Depends on the game, but I usually try to distill down into what I can carry in one trip.  That's usually one file box or a crate, along with one bag with a strap of some kind.  I've found that if I'm not able to achieve that initially, some judicious typing and note taking usually gets me well under.  But then I type fast.  I've been known to type up all the creatures out of a book that I think I'll need, and then leave the book behind.  20 pages in a binder is a lot slimmer than the book.

Quote from: Spinachcat;1099346Good players. No amount of stuff replaces good players.

But if I am narrowing down my stuff, then the most important is "representational terrain" and that depends from game to game. Sometimes its a battlemat and minis, other times its a couple of toys that represent a key aspect of the game (the PC's ship, the evil temple, etc), sometimes its a full diorama with 3D terrain. The more "theater of mind" that I'm running, the less "stuff" I need.

This.

Give me good players, and I can probably run a game with a d6.

My normal setup - laptop. Dice. Pencil. Notepad (for scrawling quick maps). Bag-o-books. Laptop is where I update campaign notes, and resources up on G-Drive. This lets me put pictures of NPC's, Player notes, etc. all contained in one location.

I used to use battlemaps, minis etc. Pretty rare these days.

My brain.

Quote from: Razor 007;1099368But if I am reading 10 different rulesets, in search of the perfect ruleset; that had better yield some very useful tools for gameplay, or else it is too much of a distraction.  It eats up my time, and clouds my focus.  I am spending more time searching, than I am playing; and that must stop.

Ah, I see. Well, I can't help you there, I'm afraid because that mentality is a bit alien to me. I mean I don't look for the perfect ruleset any more than I look for a perfect song or a perfect TV show to the exclusion of all others; variety is the spice of life to me. I am a d100 guy but once in a while I want dice pools. And I am a genre(world)sim guy but once in a while I want hack & slash. And I am not a storygamer but I would like to try out Apocalypse World once.

So, I don't know. Why wouldn't anyone want to indulge in the full spectrum of the hobby?

QuoteWhy wouldn't anyone want to indulge in the full spectrum of the hobby?

Because I've been able to do everything I want with the game I already use, and prefer deep mastery over broad proficiency.

Edit - for the OP, I'd bring the 1E AD&D core books, Matt Finch's Tome of Adventure design, and dice/pencils/paper.  I wouldn't absolutely need any of these, but I enjoy the process of using them.

Quote from: Alexander Kalinowski;1099400Ah, I see. Well, I can't help you there, I'm afraid because that mentality is a bit alien to me. I mean I don't look for the perfect ruleset any more than I look for a perfect song or a perfect TV show to the exclusion of all others; variety is the spice of life to me. I am a d100 guy but once in a while I want dice pools. And I am a genre(world)sim guy but once in a while I want hack & slash. And I am not a storygamer but I would like to try out Apocalypse World once.

So, I don't know. Why wouldn't anyone want to indulge in the full spectrum of the hobby?

You mention Hack & Slash, and the Apocalypse World RPG.  Have you looked at Dungeon World?  

Essentially; it's Hack & Slash with a 2d6 mechanic, and lots of DM / GM narration.  Ask for a 2d6 roll; in response to a player engaging in Hack & Slash, or attempting a Skill based Action.

2-6 equals failure.
7-9 equals success with a hitch, or complication.
10-12 equals complete success.
Also: with 10-12; you can choose to either deal extra damage, or completely negate your opponent's attack.

Just narrate everything, based upon the 2d6 results.

*** I also like the idea of incorporating Advantage / Disadvantage from D & D 5E, via adding a 3rd d6.

Quote from: EOTB;1099402Because I've been able to do everything I want with the game I already use, and prefer deep mastery over broad proficiency.

Well, that's curious. I have never thought of RPGs as games to be mastered like chess.
Getting better at a game means for me getting better at playing a role or reading a game situation right and making the right decision or solving puzzles/mysteries. Stuff like that.
I also like playing a wide variety of settings, from Shadowrun to Game of Thrones to Star Wars to Warhammer 40K to Call of Cthulhu, etc. To cover all that, I'd have to resort to something like GURPS.
And by doing so each game would feel a little more samey to me. That wouldn't do. So, I guess... for me it's less deep system mastery, though getting better at playing the system also plays at least some part of it. I just don't need to maximize system mastery. As a player. I've been pretty proficient at some of the games I have run as a gamemaster though.

Your approach to gaming is probably way more prevalent in the US than here in Germany.

Quote from: Razor 007;1099404You mention Hack & Slash, and the Apocalypse World RPG.  Have you looked at Dungeon World?

Yeah, I did. I just mentioned Hack & Slash and AW above to underscore the broad range of stuff I'd like to play occasionally. For long campaigns, I prefer genreworld simulation. But I wouldn't mind playing Dungeon World for a game or two, even though I think the PbtA fans who claim that AW is the purer representation of the system's philosophy have a point. AW seems to be more open-ended than DW due to the tropes that DW must cater to.

General Stuff:
==========
Dice, paper, pencils
Gary Gygax's Extraordinary Book of Names
JG Treasury of Archaic Names
Various other generic bits and pieces

The games I would generally have on my "run" list:

For Traveller:
=========

Classic Traveller 1977 books 1-3 (when at my computer, which is actually were I play these days, I access both 1977 and 1981 PDFs)
Supplement 4
Folders with campaign notes
Google docs with PC and campaign notes

Other bits and pieces depending on what's actually going on. I've used the ATV rules from Across the Bright Face for example.

I have the Classic Traveller, JTAS, Apocrypha I, II, and III, Mega-Traveller, and GURPS Traveller Ships CD-ROMs available plus lots of additional downloaded stuff

For OD&D:
=======

Boxed set plus Greyhawk (or PDFs thereof)
AD&D Monster Manual
PDFs of Monster & Treasure assortment
Wilderlands of High Fantasy
City State of the Invincible Overlord
folder with campaign notes
Google doc with PC and campaign notes

Other bits and pieces

I have lots of PDFs available as well as all the OD&D supplements, AD&D MM, PH, and DMG (also Unearthed Arcana though I really don't reference it), Holmes, BX, and BECM in print (and PDF), and much more...

For RuneQuest:
===========
RQ1 and RQ2 rulebooks
Judges Guild Referee Screen
Copies of charts and tables
Map from RQ3 Trollpak
Cults of Prax
White Dwarf Issue #14 (they are exploring The Lair of the White Wyrm right now)
Google doc of house rules
Google sheet with PC notes
Folder with campaign notes
I also have the entire run of RQ1, RQ2, and RQ3 official products (except Land of Ninja) available as well as Different Worlds, White Dwarf, and various 3rd party publications and PDFs

For Burning Wheel:
=============
Burning Wheel Revised
Burning Wheel Gold
Monster Burner
Magic Burner
Adventure Burner
Burning Wheel Codex
Various PDFs

Essentials these days for a game would be Gold and Codex. I might grab Monster Burner, Adventure Burner, and Magic Burner for additional notes though those are generally obsoleted for Gold.

Other games I would run would be EPT (have plenty of supplements), Talislanta (have almost everything in print and PDF)

Quote from: ffilz;1099425For OD&D:
=======

Boxed set plus Greyhawk (or PDFs thereof)
AD&D Monster Manual
PDFs of Monster & Treasure assortment
Wilderlands of High Fantasy
City State of the Invincible Overlord
folder with campaign notes
Google doc with PC and campaign notes

Nice list!

Mine would be similar:
* OD&D boxed set plus Greyhawk
* Arneson's FFC from Judges Guild
* Yellow JG DM screen
* AD&D Monster Manual (I kind of like the 2E one, actually, with the color pictures)
* Adventure-specific module or map or whatever. (CSIO for city adventures, downloaded and printed copy of Arneson's Blackmoor map for wilderness adventures, I usually print off a random dungeon map from the interwebs for underground adventures, etc.)

Though I am a big W.A.S.P. fan. I have some reservations about recommending their music as soundtrack for RPGs. It just doesn't fit the bill as well as other classic metal bands do.

I'm also a big fan of Within Temptation. Their music is just great. Different of their albums would make great soundtrack for RPGs.