Christmas Gifts for Gamer Geeks

[CleverNickName]

My gaming group has a tradition: every year we draw names and buy Christmas gifts for each other, "Secret Santa" style. We always agree on a spending limit each year before drawing names; this year the spending range is between $30 and $40 USD. Then we exchange these gifts at our only in-person gaming session of the year: our Holiday Special.

How about you? Do you have any fun holiday traditions with your gaming group?

This year, I drew the name of one of my favorite gamers...let's call them Jo. Jo is the opposite of a "forever GM," they are not interested in ever taking a turn in the GM chair. And I get it; being a GM is a lot of time and work! But for them, it's just their preferred way to game: they're one of the best role-players in the group, always talking in character whenever interacting with NPCs, describing their actions in detail, keeping the gaming calendar updated on Google Sheets, and diligently tracking their resources. The other players tease them for that last part, but they take it in stride--if they say anything at all about it, it's probably a polite reminder that they can manage their own characters however they like.

So I'm shopping around for gifts now. I've got a couple of weeks before I have to purchase something, and I'd like to solicit some ideas from the fine gamers of ENWorld.

What are the cool Gamer Gifts of 2024? Post any and all game-related gift ideas here, and help your fellow gamers get their Christmas shopping done!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Man, I love players like that.

When I run OSR games, I don't even hint that I'll be keeping hold of a map. It was a delight to discover one of my players (an engineer, not surprisingly) had quietly been mapping, while his grad school daughter was taking diligent game session notes.

Roll & Play Press makes wonderful products, including a number of player-facing items. They're in the UK, though, so you'd need to hustle if you're ordering from them. I have their two gamemaster kits (fantasy and sci-fi) and they are excellent. Next time I get some mad money, I'm going to also get One Shot Wonders.

Also, I think every gamer would appreciate $20+ in credits at HeroForge. Even if they don't use miniatures regularly, a custom one of their favorite character is a pretty sweet keepsake. (When I get a lot of mad money in 2025, I intend to get a brass mini of my favorite character from a long-running campaign that has probably gone dormant due to the DM's work.)

 

[GMMichael]

What are the cool Gamer Gifts of 2024? Post any and all game-related gift ideas here, and help your fellow gamers get their Christmas shopping done!

There are a couple of restaurant/bar/game stores out near me. Gift certificates to those would be nice, but dice are always good.

Or, Medieval Times!

I'm easy, though. Give me some good backstory nuggets I can use, or a magic item my character could use until it falls apart. Like underwear. But not magic underwear. That's weird.

 

[aco175]

I have been buying my group tickets to the local convention that comes in February. I take the money from DMsGuild sales and spend some on that.