Roleplaying Guide

Forgetton Realms - Goods & Services (Wastes Gear)

Forgetton Realms
Goods & Services
Wastes Gear

Distillation Kit: Water is precious in the waste. This simple kit uses the sun and the ambient heat to evaporate pure water from body or cooking waste, salt lakes, poisonous plant saps, and so on. This "solar still" consists of a sheet of glass fastened at an angle into a frame, with a lip and a small spout (the components are packed separately and assembled when needed). The bottom and sides of the frame are covered with black oilcloth, the edges sealed with grease or tar to make it watertight. To use the still, pour the dirty water into the bottom of the container, then place the glass lid on top. The water evaporates and condenses on the underside of the glass surface, where it runs down and collects in the lip, dripping through the spout and producing about 1 gallon of water per day (if the container is filled to capacity).

Drill: Whether they are used to carve sandstone, locate water, or mine salt and other precious minerals, drills are important tools in any wasteland environment. These objects can range from a primitive bow drill, suitable for perforating bone and wood, to a massive assembly of cast-iron pipes and bits, turned by wheels or beasts of burden. The drill described here is made of iron with a wooden handle, about 3 feet long. (In metal-poor areas, the bit might be of hard crystal instead of iron.) Wrapping a cord about the shaft and pulling it sharply sets the drill spinning. It can penetrate roughly 6 inches of stone per hour; the rate of drilling is faster in softer material, such as salt. A drill can be used as an improvised club or shortspear.

Filter Mask: A filter mask is a fine cloth mesh, usually of silk or cotton, that covers your mouth and nose. Cords or straps fasten the cloth around the back of your head to provide a good seal. A filter mask grants a +2 bonus on saves against gas-based effects. It negates the effects of suffocation from dust and sand, as well as the effects of supernatural or magic dust (such as slumber sand) for up to 4 hours. After this time, the mesh is clogged with grit and can no longer allow air to pass through freely. A clogged filter mask requires thorough laundering before it can be reused, but most travelers simply replace it with fresh fabric.

Parasol: The simplest form of portable shade, a parasol can range from an animal hide draped over a crude framework to a collapsible construction of textile and metal The typical parasol described here is made of stretched canvas over wood or bone. A parasol offers immunity to sun glare and limited protection from heat dangers and some sun hazards. It also grants a +1 bonus on Fortitude saves against dehydration.

Sand Tube: When a storm scours the land, the best defense is to escape. Burrowing into the ground is one way to do this, but sand is loose and difficult to stabilize. This handy device enables you to create a burrow beneath the sand, in which you can rest while waiting for the storm to pass. A sand tube looks something like an open-ended sleeping bag, made of treated hide attached to a number of collapsible hoops. After digging a small hole in the sand to get started, you shove one end of this apparatus inside the hole and expand the hoops to stiffen it into a tube. More sand can then be dug from the buried end (usually you crawl partway into the tube and use your hands) and removed through the tube, which is shoved more deeply into the tunnel as digging progresses. In normal sand, it takes 10 minutes of digging to fully bury a sand tube. When fully buried, a sand tube can hold one Medium humanoid. A flap fastens over the exposed end to provide shade and protection from duststorms and sandstorms. Sun Lenses: This item, made of thin slabs of mica or volcanic glass affixed to curved frames, can protect your eyes from being dazzled by bright light, such as glare. If you are already dazzled when you don the lenses, you are treated as if you had entered an area of shade; you recover from the dazzled condition 1 hour if you continue to wear the lenses.

Clothing
Proper clothing can be the difference between survival and disaster in the wastes.

Desert Outfit: This outfit consists of loose, billowy clothing to keep the wearer cool and protected from the sun while in hot, dry desert terrain. It includes a caftan, turban, scarf, loose pantaloons, and sandals or high cloth boots. This outfit counts as light clothing and offers limited protections against some waste hazards. The protection it offers against heat is negated if the wearer also dons armor.