How Much Will You Carry to a Game?

[SiderisAnon]

Three Different Load Types

For starters, I prefer to run at my house. That way, I have everything available. I'm a very seat of my pants type DM, so I don't always know what I'll need. Unfortunately, right now my living situation doesn't have enough space for a table full of people.

My normal load is what fits in my satchel. If it doesn't fit, I don't need it. I carry a second satchel with my laptop in it, so I have a hard drive full of maps and monsters and images and whatever else I might need on the fly. (For some game systems I've run, we've bought the books in PDF, so I just need the laptop.)

Back when I was still running for RPGA, my load was significantly higher. I had a rolling toolbox that I used. The bottom was all the books, plus several modules with maps, and things like extra paper. The top portion was miniatures and possibly some map tiles. The little shelf thing on top was pencils, pens, and dice.

The RPGA group I was part of was totally disorganized. I would often show up having been told to run one module and then have to run a different one. So, after a while, I just kept every module the coordinator had forwarded me prepared in the bottom of the rolling box so I could run whatever was needed.

Oddly, the toolbox method worked quite well and wasn't all that difficult. In fact, it was far less physical effort than the two satchels I carry now. If I could fit the laptop in the toolbox, I would still be using it. The problem with the toolbox at RPGA was that after a while, there were far too many people in the space and I had no room for it. (Which is why I quit, not because of the toolbox, but because I don't like playing with people pressed against me.)

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'm a "Mr. Suitcase" type- the group librarian if you will.

I was also taught to share my toys, so I'm perfectly willing to bring any gaming gear I own that the group needs.

I tend to host events, but when I don't, I load up.

Personally, I topped out at a trunkload: a few dozen books, perhaps a few hundred minis (PCs, NPCs, monsters and structures/treasures), landscape, pens, paper, character sheets, multiple bags of dice and the battlemap. That took a couple of people to unload quickly.

Currently, I'm carrying a rolling suitcase containing the 3.5 Core + Completes (out of which I personally use perhaps 2 books, a mini and dice) plus minis and the current host is holding onto the battlemap.

 

[Klatu Barada Necktie]

We're playing Castles & Crusades

01. Quickstart Rules
----- In case there's a new player in the group

02. Players Handbook

03. Castle Keeper's Screen
----- For quick refrence to tables as a player

04. Unopened Pack of PC Reference Sheets

05. Photcopied Back-Up Character Sheets
----- on the offhand event that the primary sheet should get ruined in some way

06. Collectors Dice

 

[Scribe Ineti]

Any game I GM is run at my house, so I don't have to carry anything with me as such. It's all at home.

If I'm gaming in someone else's game and at their house, I'll bring character sheet, power cards, the PHB, the FRPG if needed, dice, miniature for my character, writing implements, and my Alphasmart Neo for taking notes.

And a bag of snacks and drinks. I don't need any other books as a player, and anything else would just weigh down my messenger bag.

 

[boerngrim]

I don't like to DM on the road. It's much easier to run the game at my house, but sometimes you bite the bullit.

I usually narrow it down to:

A back pack with about 6 books, my notes, a calculator, pencils, erasers, and my dice.

A file "accordion" case with my flip mat, blank character sheets, Steel Squire spell area templates, etc.

A tackle box with the minis I plan to use during that session.

 

[jdrakeh]

A backpack with my laptop, a few rule books, extra pens/pencils, and dice. If I'm going to a WH40k game, then you can add my Sabol troop carrier to that.

 

[SKyOdin]

Back in my college gaming club, I had to bike to and from the location, so was limited to what I could carry in a backpack. Even then, I prefer to avoid having to carry too much weight, so I usually limited myself to two, maybe three, books at a time. I usually only brought the books I absolutely needed for my character. For example, if I was playing a Duskblade, I brought my own copy of the PHB II so that my DM didn't need to bring his. We usually determined as a group who would bring what so that no one had to carry a whole lot.

 

[Krensky]

An old canvas tote bag (technically a shopping bag from an old, out of business used book store) with a few books, character sheets, my notes, a binder of PDF supplements, dice, pencils, markers, maps, tokens, and a few other things. Also, my netbook and it's bag, external hard drive and assorted gadgets and gizmos.

 

[Woas]

I carry: A single rule book, two dice, a folder containing pre-game prep notes, scratch paper and the player's characters, and maybe a pencil/pen tops.

 

[Mark]

For a recent game I have a pre-made dungeon tiles on foam board set up that requires I carry my backpack along with an art portfolio case.