Your top ten most useful items

[Wish]

I'm not going to count up my top 10, but I always like to have:

A dagger, a fire source (and preferably also a non-fire light source), writing materials, backups to critical gear (second holy symbol, just for example), rope.

Other stuff is good, but those are the essentials for my characters (beyond basic combat gear, of course).

 

[mcgeedis]

One of the guys that I game with says having a bag of flour was always useful. This was the best way to take care of invisible creatures.

I am partial to tanglefoot bags. Probably the most effective low level item.

 

[KarinsDad]

Personally, I'd have to agree that Gold is the most useful item in the game.

 

[Amazing Triangle]

These are things that I try to have every character carry.

1. A Mirror - looking around corners is awesome.
2. A Signal Whistle - never know when you will be making a night time attack
3. An Extra Bed Roll - Pack it full of stuff and you have a 50% chance of not getting attacked in your sleep
4. Bottles of Wine and Oil soaked rags - Molotov Cocktails anyone?
5. Silver Dagger - Werewolves even if very little damage
6. Ink/Ink pen/Notebook - So you can take notes on those wonderful things you fight camp formations
7. Cold Iron Dagger - Same as above but doesn't have the same usefulness factor
8. Rope and Grappling hook - Until the party can fly this is one of the few ways over
9. Parchment - Sending notes is fun
10. Ring of Sustenance - Yeah it is magical, but 2 hours a sleep, makes you great for the night watchman

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Chalk always proves useful.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Here is something by Lord Drake off of the GiantITP boards a couple (?) years ago.

Basic Supplies
By Lord Drake

The starting package for adventurers is meant to cover the basics of survival in most given situations. The package is as follows:

Oilskin Back pack w/ quick release rings (to keep your stuff dry)
Contents:
50 ft. of hemp rope w/ grappeling hook
10 pitons
1 small hammer axe
1 flint/steel
10 bandages and ointment
1 bedroll & blanket (sissies can have a tent too)
1 charcoal pencil
2 week's iron rations
1 wineskin
5 vials of oil
1 large sack
chow kit
spare Quick release Rings
10 torches
1 sealable silver flask
1 crowbar
1 small shovel
1 sealable scroll tube
10 sheets of parchment
10 sheets of Vellum
ink & quills in a hard case
10 fishing hooks & line
sewing Kit

Utility Belt contents:
2 belt pouches
1 dagger
Sword Sheath(or other weapon)
Bullseye lantern w/ shutter
1 wineskin
small silver mirror
3 pieces of chalk
Signal Whistle
Whetstone
4 bandages and ointment
50 ft fine silk rope
1 charcoal pencil
1 flint/steel
1 torch

you can add other things to it depending on class .. healers kit for priests
trade tools for rogues
spell component kit for mages
etc

if you want a deluxe kit you can tweak things like:
-bullseye lantern has continual flame cast on it(now you can use that oil for good stuff .. like moltov cocktails hehehe)
-replace the 50 ft of hemp rope with a spool of 300 feet of fine silk rope
-if you want to really piss away some money replace the large sack with a bag of holding
-or even better make the plain pack a heward's handy haversack

just did the math for the generic pack

the pack weighs 62.5 lbs and costs 83 gold and 4 copper (when you figure that weight distributed in a rigid frame pack it really isn't too bad)
the utility belt (in my realm we treat this like a military web belt so not only can you attach and remove things easily but also it has shoulder straps to disperse the weight) and its items weigh 16.5 lbs and cost 38 gold and 87 copper

 

[kaomera]

10. Gameboy, with Tetris.
9. A good supply of anti-depressants.
8. A rock-solid alibi.
7. Dark sunglasses.
6. Blackmail photos.
5. A clean pair of underwear (and a change of socks).
4. Small keep or castle.
3. The key to the chest you just found.
2. An Etch-A-Sketch.
1. Rhinoceros.

(OK, technically that's the best, instead of the most useful... But if I can put at least two or three of those on my character sheet, I'm happy.)

 

[Sejs]

In order~

1. Food and water. Don't realize how badly you need it until you don't have it.

2. A knife or dagger. The most basic of all tools.

3. A good, sturdy cloak or coat. Sleep under it, turn it into an improv sack, use it as a pillow, screen from view, etc, etc.

4. Fire-starting tools. Flint, steel, tinder. Lot of things you can do with fire.

5. A pole, 5' to 10' long. Reach things, prop up things, manipulate things from far away, climb things, hang from things.

6. Rope or twine. Affix things to other things. Climb things, descend things.

7. Writing tools and paper. Writing can do a lot.. fantastic impact if used properly. Maps, transcriptions, sketches, notes, etc.

8. A weapon. Useful for hunting, self defense, etc. Good particularly when you don't want to risk losing or damaging your knife.

9. First-aid resources, mundane or otherwise. Injury and infection are mean, mean things.

10. Money. Helps get what you need and don't have.

 

[Cameron]

Top ten in no particular order:

Oil - When you have bad guys trying to climb a wall... Hilarious results and potentially a lot of ouchies

Map Tube + Bull's Eye Lantern + Continual Light = Modern day torch with a screw cap.

Bag of Flour - Invisible creatures still leave footprints

Bag of Coloured Water - Invisible creatures drip

Quarterstaff - Doubles as a pole vault & trap detector a la 10ft pole

Light Hammer - For all those square pegs in round holes

Grapple + Hook - Best used for anchoring bad guys

Empty Glass Vial - Who said you can't throw holly berries???

Blank Book - Let me put it this way: "How *many* Explosive Runes...???"

Crowbar + Pick Ax + Shovel - "You brought what???" DM's never seem to expect them...

 

[Lord Zardoz]

1) Soap: Sometimes, it is just a good idea not to enter town after slaugtering a few hundred orcs and not bathing for a few months. Also a handy food additive for those you do not like.

2) Crowbar: Good for opening things when stealth is not a concern. Also ok for hitting things.

3) Writing implements: I usually take forgery.

4) A shovel: Sometimes you just dont want something / someone to be found. Sometimes you need to visit the graveyard when your low on cash, or even just lonely.

5) A Mule: It can carry things so you dont have to. When things get grim, he can be a tasty treat.

6) 1 Pound of Sugar: Give that mule a bit of Zazz. Seriously, ever taste mule?

7) A hammer and Nails: Sometimes you just do not want that door to open.

8) A wineskin of poisoned wine: The perfect gift for the man who has everything you want.

9) Holocaust Cloak: It can really bring a plan together.

10) Flamible Oil: On a cold and dark night, turn that attacking idiot into a source of heat and light.

END COMMUNICATION