Preparedness (sage ability)

Preparedness is an authority-status sage ability, in the study of Judgement, that provides a careful, deliberate approach to situations both unfamiliar and dangerous. Using foresight, the character makes conscious decisions, taking proactive actions to assure against the unforseen, safeguarding the character's physical self and gear.

Such preparedness uses a combination of judgment, preparedness and adaptability. Once an everyday task is undertaken, paying attention to factors such as environment, weather conditions, terrain or other variables becomes second nature. As a result, the character develops a planned, conscious approach to travelling, settling in for the night, breaking camp in the morning and prior to taking any scaled action, such as departing an inn, entering a dungeon, getting aboard ship and so on.

As a result, the character does not "forget" the necessity of things like food, illumination, appropriate clothes and other gear. This applies not only for the character's personal needs, but for up to a dozen others to which the character mindfully attends. Thus he or she can, if there is time, look out for those with a poor memory or a tendency towards carelessness.

Retconning

Should the party have forgotten something quite ordinary that surely ought to be done — and would certainly have been done if the players could actually see the game world — then the DM can revise the situation respectively. This means that things that ought to have been bought at the market, like food, or things that a player character should have bought when first entering the game world, like shoes, can be corrected.

There is a limitation, of course. Anything that a character might bring along "just in case," but wouldn't actually expect to use, cannot be retconned in this manner. Characters cannot "remember," after someone in the party has been poisoned, that logically they would have brought along an antidote. That is, unless the party knew there would be creatures there who would assuredly have a poison attack.

Therefore, it's the DM's call. It's recommended that judgments be generous, with the presumption that an experienced adventurer would know well enough to bring along those things that are used everyday in the field.

Malady Checks

In some cases, maladies that occur can be counteracted. If a character with the preparedness ability were present, they could not forget to gather enough wood for the fire. Or leave something behind. Or ignore that tents can rip and need needle and thread. This requires that the player speak up, however, should such a dichotomy arise.

See Judgement (sage study)