Items & Equipment
In Beholder: Conductor, items and equipment are crucial for surveillance, completing Ministry directives, and managing Carl's personal life. From hidden cameras to essential medicine, understanding where to acquire and how to use these items is key to survival and success in the apartment block.
Key Item Categories:
- Surveillance Equipment:
- Hidden Cameras: Used to monitor tenant activities. Acquired from the Ministry or purchased from shady dealers. Essential for gathering evidence.
- Bugging Devices: Placed in apartments to listen to conversations. Similar acquisition methods to cameras.
- Lockpicks: Used to open locked doors without a key. Can be purchased from various vendors or found. Essential for covert entry.
- Toolbox: Required for installing cameras and bugs, and for making minor repairs around the building. Usually provided by the Ministry or found.
- Prohibited Items (Contraband):
- Foreign Books/Magazines: Often found in tenant apartments. Prohibited by the Ministry. Can be reported as evidence or sold for profit.
- Foreign Goods (e.g., Jeans, Music Records): Similar to books, these are illegal and can be used for reporting or selling.
- Weapons/Explosives: Highly illegal. Finding these on a tenant is a major reporting opportunity, but they can also be sold for a high price to the right buyer.
- Drugs/Alcohol: Depending on current laws, these can be prohibited.
- Personal Items & Consumables:
- Food: Essential for Carl and his family. Purchased from the shopkeeper.
- Medicine (e.g., Martha's Medicine): Crucial for Carl's daughter. Often expensive and difficult to acquire, sometimes requiring specific quests or black market purchases.
- Money: The primary currency. Earned through rent, Ministry rewards, selling contraband, or blackmail.
- Documents (e.g., Passports, IDs): Can be found, forged, or used in various quests.
- Special Quest Items:
- These are unique items relevant to specific main or side quests, such as a specific tenant's diary, a coded message, or a unique piece of evidence. Their use is typically explained within the quest dialogue.
Acquisition Methods:
- Ministry Terminal: Some basic surveillance equipment is provided by the Ministry as part of your duties.
- Shopkeeper: The general store in the building sells food, basic tools, and sometimes lockpicks.
- Black Market Dealers: Shady characters who occasionally visit the apartment block. They buy contraband and sell illegal items, including advanced surveillance gear and rare medicine.
- Tenant Apartments: Searching tenant apartments (legally or illegally) is a primary way to find prohibited items and quest-specific objects.
- Quest Rewards: Completing certain quests, especially for the Ministry or the resistance, can yield unique items or significant sums of money.
Usage Tips:
- Inventory Management: Carl's inventory space is limited. Prioritize what you carry, especially when planning covert operations.
- Item Value: Be aware of the market value of items. Selling contraband can be very profitable, but reporting it earns Ministry favor.
- Evidence vs. Profit: Decide whether to use a prohibited item as evidence for a Ministry report or sell it for much-needed cash. This is a core dilemma in the game.