a not-so-minor magic item

[Alder]

I usually play spellcasters, but I have tried a few thieves here and there. They almost always died the same way: Falling. Either the fall itself killed them (thieves don't always have a lot of hit points) or the fall attracted the guards, or they fell into a lower dungeon level and got cut off from the party and eaten by something with lots of tentacles.

One of my friends started running a campaign, and he handed out some minor magic items at the start. One was a small locking iron box that on a command word, would lock in place and couldn't be moved with less than a few hundred pounds of pressure. Another command word and it can be moved freely. The DM thought it was just a place to put something small and valuable--and you don't have to worry about a thief who can't pick the lock just stealing the whole box!

So my halfling thief took it, and went right to the leatherworker in the town and spent a chunk of gold on a top notch backpack, with a compartment on top for this box, and heavy-duty, padded straps. Every time he started to fall, he would whisper the command word, then hang there and get his hand and toeholds back, then whisper the second word and keep climbing. Every session I came up with a new way to use that box, from tossing it in the air tied to a rope, calling the command, and climbing the rope to look around, to blocking doors closed or open. I can't tell you the number of times the DM said, "You and that damn backpack!"

That was a memorable character.

[Go0gleplex]

Now THAT is taking advantage of the DM's generosity...in spades.
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The obvious will always trip you up FAR more than the obscure.

Baron Grignak Hammerhand of the Pacifica Provinces-

High Warden of the Castles & Crusades Society

[Omote]

Indeed, but a nifty cool magic item.

~O
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Duke Omote Landwehr, Holy Order of the FPQ ~ Prince of the Castles & Crusades Society