Adventuring would be just survival if not for gear. A characters cloths, armour, and weapons are just some of the items players carry with them. All of which shows what type of character they are, or at least what type of character they are portraying.

Think about your own outward appearance and what it might say about you to others. I’ve been told my cloths say I’m tight-fisted, and have the fashion sense of a blue collar working from the 90’s. I’ve since added coloured shirts and socks to my attire…

When isn’t a rogue wearing a dark cloak? It’s pretty synonymous with rogue.

This also works into characters Investigation, Insight, and Perception!

What’s the armour say?

Heavy Armour

• Sword and board (shield), is there a holy symbol? Yes = paladin; No = fighter.
• Mace or Hammer: With Holy symbol: Cleric or paladin; without: fighter.

Medium Armour

• Beefy, perhaps with a shield or two handed sword and literacy problems: Barbra the Barbarian
• If fighting case [2 weapons] and what is called a Dex build. There strength will be well under 15, likely under 13. Likely a Ranger, but could be a Fighter.
• Hide armour, wood shield, club, or staff: Druid – careful, they bite.

Light Armour

• Dark Cloak and lots of daggers: Rogue – Keep an eye on them, they try to be sneaky
• Fighting case? Rogue Swashbuckler
• Wood shield, club, or staff: Druid

No Armour

• Beefy? Two-handed weapon? Barbarian.
• Fit and muscular: Staff or short-sword: Monk.
• Robes: Spell-slinger – Wizard or Sorcerer. The wizard is likely a little paler.

What else do Adventures carry?

Lets start with everyone’s starting equipment, the standard backpacks!

Burglar’s Pack (16 gp)

The Burglar’s Pack consists of:

Backpack (2 gp) (5lbs)
1000 x ball bearings (1 gp)
10 feet of string (0.1 gp)
Bell (1 gp)
5 x Candles (0.05 gp)
Crowbar (2 gp)
Hammer (1 gp)
10 x Pitons (0.5 gp)
Hooded Lantern (5 gp)
2 x Oil Flasks (0.2 gp)
5 Days Rations (2.5 gp)
Tinderbox (0.5 gp)
Waterskin (0.2 gp)
50 feet of Hempen Rope (1 gp), strapped to the side of the backpack.

Total weight: 45.5lbs

Total Value: 17.05 gp

Diplomat’s Pack (39 gp)

The Diplomat’s Pack consists of:

Chest (5 gp)
2 x Map / Scroll cases (2 gp)
Fine Clothes (15 gp)
Bottle of ink (10 gp)
Ink Pen (0.02 gp)
Lamp (0.5 gp)
2 Oil Flasks (0.2 gp)
5/1 Sheet Paper (1 gp)
Perfume (5 gp)
Sealing Wax (0.5 gp)
Soap (0.02 gp)

Total weight:

Total Value: 39.24 gp

Dungeoneer’s Pack (12 gp)

The Dungeoneer’s Pack consists of:

Backpack (2 gp) (5 lbs)
Crowbar (2 gp)
Hammer (1 gp)
10 x Pitons (5 gp)
10 x Torches (0.1 gp)
Tinderbox (0.5 gp)
10 x ‘Day Rations’ (10 days total) (5 gp)
Waterskin (0.2 gp)
50 feet of Hemp Rope, 10lb (1 gp),  strapped to the side of the backpack.

Total weight: 63 lbs.

Total Value: 16.8 gp

Entertainer’s Pack (40 gp)

The Entertainer’s Pack consists of:

Backpack (2 gp) (5 lbs)
Bedroll (1 gp)
2 Costumes (10 gp)
5 Candles (0.05 gp)
5 one Day Rations (2.5 gp)
Waterskin (0.2 gp)
Disguise Kit (25 gp)

Total weight: 63 lbs.

Total Value: 40.75 gp

Explorer’s Pack (10 gp)

The Explorer’s Pack consists of:

Backpack (2 gp) (5 lbs)
Bedroll (1 gp) (7 lbs)
Mess Kit (0.2 gp) (1 lb)
Tinderbox (0.5 gp) (1 lb)
10 Torches (0.1 gp) (10 lbs total)
10 Days Rations (5 gp) (20 lbs total)
Waterskin (0.2 gp) (5 lbs when full)
50′ Hemp Rope (1 gp) (10 lbs), strapped to the side of the backpack.

Total weight: 59 lbs

Total Value:  10 gp

 Priest’s Pack (19 gp)

The Priest’s Pack consists of:

Backpack (2 gp) 5lbs
Blanket (0.5 gp) 3lbs
10 x Candles (0.1 gp) 0lbs
Tinderbox (0.5 gp) 1lbs
2 Day Rations (1 gp) 2lbs per rations
Waterskin (0.2 gp)
Alms Box (2 gp)
2 Incense blocks (2.5 gp)
Censer (5 gp)
Vestments (10 gp)

Total weight: 24lbs

Total Value: 23.8 gp

Scholar’s Pack (40 gp)

The Scholar’s Pack consists of:

Backpack (2 gp) (5 lbs)
Book of Lore (25 gp)
Bottle of ink (10 gp)
Ink Pen (0.02 gp)
10 Parchment (1 gp)
Bag of Sand (0.1 gp)
Small Knife (1 gp)

Total weight: 24lbs

Total Value: 39.12 gp

Recommended Equipment

Common items

Chalk (0.01 gp) – for marking things – like the walls and doors in a building or dungeon.

Crowbar (2 gp) – helps open stuck hinges, like doors and locked boxes. Can double as an improvised weapon (1d4B), or ask you DM if it’s a Mace (1d6B). Crowbar is 5lbs, a mace is 4lbs.

Hunting Trap (5 gp) – great when you’re hunting intelligent game. Also handy to just load and throw.

Perfume (vial) (5 gp) – Oil or alcohol based, in a glass or ceramic vial. Need to get cleaned up? Distract a creatures sense of smell? Or use it like lighter fluid!

Tinderbox (0.5 gp) for lighting those fires. Torches, lamps. Its the pasts version of matches.

Waterskin (0.2 gp)

References

Art by Sam Mameli. http://betterlegends.tumblr.com/