Getting standard equipment into the spotlight...

[Rabbitbait]

I wonder if one of the reasons that equipment has become less important in character creation is because characters start off at a much higher power base.

In first edition, a piece of chalk or a ten foot pole could save your life - especially since a d6 of damage may be enough to kill you.

In fourth edition every character starts with a wide range of powers and skills and can take a lot more damage. It seems to me that there are now other choices that can be made which reduces the neccessity for mundane equipment.

That seems a shame.

 

[Cyronax]

I like this thread. Agree with many of its sentiments.

Looking over the entire 4e line, I find it odd that so much of its best 'standard equipment' I equip some of my charcters with, actually comes from the Eberron Players Guide. Take a look at what Eberron gives -- from various kits, to identification papers -- and you realize that an 'equipment monkey' character (spymaster, bard, tinker, merchant, etc.) are supposed to be non-standard.

 

[erf_beto]

Oh yeah, I remember when I used a mirror to decapitate a medusa... so cool!
Hmm...
No, wait - that was Perseus.

But yes, using mundane equipment to overcome challenges was the highlight of my oldschool DnD experience. I agree that I was too concerned with tracking them individually so along the years that followed I ditched them (might be because I like magic too much, I over-emphasize character skill instead of gear, or maybe because I was too young to know better). Now, as a more experienced DM, I think I could reintroduce them without the fiddly bits.

Thanks for reminding me of all this (I just can't XP you again, sorry).

 

[Wiseblood]

I have a laminated copy of Hackmasters equipment list. It beats the stuffing out of evrything put out by WOTC... ever.

 

[Ahrimon]

I have a laminated copy of Hackmasters equipment list. It beats the stuffing out of evrything put out by WOTC... ever.

I haven't seen the hackmaster equipment list, but I doubt it holds a candle to Arauras (sp) whole realms catalogue. In fact, I nominate AWRC as the greatest equipment book of all time.

 

[Wiseblood]

I haven't seen the hackmaster equipment list, but I doubt it holds a candle to Arauras (sp) whole realms catalogue. In fact, I nominate AWRC as the greatest equipment book of all time.

AHRG might be edge HM out. HM's list of alcoholic beverages is longer than the 4e eqment list in its entirety.

 

[TarionzCousin]

When I was a teenage DM, I got some great ideas about equipment from Dragon magazine. Rather than suggest to my players that their characters have some of it, I had monsters and NPC's use it. They quickly got the idea when:

* The fleeing villain cast down caltrops that slowed them down and did damage;
* They saw chalk marks on walls of a dungeon and realized that another adventuring group had been there before them;
* A trap released a bazillion marbles on the only place they could safely stand--then archers came out across the way and began pelting them as they stumbled around;
* A semi-friendly NPC adventuring group they encountered outside of town mocked them for the ten-foot poles they had sticking out of everything. See, the other group had several 3-foot poles that screwed together when necessary and were much easier to tote around when not combined.

I remember once when the group found a bunch of straw strewn about a dungeon chamber and one player said "Hey, now we get to learn what cool thing straw can do." Of course, it didn't do anything.