Hi,

Some days ago, I created this thread: http://www.gamedev.net/topic/660000-youre-a-witchdemon-hunterslayer-youre-likely-to-carry/

I was interested mostly in the lore of items a hunter might be carrying with him.

Now, I'm more interested in functionality.

Specifically, I'm looking for tools/items/weapons that serve multiple purposes (as can often be seen in metroidvanias for example).

To be eligible, a tool/weapon should have at least 2 of the below qualities:

- Direct combat application (dealing damage, such as a sword, a bomb, or even a bow&arrow)

- Utility of some kind, meaning it can extend the player's range of actions without necessarily being required to beat the game (in Zelda: A Link to the Past, for example, you can acquire bottles and a bug net, which in turn allows you to capture faeries, buy potions, etc. Also, the boomrang stuns enemies but deals no damage. and the bomb can break fragile walls, to enter secret areas).

- Grant 'passage' to new areas (usually necessary for the game to function). Be aware that a 'keycard' item is not eligible (basically, an item you only have to have in order to proceed is rather boring). Notable examples of good 'passage' tools: The hookshot (Zelda signature item), or super missile that open up red doors in Metroid, etc.) Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen also uses the 'axes' which allow to make a whirlwind attack that cuts down trees.

Thoughts? The crazier the better!

To start with the simple, a sword can be an effective weapon, a means of finishing or incapacitating enemies (via beheading, as just mentioned in the other thread), and a tool for cutting through ropes or dense foliage. It might even function as a small mirror (perhaps against vampires, or for light-beam puzzles?), if the surface is sufficiently flat and polished.

A bow could act as a ranged weapon, a means of hunting food, and, with rope and perhaps a grapnel arrow, a means of crossing gaps or climbing walls.

Less mundanely, a holy water vial might damage evil beings, bless weapons (such that they do additional damage to evil beings), perhaps consecrate small areas (perhaps if poured in a circle) in order to repel evil beings, and maybe find use in puzzles by consecrating defiled or ruined holy sites, or opening secrets in such sites.

A bell might repel certain types of evil being (if I recall correctly, some traditions hold that evil spirits are repelled--in some cases even killed--by loud noises or church bells), an could be used in sound-related (perhaps even simple acoustic-reflection?) puzzles.

Bell sounds original enough, I'm looking for objects that are versatile. This one feels like it would only be useful in a very limited capacity.

Perhaps some other objects could have similar noise-making capabilities?