10 Mundane But Incredibly Useful Items In Dungeons And Dragons

2. Tinderbox

D D Merchant
Wizards of the Coast

A tinderbox is a very common item in Dungeons and Dragon. Most of the packs available have access to one and it can be bought almost anywhere However, it is often underused. I’m sure that most parties use it for lighting their campfire or the occasional torch in a dungeon. The tinderbox, however, can produce one of the most useful and ancient tools of mankind: fire.

Fire can be a useful, but often destructive thing to tame, both in real-life and Dungeons and Dragons. A lot of things are flammable and many creatures are naturally afraid of fire, as they should be. There is no better way to stop pursuers and block a path than putting a flaming inferno in front of a door. Even if they do brave it to continue the chase, odds are they are going to take some damage.

Sometimes going into a creature’s den can be the most dangerous thing you can do, after all, you’re fighting them on their terms. Why not attempt to smoke them out instead? This could give you time to set up an ambush or place traps around the area.

Like many items, a tinderbox's uses extend as far as your Dungeon Master will allow them too. One of your party may be losing a game of cards with a group of thieves. A particularly sneaky rogue may be able to set something on fire, such as the table cloth, then grab the money in the confusion.

Contributor
Contributor

I'm a freelance video game and tech journalist, with an interest in History and video production. Follow me on Twitter for more video game-related content.