Pathfinder 1E What is your go-to backup weapon?

[Fauchard1520]

Disarming happens. Thieves happen. Rust monsters happen. And when these things happen, it's a good idea to have fallback option hanging at your hip.

And so, in the interest of never again resorting to non-proficient unarmed strikes against a boss monster, what is your go-to backup weapon? This question applies whether you're a bow-haver trapped in melee or a sword-dude faced with flying creatures. What do you pull out in these situations?

(Comic for illustrative purposes.)

 

[Alzrius]

Well, my last character kept a club for that sort of situation. It wasn't exactly ideal, but it was good against rust monsters (as the comic illustrates) and it has no cost associated with it, so it didn't hurt his bottom line (it's a running gag in our group how a masterwork club costs 300 gp while the basic one is a stick you find on the ground).

Thankfully, my character had only one or two instances where he had to use it instead of his shang gou (which are those hookswords that Kabal from Mortal Kombat uses; I found stats for them over in Weapon Mastery: Shang Gou).

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[Grogg of the North]

Always carry a dagger. It's a decent back up weapon and you can use it to cut your way out of that ambush/grapple/swallow whole monster. Assuming you survived that long.

Plus, you can put a knife almost anywhere. On your belt, in your boot, etc.

 

[payn]

A good solid mace is always nice to have when you need a backup.

 

[DemoMonkey]

Much like Indiana Jones, a revolver.

 

[J.Quondam]

My trusty +3 longspork of expeditious retreat.

 

[GreyLord]

Always carry a dagger. It's a decent back up weapon and you can use it to cut your way out of that ambush/grapple/swallow whole monster. Assuming you survived that long.

Plus, you can put a knife almost anywhere. On your belt, in your boot, etc.

Same

 

[Fauchard1520]

Same

Really sucks when you need to cut that rope bridge and only have a light crossbow.

 

[CapnZapp]

Really sucks when you need to cut that rope bridge and only have a light crossbow.

Counterpoint: cutting a rope with a crossbow* is an excellent solution to a Baldur's Gate 3 "puzzle"
*) I mean its bolt, not the actual crossbow

 

[Grogg of the North]

Counterpoint: cutting a rope with a crossbow* is an excellent solution to a Baldur's Gate 3 "puzzle"
*) I mean its bolt, not the actual crossbow

I'm imagining a barbarian hurling his crossbow at the rope since he's out of bolts and the DM's shocked look as he somehow rolls well enough to pull that off.