What's in YOUR backpack?

[Solomoriah]

I'm presently filling in pregens for both Basic Fantasy and Iron Falcon convention games, and I had a thought... these are all higher-level characters (4th level in Iron Falcon, 7th level in Basic Fantasy). "Real" characters always have odd stuff they picked up in some dungeon somewhere stashed in their backpacks.

So... here's the game of the day: Post an odd item that might be found in a backpack or beltpouch of a character with some experience. It must not be on the equipment list, at least not exactly, and it may not be either intrinsically valuable or magical (except if the magic is strictly a nuisance or other minor effect).

For example:

-- A folded-up scrap of paper which is actually a love letter from the Wizard Irrucible to the Baroness of Duncaster

-- A brass key decorated with a geometric design, which fits nothing the character is actually carrying

[Dimirag]

One of my favorite odd items that one of my characters ever got in their hands: A gorgeous silk dress (its actually a +0 magical dress, it will last forever)

[SmootRK]

I have liked to give out minor magical items at times. Things that don't really have a combat function, but make for cool and interesting things. For instance, I have given out Spoons of Stirring (put in pot and stirs contents hands free), likewise a self heating cooking pot that requires no fire. I gave my daughter's character a brush that allows her to choose hair-color daily (girly thing that she absolutely loved). I have given out jugs of water that have a command word to "refill". Things like that. Fun and adds cool vibe to characters without affecting combat power or otherwise unbalance the game.

[dpelletier05]

I was thinking more of a souvenir of a big encounter like a tooth or a scale of the first dragon encountered, not really valuable, but dear to the character... but the magical water jug is really cool to have !

[Dimirag]

Dragons scales and tooth are very valuables, once we found a petrified black dragon in pieces, we spend a lot of time obtaining a stone to flesh scroll, we bought lots of things with the pieces of that dragon, in fact, my thief has a batman type cape made of the dragon's wing (gives 1/2 damage against acid and allows short gliding.

The dress I spoke before was something that my PC carried for years, then it gave it to the young girl that cleans our meeting place, when she don it she looked extremely gorgeous, some days later she left us because she married a young rich dude.

[Longman]

- Pictures of the wife / hubby / kids?
- License to bear arms (in a far off city).
- Dream diary
- Collection of Copper Pieces from 9 different countries
- Recipe book - stews, soups and so forth
- Travel tickets and stubs from various coach and ship journeys
- Bestiary
- "Saints relics" (pig bones)
- Nosegay, to ward off plague

You get the idea. Not so much dungeon pickings, but proof of travel to many places.

[Dreamakuma]

A player of Mine has The skull of a young Green Dragon as a Hat. I allow it to add +1 to his Charisma(He's the most cowardly Dragon Slayer).

I myself Have an extra Spellbook with Jibberish inscribed inside, The DM allowed me to write nothing of value in a spellbook for a NPC to become confused by. Is it Magic? Why can't the evil mage Read it? It literally made the one shot amazing. A necromancer thought we had some eldritch, alien tome of ancient forgotten magics and spent time trying to "learn" them while the party made a mad dash.

[Metroknight]

in one game I let a player have a ring of a cat. All it did was was purr if there was a rodent nearby (wererats counted as rodents along with many other creatures).

[AlMan]

My gaming group always calls the local tavern (dive bar) "The Fist 'n Face". Some of the more experienced players have a menu they keep to know what to order when they get to the next town. Note the Wed Special is usually "Orc Brains on Toast".