"It's a terrible world out there, but ye might as well profit, eh?"
- Garston, the innkeeper of The Dragon's Maw
The Current Situation
Strangely enough, the amount of monsters in the vast, untamed wilderness of this world is only increasing, and no one knows why. Are the unfathomable Old Gods regaining followers and power, thus letting their evil spill into the world even further? Are the True Divines losing their grip on this world? Are there just not enough people willing to slay monsters? No one knows. However, as tensions rise between King Artik and the expansionist King Brojet of Haralyn, the people that aren't willing to fight over the fertile lands of Ashtree are becoming worried. Not only that, but a secret organization is searching for an artifact of the Old Gods known as the Runepearl, which their finding could lead to a terrible revelation.
Ah, but you heard the amount of monsters was increasing! So what better time to become an adventurer than to clear out ruins full of treasure and pretend to be slaying monsters, too? Then, you can spend it on all the useful (or not) stuff you'd like!
Survival Guide
When in doubt, follow this saying:
"If it can't be reasoned with, it can be exploded.
If it can't be exploded, it can be avoided.
If it can't be avoided, it can be reasoned with."
Use common sense and keep in mind that the referee is not your enemy. The game is difficult, and character death might happen, but only if you make stupid decisions or get especially unlucky. I'm being brutally fair, but fair nonetheless. I assure you, there won't be any "rocks fall, you die" stuff going on.
Bring the following things, as they will really help in your old-school dungeon crawls.
Plenty of the supplies that are mentioned here and in other guides. It wouldn't hurt to have more than you think you need, as you can still carry quite a bit. That being said, leave a bit of space for any loot you'll be carrying out. You should also leave behind any loot from previous expeditions in a safe somewhere or spend it all, because if you die and are left behind, that's a bunch of loot your party has just lost. Also, it weighs a bunch, and you need extra space.
The classic ten-foot pole, or a similar object. Poke anything that seems suspicious, or attach a mirror or hook to the end for extra capability.
Iron spikes. Wedge doors shut, keep them open, mark where you've been, put stuff up on walls, or use them as pitons to create handholds on walls where there aren't any (making them useful for climbing sheer surfaces).
Caltrops. Lay traps, set ambushes, or just use them to create a barrier while in pursuit.
Rope or string. They're both useful for separate things, but I don't think I need to tell you what you can do with both.
Torches or lantern oil. Bring more than you think is enough, as having multiple lit at once makes a room well-lit. Also, while your spellcasters do have access to spells that create light, it most likely won't provide light for your entire journey, so that's why consumable light sources are your friend in this game. Lanterns and lantern oil can be thrown, lighting stuff on fire, but they're far more expensive than torches and are permanent, so choose wisely when buying light sources.
Cherish this advice, and read on, adventurer. Bring plenty of provisions, because you'll be delving deep into the underworld, looting forgotten ruins, and exploring uncharted wilderness.