Equipment in Dungeons and Dragons can consist of many things. But this article is specifically going to discuss the items mentioned in the 1st Edition Player’s Handbook rather than going into every possible piece of adventuring gear that could be taken into the dark dungeons and mazes that are explored. Other editions almost certainly added to the possible collection of such adventuring tools but I am going to stick to the basics for this article for the sake of brevity.
The gear selected by adventurers in the early editions of the game was essential to their very survival in the dungeons and catacombs beneath the earth. Later editions tended to just give the delvers a leather pouch with everything needed in it. But what would one need or even want with them for exploring the dark tombs and ruined castles of the realm?
Light Sources
As the depths tend to be dark…..and humans at least do not see well in the dark…..then light is the first thing one wants to bring with them in order to explore the dark places of the realm. Torches and lanterns are essential pieces of equipment. Unless, of course, if you have darkvision, infravision or ultravision. Or, unless, you prefer the darkness like me. I am an ancient Lich after all. And darkness is my friend…
1st Edition distinguished between hooded lanterns and bullseye lanterns. The bullseye lantern allows one to focus the light in one particular direction so as to spotlight on one specific area or target with your light source.
What is not really discussed in the various Player Handbooks of all editions is just how one manages to fight with any of these in one hand. Certainly one could not fight very effectively holding a light source like these. And if you drop it to engage in combat would it not go out? But of course….we must ignore some of the realities in order to enjoy the game for what it is.
The All Important All Purpose Tool
Ok. So what is the most important piece of equipment in Dungeons and Dragons? What is the most popular. What has more uses than any other? The ten foot pole of course!
The Ten Foot Pole has so many uses that one could not possibly list them all or even think of them all. They are cheap (or even free). Some uses for the pole which come to mind:
- Prodding for pit traps
- Propping open a door or trap door
- Testing for illusion
- Searching for secret doors (tapping the walls)
- Keeping rust monsters at bay
- Propping up unstable portions of the ceiling or roof above
- Setting of traps prematurely
- Testing pools of water to make sure they are not acid
- Barring a door so that others might not be able to enter
- When you run out of firewood!
There are so many potential uses for this all important object that adventurers are almost naked without one.
Containers in Which to Haul Away Treasure
Obtaining treasure is the very essence of why men and women risk their lives exploring dungeons. Treasure is what makes the realm go around. It greases the wheel. It makes men kings. But one cannot count on the denizens of the dungeon to be thoughtful enough to provide containers for the explorers to haul away their treasures. Adventurers must bring their own if they want to ensure success in this endeavor.
Many possible containers are taken into dungeons with the intent of using them to haul away treasures found. Backpacks, sacks, wooden and iron chests are all possibilities. Each has it’s own merits. The backpack above is a good method for bringing useful things into the dungeon and for taking away precious valuables once found.
Wooden and iron chests are taken for hauling away the heaviest pieces. Obviously one would prefer to have a bag of holding but one cannot just buy one of those off of the shelf in town. At least not in any of my campaigns. One must find such a treasure in order to use that for carrying away large amounts of treasure.
Class Specific Tools
In 1st Edition (and many of the early editions) classes were very specific. If one wanted to turn undead then you had to be a cleric or paladin. If you wanted to pick locks or disarm traps then you had to be a thief (bard, assassins and monks had limited abilities). Those lines get blurred a little in later editions. But certain tools were necessary regardless of what edition that you play.
Prayer beads are one tool that a Cleric might want to have with him. Another is holy water. And of course the holy symbol is essential for turning the undead away.
And of course a mirror is essential if one wants to determine whether someone met might be a vampire. A silver one is best of course.
Thieves, of course, have their own class specific tools. Specifically their set of burglar tools. These are the items that give the thief the ability to pick locks and disarm traps. Skeleton keys for opening doors. Clamps and saws for jamming triggers and cutting through the mechanisms that set off a trap are part of this kit.
Of course, assassins, might also use these tools. And in 1st Edition even monks had some limited thief abilities as well as bards.
Other Useful Tools in the Dungeons
There are many other important items to have with you when you explore the dangerous places beneath the earth. Such places are not always easy to get into. And often they are even more difficult to get out of .
Rope is useful for getting into and out of such places. Sometimes stairs have collapsed. Sometimes climbing is required. Without rope climbing is difficult for those who do not have serious climbing skills such as thieves.
Iron spikes for hammering into the walls makes climbing a little easier. The spikes above were used in medieval Europe.
And of course…one never wants to starve while down in the dungeon. It would be tragic to avoid all of those nasty beasts and then die from hunger. Iron rations are essential.
Of course, rations, come in many forms. But if one wants to haul it around with them it is best to stick to basic things that take up little room and don’t weigh too much. And of course you better bring some water skins with you.
And unless you like being cold down in the dark you might want to be able to create fires. A tinder box is kind of an important thing to have with you. Of course….you will need to find things to burn down there…..
Mages and priests as well as the party mapmaker have special needs of their own. Specifically if they want to keep their scrolls and documents safe….they better have a place to keep them dry and out of harm.
Transportation
Equipment in Dungeons and Dragons goes further than the things one brings down into the depths. The 1st Edition PHB also discussed transportation to the dungeon as equipment to be purchased if needed. Horses are, of course, essential for long trips over land. But if one needs a ship….well the PHB covered that issue too. Warships, galleys and horse drawn carts were listed in the equipment guide in case one wanted to purchase such items. And for some adventures one might want to do just that.
Ships were required for travel over oceans and other large bodies of water. Some adventures might be on a lost island somewhere or even another continent.
Equipment in Dungeons and Dragons is Essential for Successful Adventure
If you want to succeed as an adventurer then you must bring the right gear. Without it you will surely fail. Creatures living beneath the land will have what they need to survive. Explorers must bring it with them. This puts the inhabitants of the underground lairs at an advantage. It may be one of the few advantages that they possess.
Other editions provide information on other objects one might wish to bring along for the ride. Grappling hooks, explorer kits, priest packs, etc. But I will not go into those here. I would assume that most of those things above are included in those adventurer type kits used in the later editions. Adventuring is a business in some fantasy realms. And as a business there are standard types of equipment offered. In other places, where adventurers are more scarce, the adventurers themselves must determine what they need and what equipment will suffice for their needs.
