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Aboleth Mucus
Price: 20 GP
Weight: 1#
(Savage Species p. 46)
This is one of the cheapest and deadliest poisons in the game, although not actually a poison so there's no check to see if you accidentally poison yourself. Thrown as a grenade-like weapon, so make a ranged touch attack to hit (no splash effect). If the creature fails a Fort save DC 19, it loses the ability to breathe air for 3 hours. A creature can hold it's breath for a number of rounds equal to twice its Constitution score, so it essentially has that many rounds to find someone who can cast water breathing or air breathing. Delay poison and neutralize poison won't help (it's not a poison), dispel magic won't help (it's non-magical), deep breath (Spell Compendium) won't work (it fills your lungs with air you still can't breathe), sticking your head in a bucket of water won't help (the mucus doesn't confer the ability to breathe water), and there may be a good argument that a heal spell won't work, either (unable to breathe isn't one of the conditions listed in the spell description). After failing a Con check, the creature starts to suffocate and falls unconscious, and two rounds later it dies. So while it may take a little longer than poison (2-3 minutes), getting hit with this is pretty much a death sentence for most creatures.
Acidic Fire (x2, 30 GP ea.)
Price: 60 GP
Weight: 2#
(Eberron Campaign Setting p. 120)
What's better than burning things with acid? Burning things with flaming acid! Rather than carry separate flasks of Acid and Alchemist's Fire, it saves space to combine them into the same bottle. Although combining the two substances drops the damage die to 1d4, if you hit a creature that is still vulnerable to both acid and fire (I'm looking at you, Mr. Troll), you actually come out slightly ahead on the average damage (7.5 damage for Acidic Fire, 7 damage for Alchemist's Fire, and 3.5 damage for just plain ol' acid). The 2 points of splash damage isn't too shabby, either. Give a sack full of 19 flasks of Acidic Fire to an unseen servant and it can drop it in a square for 38 splash damage, no save.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 25
Alchemical Flare Stake (x3, 15 GP ea.)
Price: 45 GP
Weight: 0.3#
(Expedition to Castle Ravenloft p. 208)
One-shot item, treated as a dagger, does 1d6 fire damage against corporeal undead. It also lodges into the undead's body and does an additional 1d6 fire damage every round (the undead creature, assuming it isn't mindless, can remove all stakes with a standard action). There's no duration listed, so it apparently continues to burn until the creature is dead or the stake is removed. There are also alchemical flare bolts for the same price, but they don't do additional damage on subsequent rounds. Although the description says treat the stakes like daggers for proficiency purposes, I'm not clear on whether they can be thrown Buffy-style like daggers... but it would be pure awesomesauce if they could.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 20
Alchemical Sun Flash
Price: 50 GP
Weight: 1#
(Expedition to Castle Ravenloft p. 208)
Works just like alchemist's fire, but also explodes with a burst of daylight that dazzles creatures that are light sensitive, no save. Vampires are also staggered for one round, no save.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 25
Amber Amulet of Vermin: Giant Wasp
Price: 800 GP
Weight: --
(Magic Item Compendium p. 68)
Flying mount you can summon 1/day for up to 1 minute. It can also fight if need be, provide flanking, block hallways, test for traps, take out the garbage, etc.
Angel Radiance
Price: 20 GP
Weight: --
(Book of Exalted Deeds p. 37)
Bunko's Bargain Basement recommends Liquid Sunlight (Complete Scoundrel p. 110) as a cheap everburning torch, but this item is even better: same price, shines like a torch, but as a spell component it can be drawn as a free action.
Animal Call
Price: 20 GP
Weight: --
(Arms & Equipment Guide p. 21)
+1 circumstance bonus on Survival checks to find food, stacks with Fowler's Snare (+1 circumstance, Arms & Equipment Guide) and Hunter's Kit (+2 circumstance, Secrets of Xendrik). Also can be used as a signal device.
Antitoxin (x4, 50 GP ea.)
Price: 200 GP
Weight: --
(PHB)
Where else are you going to find a +5 alchemical bonus on saves for only 50 GP? Chug one of these vials when you know you're up against a creature using poison, and you've got a good chance to save yourself the cost of a neutralize poison potion or scroll. Lasts 1 hour.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 20
Atramen Oil
Price: 50 GP
Weight: 1#
(Planar Handbook p. 75)
Throw as a grenade-like splash weapon, ranged touch attack with a 10' range increment, direct hit on a target takes -4 penalty on Fort saves for 1 minute. Any creature in the 5' splash gets a similar -1 penalty on Fort saves. Great way to soften up a target for poison or some other Fort-based attack.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 20
Auran Mask
Price: 60 GP
Weight: --
(Complete Mage p. 134)
Provides a +5 circumstance bonus against inhaled toxins (which stacks with Antitoxin), but this is easily overshadowed by 10 minutes of water breathing. Requires less upkeep than Air Plants. For longer durations, consider a potion of water breathing for 750 GP, which lasts for 10 hours.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 25
Bead of Beckoning
Price: 2000 GP
Weight: --
(Arms & Equipment Guide p. 135)
This one-shot item lets you cast summon nature's ally IV, which has a lot of utility: elemental (whirlwind, earthglide), unicorn (CLW x3, CMW, neutralize poison), 1d3 thoqqua (dig permanent tunnels through solid rock), or 1d4+1 badgers (dig through softer earth). Lasts 10 rounds.
Bitterleaf Oil
Price: 25 GP
Weight: --
(Races of the Dragon p. 122)
Although created and used by kobolds to prevent shedding, there's nothing in the description that says it can't be used by non-kobolds. Boosts natural healing, gain 1 HP per character level (up to a maximum of 5 HP) after a full night's rest. Each bottle contains 10 applications. Combine with a Magic Bedroll (Magic Item Compendium) for even more natural healing.
Black Fan Talisman
Price: 150 GP
Weight: --
(Oriental Adventures p. 136)
This wonderful little one-shot item provides a +10 circumstance bonus on Diplomacy checks, and it lasts an *HOUR*. A Diplomancer can do a lot of damage in an hour.
Blessed Bandage
Price: 10 GP
Weight: --
(Magic Item Compendium p. 152)
Immediately stabilize a dying creature. While there are dozens of ways to stabilize or heal someone below 0 HPs, the main advantage of this item is it can be used untrained without a Heal check, so it can be applied by an unseen servant, wood wose, etc.
Bloodspike, Spatter
Price: 50 GP
Weight: --
(Magic of Eberron p. 140)
Adds 1 acid damage to bite attack for 1 hour, or end effect with a free action to spit 1d6 acid damage as a ranged touch attack.
Bloodspike, Tempo
Price: 150 GP
Weight: --
(Magic of Eberron p. 140)
Within one hour, expend to take an additional move action on your turn.
Bloodspike, Thickener
Price: 100 GP
Weight: --
(Magic of Eberron p. 140)
For one hour, weapon damage reduced by 1 point (minimum 1).
Cablespool
Price: 175 GP
Weight: 6#
(Savage Species p. 46)
100' winch that pulls with a Strength of 16 (lift 230 lbs, drag 1150 lbs). While the cable is too thin to climb up for anybody except a Desmodu, you can use it to descend up to 100' without taking any falling damage.
Camouflage Paint
Price: 1500 GP
Weight: 0.5#
(Magic Item Compendium p. 153)
+5 circumstance bonus to Hide checks, stacks with Blend Cream (+1 alchemical, Complete Adventurer) and Camouflage Kit (+2 circumstance, Complete Adventurer). Lasts for five applications.
Candle, Focusing
Price: 100 GP
Weight: 1#
(Complete Adventurer p. 118)
+1 circumstance bonus on Appraise, Decipher Script, Forgery, and Search checks. Note: if you think you'll need this for longer than an hour, you can increase the duration to 15 days (365 days / 24 hours = 15.21 days) with a little Unguent of Timelessness (19 GP per dose, DMG).
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 25
Candle, Insectbane (x10, 1 SP ea.)
Price: 1 GP
Weight: --
(Arms & Equipment Guide p. 21)
Keeps nonmonstrous vermin away, 5' radius, burns for 1 hour. Vermin Ointment (Secrets of Xendrik p. 139, included below) does the same thing and costs 20 GP, but it also affects monstrous vermin if they fail a Fortitude save DC 15. If you're surrounded by inexhaustible number of insect swarms, 10 hours should be long enough to allow all your spellcasters to rest and regain spells.
Chaos Flask (x2, 100 GP ea.)
Price: 200 GP
Weight: 1#
(Planar Handbook p. 76)
Make a Wisdom check DC 13 as a free action to shape this material into almost any non-magical object of the same volume or smaller (depending on the material or density). Similar to a one-shot Marvelous Pigments, but no price limit. Most alchemical items are small and non-magical, so this is a great wild card to have up your sleeve. Know what else is small and non-magical? Vials of poison. For only 100 GP, you can whip up a vial of Black Lotus Extract at a 4400 GP discount. (The nastiest poison in print is Megapede Poison, DC 44, primary/secondary 2d6 Con damage + 1d4 Dex penalty, 24000 GP, Dungeonscape p. 129.) Lasts a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom score, but as long as your Wis is 11+, that should be long enough for the poison's secondary effect to kick in. Another good use would be expensive material components for spells. Need 5,000 GP diamond for a raise dead? (Sadly, this won't work for resurrection's 10 minute casting time unless your Wis is 100+.) Also, check out Flux Slime (Epic Level Handbook p. 107): 10' antimagic field, permanently disjunct magic items (no save), or 2d6 Con damage (no save) against any creature with (Su) or SLA abilities. If destroyed by cold, fire, or sunlight, it explodes and every creature within 50' may get a permanent random mutation.
Clearwater Tablet
Price: 1 GP
Weight: --
(Complete Scoundrel p. 110)
Removes any disease, poison, or other toxins from 1 gallon of water. Doesn't work on magical potions, oils, or alcohol-based liquids, and clean water ceases to be much of an issue once you get hold of a Travel Cloak, but you never know where it might come in handy.
Dagger, Riverine
Price: 2002 GP
Weight: 1#
(Stormwrack p. 128)
Wall of force in the shape of a dagger. Backup weapon for dealing with ethereal and incorporeal creatures. Note: add Rusting as a +1 enhancement (Shining South) to destroy any ferrous metal object with the equivalent of rusting grasp at will.
Defoliator
Price: 20 GP
Weight: 1#
(Arms & Equipment Guide p. 33)
Grenade-like weapon that does 2d4 damage to plant creatures and auto-kills any non-creature plant that is size medium or smaller in a 5' radius burst, AKA a "Get Out of Entangle Free Card". Since all slimes, molds, and fungi are treated as plants (and are not considered creatures), this item also instantly kills Green Slime, Yellow Mold, Brown Mold (DMG), Snowflake Lichen (Frostburn), Grey Slime, and Bone Fungus (Dungeonscape) in a 5' radius. It also does 2d4 damage to wooden objects, dissolving them like acid, although hardness still applies.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 20
Drow House Insignia
Price: 360/2160/5400 GP
Weight: 1#
(Races of Faerun p. 173)
These unique necklaces are used to identify which noble house a drow belongs to, but they also have one low-level spell that can be activated 1/day. The level of the spell determines the price (1st = 360 GP, 2nd = 2160 GP, 3rd = 5400 GP). The available spells include: blur, cat's grace, cloak of dark power, comprehend languages, feather fall, jump, levitate, read magic, scatterspray, shield, spider climb, unseen servant, and water breathing. The one we're most interested in is unseen servant. See the entry for Collar of Perpetual Attendance below if you're not sure why. Upgrade to the Collar as soon as finances permit.
Earplugs
Price: 3 SP
Weight: --
(Arms & Equipment Guide p. 22)
+1 circumstance bonus on saves against deafness and sonic attacks.
Eggshell Grenade, Dust (x10, 10 GP ea.)
Price: 100 GP
Weight: --
(Oriental Adventures p. 78)
Thrown as a grenade-like weapon, so make a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 5'. A dust grenade that hits its target directly blinds the target for 1d4 rounds *NO SAVE*. Anyone else within the 5' radius splash must make a Fort save DC 10 or be blinded for 1 round. This is an amazingly effective weapon that works on a wide variety of opponents, but don't overuse this one or your DM will come down on you with a banhammer like a ton of bricks.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 20
Expandable Pole
Price: 5 GP
Weight: 1#
(Song & Silence p. 53)
Every adventurer needs the obligatory 10' pole, but this one "goes to 11". It can be adjusted to 5', 7', 9', or 11' lengths, or collapsed down to 1'. Another version, called a Mobile Brace, can be found in Races of Faerun, which has more detailed rules on how much weight it can support and for using it to secure a rope for climbing, but it weights 3 lbs. Dungeonscape has a similar "Collapsable Pole" that goes out to 12', but it weighs 8 lbs. I chose this version to conserve weight.
Everfull Mug
Price: 200 GP
Weight: --
(Magic Item Compendium p. 160)
While I'm offended by the rather suspicious definition of "everfull", this mug can provide up to 36 ounces (half a six pack? That's "everfull"?) per day of alcoholic beverage, and is less weight than a bottle of wine.
Explosive Pack
Price: 200 GP
Weight: 2#
(Secrets of Sarlona p. 138)
An alchemical explosive that can be set to go off after a predetermined time, usually 1 to 10 rounds. 1d6 bludgeoning and slashing damage in a 5' radius burst. Full-round action that provokes AoOs to activate. For another 200 GP, you can add 2 lbs of explosives and increase the damage by 1d6, and for each 3d6 damage, the blast radius increases by 5', up to a maximum of 10d6 and 20'. A Profession (Siege Engineer) check DC 20 causes double damage to objects, and a DC 30 check does triple. Note: the DMG has slightly cheaper bombs (150 GP for 2d6 fire damage) if you're just looking for something you can light and throw.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 26
Fast Torch (x3, 5 GP ea.)
Price: 15 GP
Weight: 1.5#
(Complete Mage p. 134)
When you absolutely, positively must light something on fire with only a swift action.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 20
Feather Fall Talisman
Price: 50 GP
Weight: --
(Sharn City of Towers p. 170)
One-shot item, activate feather fall as a free action. While there are a variety of similar items to prevent falling damage, this is the cheapest.
Feather Token, Fan
Price: 200 GP
Weight: --
(DMG)
One-shot item to get rid of smoke, obscuring mist, pyrotechnics, fog cloud, stinking cloud, cloudkill, solid fog, acid fog, etc. If you can afford it, consider upgrading to a Wind Fan (5500 GP, DMG).
Feather Token, Swan Boat
Price: 450 GP
Weight: --
(DMG)
Aside from the utility of having a boat when you really need one, the ability to create a large wooden structure at a moment's notice has plenty of other applications. Unfortunately, we're not given a size or weight, but given that it can accommodate 8 horses, we know it's at least 20' x 40' or 10' x 80'. The boat can be used to block a passage, divide a battlefield, provide hard cover, an enclosed place to sleep, raw materials for a large bonfire or giant wooden badger, or squish something nasty, e.g., what I like to call the Swan Boat of Death: give your feather token to an unseen servant or someone who can fly over whatever it is you want to flatten. At a height of 10', falling object damage caps at 20d6. If we assume the swan boat weighs at least 4000 lbs (pretty safe bet for a 20' x 40' boat), anything underneath it when the token is activated takes 20d6 falling object damage, no save (yes, it's in the falling object rules, no Ref save to avoiding falling objects). When you can afford it, upgrade to a Folding Boat (7200 GP) so you can use it over and over again.
Feather Token, Tree
Price: 400 GP
Weight: --
(DMG)
Much like the swan boat, the tree token offers a variety of battlefield control possibilities. Block off a narrow passage, provide hard cover, put an easily-climbable object next to a shear wall, chop it down to cross a chasm/create a 60' wall 5' high, or just piss off a druid. The description goes out of its way to mention it's an instantaneous effect, so you could try the "drop it on somebody from above" trick.
Feather Token, Whip
Price: 500 GP
Weight: --
(DMG)
This is a great low-level item to have around if you can't afford a +1 weapon yet and suddenly stumble into something that has DR/magic. It attacks as a magic weapon on its own, 15' reach, lasts an hour, and it gets a free grapple with a pretty hefty bonus, denying the target its Dex bonus and making the party rogue very happy. The only real downside is if your DM decides it gets all of the disadvantages of an ordinary whip: nonlethal damage, and no damage if the target has an armor bonus of +1 or a natural armor bonus of +3. The item description doesn't specify, but I'd like to think it does lethal damage even against armored targets.
Firestone
Price: 50 GP
Weight: 0.5#
(Dragon Compendium p. 117)
Thrown as a grenade-like weapon, it does 1d6 fire damage, but unlike a splash weapon, it has an area effect that damages everything in the 5' square without a Ref save. Ranged touch attacks are pretty easy to begin with, but targeting a stationary square rather than a creature makes them even ridiculously more so. This might allow you to throw a whole bag full of these into a square for Xd6 fire damage, X = however many firestones fit in the bag. Another interesting tactic might be to give this bag to an unseen servant, and have it drop or empty the bag into a square from above (doesn't require an attack roll). No weight was given in the Dragon Compendium or the original Dragon article, so I'm assuming a firestone weighs the same as a sling bullet (1/2 lb). Thus, an unseen servant could put 39 into a sack (20 lbs total) and drop it in a square for 39d6 fire damage, no save.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 25
Flint & Steel
Price: 1 GP
Weight: --
(PHB)
If your sparker burns out and your magnifying glass won't work, best to have this as a fallback.
Flour Pouch (x4, 1 SP ea.)
Price: 4 SP
Weight: --
(Dungeonscape p. 32)
Thrown as splash weapon, 5' burst. Locates invisible creatures, reduces their concealment to 20%, and reduces their hide bonus. To completely negate concealment, see Torch Bug Paste (25 GP, Complete Scoundrel).
Forger's Paper (x10, 10 GP ea.)
Price: 100 GP
Weight: --
(Complete Scoundrel p. 110)
+2 alchemical bonus on Forgery checks, so it stacks with a Forgery Kit (see below). In many ways, Forgery is more powerful than Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, or Intimidate put together. Why? Because it's resisted by Forgery, a skill no one ever takes. Stacks with Forgery Kit and Focusing Candle.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 20
Forgery Kit
Price: 40 GP
Weight: 5#
(Complete Adventurer p. 122)
+2 circumstance bonus on Forgery checks. This kit includes a variety of inks, papers, pens, and seals. Unfortunately, there was a price and weight increase from where it was first printed in the Arms & Equipment Guide, and any mention of waxes, guides and magnifying glasses was removed. Still, this is probably worth it just to avoid the fuss and bother of buying all the included items separately. Each kit lasts for 10 uses, and it stacks with Forger's Paper and a Focusing Candle.
Garlic (x10, 1 CP ea.)
Price: 1 SP
Weight: --
(Arms & Equipment Guide p. 31)
Mash a few cloves up into a paste and smear it on yourself, your equipment, or various openings/furniture to drive away vampires. Unlike wasting 150 GP on Alchemical Vampire Repellent (Expedition to Castle Ravenloft p. 209), garlic doesn't have a specific duration. The rules in the Monster Manual are pretty vague on mechanics, so you may want to work out with your DM how close vampires can approach and how long it lasts.
Ghostblight
Price: 100 GP
Weight: --
(Complete Adventurer p. 122)
Can be used with a Weapon Capsule Retainer (100 GP, Complete Adventurer) or applied as an oil with a standard action. Used against incorporeal creatures to ignore the 50% miss chance, lasts for 3 rounds. There's a similar substance in Libris Mortis called Ghostoil, but it takes a full round action to apply and only lasts for 2 rounds.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 35
Ghostwall Shellac
Price: 150 GP
Weight: 1#
(Dungeonscape p. 35)
This item requires at least 1 hour prep time and a gallon of water, so it won't help while you're being attacked by an incorporeal creature, but if you have time to paint your armor and weapons with this stuff (up to a 100 square feet), they'll work like Ghost Touch weapons/armor for 4d6 hours.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 30
Goodberry Wine
Price: 250 GP
Weight: 0.5#
(Five Nations p. 82)
Each jug contains 5 doses, so for 50 GP you get the equivalent of a maximized potion of cure light wounds (each dose heals 8 HP). This is a much better deal than the CLW potion or the Healing Salve from Tome & Blood. The only drawback is you're limited to one dose every 8 hours. Other benefits include it counts as a full meal for a medium creature, it works in the Mournland, and it uses transmutation magic so it should have full effect on a Warforged.
Hammersphere
Price: 1500 GP
Weight: 0.5#
(Magic Item Compendium p. 161)
An excellent fire-and-forget weapon that's effective against incorporeal/ethereal creatures and anything with DR.
Hand of the Mage
Price: 900 GP
Weight: 2#
(DMG)
A handy ("{groan}" "What?!") item to have around. Lift and manipulate any object up to 5 lbs within 35'. When you can afford to upgrade, pick up a Collar of Perpetual Attendance for unseen servant at will.
Holy Water
Price: 25 GP
Weight: 1#
(PHB)
Thrown as a splash weapon, 2d4 damage to undead and evil outsiders. There are equivalents for each major alignment (Unholy Water in the PHB, Axiomatic and Anarchic Water in the Planar Handbook), but undead and evil outsiders are much more common than any other alignment type. You can also douse incorporeal undead for 2d4 damage, but unfortunately they still get their 50% miss chance against this attack. In that case, load the Holy Water into a Sprayer (Arms & Equipment Guide p. 25) to turn it into an area effect which ignores concealment.
Icewild Lichen Paste
Price: 50 GP
Weight: --
(Secrets of Sarlona p. 138)
Reduces fatigue or exhaustion by a step for 2d4 hours. At the end of that duration, character is fatigued for 2d4 minutes. Multiple doses taken within 24 hours cause 1d4 Constitution damage.
Ioun Stone, Dull Grey
Price: 135 GP
Weight: --
(DMG 3.0)
A burned-out ioun stone (25 GP) no longer confers any magical effects, but it does still float around your head. Get your friendly neighborhood cleric to cast continual flame on it (which may cost 50 to 110 GP), and you can create a slotless light source that keeps your hands free.
Ipecac
Price: 50 GP
Weight: --
(Expedition to Castle Ravenloft p. 209)
If you ever get swallowed by a creature, empty this into its stomach. The creature is forced to regurgitate you, and is nauseated for 1d4 rounds, no save. It can also be used to induce vomiting after ingesting a poison, giving a +5 untyped bonus to the secondary effect. Each vial contains 10 doses.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 25
Jeweler's Loupe
Price: 20 GP
Weight: --
(Arms & Equipment Guide p. 24)
+1 circumstance bonus on Appraise checks with art/gems/jewelry. Combine with a magnifying glass for another +2 circumstance bonus. Make either of them masterwork for 50 GP and get another +2 circumstance bonus.
Kyo Crystals
Price: 50 GP
Weight: --
(Expedition to Undermountain p. 217)
One-shot items similar to potions, but unlike potions activating them with a standard action does not provoke an AoO. They cost the same as potions (I've listed a cost above for a 1st level spell because I thought they were the most useful), but the spell must be chosen from a limited list: burning hands, cure light wounds, cure moderate wounds (150 GP), cure serious wounds (250 GP), light (25 GP), mage armor, magic missle, magic weapon, mirror image (150 GP), or ray of frost (25 GP). Oddly enough, you don't have to have these spells on your spell list to create these items, so wizards can create cure crystals. Of the available spells, magic missle (autohit force damage) and magic weapon (easier than applying an oil) look like the most useful.
Liquid Ice
Price: 30 GP
Weight: 1#
(Dragon Compendium p. 118)
Empty your waterskin on the ground and you can use this to create a non-magical 10' x 10' ice sheet, or extinguish a 10' x 10' section of fire. As per the DMG p. 91, slippery ice counts as difficult terrain, costing 2 squares of movement. It also has the same effect as a grease spell, as described in the PHB under the Balance skill: targets without 5 ranks in Balance that are attacked on a slippery surface are considered flat-footed. From there, you can add Razor Ice Powder to create a 10' x 10' section of Razor Ice (1d4 slashing damage and 1d6 cold damage for each square entered, no save). Liquid Ice can also be thrown as a splash weapon, doing 1d6 cold damage on a direct hit and 1 splash damage. If your DM doesn't allow Dragon Compendium material, you can use Freeze Powder (100 GP, Frostburn p. 79) instead, although this can't be thrown as a splash weapon. If you need an alternative for splash damage, use Alchemist's Frost (25 GP, Eberron Campaign Setting p. 120). Note: Neither Dragon Compendium nor the original Dragon Magazine article listed a weight, so I had to guess. Alchemist's Frost, Freeze Powder, and Frostfire all weighed 1 lb., so I figured Liquid Ice would most likely weigh the same.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 25
Liquid Smoke
Price: 20 GP
Weight: 1#
(Oriental Adventures p. 78)
Same price as a smokestick, but reacts with air and thus does not need to be lit. Provides concealment, blocks LOS, or a cheap theatrical effect.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 20
Magic Bedroll
Price: 500 GP
Weight: 6#
(Magic Item Compendium p. 163)
Not to be confused with Heward's Fortifying Bedroll (Complete Mage). This bedroll provides the benefits of endure elements and restores 1 HP per character level after 8 hours of rest. Combine with Bitterleaf Oil to gain more natural healing, although unlike the oil, the bedroll doesn't have a 5 HP maximum limit.
Magnifying Glass
Price: 100 GP
Weight: --
(PHB)
+2 circumstance bonus on Appraise checks on small objects. Combine with Jeweler's Loupe for another +1. Make it masterwork for another 50 GP and another +2 circumstance bonus. Also, start a fire without flint & steel, or incinerate a few anthills for some easy XP.
Manacles, Masterwork
Price: 50 GP
Weight: 2#
(PHB)
Requires a Strength check DC 28 or Escape Artist check DC 35 to get out of. Useful for keeping hostages/prisoners (particularly spellcasters) out of trouble.
Marbles (x4, 2 SP ea.)
Price: 8 SP
Weight: 8#
(Arms & Equipment Guide p. 24)
These are deployed much like caltrops, so it takes a standard action to spread. Basically a 5' x 5' square of non-magical grease. Dump them under an opponent without 5 ranks of Balance to deny his Dex bonus and make the party rogue happy.
Mordrei'in
Price: 25 GP
Weight: --
(Faiths of Eberron p. 153)
+2 alchemical bonus to Concentration and Spot checks for 10 minutes. For fluff reasons, may only be available to elves from Aerenal.
Needle (x2, 5 SP ea.)
Price: 1 GP
Weight: --
(PHB)
Mend clothing, sew a sack closed, or hide it in a haystack. You can also magnetize it and use it as a compass, or bend it into a fishhook.
Net
Price: 20 GP
Weight: 6#
(PHB)
Although this is an exotic weapon, ranged touch attacks are usually easy enough to hit even with the non-proficiency penalty. A hit with a net entangles a creature (-2 attack penalty, -4 Dex penalty, restricts movement), which can be a cheap and easy debuff or delaying tactic. If you're running into larger creatures, use a lasso instead. Check with your DM if the Dex penalty from multiple sources stack (lasso, tanglefoot, etc.). There's also a Razor Net version (50 GP, Dragon Compendium) that does 1d6 damage if the target fails their check to get out of the net (Escape Artist check DC 20 or Strength check DC 25), but it's a little too easy to escape and the razors cut up the net, preventing it from being used again.
Noxious Smokestick
Price: 80 GP
Weight: 0.5#
(Eberron Campaign Setting p. 121)
Creates 10' cube of smoke and anyone inside has to make a Fort save DC 15 or become nauseated for 1 round. While this makes it a little tricky to light, you can fix that by having an unseen servant light it and carry it around.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 25
Oil
Price: 1 SP
Weight: 1#
(PHB)
There are rules for turning these things into splash weapons, but it takes a full-round action to prep and with a 50% failure rate, it's probably not worth the bother. Spreading it on the ground and lighting it on fire may be a bit more promising if you have enough time to prep for it.
Panic Button, Escaping
Price: 750 GP
Weight: --
(Complete Scoundrel p. 115)
One-shot dimension door, up to 30'.
Panther Tears (x2, 30 GP ea.)
Price: 60 GP
Weight: 0.2#
(Secrets of Xendrik p. 139)
Eye drops that give you low-light vision for 1 hour. This also gives you light sensitivity, but for only 10 GP Sundark Goggles will fix that for you.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 20
Piton (x10, 1 SP ea.)
Price: 1 GP
Weight: 5#
(PHB)
Attach ropes, spike doors, trepanize your friends and neighbors.
Periscope, Hand
Price: 50 GP
Weight: 2#
(Dungeonscape p. 32)
Peek around corners (with a +7 Hide bonus).
Potion Belt, Masterwork
Price: 60 GP
Weight: 1#
(Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting p. 97)
Once per round, you can retrieve a potion as a free action. Holds up to 10 potions. While this item should really be worn rather than kept in the haversack, I'm mentioning it here just in case you weren't aware of it before.
Quicksilver
Price: 50 GP
Weight: --
(Complete Adventurer p. 122)
Can be used with a Weapon Capsule Retainer (100 GP, Complete Adventurer) or applied as an oil with a standard action. Allows weapon to deal damage as if coated with silver (including -1 damage), lasts for 3 rounds. If you can afford it, consider upgrading to Silversheen (250 GP, DMG) which lasts an hour.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 30
Quickspark
Price: 25 GP
Weight: --
(Complete Adventurer p. 122)
Of all the various alchemical items that do energy damage, Quickspark is the easiest to use and you're less likely to run into electricity resistance than fire or cold. It can be applied to a weapon as on oil with a standard action, or as a swift action when used with a Weapon Capsule Retainer (100 GP, Complete Adventurer). It can't be thrown on its own and does no splash damage, but you can apply it to any grenade-like weapon just like any other weapon. A Quickspark + Acidic Fire, for example, does an average of 11 energy damage over 2 rounds. Alchemist's Spark (Eberron Campaign Setting) is easier to throw, does a little more damage (1d8) and also splashes for 1 damage, but can't be applied to a weapon. A Sparkstone (Arms & Equipment Guide) can be thrown as a grenade-like weapon for 1d6 electricity damage and it will arc to one adjacent opponent (but only one) for half damage.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 25
Razor Ice Powder
Price: 50 GP
Weight: 1#
(Frostburn p. 79)
When combined with the contents of a waterskin and Liquid Ice (Dragon Compendium p. 118) or Freeze Powder (Frostburn p. 79), you can create a 10' x 10' square of slippery Razor Ice, which does 1d4 slashing damage and 1d6 cold damage for each square entered, no save.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 25
Rope Climber
Price: 15 GP
Weight: 3#
(Races of Faerun p. 160)
+5 circumstance bonus on Climb checks to ascend a rope, although it halves the rate of ascent. Full-round action to thread or remove the Rope Climber from a rope.
Rope, Silk (50')
Price: 10 GP
Weight: 5#
(PHB)
When you can afford it, most of your rope needs should be met with Troll Gut Rope, but if you need to tie something up for longer than 12 hours, it's good to have some normal rope handy. Keep in mind that the Cablespool can be used for descent, and Shapesand can be used to make temporary equipment (ropes, ladders) that retains its shape within 100' of you.
Rust Monster Wand
Price: 160 GP
Weight: 2#
(Complete Scoundrel p. 120)
Destroys metal objects. Requires fresh air and 5 coins per day as food. Upgrade to a +1 rusting weapon (8300 GP, Shining South) when available.
Sack (x3, 1 SP ea.)
Price: 3 SP
Weight: 1.5#
(PHB)
Loot redistribution device.
Screaming Flask
Price: 40 GP
Weight: 1#
(Complete Mage p. 135)
1d8 sonic damage in a 15' cone, Fort save DC 15 vs. deafness.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 25
Shapesand (jug)
Price: 100 GP
Weight: 12#
(Sandstorm p. 102)
Through the exertion of your will (Wisdom check DC 16), you can create any mundane non-magical object out of sand that supposedly "serves as a normal item of the same sort". (So... does that mean I can turn it into 12 lbs of acid or alchemist's fire? How about explosives or poisons? How about a masterwork gatling gun? Hmm...) It retains that shape as long as it stays within 100' of you, but you can also reshape it whenever you like by making another Wisdom check. While the question of acid/explosives/poisons will have to be settled by your DM, you have any tool you can possibly imagine at your fingertips. Need a hammer? Done. Don't need the hammer anymore, need a shovel? Done. It's particularly useful for tools that wear out after a certain number of uses, such as hacksaws and drills. How about exotic weapons or armor (Shapesand Fullplate = 500 GP, shapesand Mechanus Gear = 700 GP)? It can do that, too, although be aware, if an enemy recognizes you're using shapesand, he could try to reshape it under his control with a Wisdom check of his own.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 25
Slippery Oil
Price: 50 GP
Weight: --
(Dragon Compendium p. 119)
+5 untyped bonus to Escape Artist checks, so it stacks with Spelunker's Oil (+2 alchemical, 15 GP, Drow of the Underdark). Lasts 1 hour.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 25
Sparker
Price: 2 GP
Weight: --
(Arms & Equipment Guide p. 25)
Works similar to a tindertwig (standard action to light a torch), but cheaper. 10 uses for only 2 GP.
Sphere of Awakening
Price: 1800 GP
Weight: 1#
(Magic Item Compendium p. 186)
A must-have for anyone on watch. 1/day, instantly wakes up all of your allies as a swift action. In addition, you and all allies are immune to fatigue, exhaustion, and sleep effects for 10 minutes. If you've got any barbarian, frenzied berserker, or dervish in the party that has to deal with fatigue, this will immediately get rid of it.
Sprayer
Price: 15 GP
Weight: 4#
(Arms & Equipment Guide p. 25)
Spray a 10' long cloud of oil, holy water, an inhaled poison, or our new favorite special substance: aboleth mucus. It's an area effect, essentially a 5' x 10' line, but it doesn't require an attack roll and can be given to an unseen servant. The description says acid won't work, but doesn't mention alchemist's fire (which should work if the storage drum is airtight, but I'm not sure it is). Quickflame, Quickfrost, or Quickspark (Complete Adventurer) might also work, as well as Alchemist's Frost (Eberron Campaign Setting), but Alchemist's Spark requires two liquids in separate containers to be mixed. Atramen Oil, Liquid Smoke, or Stonebreaker Acid could also be interesting options when delivered by a sprayer.
Stonebreaker Acid
Price: 20 GP
Weight: 1#
(Arms & Equipment Guide p. 35)
Thrown as grenade-like weapon. Against stone objects/creatures, 5d10 damage over 2 rounds that ignores hardness. While Delver Slime (150 GP, Savage Species) may deal more damage per application, Stonebreaker Acid is a lot cheaper.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 20
Sundark Goggles
Price: 10 GP
Weight: --
(Races of the Dragon p. 123)
Never take the Daylight Adaptation feat ever again. These handy little shades negate the dazed penalty for creatures with Light Sensitivity, and also provide a +2 circumstance bonus on saves against gaze attacks. Creatures without low-light or darkvision take a -2 penalty on spot and search checks.
Suregrip
Price: 20 GP
Weight: --
(Complete Adventurer p. 119)
+1 alchemical bonus on Climb checks, stacks with Climber's Kit (+2 circumstance, PHB), Rope Climber (+5 circumstance, Races of Faerun), and Spider Kit (+2 circumstance, Drow of the Underdark).
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 20
Survival Pouch
Price: 3300 GP
Weight: 5#
(Magic Item Compendium p. 187)
5/day, you can pull out one of the following: trail rations, 2 gallons of water in a waterskin, tent plus two bedrolls, 50' rope, shovel, campfire/8 torches, composite shortbow with 20 arrows in a quiver, or a mule with bit/bridle/saddle/saddlebags. While this duplicates some items we have already, what we're really after are the 5 mules/day. Mules are large sturdy creatures that can be used as mounts, pack bearers, trapfinders, or 10' x 10' blocks of meat you can use to block corridors, distract opponents, delay pursuers, etc. The description says they won't fight but treat them as summoned creatures, which means they respond to verbal commands (almost all summoned creatures understand Common as their default language) to the best of their abilities without having to muck around with tricks and Handle Animal checks.
Talisman of the Disk
Price: 500 GP
Weight: --
(Magic Item Compendium p. 188)
Tenser's floating disk at will, lasts up to 3 hours. Aside from just carrying around loot, use it to glide allies over rough/dangerous terrain, or give it to one of the frontline meatshields to create a "side-car", allowing a second melee fighter to move alongside and full-attack without having to use his own move action.
Tarpaulin, Honey Leather (big)
Price: 40 GP
Weight: 1#
(Races of the Wild p. 170)
An upgrade from a winter blanket, wearing a honey leather tarpaulin gives a +1 circumstance bonus on Survival checks to resist the effects of severe weather, or +2 bonus if you're stationary. The big tarpaulin is waterproof, 6' square, and could be used to wrap your equipment to prevent it from getting wet, collect rainwater, cover a 5' pit trap, smother a small fire, or convert it into a float bladder.
Tanglefoot Bag
Price: 50 GP
Weight: 4#
(PHB)
Ranged touch attack that entangles (-2 attack penalty, -4 Dex penalty, restricts movement), a chance to immobilize, and makes life difficult for flying creatures. Check with your DM if the Dex penalty from multiple sources stack (net, lasso, etc.).
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 25
Torch Bug Paste (x4, 25 GP ea.)
Price: 100 GP
Weight: --
(Complete Scoundrel p. 120)
Thrown as a splash weapon, non-magical faerie fire effect, which pinpoints invisible creatures and completely negates concealment.
Travel Cloak
Price: 1200 GP
Weight: 1#
(Magic of Faerun p. 166)
Provides trail rations 3/day, a flask that produces up to 2 gallons of cool water or sugared hot tea per day, endure elements against cold, and can be transformed into a one-person tent 1/day.
Trollbane
Price: 90 GP
Weight: --
(Dungeonscape p. 37)
Running into a regenerating creature when the party isn't ready for it can quickly turn into a TPK. While one dose of Alchemist's Fire, Bladefire, or Quickflame might be cheaper, trollbane allows all of a weapon's damage (not just fire/acid) to ignore regeneration. Save this for high-damage single-hit attacks, such as two-handed power-attack leap-attack ubercharger combos.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 25
Troll Gut Rope
Price: 500 GP
Weight: 7#
(Magic Item Compendium p. 190)
50' rope, 1/day provides an extra 300' of rope that lasts for 12 hours. If you need to tie up something longer than that, stick with normal non-magical rope. Since you may need to tie something up for longer than 12 hours, keep at least one coil of normal silk rope handy.
Unguent of Timelessness
Price: 150 GP
Weight: --
(DMG)
Used primarily to extend the duration of some alchemical items by 365 times. It can be applied to any item that was once alive, which basically means it has to consist primarily of organic materials. Candles and torches burn for 15 days (365 hours = 15.21 days). Lamp oil (created from whale fat or crude oil) burns for 91.25 days. Certain alchemical items could also be considered organic, such as a Focusing Candle (Complete Adventurer), Icewild Lichen Paste (Secrets of Sarlona), Fire Beetle Lamp (Races of Dragon) or Torch Bug Paste (Complete Scoundrel). There's no restriction to non-magical items, so you could add this to a section of Troll Gut Rope and it would last 182.5 days instead of 12 hours. It can also be used to keep a corpse fresh for raise dead. Each flask contains 8 doses (19 GP per dose).
Universal Solvent
Price: 50 GP
Weight: --
(DMG)
Gets you out of sticky situations. In addition to countering Sovereign Glue, it can dissolve tanglefoot bags, kuo-toa shields, and other adhesives.
Vermin Ointment
Price: 20 GP
Weight: 1#
(Secrets of Xendrik p. 139)
Vermin of diminuative size or smaller (including swarms) can't get within 5' of you unless magically compelled (and with most vermin being mindless, good luck with that). Larger vermin must make a Fortitude save DC 15 or become sickened.
Craft (Alchemy) DC: 20
Whiteshiver Elixir
Price: 1500 GP
Weight: 1#
(Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk p. 222)
Gain all of the benefits and immunities of the plant subtype for 10 minutes: low-light vision, immunity to crits, mind-affects, paralysis, polymorph, poison, sleep, and stunning.
Wick, Candle (x5, 2 SP ea.)
Price: 1 GP
Weight: --
(Arms & Equipment Guide p. 27)
Can be used anywhere you would use Twine (Dungeonscape p. 33), such as tripwires, improvised alarm systems, fishing lines, signal kites, or hang from the ceiling to detect invisible flying creatures. In addition, you can use it as a timing device: it takes 30 seconds (5 rounds) to burn 1 inch. Comes in 50' rolls.
Re: [3.x] Shax's Indispensable Haversack (Equipment Handbook)
