When running a game, I always like to start the players off with little or nothing in the way of gear and equipment. I usually have them roll twice on my random junk chart and this is what they begin the adventure with. With this junk, I allow them to make what basic equipment they can, as I believe people in the past where able to make such necessities. Tanning leather, woodworking, basic blacksmithing and the like, would have been essential skills for survival. I plan to start this adventure the same way. I will make each character with all stats and skills. Then I will roll twice on the table below and with that, I will add to their equipment and we will see what they can make of it.
- One empty leather backpack
- A tin cup
- A woolen hat
- Three pieces of paper
- One Bottle of Ink
- A writing quill
- Two lbs. of chalk
- One jar split peas
- Three feet of hemp rope
- A broken glass vase
- Three arrow heads
- Five glass beads
- A club
- A broken wagon wheel
- A two-quart beer bottle
- A polished steal mirror
- Two rations
- Four steel nails
- a carving knife
- 20ft of netting
- Five sewing needles
- A spool thread
- 30ft of twine
- Two belying pens
- A dagger
- A cloak
- An empty canteen
- A broken horn
- 5lb of coal
- One glass jar
- A 3’x3′ wooden crate
- A five gallon water barrel
- Five inches of silver chain
- One 5lb cheese wheel
- Three lbs of dry oatmeal
- Four foot bolt of cloth
- Six arrows
- A quiver
- A leather belt
- A three legged stool
- A leather helm
- A quarter staff
- A 20′ plank of wood
- A broken saw blade
- One clay jug
- A giant spider leg
- 10lb ham bone
- Bottle of wine
- Four loaves of bread
- One 100 page spell book
- A broken glass bottle
- Three gold pieces
- Thirty silver pieces
- Three hundred copper
- A one hundred lb. anvil
- A set of saddle bags
- A cloth sack
- A map case
- Fifteen sticks
- A flint and steel
- A 3’x3′ steel plate
- A pewter mug
- A tin sundial
- One pair torn pants
- A belt pouch
- Twelve caltrops
- One pair of boots
- A steel fork
- A steel spoon
- A small knife
- Three handkerchiefs
- A bottle of grape juice(wine)
- A leather hat
- Four leather thongs
- A set of leather armor
- Four corks
- A glass vial
- A 3’x3′ piece of leather
- An adze
- Seven fishing hooks
- A monocle
- Four potatoes
- A pot
- A pan
- A tinderbox
- A comb
- A floppy hat
- Two wooden bowls
- A 1lb lead block
- A handaxe
- One lb. of soap
- One lb. of wax
- A toy bow
- A bushel of wheat
- Two empty bottles with stoppers
- A set of thieves tools
- A small wooden jewelry box
- A hammer
- A chisel
- A short sword
As the adventure continues, I will use the standard treasure table in the Dungeon Masters Guide after each encounter and build up the party’s resources from there. Lets start printing and fighting and exploring…. Should be interesting!