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PFS field survival guide (useful items for everyone) - Will Dover - 05-03-2017
(OP by Jordan James, edited for changes)
Here we have just a simple list of some items I have found to be ridiculously useful/critical to have around for those situations where, if you arent prepared, its a tpk.
Please do reply with items Ive missed (there will be many) because the sole intention here is to provide a helpful thread for fellow adventurers and to have a little fun in writing it.
So:
PFS is pretty frakking dangerous, especially depending on the GM (see entry under devils, aka Joe C.). Sometimes the right consumable item can really shine, and I mean this in ADDITION to a spare weapon for the more martially inclined, since a proper disarm / sunder will otherwise leave you with the grand option of a two-handed grip on your erect <blank> (this applies triple to dual wielders, as dual wielding your <blank> is just painful to consider).
So, what are some things that are just stupidly wonderful to have available in a pinch (and sometimes not generally well known)?
Elixir of Spirit Sight: 1,000gp : 1k gp for 1 minute of see invisibility and ghost touch for both your weapons and armor. Brown matter on a biscuit, thats kinda awesome! Incorporeal entities got you down with strength drains and random irritating bs that ignores your armor and halves your damage, go to town on them with this silly wonderful concoction. From the module Serpents Skull: City of Seven Spears.
Bladeguard: 40gp : Straight outta the APG and into your martially-inclined characters inventory: This clear resin protects a weapon from harmful attacks from oozes, rust monsters, and similar effects that corrode or melt weapons, rendering the weapon immune for 24 hours. One pot can coat one two-handed weapon, two one-handed or light weapons, or 50 ammunition items. Applying it takes 1 full round. Immersing the weapon in water or similar liquid washes it off. Thats pretty stupidly useful for its cost, though to be fair you could get very, very drunk off that much gold at a nice inn, but still.
Potion of Feather Step: 50gp : More APG spell goodness, bottled for your convenience. For 10 minutes you can ignore difficult terrain, and even take 5-foot steps in such an area, oh HE.. YES! Seriously, have you got one of those wizards in your party, you know the type, crazy bastard throwing around stone call, sleet storm, and other such "control" type spells thinking hes all awesome when all he is really doing is making it impossible for you to move, this bottle is your answer (you can even throw the empty remains at the wizard afterwards as a free action!). Smart wizards of the above type also keep a couple of these on hand.
Potion of Invigorate: 50gp :But Verse (thats me), you already told us about an awesome potion from the APG, are you getting senile!? I know, my fair friend, but wait, theres MORE! Going into battle with a creature that can sap your endurance, leaving you fatigued or exhausted (or just need to last that teeny bit longer for, uh, something...), this potion will banish that pathetic mortal weakness and allow you to ignore the associated penalties for 10 WHOLE MINUTES. Of course, when it runs out, you get not only the penalties, but an extra d6 nonlethal damage for your arrogance in ignoring your natural limits, but hey, performance enhancements are just an easy way of separating winners from losers! Honestly, though, ignoring those penalties for 10 minutes, thats frakking awesome for 50gp.
Potion of Delay Poison: 300gp : 300gp might sound like a lot after the 50gp gems we discussed earlier, but for it, you get to tell any and all poisons that may course through your veins (or whatever) for the next HOUR to sit down, shut up, and wait for you to finish beating the stuffing out of the poor fool that thought poisoning you would be its ticket to victory. This is like anti toxin, but sexy.
Cracked Pale Green Ioun Stone: 4,000gp :I know, I know, 4k, what the FRAK Verse!? Not only is that harsh, but its not even a consumable item, ahhhh, but that just makes it more awesome. This is some "Seeker of Secrets" goodness here, and provides a +1 COMPETENCE bonus to all saving throws. You know what other items provide a competence bonus to saving throws... neither do I, which makes this hotter than a Qadiran tavern wench on cosplay day. Just short of 5k for your +3 Cloak of Resistance, merry Christmas! Just bought your +3 cloak and wondering how youll ever afford +4 so you dont get pwned by a hold person spell, ioun got you covered bro!
Cracked Dusty Rose Ioun Stone: 500gp :Thats not consumable either fool! I know, I know, but look, like above, this is a +1 COMPETENCE bonus to your initiative checks! I ask you, sir, how often do you roll initiative checks? I then ask you, sir, how many items provide competence bonuses to initiative, eh, eh, well, I mean aside from anything that adds a competency bonus to dex checks, or that something rather rapier for swashbucklers, or, you know what, just shut up and accept that an unslotted, cheap competence bonus to something you roll all the time is ballin yo.
Smoked Goggles: 10gp : Bah, fine, forget the consumables part at the top, arrright, null and void! So, medusa, basilisks, and other gaze-type critters suck. You can avert your eyes (50% chance to avoid the gaze, 20% miss chance that round), or close them (immune to the gaze, but then everything gains total concealment from you, which kinda sucks). The answer, these cheap as dirt goggles grant you a +8 CIRCUMSTANCE bonus to your saving throw vs. the gaze, and all you suffer is a 20% miss chance (and a -4 to perception checks, I know, a real deal breaker there if youre using these for combat). More APG goodness.
Smelling Salts: 25gp :Speaking of APG goodness, one last entry, the stupidly useful smelling salts. These sharply scented gray crystals cause people inhaling them to regain consciousness. Smelling salts grant you a new saving throw to resist any spell or effect that has already rendered you unconscious or staggered. If exposed to smelling salts while dying, you immediately become conscious and staggered, but must still make stabilization checks each round; if you perform any standard action (or any other strenuous action) you take 1 point of damage after completing the act and fall unconscious again. A container of smelling salts has dozens of uses if stoppered after each use, but depletes in a matter of hours if left opened. Thats just nifty.
Update #1
Bracers of Archery, Lesser: 5k : wrist slot : +1 to hit with a bow youre already proficient with is ok, but the hidden gem is that it works like the greater variety in terms of providing you proficiency with ANY bow (excluding crossbows). For characters without any bow proficiency or chaffing under a short bow only restriction, save the feat, drop 5k, and be happy mon!
Elixirs: 250gp : These are pretty well known, but just in case, for a paltry 250gp you can pack potions for a +10 competence bonus on hide, swim, acrobatics and perception checks. Handy, but keep in mind the swimming one is sorta boned by the touch of sea potion below.
Golembane Scarab: 2.5k : neck slot : Detect golems at will within 60ft and ignore their DR with weapon, unarmed, or natural attacks. This can be a nice little package of helpfulness here!
Pathfinders Pouch: 1k : This little gem from Seeker of Secrets functions as a small bag of holding, allowing one to store up to 10lb of items within its 2 cubic feet limit. Why is it special, because detect magic aint got nothing on this pro, thus a Pathfinder can keep important or dangerous items safe in its confines with little worry from guards, customs, and random searches. Even if opened and turned upside-down with a shake, as long as the proper command word remains unspoken, nothing in the extradimensional space will fall out.
Potion of Bestow Grace : 400gp : For good characters only, but this can be a sweet bonus if you happen to have the rare positive charisma modifier (and arent already a paladin). For 4 minutes you get a sacred bonus to all of your saving throws equal to your charisma score bonus. Thats almost good enough to make me consider being good, almost...
Oil of Weapon of Awe : 300gp : For 3 minutes your weapon not only gains a +2 sacred bonus to damage rolls, but also, if you score a critical hit, causes the creature hit to become shaken for 1 round with NO save. Cant be used on natural weapons (though yes for unarmed strikes (go figure)), but there is gravy that when used on ranged weapons it applies to missiles fired. Loving some of these APG spells.
Potion of Touch of Sea : 50gp : For a measly 50gp, you get a 30ft swim speed, +8 competence bonuses on swim checks, the ability to take 10 on swim checks even when distracted or endangered, and even use the run action while swimming. While this is more than enough to leave the poor elixir of swimming curled up in a corner drunk and crying tears of bitter shame, the one caveat is that it doesnt enable you to breath underwater, but for 1 minute of duration, you are bloody well near a seal.
Update #2
The following are from the Pathfinder Society Field Guide:
Air Crystals : 50gp : An inexpensive personal bottle of air. Find yourself underwater, in a void, or otherwise bereft of air, pop some of these beauties in your mouth and youve got 1 minute of breathing space to plan your escape (note that you cant talk while chewing on these crystals).
Comfort (armor special ability) : 5k : Whoa, seriously? Ok, for 5k (doesnt even take up a slot of enhancement bonus on your armor!) you get armor that is always clean, doesnt penalize you in hot weather, counts as cold-weather clothing in cold weather, reduces armor check penalties by 1 (minimum 0), AND regardless of what kind of armor it is it can be slept in as if it were light armor! Note that only applies to being slept in, but my goodness, for anyone concerned about getting caught without their armor in the night this is some sweet solution cake with all kinds of gooey icing on top.
Dweomers Essence : 500gp : HOLY WHAT THE!? CASTERS TAKE NOTE! 500gp for a one off pinch of powder may seem insane, until you notice that you can add it as an extra material component to any spell you are casting for a +5 bonus to your caster level to overcome spell resistance. Its like an on demand rod of piercing spell, except its available whenever you need it, STACKS with piercing spell if you really need that spell to land, and doesnt cost you an action to get out a rod or an additional level to apply the metamagic. This is the sort of awesome that Id pay more than 500gp for, so enjoy and keep some in the component pouch!
Fortunate Charm : 3k : Anything that can help alleviate the terrible pain of lame dice is wonderful, and this neck slot beauty does just that once per day on a failed skill or concentration check. Since failing checks like that can often result in EXTREMELY severe consequences, 3k for that kind of love is just sweet.
Runestone of Power : 2k - wow thats a lot of gold : Ever looked longingly at wizards and their fancy pearls of power letting them get free spells, well as long as youre a bard, inquisitor, oracle, sorcerer or summoner you are in LUCK (other casters are screwed since they can already spontaneously cast certain spells). For the cost of double an equivalent pearl of power, once per day (per runestone, of course) a spell you cast of its level uses the runestones power and not one of your limited spells per day.
Potion of Stalwart Resolve : 300gp : New cleric spells to the rescue! For 3 rounds per pop, this little gem lets you ignore ability damage and penalties to any one ability score of your choice (unless it equals your total ability score, in which case youre still screwed). Short duration and doesnt protect you from ability drain, but when you really need to shake off some bad ability damage and get back into the fight, this is what you need.
Now for a few from the Adventurers Armory:
Weapon Cord : 1sp : Cheap as dirt and twice as useful! If you are disarmed or drop your weapon, it never moves further away from you than an adjacent square and you can recover it as a SWIFT action. The caveat, you cannot wield another weapon with the same hand the cord is tied to, and removing the cord is either a full-round action (untying) or move action (cutting). Great for archers who never want to be separated from their bow.
Spring Loaded Wrist Sheath : 5gp : Retrieve any dagger, dart, wand, or equivalent sized object (forearm length or so) as a swift action. Let me provide a simple example of why this is awesome. Friend is 20 feet away and dying, you move to them, and get out your wand, are out of actions, and they die at your feet. With this, you move to them, produce your wand of cure light wounds with a swift flourish, and save their life. Wear one of these on each wrist and use it however you see fit. Rods will not fit into them.
Antiplague : 50gp : Getting diseased can be really bad. Use this if you know youre moving into an area where such might be likely for an hour of +5 alchemical bonus to fort saves against disease goodness. Even better, if youre already diseased, this will let you make two saves (no +5 bonus though!) and use the better result. Good thing to have.
Vermin Repellent : 5gp : Not a perfect defense, but keeps individual vermin away and swarms of vermin must make a DC 15 fort save to enter your square. Not bad for a four hour buff.
Allnight : 75gp : Recommending "herbs" and "black market items", I love this guide! Allnight eliminates the effects of fatigue for 8 hours, during which time you suffer a -2 on all skill checks and when the duration runs out, youre exhausted. The good news, combine a couple doses with a couple potions of lesser restoration and you are the energizer bunny.
And a few other generally useful items to have around:
Potion of Blur : 300gp : Kyle mentioned this early on and I forgot to add it in! Sure the miss chance may only be 20%, but there are a couple nice bonuses during its 3 minute duration. First, since you gain concealment, most precision based damage (a la sneak attack) wont work on you unless the user has some pretty special feats. Second, if you like to stealth then here is your bottle of hide in plain sight since this grants you that necessary concealment you need to get your hide on.
Oil of Align Weapon : 300gp : Your go to spell when you need a weapon to bypass DR of the evil / good / lawful / chaotic types. 3 minutes per use so should last long enough to even apply before combat if you know whats around the corner.
Potion of Remove Sickness : 50gp : For 10 minutes gain a +4 morale bonus on saves vs. disease, sickened, and nausea effects or suppress effects already being experienced for the duration of the spell. While being sickened is annoying and nice to be able to banish, some diseases and especially being nauseated really can make you useless so this is a life saver. Pro tip, when youre nauseated you cant take standard actions, so either pour this down a nauseated allys throat on your turn, or hold it out and have one of your comrades do the same for you.
Potion of Negate Aroma : 50gp : For the sneaky types that are sick and tired of being given away by scent, one hit off this potion and youve got 1 hour of scentless scouting as long as you dont get doused in a new, smelly substance.
I know there is more, but those are a few I really wanted to throw out! Post with other great options and we might just survive an extra encounter or two!
Updates from Other Posts
Antitoxin : 50gp : +5 bonus to Fort saves versus poison is a good and wonderful thing.
Bloodblock : 25gp : Gives a +5 bonus to Heal checks for first aid and such and can end a bleed effect.
Clear Spindle Ioun Stone : 4000 gp : Not only does it sustain a creature without food or water, but, when slotted in a Wayfinder, provides protection from possession and mental control (as protection from evil).
Potion of Infernal Healing : 50 gp : Aside from the obvious healing aspect, drink one before a big fight and don't worry about stabilizing or bleeds for that minute. Also available as an oil for rubbing on your animal companion or as a 2PP wand.
Potion of Lesser Restoration : 300 gp : Why wait three rounds when you really need the boost?
Earplugs : 3 cp : Cheap as dirt, but like smoked goggles useful against auditory attacks.
Alchemical Grease : 5 gp : Four hours of +5 to escape artist, +5 to CMD vs grapples, and checks to get out of grapple.
Meditation Tea : 30 gp : Make tea for your bound dominated friends to give them another saving throw at +2.
Tanglefoot Bag : 50 gp : -2 to hit and -4 to dex, plus an opportunity to make something unable to fly. And it halves movement speed. Downside is its weight and ineffectiveness against Huge or larger creatures.
Tangleburn Bag : 150 gp : The tanglefoot bag's bigger brother, which potentially adds burning for rounds. Same downsides as the tanglefoot bag.
Gloves of Reconnaissance : 2000 gp : For up to 10 non-consecutive rounds a day you can see & hear through up to 15 feet of solid matter. Know when and how to buff before going through a door. Question for the board: wasn't t this item nerfed in some way? Please note in the comments.
I started reviving this thread, but have run out of time today to add other posts from the Wayback archive. If you all think this is a good idea to revive it, I will continue updating it later.
RE: PFS field survival guide (useful items for everyone) - liamfisher - 05-04-2017
very useful
RE: PFS field survival guide (useful items for everyone) - Abraham Z - 05-04-2017
Yes, very useful. Please do add other posts from Wayback if it's not too much trouble.
RE: PFS field survival guide (useful items for everyone) - Doonamis - 05-05-2017
I agree. I remember reading this post a lot when I was starting out.
RE: PFS field survival guide (useful items for everyone) - Edward McGee - 05-05-2017
Wrist sheath and the spring-loaded version has been updated to include a potion or scroll but not a rod.