Gear for PCs - Starting Out

Once you've got your character rounded out as far as stats and back story comes the final step: gear. Looking at the starting gold for many characters your options are limited in what you can afford, but there is a lot in the way of gear in the starting book.

There are the standard choices: bedroll, rations, torches, and rope (with or without grappling hook). More specialized options are holy symbols, specific tools and kits, and alchemical items.

But there are more options than just that. If you think outside the box, you can look at the item list and put together some really interesting load outs. Marbles can be used to detect slopes and trip up people; pitons can be used to climb and jam doors open or closed; bells can be decoration/tools for some classes and useful alarms for everyone else; mirrors can be used to signal over distance and look around corners.

Also, random choices can be amusing and character defining. A dwarven paladin in a game carried 10 lbs of soap. Jaws agape, we asked why and he said he liked to be clean. And that was that. He was a dwarf paladin that wanted to be clean, no matter what the situation.

Mundane items can become important to your character. A signet ring on it's own is just used to seal letters (see sealing wax on the item list), but it can also be your father's ring or the ring of your clan, passed to your for safe keeping. Maybe you wear broken manacles, physical reminders of a past you never will return to.

Look over the list and don't look at each item on the page. Look at each item as if you're holding it in your hand and what does it mean to your character? Does your character believe in luck and if so, is that clay tankard your lucky drinking mug? Is that block and tackle tools of a life you wish you could lead? The items themselves aren't necessarily what you should look at. Have an image of your character in mind and see how the item fits that character. Is it useful? Is it meaningful?