Unexpectedly Useful Items

[ThirdWizard]

Using an excerpt from the AD&D 2E PHB and Wild Gazebo's rope post:

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Dungeon has this to say about pit traps. Adventurers have a marvelous (and, to the gods, vastly amusing) tendency to fall off things, generally from great heights, and almost always onto hard surfaces. While the falling is harmless, the abrupt stop at the end tends to cause damage. We at the Guide reccomend that all adventurers bring with them 65 feet of rope at all times. While the normal length of rope seems to be 50', we find that despite this (or possibly because of this according to Mun Ch'Kin the Mad) most of these falls will just happen to be just over 50 feet.

It was speculated by The Spian Barnstormer that rope is also useful in tying up captives. After polling many adventurers in varous dungeons around the world, we at the Guide are still not sure what this "captive" is, but we shall endevour to have this information ready for the next edition.

 

[blargney the second]

Being hounded by creatures with scent? Whip out your one-pound sack of pepper!

 

[I'm A Banana]

I would have to say: YOUR MOMMA!

I like this kid. He's got moxy. Just like his momma.

On topic? Soap. You'd be surprised how many hobogoblins you can bully into performing various humiliating tasks when you thrust a perfumed bar in their face and threaten to make them all smell like that all the time.

 

[Ze]

Can't decide between marbles and some pieces of chalk.

 

[Daesumnor]

A flask of some description,
oil or choclate,
Paper or a rag
50 ft of rope.
A knife/dagger/sword.
A dish or pan

You can survive forever with that kit. You can light fires, catch prey, make some basic accomodation, Store food away from carrion eaters, keep your food cold (if you're near a river), dig a pit. Anything.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Torch lights the darness, keeps foes at bay, signals over great distances, sets fire to things, the tool of the angry mob, can be used as a weapon...

 

[boredgremlin]

I remember learning in Boy Scouts, the only two things absolutely vital to survival are a knife and some rope. From there a person who knows what they are about can fashion everything needed to survive off the land. Although I believe this to be highly debatable depending what the local geography and environment is like.
To that list I would add, a hatchet (also serves as a hammer) for dealing with anything wood bigger than twig (try cutting down a sappling with a knife). A bit of flint and steel for starting a fire. A canteen or waterbottle of some sort. An Entranching Tool (small folding military shovel) for any small earth moving projects. And a couple of blankets or small canvas tarp.
For gaming purposes I also add a some sticks of chalk (perhaps of several colors) to mark my way for underground settings.
BTW, I've read Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, and could swear that it was a Towel, not a blanket that was so vital to carry around.
Edit: I see someone posted before I finished mine and also noticed the discrepancy over the Towel issue.

Well now as a former army ranger i can tell you that any knowedgeable survivalist can make with a knife alone. Something to hold water is nice but a knife can get you that.
1) you wanna get a sapling up? You dont cut it. You hit it real hard, you shake it side to side until its roots are loose in the ground. If its still to hard to pull up then you push it over till its flat on the ground then pull it back up. If you still cant get it up (wuss) you cut down and sever its roots. After that it will pull up fine.
2) canteen is good. But you can do without depending on your enviroment. In many places there are melons you can cut down and hallow out. Even here in the southwest or other hot dry desserts you can find water if you dig. You just move slower in overland type speed. Any cluster of scrub brush has some water in it. It is is brown, bracky, mineral and tastes like crap. Might give you mineral poisoning if you keep it up too long. But in the short term a good dessert rat (I am one, i can use the term) deosnt even need a canteen if he has a solid broad, thick bladed knife. A good thick broad knife is the ultimate tool. Give it solid manufacture and a halfway flat handle and it even replaces a hammer.
3) flint and steel. Dont need it with a knife. A knife ran lengthwise against a rock produces sparks. And can start a fire.
4) entrenching tool. These are nice. But a knife can duplicate it. If your using it as a tool and not a weapon and care about the edge. You can also cut wood to dig with or find a rock whose shape works. Or in soft ground human hands work best of all.
5) blankets. Hard to replace but in most climates digging a small trench to sleep in and building a nearby fire (using your knife per #3) can suit well enough. You dont have to be comfortable. Just not suffer anything to affect your combat effectiveness.
6) chalk. Cant argue this one for dungeon crawling campaigns. Its cheap and can save your butt. I definately agree even mainly outdoor adventurers should have chalk. Good catch, stealing that to add to my campaigns basic pack. I let the players buy a basic pack with the wieght and cost allready figured out. Along with a list of whats in it. Chalk is definately going under the strongly recomended section there. Thx.
7) A big towel and a small blanket are basically the same. So unless your figuring the small thing towels (i hate those) the suggesions for one should work for the other.

 

[boredgremlin]

Neat, I love this thread. I didnt start it but thanks to the dude who did. I am tempted to print it up and give it to my players as a handout. Lol nothing better then the collected years and experiance of a bunch of DM's players to show us all the things some of us over look.

 

[PK]

Great thread, I'm sending my DM a "to buy" list right now.

 

[Ambrus]

An eight foot cross of Saint Cuthbert to roll down the dungeon stairs to impale and/or offend any monsters/undead creatures lying in wait. Yay Yamara!

As a boy scout, I was taught that the most important piece of survival gear wasn't a knife, but a rather a hatchet. A hatchet can do anything a knife can plus you can build a log cabin with it if given enough time and trees.