Characters in The One Ring RPG can carry useful items (with the number based on the character’s Standard of Living). In my experience, it can be difficult to come up with ideas for useful items, so I’ve collected ideas from various documents, Discord conversations, and games I’ve played.
Table of Contents:
Useful Item Guidelines
Here’s what the CRB says about useful items:
Each Useful Item is associated with a single Skill, and gives one bonus die for most instances of rolling on that Skill, but only for you. Be creative: an item for LORE can be a book (yawn) but it can also be a supply of coffee (nothing gets your mind sharp and your memory clear like coffee) or a particular pen you used when reading in the library which helps you remember the things you studied back then. For consumables, assume you always have an adequate supply.
Some items might be useful in other situations; for instance, a hammer that helps you with CRAFT might also be helpful when you just need to break something. The more likely an item is to be useful in situations other than rolling on a Skill, the stricter the loremaster will be when evaluating whether it is applicable to a Skill roll.
Note that you do not need to make sure every item you could ever need while traveling is accounted here. If you do not list a torch, you can still assume you have a torch, along with a bedroll, a cookpot, some rations, and other basic travel gear. It just won’t be a torch that gives a bonus die.
Guidance from the TOR discord suggests that:
Useful Item ought to be useful only on some subjects, or in some circumstances. The LM should not accept one that is likely to be useful on nearly every roll of that skill.
Useful Items by Skill
- Athletics
- Awareness
- Awe
- Battle
- Courtesy
- Craft
- Enhearten
- Explore
- Healing
- Hunting
- Insight
- Lore
- Persuasion
- Riddle
- Scan
- Song
- Stealth
- Travel
Athletics
- A coil of rope [with grappling hook]
- Set of climbing pitons
- Gloves of supple leather to facilitate climbing
- A spear or walking stick that can be used as a vaulting pole
- Footware:
- Snowshoes
- Lightweight running shoes
- Boots with a spring-heel
- Well made boots
Awareness
- An ear trumpet (to enhance your listening)
- Glasses
- A hat with a brim to screen the glare of the sun
- Spyglass or telescope
- Polished metal mirror
- Clear crystal or lens
- Wind chimes or small bells
- Trained bird companion
- Weather glass or barometer
- Compass with detailed markings
- Pocket sundial
- Consumables
- A type of tea with a mild stimulant to assist a night watch
- Elven waybread
- stimulating herbs
Awe
- A suit of expensive clothing
- Earrings of pearl
- An impressive gold chain
- A remarking torque
- A striking ring
- A fine cloak and hood
- Elaborate hair combs
- Exquisite diadem
- A tattoo of something powerful (animal, symbol)
- A necklace of claws/teeth
- War paint
- Prominent piercing
- A bottle of good wine
- Exquisite umbrella
- Artful makeup
- Delicate perfume
- Impressive scar
Battle
- Colour coded feathers on arrows (to choose right weight for the distance being shot)
- Small feather attached to the tip of the bow to indicate wind direction
- Figurines for setting up battle plans
- Flint (to start a fire)
- A finely crafted set of Dwarf made figures for setting up battle plans
- A gold and silver chess set from the exotic south
- A detailed map of a specific area and its surrounding terrain, useful for planning ambushes and tactics
Courtesy
- A suit of expensive clothing
- Earrings of pearl
- Various small gifts to present
- Striking ring
- Fancy waistcoat
- An [exquisite] umbrella
- Small gifts to be shared (toys, pipe tobacco, wine, other consumable items)
Craft
- A set of tools to carve stone / engraving tools
- Fine wood-crafting tools
- [Trusty] [work] hammer
- Pickaxe
- Drills
- Magnifying lens
- Measuring tool
- Tool sharpener
- Tongs
Enhearten
- A liquor to infuse strength
- A war horn
- A fine crafted circlet
- An engraving of meaning
- A banner
- A set of rattling bells tied to a spear to be shaken
- A smooth stone to calm your thoughts
- A carving to hold aloft as a totem for the group, celebrating a previous positive event or Patron
Explore
- A wind-proof lantern
- A detailed set of maps
- Wayfarer bundle
- Set of chalk in several colours to mark the way
- Trusty tinderbox
Healing
- A balm to soothe pain
- A salve to dress wounds
- Dried herbs to alleviate aches
- Trusty pestle and mortar to make remedies
- Strips of cloth that can be used as ties, or as bandages
- A foul smelling unguent
- Plant extract to induce vomiting (treats food poisoning)
Hunting
- A knife for skinning rabbits
- Hunting knife
- A little box of salt to cook
- Set of fine snares
- Hunting dog or bird
- Fishing gear
- A bird call whistle
- Bolas for use in a chase
- A quiver
- A lucky quiver
Insight
- Pipeweed to use for gathering thoughts while observing someone
- A fine pipe to find comfort
- A deck of gaming cards or dice that permits close observation when playing with people
- A bottle of fine beverage (to either use yourself or offer a glass to someone)
- A journal for reflection
Lore
- A rare book
- An ink and quill set
- An heirloom to help recall your studies
- A worry stone to help recall your studies
Persuasion
- Various small gifts to present
- Pipeweed to share
- A book with thoughtful insights on persuasion
- A bottle of good wine to share
- Delicate perfume
Riddle
- A good pipe to help you think
- A smooth stone to calm your thoughts
- A pack of playing cards or dice to distract
- A book of riddles
- A trained animal (probably a dog, but a hawk might do, or even a ferret!) that will perform a diversion with a coded sound or signal
Scan
- A wind-proof lantern
- Pocket eyeglass
- Magnifying glass
- Sniffing salts to enhance focus for the task at hand
- A trained animal to help locate certain smells
Song
- An [exotic] instrument that you can carry (violin, lute, flute, harp, drum, viol, lyre)
- A book of poems/songs
Stealth
- Camouflage paint/makeup
- A dependable cloak
- Something you can throw to make distractions
- Pinpoint lantern
- Lockpicking tools
- Noise reduction
- A backpack with no metal exterior loops or buckles, and interior pockets that cushion the things inside
- A scarf to cover mouth to reduce breathing noise and breath when cold outside
- A strip of cloth that could tie arrows together in your quiver and stop them from rattling
- Specially-designed chainmail that doesn’t rattle
- Leather wrappings over/around metal bits
- Shoes
- Slippers (cushions the sound when sneaking)
- Pair of soft soled shoes
- Nimble boots
- Consumables
- Herbal mixture that heightens reflexes
- A scent that drowns out your normal aroma
Travel
- A sunstone to navigate in bad weather
- Travel biscuits/dried meat
- A walking stick
- Camping gear
- Sentimental handkerchief
- A small tin of wax oil to waterproof boots or other leather kit
- A bottle of tangy pickles as a pick me up
- A hat with a brim to screen the glare of the sun
- Tinderbox to light fires
- Flint and steel
- A detailed set of maps
- Well prepared camping gear
Other Ideas
- When stumped for coming up with items, consider consumables that can generate an effect.
- Model animal companions as Useful Items – a hunting dog that’s +1d to Hunting
- If you have multiple slots, the companion might provide a boon to multiple skills, e.g., +1d to Hunting and Awareness
- DanW notes, and I think this has some merit to reflect on:
I’m considering banning maps as a useful item. Apart from Thorin’s map (which has a very specific purpose), nobody ever carries a map in the books.
References
- Phillip’s Notes on The One Ring 2e for more useful resources
- Useful Item Examples List – Fria Ligans forum
- Can Useful Items be something nearly always usable? (Discord)
Brief summary: A Useful Item ought to be useful only on some subjects, or in some circumstances. The LM should not accept one that is likely to be useful on nearly every roll of that skill.