Gamer since 1977...
Been in groups where people bring stuff to share, been in groups where people supply themselves only, and been in groups where nobody brings anything except books & dice...and sometimes not that (for certain, usually casual, players).
Basically, I have a little more unencumbered cash than most of my compatriots, so I spread the weath around a little.
For those who lack die, I have the "Bucket 'O Dice" a big plastic container of all kinds of gaming die, collected over all years of gaming, including BTW, my original set of purple "color them yourself" die. Need something? Reach & Roll, baby.
For those who lack books, I usually have a couple copies of the core player books for the games we play the most, or that I consider most worthy. As such, I have 2 HERO 5th, 2 Mutants & Masterminds (1st, revised, 2nd Ed), 2 Arcana Unearthed, and at least 2 of each PHB from 1st-3.5 Editions of D&D.
On food...sometimes I bring stuff to share, especially during the holidays or after some event that has particularly good leftovers.
A previous group (in Austin) handled it by stopping and ordering food from a sub shop or by going to McCleskie's, then returning to the gaming.
My current group is hosted at 2-3 houses, with the hosts supplying booze & drinks, and occasionally, snacks. There isn't much mooching because most people grab drive-through on the way to the game. When I host, however, my fridge is open. (Of course, game night is also the night before garbage pick-up, so if you want to play fridge roulette, its your call...) If they complain about the lack of jellybeans or whatever, I tell them I couldnt' afford them that week, "so tough." Some of the nicer guys have taken to bringing big bottles of drink or 24 packs of beer, etc.
If its REALLY an issue for you, take a few minutes before the next session and discuss it. If you're always the host, its not unreasonable to expect the group to give SOMETHING back, especially if your resources are being stretched a bit too thin by hosting.
Once you set a standard, though, stick to it.
Been in groups where people bring stuff to share, been in groups where people supply themselves only, and been in groups where nobody brings anything except books & dice...and sometimes not that (for certain, usually casual, players).
Basically, I have a little more unencumbered cash than most of my compatriots, so I spread the weath around a little.
For those who lack die, I have the "Bucket 'O Dice" a big plastic container of all kinds of gaming die, collected over all years of gaming, including BTW, my original set of purple "color them yourself" die. Need something? Reach & Roll, baby.
For those who lack books, I usually have a couple copies of the core player books for the games we play the most, or that I consider most worthy. As such, I have 2 HERO 5th, 2 Mutants & Masterminds (1st, revised, 2nd Ed), 2 Arcana Unearthed, and at least 2 of each PHB from 1st-3.5 Editions of D&D.
On food...sometimes I bring stuff to share, especially during the holidays or after some event that has particularly good leftovers.
A previous group (in Austin) handled it by stopping and ordering food from a sub shop or by going to McCleskie's, then returning to the gaming.
My current group is hosted at 2-3 houses, with the hosts supplying booze & drinks, and occasionally, snacks. There isn't much mooching because most people grab drive-through on the way to the game. When I host, however, my fridge is open. (Of course, game night is also the night before garbage pick-up, so if you want to play fridge roulette, its your call...) If they complain about the lack of jellybeans or whatever, I tell them I couldnt' afford them that week, "so tough." Some of the nicer guys have taken to bringing big bottles of drink or 24 packs of beer, etc.
If its REALLY an issue for you, take a few minutes before the next session and discuss it. If you're always the host, its not unreasonable to expect the group to give SOMETHING back, especially if your resources are being stretched a bit too thin by hosting.
Once you set a standard, though, stick to it.
