It's all very well having the brains and brawn necessary to carry out the plans, but if you don't have the right kit then you're going to be in big trouble.

This page details those essential pieces of equipment that any adventuring party should always have to hand. Obviously I have skipped on the boring stuff like bullet-proof vests, mobile phones and such like and concentrated on those that have a specific place in party folklore.

Unlike Dungeons and Dragons, there is not the same plethoa of magical items. Unlike our party of adventurers in David's dungeons, the Cthulhu party aren't tooled up with the latest in wizards created trinkets and full of so many enhancing potions that we put professional cyclists to shame.

• Guns.
  And plenty of them. Hey, the majority of adventures take place on the Good Old US of A and it's there in black and white in the constitution. Thus must a party bear as many arms as their own arms can carry. There's nothing as satisfying at putting a round from a semi-automatic pistol into the lothesome hide of a Deep One (not that the party have ever met a Deep One.) Naturally it is in my best interest to provide as many situations where such fearsome fire power is absolutely useless. And of course, Jackie Chan won't lower himself to use such an unsophisticated means of disposal when he has his fists and feet.

• The Other Mystery Machine.
  There can only be one Mystery Machine and it's inhabited by four kids and a big dog. The Other Mystery Machine is inhabited by anything up to five fear-crazed adventurers in their eternal quest against the Mythos. Now, it has to be understood that there is not one OMM, it's just that the party, whenever they need to rent some form of transport, are naturally drawn to the delivery end of the rental lot. Thus whatever they may be doing, they always seem to end up with some form of panel van. I guess that I ought to be thankful that as yet they have never ventured to the UK as it is a lock-in that they would be driving round the country in a 25-year old Transit van from Reg King Transhire (London) Ltd. Still a van has its uses as demonstrated here.

• Johnson's Monkey-Bite Cream
  You know how it is. You've just had a lump bitten out of your shoulder by something that looks like a large baboon and you need some form of soothing ointment to take away the pain. Simple, just reach for the tube of Johnson's Monkey Bite Cream. The cream with a million and one uses (as long as those uses involve being bitten by some form of monkey.) Remember to carry some next time you rob an organ-grinder.

• Decorator's Friend methylated spirit.
  George's favoured tipple at the moment. He is very picky about the quality of his methys. He doesn't go for any of that horrible purple stuff and I'm quoting the great man himself "That’s a girls drink, just needs a cocktail umbrella in it and some ice and any woman I know would drink it." Strangely enough, despite his lifestyle, the quality of women that he does know is actually quite good and they probably wouldn't drink methys. Unfortunately most of them end up horribly butchered which makes George rather sad. Anyway, he prefers the clear stuff and any colour can be added with some anti-freeze or flourescent screen wash.

The list will continue to grow as the party wends their merry way through life (or death).

I will keep you the reader informed of the changes.