What materials must a Player have/bring with them at a game session?

[Fifth Element]

A bribe for the DM. Everything else is optional, so long as the bribe is hefty enough.

 

[MadLordOfMilk]

If they're an experienced player, I expect them to bring a character sheet, pencil, and dice. Not that I won't have plenty of extras.

If they're a newbie, they just need to show up

 

[Stormonu]

I voted Character Sheet, Pencils, Dice though in practice I happily can supply the latter two if need be (I keep a treasure chest full of cursed Chessex dice sets for the latter, mwha-ha-ha!)

I almost said PHB, but we have plenty of players who borrow the PHB at the table and don't own their own copy (I've gotten my groups over the years to chip in and buy PHBs for other folks from time to time, usually as a birthday present or such). Pretty much as long as we've got one or two copies of the PHB to pass around between everyone, that's more than enough.

 

[Hand of Evil]

A williness and love to play the game!

 

[Herschel]

Character sheet is the necessity, Dice, Pencil, snacks/cash and themselves is nice but those can be covered.

 

[Lanefan]

While there's certain obvious things needed in order to play the game, the only thing they absolutely have to *bring* is themselves. I keep the character sheets here, and we can either provide everything else or fake it.

Lanefan

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I do prefer they bring clothes.

Beyond that: dice, character sheet, pen/pencil, and PHB in that order of priority.

 

[xXxTheBeastxXx]

I'm big on players bringing their character sheets, although I've been thinking about keeping them myself to save that. Also, I have a rule about bringing your own pencil. I don't keep many other than my personal one and have had them stolen before, so I'm not a fan of doling them out. I would say dice, but I have enough to go around. I also have pdf's of most of my books and use my laptop at the table, so I let people use my hard copies as they need.

More than anything, I require my players to bring a good attitude and to be aware (meaning not falling asleep). If they're in a sh*tty mood, I just ask them to leave and get over it before they come back. If they're sleepy, I ask them to take a power nap on the couch in my room and get back to the game in an hour or so.

Overall, things work out pretty well.

-The Beast

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I voted "Character Sheet"- and only because I don't keep track of anyone else's PCs but mine.

As long as I've been in the hobby, I've always been kind of "The Librarian," so I'm able to supply game books, pencils and almost everything else a player needs. Inspired by another gamer (Alan Hench), I even keep a "Bucket 'O Dice" on my table these days.

And its a good thing, too- many of the people with whom I've had the pleasure of gaming were truly casual players. They owned no die, no game books and so forth. They gamed to be sociable.

Sure, they enjoyed themselves, but they didn't invest in any of the accoutrements of the hobby. And because they were casual gamers, they probably wouldn't.

 

[Herschel]

And its a good thing, too- many of the people with whom I've had the pleasure of gaming were truly casual players. They owned no die....

What?!?!?! Burn the heretics!