Things to have:
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Shovel
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Chalk & Chalk Powder
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Glue & Solvent
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Extra sacks
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Hidden daggers
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Hidden material components
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Hidden Thieves’ Tools
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Hammer
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Nails
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Pitons
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Backup weapon with different type (Blunt, Slash, Pierce) than main weapon
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Backup Light Weapon
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Ranged weapon (everyone should have one!)
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Pre-knotted rope
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Spiked Gauntlets!
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Special material weapons: cold iron, silver / silversheen, adamantite
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Something flammable (oil, alchemist’s fire, etc)
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Torches
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Multiple ropes
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Grappling hook
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Crowbar
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Holy water
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Healer’s Kit
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Climbing Kit
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Backup armor (lighter, that can be slept in, or you can swim in; preferably both)
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A spare shield, even if you don’t normally use one
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Something to write on / with
Things to do:
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Listen at the door
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Check for traps
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Avoid clumping up the party (i.e. “fireball formation”)
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Avoid stringing out the party more than 1-2 combat rounds move distance apart
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Scout
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Don’t let the scout engage first
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Find cover
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Make cover!
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Focus Fire
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Burn the dead
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Know where the other party members are (combat, urban, etc)
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Arrange meeting places and times
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Protect the campsite (traps, chimes, guard animals…)
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Protect your room in the Inn (locks, alarms, spells)
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Leave backup valuables with trusted NPCs (clerics of your deity, etc)
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Take notes
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Make maps
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Buy maps in game
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Carry a dagger in your teeth when hands are busy
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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!)
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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:
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Default marching orders
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Secret phrases or calls for assistance (e.g. whistle, crow caw, owl hoot)
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Who is the party spokesman
- Who can move steathily
- Where the next meetup place is if you get separated