Things to have:

• Shovel

• Chalk & Chalk Powder

• Glue & Solvent

• Extra sacks

• Hidden daggers

• Hidden material components

• Hidden Thieves’ Tools

• Hammer

• Nails

• Pitons

• Backup weapon with different type (Blunt, Slash, Pierce) than main weapon

• Backup Light Weapon

• Ranged weapon (everyone should have one!)

• Pre-knotted rope

• Spiked Gauntlets!

• Special material weapons: cold iron, silver / silversheen, adamantite

• Something flammable (oil, alchemist’s fire, etc)

• Torches

• Multiple ropes

• Grappling hook

• Crowbar

• Holy water

• Healer’s Kit

• Climbing Kit

• Backup armor (lighter, that can be slept in, or you can swim in; preferably both)

• A spare shield, even if you don’t normally use one

• Something to write on / with

Things to do:

• Listen at the door

• Check for traps

• Avoid clumping up the party (i.e. “fireball formation”)

• Avoid stringing out the party more than 1-2 combat rounds move distance apart

• Scout

• Don’t let the scout engage first

• Find cover

• Make cover!

• Focus Fire

• Burn the dead

• Know where the other party members are (combat, urban, etc)

• Arrange meeting places and times

• Protect the campsite (traps, chimes, guard animals…)

• Protect your room in the Inn (locks, alarms, spells)

• Leave backup valuables with trusted NPCs (clerics of your deity, etc)

• Take notes

• Make maps

• Buy maps in game

• Carry a dagger in your teeth when hands are busy

• Hide equipment on your character’s body, and WRITE IT DOWN (that way the DM can’t accuse you of making it up on the spot!)

• Tell the DM which weapon(s) you have drawn/readied.  Ask the DM if you can be assumed to have a weapon in hand at all times, or not.  Usually, on longer trips, people don’t carry a weapon drawn all the time (it’s very tiring!).

Things to arrange:

• Default marching orders

• Secret phrases or calls for assistance (e.g. whistle, crow caw, owl hoot)

• Who is the party spokesman

• Who can move steathily
• Where the next meetup place is if you get separated