D&D General Huge Equipment Lists: Good, Bad, or Ugly?

[James Gasik]

Most of my experience with this sort of thing is D&D-based, but it exists in lots of other systems as well (Shadowrun and GURPS can be plenty egregious). Some systems have very sparse gear. You got your climbing gear, backpack, rations, light source, you're good to go!

Then you have the ones that are full of sundries from Gnomish Listening Helmets, Drow Swimwear, Mithril Waffle Irons, Whetstones, Wasters, Portable Rams, Sunstones, and Potion Sponges!

I find myself of two minds about this. On the one hand, a limited amount of supplies means that there are a lot less tools for a non-magical character to fall back on to solve problems. Sure, a crowbar might solve a lot of problems, but there are going to be times when you'll want long-handled thieves' tools, grappling crossbow bolts, signal arrows, dog pepper, or weaponblack and when you reach for it, you find it's not there.

On the other hand, I remember in my 2e days when it felt like there was always that one player who couldn't live without half the contents of the Complete Thieves' Handbook plus Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue stuffed into their Handy Haversack and was constantly coming up with MacGyver solutions to problems. Open Locks? Give me a few moments with my portable adamantine tipped drill and a vial of black dragon bile!

So I'm curious how other people feel about this sort of thing. Do you feel the game is better when the players break out cleats and snowshoes when traveling to Ten Towns, or prefer not having every character outfitted with sunrods and camouflage ponchos?

 

[Reynard]

I think the importance of gear is tied to game style. Some styles (like old school.dungeon crawling) benefit from precise equipment lists and player ingenuity with such. Other styles,l like story based heroics, can probably just dispense with it entirely.

As usual , you want to use the right tools for the job at hand.

 

[Lanefan]

Big equipment lists are good, but having one means also having to at least vaguely wave at enforcing encumbrance rules in order to prevent characters from carrying entire department stores in their backpacks.

 

[Oofta]

Big equipment lists are good, but having one means also having to at least vaguely wave at enforcing encumbrance rules in order to prevent characters from carrying entire department stores in their backpacks.

That's why we have portable holes with a ladder and built in shelves.

 

[Reynard]

I am.running a Shadowdark campaign and the players very quickly bought a mule once they realized how precious gear slots were.

Then a monster at the mule that had all their rations on it. Lol.

 

[CreamCloud0]

i think having them is far preferable to not, equipment is so much of an important factor for mundane character's utility and even just good ol' problem solving.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Beautiful if the equipment actually has mechanical value.

 

[billd91]

It depends on the game genre. It’s less important for superhero games since most super-gadgetry should have special rules to enable it. It’s more important for fantasy adventuring and, to some degree, historical adventuring (like Call of Cthulhu), particularly when well away from shops and services and you have to be self-sufficient.
But, if there are extensive equipment lists, everything should have a fairly clear use and effect. Torches, flaming and electric, provide light. Tents protect people from rain and wind and can enable sleep in those conditions. Lock picks are necessary for picking locks, shovels and picks for digging efficiently. I’m not saying everything should have a carefully defined rule for exactly what it’s good for, but it should be obvious or relatively uncontroversial if it isn’t defined.

 

[overgeeked]

I like some mundane gear lists. Short and sweet. Most stuff if kinda pointless to describe. Like rations or torches. It’s obvious what they do. At best you need a cost and weight listing. But I really dislike gear porn. Massive lists of nearly identical gear that is fractionally different.

 

[John R Davis]

As mentioned entirely based on the game.
I like that 5th ed has basically very little kit c.f. to PF1 that is beyond Christmas tree.

The more kit the more fiddly bonuses and easier challenges are met