Neck Pouch

Ultimate Equipment Guide II

Author Greg Lynch, J. C. Alvarez
Publisher Mongoose Publishing
Publish date 2005

After years of having his pocket picked the moment he walked into any town large enough to have more than one street, Madrion set his mind to creating a new pouch to foil the attempts of even the most skillful thief. The chain pouch was his first invention in this vein, but he was not completely satisfied with it, concerned that a thief would simply cut his belt off. Therefore, he turned to an older invention, the neck pouch, and improved on the old design.

A neck pouch is simply a smaller version of the belt pouch, designed to hang around the wearer’s neck on a cord, suspending the pouch on his chest, beneath his clothes and armour. Madrion sells a very basic version of this, as well as some variations he has created to stave off the greedy hands of cutpurses and pickpockets. Neck pouches are, by their very nature, more secure than a belt pouch, causing would-be thieves great difficulty in stealing their contents, as the pouch is concealed beneath the clothing of the wearer. A normal neck pouch deals a -2 penalty on any Sleight of Hand skill checks made to steal the pouch or its contents.

The simplest of his variations to the normal neck pouch is to replace the leather thong most neck pouches hang on with a steel chain. Though not any more impervious to damage than a normal steel chain, it is nevertheless proof against a cutpurse with nimble fingers and a sharp blade, dealing a -5 penalty on any Sleight of Hand skill check made to steal the neck pouch. Madrion’s other variation is almost impossible for a thief to abscond with, though it is also difficult for the wearer to use in casual commerce. Rather than hanging around the neck, this pouch is suspended from a pair of straps that circle over the wearer’s shoulders and beneath his arms. This version of the pouch offers a potential thief no exposed target, dealing a -10 penalty on any Sleight of Hand checks made to steal the pouch.

Madrion sells his various neck pouches in both a men’s version and a women’s version. They are essentially the same in terms of how well they protect against thieves, but the men’s version is designed for the pouch to sit on the man’s chest, while the women’s version is designed for the pouch to sit just below the woman’s chest.

• Neck Pouch: 1 gp; ½ lb.
• Neck Pouch (Chain Strap): 2 gp; 1 lb.
• Neck Pouch (Shoulder Strap): 5 gp; 1 lb.