My DM's Notebook
Character Sheets
5E PHB
5E DMG
Xanathar's Guide to Everything
5E MM
5E DM Screen Reincarnated
Dice & Miniatures
Sometimes, Dungeon Tiles or Maps
I realized I wasn't using Volo's Guide very much, so I removed it from my gaming bag. My bag was too dang heavy. I guess I need a hireling?
Quote from: Razor 007;1070943My DM's Notebook
5E PHB
5E DMG
Xanathar's Guide to Everything
5E MM
5E DM Screen Reincarnated
Dice & Miniatures
Sometimes, Dungeon Tiles or Maps
I realized I wasn't using Volo's Guide very much, so I removed it from my gaming bag. My bag was too dang heavy. I guess I need a hireling?
Laptop, front and center (my gaming is either play by post or Roll20)
Bowl with dice, pencils, and erasers handy on the desk
PDFs for game being played handy
For RuneQuest, I have RQ1, RQ2, Cults of Prax, Apple Lane, and other references handy behind me
For OD&D, I have some Wilderlands stuff behind me, folders with the dungeon and record keeping, also Holmes and AD&D books for reference
For Traveller, I have some references behind me (but mostly use the PDFs) and folders with maps and record keeping
Gygax's Extraordinary Book of Names
A few other random things
Book case with RQ, D&D, and Traveller stuff within a few steps
Frank
I could run a standalone session with just my:
DM's Notebook
5E DM Screen Reincarnated
Character Sheets
Dice & Miniatures
But it would limit the Monsters I'd use, and the Roll Charts I'd have available. I'd probably stick to Evil NPCs, Monstrous Humanoids, Wolves, Giant Snakes, Giant Spiders, etc.
Campaign notes/scenario
dice
minis box
Battlemats
Scrap paper
PHB
MM
magic items section from the SRD
I don't normally bring the DMG or Xanathar's; I would prob bring Xanathar's between the two, for the times players use the options and maybe for the encounter tables. Rarely use Volo's at all (there is a tabaxi PC in one game) and I don't have Mordenkainen's.
Last night I photocopied the Common magic items section from Xanathar's for an upcoming Princes of the Apocalypse campaign.
Quote from: Razor 007;1070943I realized I wasn't using Volo's Guide very much, so I removed it from my gaming bag. My bag was too dang heavy. I guess I need a hireling?
I like it when my son comes with me to the session; at 11 he has a broad strong back & can carry a heavy load. :D
The last time I ran D&D, I used the base Labyrinth Lord book, a single set of dice, and a notepad/pencil. It was very liberating. Contrast to a GURPS campaign with roughly 30 books, reams of maps, box of dice, backpack full of graph paper, notepads, etc., and a ton of minis. We played at a gaming store, and hauling all that crap around was a serious pain in the ass. For the typical AD&D game, per the original question:
Players Handbook (four or five copies usually)
Dungeonmasters Guide
Monster Manual
Monster Manual II
Fiend Folio
Unearthed Arcana (yeah, I know)
Manual of the Planes
Oriental Adventures
Deities and Demigods
Giant notebook full of notes and maps
Dry-erase board w/hexes and grid - totally worth it (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XFN6ZGD/)
Box of minis
Gary Gygax's Extraordinary Book of Names because my fatal flaw as a DM is naming crap on the fly
2nd Edition Players Handbook for a few things
Central Casting
Rules Cyclopedia
A couple adventures, usually B2 and Temple of Elemental Evil
I like to have as many resources as possible, but honestly I'd say I only use 1/10th of that stuff during the average game, hence my trial run with Labyrinth Lord. It was arguably better with LESS resources, as I had to actually use my brain like back in the old days when I was in junior high school with no money and could barely scrape up enough funds to buy the Mentzer Red Box. I still like having lots of books around, though.
Current two campaigns:
- Three D&D 5E core books
- Tome of Beasts
- Xanathar's Guide to Everything
- Main campaign binder
- note pad
- A few thin folders with things I keep separate from the binder
- Plastic container from a fishing tackle box with dice, pencils, and other miscellaneous doodads I've found useful, such as the egg timer.
That's it. All fits inside a medium travel file container. I'm seriously thinking about typing up the handful of things we use from Xanathar's, so that I can stop bringing it. Also, it's times like these that I wish the three core books were four core books, with the DMG having the magic items split off, and the real DMG being purely a thing you use in prep.
Quote from: Razor 007;1070943I realized I wasn't using Volo's Guide very much, so I removed it from my gaming bag. My bag was too dang heavy. I guess I need a hireling?
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rI00G8vhCzE/TKomoX3Z05I/AAAAAAAAAS0/oufNOObeA1k/s400/Encumberance_loRes.jpg)
Last time I GMed was 2nd ed Dark Sun so-
2nd Ed PHB
2nd Ed DMG
Psionicist's Handbook
Dark Sun boxed set. (Original)
I need a 2nd ed GM screen. Haven't decided if I want to make my own or ebay an old one.
Dice, of course.
My binder full of GM stuff.
I don't use minis with 2nd edition, but when I was GMing 5th, I did bring minis, terrain and mats.
5e PHB
Dice + a dice tower a player made for me.
DMG, MM, Volo & Mord for quick reffrence if needed. Which is rare. Usually only reffed between sessions.
Lots of notes on index cards. I jot down monsters and other things as needed so dont have to leaf through the book as much, or at all.
Xanithars guide I use for between session stuff. Lots of great downtime activities.
Dice. Jack Daniels and/or Maker's Mark. Pencil. Laptop. Glass. Icecubes if I'm feeling sensitive that night.
With Pathfinder, it started out as a game you only needed 2 books to run games with; the Core Rulebook, and the Bestiary.
But then; it's great to add the Gamemastery Guide for all of the roll charts, etc.
And the NPC Codex is a DM's best friend.
And everyone thinks the Advanced Player's Guide has to be allowed.
And Ultimate Magic for the Magus; an official Fighter/ Magic User class.
And it never ends....
DM Log (those old TSR sheets)
DM Screen
DM binder (various tables and stock maps, etc.)
Adventure notes
Core 1E books
Dice
Tablet
Paper backup (Campaign Maps and Character Sheets)
Dice
Pens
Faux-Pringles
Custard Creams
Clipboard with legal pad
Ipad with Core Books of GURPs on it
Gm screen
Map/mapping notes
Shitload of D6's
Pencils
Waaaaay more miniatures than I need
Huge grid map I can write on with wet erase markers.
A stack of folders with papers I never need, and likely never will, I have the crew carry them out of habit.
- Amazon Fire 10 for reference book PDFs and all the digital artwork I make for my/the group's PCs.
- iPhone for dice-roller and tracking app (I use Dice Ex - which has a lovely "dice sets" page where you can set up lines for tracking hit points, spell slots and specific action checks/damage rolls including advantage/disadvantage... I've got a separate one for each game I'm playing in or running with all the rolls I'll need and extra lines for tracking monster hit points when I'm running).
- Custom-made character sheet (typically landscape layout in 9-10 pt font to minimize table space).
- Printer paper and pen for notes / notes from previous sessions that are still relevant.
- The leather binder with pockets I keep my note paper, character sheet and Amazon Fire in (though it usually ends up off to the side somewhere during the game itself.
- A half-gallon bottle of home-brewed unsweet tea.
- Mini if needed (or if I'm running and a battlemap is needed then minis/pogs, dry erase markers and one to four 18"x24" white-board grids I made with my laser engraver... I can get a 4'x8' sheet and have it cut down into 10 panels for about $14 and it takes about 5 minutes to etch a 1" grid on a panel; best game investment ever).
A surround sound speaker system and a laptop to run it for the game soundtrack.
Coffee, black. Most of my players also partake, so I make a pot.
SWN Revised rule book
Laptop with SWN supplements on PDF
NPC/monster stats on 4"x6" index cards in a box, arranged alphabetically for ease of access. As I make more monsters and NPCs, the box gets filled.
Campaign notebook--AKA "campaign bible"
Pad of paper
Pencils
Erasers
Deck of playing cards for initiative and/or NPC motivation.
"Ship's Locker": a small box with 3"x5" weapon and equipment cards. This way the players have tactile and visual reminders of their gear/weapons. Really handy because it makes having a custom gun pretty cool and all the relevant stats and bonuses are on the card.
Dice
4 panel GM screen from the 80s I inherited in 1995 or so.
Bowls of chips I put out , and other goodies my players bring for sharing. We usually put that on a separate table.
For DnD 5e:
On a small table next to me to the right:
5 plastic sealable trays of minis
1 fishing tackle box of larger minis
Space left to place minis I know I'll need on the evening, usually hidden from player's eyes.
On a chair next to me to the left:
1 DM's guide
2 Player's handbooks
2 Monster manuals
Volo's guide
A couple of notebooks
A mini palmtop PC with some PDFs loaded and some useful websites loaded and ready to access.
A bag of pencils, erasers, sharpeners.
Under the chair is a box of 3D printed dungeon wall, floor, doors etc pieces I sometimes use for Dungeons and terrain, Ruins etc..
On a large table in front of me:
Usually a 1 page dungeon with lots of notes and stuff on it (1 A4 sheet printed), behind the GM's screen
A 5e Revised GM's screen
Lots of dice
A couple of pencils
A BIG Chessex Battle mat laid out over the table.
Wet erase markers
A small bowl of water and kitchen roll to wipe off the areas I need to on the battle mat.
A laminated A4 combat tracker sheet with a small dry erase marker.
A big mug of coffee or tea.
Quote from: danskmacabre;1071114For DnD 5e:
On a small table next to me to the right:
5 plastic sealable trays of minis
1 fishing tackle box of larger minis
Space left to place minis I know I'll need on the evening, usually hidden from player's eyes.
On a chair next to me to the left:
1 DM's guide
2 Player's handbooks
2 Monster manuals
Volo's guide
A couple of notebooks
A mini palmtop PC with some PDFs loaded and some useful websites loaded and ready to access.
A bag of pencils, erasers, sharpeners.
Under the chair is a box of 3D printed dungeon wall, floor, doors etc pieces I sometimes use for Dungeons and terrain, Ruins etc..
On a large table in front of me:
Usually a 1 page dungeon with lots of notes and stuff on it (1 A4 sheet printed), behind the GM's screen
A 5e Revised GM's screen
Lots of dice
A couple of pencils
A BIG Chessex Battle mat laid out over the table.
Wet erase markers
A small bowl of water and kitchen roll to wipe off the areas I need to on the battle mat.
A laminated A4 combat tracker sheet with a small dry erase marker.
A big mug of coffee or tea.
You game at home right? :D
Quote from: S'mon;1071133You game at home right? :D
Lol, Actually, whilst I DO at times game at home. For DnD 5e at least, I help run an open table club once a fortnight at a local library in the meeting rooms..
But I drive a Ute (a sort of car with a flat tray and sides at the back).
I can fit everything in one of those wheeled shopping bag things, so I just wheel that from the car to the meetings rooms.
It all packs relatively small.
If I run something like Stars without Number revised, I have:
SWN Core rules book
Other dust
Silent legions
A Tupperware container of paper minis
Palmtop PC for other PDFs
Dice, pencils, wet erasers and a rolled up battlemat.
It's more narrative and sometimes combats are abstracted into narrative descriptions, so I don't bother to bring much.
All can fit in a daypack on my back easily.
If I run Silent legions, even less.
Silent legions book
Dice, pad, pencils, Palmtop PC.
As that is pretty much completely narrative.
Quote from: S'mon;1071133You game at home right? :D
Hah!
Man, why do you think gamers buy houses?
Edit: when I game out every other week, I travel much lighter: notepad, laptop, campaign bible, one rulebook, dice. GM screen.
Quote from: Heavy Josh;1071196Hah!
Man, why do you think gamers buy houses?
Lol, I have a pretty decent sized house and on top of that, I'm recently separated and I got the kids (teenagers).
So a few of the rooms are gaming and media dedicated.
There's a dedicated games room with PCs and Consoles.
Dedicated tabletop gaming room for RPGs and Boardgames with built in wall shelves for games and stuff.
A media room with a nice big TV and Sofas.
One time, when someone forgot the get the key for the library for the DnD club, I hosted a public session at my house.
I hosted about 20 people with gaming tables etc no problems, as there's a Verandah out the front too for gaming spill over! haha!.
All in all, gamer heaven!
Well, the three main books, of course, and the Tome of Beasts.
Currently running Barrowmaze (at the Tombs of Old location in Minaria). Lots of plastic figs, and of course, Dwarven Forge:
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iPad Mini 4 for notes.
Rules books (depends on the game I'm running)
Dice, Pencils, scrap paper for maps and/or notes.
But I can do it all without the most important thing at the table:
Players.
Quote from: Doom;1071212Well, the three main books, of course, and the Tome of Beasts.
Currently running Barrowmaze (at the Tombs of Old location in Minaria). Lots of plastic figs, and of course, Dwarven Forge:
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My gaming spot at home looks eerily similar to this. Oak finish table, windows, etc.
My mac and side monitor running Roll20 and Evernote
My GM folio (kinda like the lovechild of a GM screen and a folder)
7th Sea core rulebook
My GM binder
An assortment of index cards for NPCs
Scratch paper
Small journal with my notes & nodes
Laptop (nearby)
I-Pad mini (nearby)
Dice
Writing implements
Breakfast for all (we game in the morning: Dungeons & Donuts [even if we aren't playing D&D, that's what I call it]).
Beads, Buttons, counters, sometimes minis (only the D&D group really uses those)
Dry erase board, interlocking pieces (can't remember the company that makes these, but they're good; only use them at home)
LOTS of index cards, esp. for the school TTRP club
Quote from: Razor 007;1070943What's on your table?
I run my current game via Roll20, so:
- AS&SH rule book
- ref notes/screen
- adventure/module and notes
- dice
- beer/bourbon/coffee
More when I run a convention game (battlemat, character sheets) or a home game (graph paper, character sheets).