and Tree Stride could technically be put on a wand (thanks to the Ranger's spell list).

Obstacle: You need to get to another plane.

Possible solutions: the spells Plane Shift, (possibly) Shadow Walk, Gate, or Astral Projection, or the items Amulet of the Planes, Cubic Gate, Figurine of Wondrous Power (Obsidian Steed) (if non-good), or Well of Many Worlds. Unfortunately, all of these are expensive (the reusable ones are all outside your price range, except for the figurine).

Obstacle: You need to get someplace in the air, with nothing to climb to it.

Possible solutions: The spells Levitation, Flight, Overland Flight, Ethereal Jaunt, Alter Self (if winged forms are allowed to you), Polymorph (if Alter Self doesn't work), Dimension Door, Teleport, Greater Teleport, Plane Shift, Air Walk, Summon Monster III or higher, or Otiluke's Telekinetic Sphere.

Or the items Boots of Levitation, Winged Boots, Broom of Flying, Cape of the Mountebank, Carpet of Flying, Cloak of the Bat, Cloak of Etherealness, Figurine of Wondrous Power (Griffin, Fly, or Steed (if non-good)), Ring Gates (if you're small and have a familiar or other way to carry one to the destination), Wings of Flying, or a pair of Immovable Rods.

Or acquiring a mundane flying mount.