How Much Will You Carry to a Game?

[w_earle_wheeler]

I carry way too much and I need to figure out a way to cut it down. I use a laptop now, but I really prefer full analog style gaming.

If I can get EVERYTHING for a game to fit into one of those Staples brand cardboard storage boxes, I'll be happy.

 

[C_M2008]

My load doesn't change whether I'm DMing or not as I write up monster stats on index cards for what I plan to use and things the players might encounter(and if I don't have it, I'll wing it):

2x PHB
Martial Power
DM Screen
Homemade laminated "Dungeon" Tiles & wet erase markers.
Folder for character sheets
Folder for my DM notes & handouts
Dice
Pencils
Poker chips(for HP and surges)
Miniatures
2 (soon to be 5) boxes full of powercards( 1 per power source +1 generic)

It all fits in a backpack for now.

 

[Crothian]

Notebook
Dice
Maybe a book or module
pens

 

[The Ghost]

As a Player:

• Player's Handbook
• Set of Dice
• Character's Miniature plus Companions
• Laptop with PDFs of Other Books
• Notebook
• Pens and Pencils
• Character Sheet
• Dinner plus a Few Snacks

As a DM:

• All the Above
• Dungeon Master's Guide
• Monster Manuel
• Campaign Notes
• Monster Miniatures

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

If I'm a player:
I carry my Moleskine notebook, which I use for PCs, notes, and even mapping (since it's graph-paper). If the game requires a separate character sheet, I'll fold that up and put it in the notebook's pocket. And I carry my dice bag.

If I'm a referee:
I carry my 3-ring binder, which contains:

• OD&D rules (the little brown books)
• Monster & Treasure Assortments
• Judges Guild Ready Ref Sheets
• Dungeon Geomorphs (although I'm considering removing these, as I rarely use them, and that only when I'm working on a dungeon, rather than running a game)
• Graph paper
• Ruled notebook paper
• Pocket folders with maps and adventure material

Also a folded-up DM screen (landscape)...and my dice, of course.

I usually don't worry about minis, and either forgo them or use whatever the host has on hand. (I do have a bunch of minis at home, though.)

 

[KB9JMQ]

Nowadays I just carry my pepsi downstairs with me to game. I am the DM and we play at my house.

In my RedBox/AD&D days I normally carried 4 milk crates worth of books to game at a friends house.

 

[Panthanas]

We play every other week at my house but on the off weeks I bring the following with me:

I currently DM a 3.5 Ptolus game so,

PHB
DMG
MM
Rules Compendium
The Ptolus book
3 ring binder with adventure(s) and notes
Megamat with wet erase markers
Dice (who woulda thunk it!?)

Pretty much everything other than the megamat fits into a backpack.

 

[Breezly]

For me, it was the same as when we first had kids. I would bring diapers, more food than was needed, toys, pack-and-play, barf-bags, what have you in the beginning. After a while, I would stuff a diaper in my pocket and call it good.

For gaming, I would bring every book that I used for character creation, which could have been a lot and require a large bag all on its own. Now, I just bring the PHB, character sheet and my dice. Now, it is easier for me to do that as the DM has all the books I need in a pinch, but I probably wouldn't change if that wasn't the case.

--Breezly

 

[Fenes]

DM screen, printed out adventure notes, laptop with electronic sourcebooks (SRD mainly for D&D). Bottled water and snacks.

 

[bento]

As a DM:

* Laptop PC (w/SRD, music and pdfs)
* 3.5 Rules Compendium
* 3 Ring Binder with notes
* Box with minis, pens and dice

I put all my working material in the binder and use the PC as quik-ref back-up. I earmark specific pages of the Compendium for specific rule situations that could crop up in the session. The players bring their own PHBs.