History Main / StarterEquipment

* Fantasy {{tabletop RPG}}s in particular traditionally (all the way back to ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons D&D]]'') give player characters a certain amount of starting ''money'' and send their players to the equipment lists in order to shop. Naturally, only relatively mundane gear will be within their budget at this point, or even ''on'' those specific lists -- magic items in particular are something they'll be expected to find or otherwise "earn" later.
** 5th Edition D&D no longer does this by default. Instead, characters receive starting gear based on their class and background (with a few options), with a small amount of starting money on top of that. As 5th Edition places less emphasis on loading up characters with magical items, the starting gear can quite reasonably support a character for multiple levels.

** ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX'' gives [[PlayerCharacter Rook]] a set of basic equipment every time he changes class out of thin air if there's nothing suitable in his inventory. This isn't worth trying to exploit, though - not only are these bottom-tier, bog-standard weapons obsolete by the end of the tutorial, they don't sell for much.

* Deckbuilding games (from [[FromClonesToGenre genre launcher]] ''TabletopGame/{{Dominion}}'' onward) typically have each player begin with a deck of low-powered cards and acquire more powerful cards as the game progresses.

* The first (real) weapon you start out with in ''VideoGame/StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime'' is a simple sword synthesized from the rescue pod's computer, which is necessary because you crash-landed in a backwater planet, and convenient for Fayt since he knows how to swing it around by playing virtual games. The actual first weapon you get is a Metal Pipe, an {{improvised weapon}} which Fayt picked up to defend himself from enemy drones. One of the Battle Trophies requires you to beat the final boss with said Metal Pipe, ''and'' the second-to-last BonusBoss, a feat made possible thanks to the game's [[EquipmentUpgrade Synthesis]] system.

* In ''[[VideoGame/DeadTrigger Dead Trigger 2]]'', Kyle, the player character, is equipped with a CZ 75 and a Wrench, along with the submachine gun MP5K from the Gunsmith, which can fend off zombies in the earlier stages of the game, but become utterly useless in later stages as the virus mutates and makes zombies stronger and the player unlocks stronger weapons.

** Every game, following the tutorial, gives the player a Splattershot Jr. as the starting weapon. Said Splattershot Jr. will always come with a kit featuring Splat Bombs for the sub-weapon and some sort of team-benefitting shield as a defensive special weapon (Bubbler in ''[[VideoGame/Splatoon1 1]]'', Ink Armor in ''[[VideoGame/Splatoon2 2]]'', and Big Bubbler in ''[[VideoGame/Splatoon3 3]]''). Meanwhile, the starting gear consists of a White Headband with the Ink Recovery ability (faster reloading), a Basic Tee with Quick Respawn (faster respawning), and some Cream Basics shoes with Special Saver (reduces how much your [[LimitBreak special gauge]] decreases after getting splatted).

* The first (real) weapon you start out with in ''VideoGame/StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime'' is a simple sword synthesized from the rescue pod's computer, which is necessary because you crash-landed in a backwater planet, and convenient for Fayt since he knows how to swing it around by playing virtual games. The actual first weapon you get is a Metal Pipe, an ImprovisedWeapon which Fayt picked up to defend himself from enemy drones. One of the Battle Trophies requires you to beat the final boss with said Metal Pipe, ''and'' the second-to-last BonusBoss, a feat made possible thanks to the game's [[EquipmentUpgrade Synthesis]] system.

* The multiplayer for the ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'' series starts the player out with a Splattershot Jr. with a kit of Splat Bombs for the sub-weapon and a defensive Special weapon (Bubbler in the original and Ink Armor in ''[[VideoGame/Splatoon2 2]]'') with a White Headband with Ink Recovery, Basic Tee with Quick Respawn, and Cream Basics with Special Saver. After completing ''2'''s Octo Expansion, when the player switches over to the Octoling, the Octoling starts with the Fresh Octo Tee with Ink Saver.

[[folder: Action Adventure ]]

[[folder: First Person Shooter ]]

[[folder: Platform Game]]

[[folder: MMORPG ]]

[[folder: Roguelike ]]

[[folder: RPG ]]

[[folder: Simulation Game]]

[[folder: Strategy ]]

[[folder: Third Person Shooter ]]

[[folder: Wide Open Sandbox ]]

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

* Poor ''VideoGame/DiabloII'' characters, they don't get any armor, just a class-appropriate weapon: the Barbarian, a hand axe; the Paladin, a short sword, the Amazon, a stack of javelins, the Sorceress, a staff of +1 Fire Bolt, the Necromancer, a wand of +1 Summon Skeleton, the Assassin, a katar, and the Druid, a club. Some of them also get a buckler. It should be noted, however, that these items are flagged as being Starter items, which means they always cost exactly 1 gold to repair. Not that it helps, since you're probably gonna change them for something better before repairing them is a necessity.

* ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'' isn't much kinder to its Nephalem. The Barbarian starts off with a handaxe, the Demon Hunter starts off with a hand crossbow, the Crusader starts with a flail and a shield, the Monk starts off with a knuckleduster, the Wizard starts off with a wand, and the Witch Doctor starts off with a ceremonial knife. None of them start off with anything in the way of non-cosmetic armor, but thankfully, this state of affairs doesn't persist for long.

* It will either be the most [[VendorTrash basic item you can buy]] in the first shop you find, or completely unique (but still useless when you find something else).

Compare EmergencyWeapon for an early piece of equipment that has some slight advantage (typically being [[BreakableWeapons unbreakable]] or [[BottomlessMagazines never running out of ammo]]) to make it a backup rather than just a springboard to later weapons and the equally useless VendorTrash. If the hero starts out on an important quest but still gets no help with getting better equipment then this is WithThisHerring. Using it may be the aim of a SelfImposedChallenge. This can overlap with WeaponJr.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' Cecil's dark knight gear that he has when you start the game is the weakest you can get as well as not being bought or found anywhere. It actually becomes 100% useless in the game after he class changes and gets completely different set of starting equipment. (If you don't remove your previous equipment before the class change [[SoLongAndThanksForAllTheGear your old stuff is gone forever]] but it's just VendorTrash anyway.)

** ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX'' gives [[PlayerCharacter Rook]] a set of basic equipment every time he changes class out of thin air if there's nothing suitable in his inventory. This isn't worth trying to exploit, though - not only are these bottom-tier, bog-standard weapons obsolete by the end of the tutorial, they sell for so little calling them VendorTrash is an [[InsultToRocks insult to Vendor Trash]].

In many {{RPG}}s TheHero's quest is a long one fraught with danger. So naturally whatever you're doing, you'll want the best equipment available at any given moment, and so most games will [[RuleOfFun deliver]]. Your average RPG hero (and their party) will come to wield axes of [[DishingOutDirt stone]], swing {{Flaming Sword}}s, carry staffs that allow them to [[SummonMagic summon the very gods]], draw bows crafted by reclusive masters in their field and deck themselves in the hides of legendary beasts and metals [[{{Unobtanium}} dug from far beneath the earth]] or [[ThunderboltIron beyond the stars]].

* ''VideoGame/TreasureHunterMan'': The sword is the first weapon that can be acquired, and is needed to progress in the game.

* The first (real) weapon you start out with in ''VideoGame/StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime'' is a simple sword synthesized from the rescue pod's computer, which is necessary because you crash-landed in a backwater planet, and convenient for Fayt since he knows how to swing it around by playing virtual games. The actual first weapon you get is a Metal Pipe, an ImprovisedWeapon which Fayt picked up to defend himself from enemy drones. One of the Battle Trophies requires you to beat the final boss with said Metal Pipe, ''and'' the second-to-last BonusBoss, a feat made possible thanks to the game's Synthesis system.

* ''VideoGame/StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime'': Fayt's first weapon is a Metal Pipe. There are [[AchievementSystem Battle Trophies]] that require you to beat the final boss and some [[BonusBoss superbosses]] with it. Thankfully, it comes with the maximum number of [[EquipmentUpgrade Synthesis]] slots.

* Since the player character in ''VideoGame/PathOfExile'' has been, well, exiled, you start by getting tossed off the ship transporting you to Wraeclast and washing up on the beach with one weapon and no armor. The Marauder starts with a club, the Templar with a scepter, the Witch with a wand, the Shadow with a knife, the Ranger with a bow, and the Duelist with a sword. You get your first active skill as a drop from the first monster you encounter, and another as a quest reward for killing the first boss and reaching town.

* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'': Lloyd's starting weapon is a pair of wooden swords.

* You'll very likely see them [[IconicStarterEquipment used in nearly all promotional material]], even though in most cases they'll be replaced with better items within the first few hour. [[StarterGearStayingPower There are exceptions, of course.]]