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* This is a time-honored tradition in roleplaying games, starting from the first editions of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''. Many games have even begun giving explicit CrazyPrepared kits in a character's starting equipment (''TabletopGame/{{Chill}}'', ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'' 'personal essentials', ''HARP'', et multiple cetera).
* In ''ANY'' tabletop RPG, someone has a loadout with blunt, slash, pierce, fire, cold, possibly ice/pure magic/acid, and throwing weapons in case their main loadout doesn't have reach. It's like Medieval MoreDakka.
* The ''TabletopGame/DCHeroes'' role-playing game (which became ''Blood of Heroes'' after losing the license) had "Omni-gadgets," pieces of equipment bought during character creation whose abilities weren't determined until they were used, to simulate a character who "just happens" to have brought exactly what he needs. Every omni-gadget had a letter code from A through D that determined what abilities it could simulate (e.g., "Type A" gadgets could simulate physical abilities like strength (a crowbar, say) or Body (a bullet-proof vest) while ABCD gadgets could do almost anything). So a character with five ABCD Omni-Gadgets could reach into his utility belt and pull out anything from a flamethrower to a personal teleporter (which he put there for a situation ... just like this!) five times per adventure.
* One of the sample Madness Talents in ''TabletopGame/DontRestYourHead'' is "Preparedness". They describe it as being able to be supernaturally prepared for whatever it is that you might have encountered, up to and including retroactively having written down random numbers on a slip of paper and putting it in to your pocket that just so happen to be the combination to open the safe that you need to break into. Needless to say, abusing causality to that effect can have some [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity minor repercussions...]]
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'':
** Veterans will often remember taking ten-foot-long poles with them, just in case they ran into a trap where the switch is ten feet away. Mean-spirited [[GameMaster DMs]] would make the switch eleven feet away, which would lead to players pointing out that their arm added an extra foot. So the next switch would be twelve feet away, naturally.
** Spoofed in game designer Creator/GregCostikyan's novel ''Literature/AnotherDayAnotherDungeon'', in which one of the main characters explicitly takes a collapsible eleven-foot pole into dungeons for precisely this reason. One wonders if his world's GM started making twelve-foot traps in response. The sourcebook ''Dungeonscape'' adds a 12 ft collapsible pole.
** This is almost certainly the reason for the ''TabletopGame/{{Munchkin}}'' card game (and ''Munchkin d20'' books' equipment list) including an eleven-foot pole (aside from sheer one-upmanship on the poor deluded fool who brought a ten-foot one).
** Both of the above are "ten-upped" by a ''D'' sourcebook which actually contains a 21-ft collapsible pole.
** Other items typically carried by adventurers in 3.5th Edition, largely because they're cheap, include rope, chalk, signal whistles, mirrors, fish hooks, and sewing needles. Crowbars, shovels, hammers, pitons, and tarps are slightly less common due to their weight.
** Among 3.5 gamers, the 50 feet of silk rope is the new ten foot pole in terms of iconic adventuring gear. It goes back long before 3.5, though. Rope has been a vital part of every adventurer's kit since the dawn of the game. When Sam Gamgee in ''[[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' muttered to himself "You'll want it, if you haven't got it," millions of adventurers nodded in silent sympathy.
** The 10-foot pole is referenced in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0373.html this strip]] of ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick''. [[note]]Xykon also showed himself to be this trope by having researched "Xykon's Moderately Escapable Force Cage" well in advance, to convince a paladin that she'd escaped on her own.[[/note]]
** And also in [[http://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/0001.html this]] ''Webcomic/DarthsAndDroids''.
--->'''Qui-gon:''' Ten foot laser pole...
** One of the adventurers in the Adventurer's Club in ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2: Storm of Zehir'' goes over a checklist that includes a ten-foot pole.
** The ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}} Chronicles'' campaign setting includes a prestige class with the ability "Deep Pockets." This ability allows the character to "carry up to 10 pounds of ''unspecified equipment'' worth up to 100 gp." This equipment can be any non-magical gear "that can reasonably fit into a backpack."
** Dread Fangs of Lolth get an ability that always lets them act in a surprise round, presumably because worshiping [[GodOfEvil Lolth]] is one of the best ways to cultivate a ProperlyParanoid attitude. ''Always''. God help you if you try to ambush a Dread Fang of Lolth, as you'll probably discover that he spent the last 10 seconds stabbing you without you noticing.
** Wizards and clerics (and some other classes) also need to be crazy prepared for every situation, because they have to prepare their spells in advance. In most cases surprised (unprepared) wizard = dead wizard. If they are prepared, though, you may quickly find that time suddenly stopped and the wizard in question blasted you with 5 or 6 spells that could utterly annihilate you alone, not to mention any resistance lowering or protection breaking. A fight between 2 high level mages is practically decided by the measures they took to be able to fight spellcasters.
** A lot of famous villains in the game are described this way. Probably the uber-example is Dispater, the ruler of the second layer of Hell. He is described as "the living embodiment of caution". He rarely lives the Iron Tower, his stronghold, which makes him nearly invincible, has a network of spies that is second only to that of Asmodeus, and has half of his servants closely watching the other half, and vice-versa. He is known to always have at least four contingency plans and backup plans to every one of his schemes, and most of them take years, if not centuries, to come to completion, as he never rushes any of them.
** In Paul Kidd's novel adaptations of several classic adventures (''White Plume Mountain'', ''Descent into the Depths of the Earth'', and ''Queen of the Demonweb Pits''), the heroes are plagued by an enthusiastic wannabe-adventurer teamster sidekick who ''constantly'' pesters them with "advice" on how they need every little piece of contingency gear that PlayerCharacters are infamous for carting around. The heroes are a certifiable badass and a powerful wizard pixie (who can fly, obviating a lot of traps right away), but every once in a while the wannabe is proven right.
** The Robe of Useful Items is a magical item that lets a wizard be Crazy Prepared, letting him conjure up a bullseye lantern (filled and lit) a dagger, a mirror, a 10-foot pole, a coil of good rope, and a large sack. It also has anywhere from four to sixteen of the following: a bag of 100 gold pieces, a silver coffer, an iron door, ten small gems, a ladder, a mule, two war dogs, a 10 ft. by 10 ft. by 10 ft pit, a Potion of Cure Serious Wounds, a minor magic scroll, a small rowboat, a window, and a portable ram. (That's the most common version of the Robe; variations have been seen that have more and/or different items.)
** In every edition since the first, there's a spell that Wizards can learn literally called 'Contingency', which allows a player to trigger a spell to be cast on themselves in particular circumstances, the example given is a player could trigger the spell 'Water Breathing' to be cast in case somebody tried submerging them underwater.
* Firewall in ''TabletopGame/EclipsePhase'' has entire research teams dedicated to coming up with new apocalypse scenarios, in order to have plans in place for transhumanity to survive them. If someone ever does iron-bomb the sun, they'll be ready.
* In ''TabletopGame/{{Epyllion}}'', the Crafter class's special advantage is that they're carrying a small bag of bits and bobs, which retroactively is said to include ''just'' what players need (within reason).
* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' has paranoia combat, which consists of the logic "something arbitrarily bad could happen to me at any time -- as soon as I'm in combat I need to use this combo that [[NoSell makes me pretty much immune to harm as long as I have motes]], every action until either I run out of Essence and die or my opponent runs out of Essence and dies". The most extreme paranoia combat builds have surprise negators, shaping defences, mental attack resistance, "flurrybreakers" (you attack multiple times, they somersault over your head before your second attack), environmental damage resistance (which after a point can run for free, forever), and two different perfect defences.
** Sidereal Exalted possess a power that lets them determine which of multiple options will most effectively fulfill their goals. Among other things, it could be used to know what the best choice of equipment before going on a mission is, even if they don't realise why at the time.
** This is also the main reason Alchemicals learn martial arts -- since they can only install a finite number of Charms at any given time, it pays to have a permanently installed repertoire of combat effects ''just in case'', something they can only do through the SupernaturalMartialArts system (except for one other effect that allows them to install as many Charms as they like, so long as [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique they don't mind]] [[PowerAtAPrice becoming demented sociopaths]]).
* The core game has The God Machine who uses Rube Goldberg conspiracies like planting a slight mechanical defect in one specific car because years later one of his enemies will use that car to escape his grasp and the defect will kick in at that specific time.
* The Preparedness skill in some versions of ''TabletopGame/{{GUMSHOE}}'' lets you retroactively have had something in your bag the whole time: the examples given in ''TabletopGame/NightsBlackAgents'' include super glue and Ouija boards.
* ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'' has an advantage called "Gizmo" that lets you carry one or more useful items, specified ''at the time you need them''.
** ''TabletopGame/SpiritOfTheCentury'' has this in the form of the Universal Gadget stunt. Alternatively, you can take the Rare Artifact stunt if you want something magical and with more features, though this does have a down side.
** ''TabletopGame/{{Toon}}'' also has Gizmos, although these are statistically more likely to be anvils or sticks of dynamite than anything else.
** The Ultimate Intrigue book for ''Pathfinder'' adds a new feat called Brilliant Plan that is a more extensive version of this. Anything, including services to be delivered just as they're needed, can be invoked as long as there are funds (amount based on level) left in the character's "brilliant plan" fund, crossing this trope over with CrimefightingWithCash.
* In ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening'', mages are described as being at their most formidable when they are able to prepare their powers in advance, and are rather more vulnerable than other supernaturals when caught off guard, and there can be quite a diverse number of beasties in the ''TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness''. Thus, any successful mage will take the idea of being CrazyPrepared to heart (particularly the Adamantine Arrow, whose creed includes the phrase "Adaptability is Strength)". This is especially true in mages' interactions with one another, since it means needing to be CrazyPrepared against ''dozens of others'' who are also CrazyPrepared.
** Truly magey mages will take it to the next level by adding mid-level time or fate effects to their spells, allowing them to outright try to second-guess the storyteller with spells that when a particular event occurs or a particular potential target approaches, such as teleporting them to the hospital if they're rendered unconscious or banning anything made of lead or steel from entering their hotel room in gang territory. This has evolved into a second game for some players, where the player writes their conditions on a card that's only revealed to the storyteller after they've developed their own counter-strategy.
** ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheLost'' has a similar arrangement. While changelings don't have the universal adaptability of magic that mages do, what they do have are Catches -- specific conditions that allow them to use their magic without having to pay for it. A battle-hardened changeling might bring a torch, a golden chain, a friend with red hair, a fish's eyeball, and the name of a firstborn son with them to a melee just in case they need that special edge.
* A version of this appears with the Resourceful Pockets trait in ''TabletopGame/RocketAge''. You have pockets, a bag or some other container. Its full of stuff that you can just reach in and grab with no explanation as to why you would have it.
* The Villain Iron Legacy from TabletopGame/SentinelsOfTheMultiverse seems to have CrazyPrepared as his deck's theme. Literally every hero is at a disadvantage against Iron Legacy, as Iron Legacy has a counter for literally ''everything''.
** Iron Legacy's difficulty is so high one would almost need to be CrazyPrepared themselves and bring Heroes with consistent Ongoing removal, with Bunker's Alternate form Engine of War being a good choice due to Ongoing destruction being his base power.
* Speaking of Task Force Games, ''TabletopGame/StarfleetBattles'' includes a type of ship known as a Police Flagship. These typically include scout sensors; mine sweeping, ground assault and heavy transport shuttles; and repair facilities (of the kind normally found on dedicated repair craft), in addition to some dedicated cargo space and extra marines. The only shortcoming they have is...in actual combat, they get curb stomped because they've got no heavy weapons.
* The SpaceMarines of ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' are improved by [[BioAugmentation genetic engineering]]. ''Very'' extensive genetic engineering. As in, they can darken their skin to resist radiation, go into suspended animation to await help from being afflicted with likely mortal wounds, have a massively heightened sense of taste to be able to detect individual chemicals within what touches their tongues and spit metal-corroding acid among other changes more normally tailored toward the purposes of front-line combat.
* The [[http://index.rpg.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=2956 (W)Hole Delver's Catalog]] by Task Force Games is a humorous catalog of innovative gear for adventurers who want to be Crazy Prepared. Examples include The Cutting Edge Shield, an Inflata-Demon, a Medusa Cap, the Two-Way Armor, the Droopy Sword, and the Portable Hoist.

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