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Deuterium
2007-08-10, 07:15 AM
I'm new to playing the tabletop version of D&D, hopefully going to my first ever game next week. :smallbiggrin:

What, in the opinion of you more experienced types, do you think I need in terms of equipment?

I'm sure there is lots of stuff I am overlooking, so any tips on stuff that I haven't thought of would be useful.

Does the forum recommend any specific snacks in particular?

SpikeFightwicky
2007-08-10, 07:17 AM
In game equipment, or out of game equipment?

All you basically need is a Player's Handbook, a set of Dice (one with 4 six sided dice may work best if your group rolls their stats), pencil, eraser and a character sheet (blank character sheet may be supplied by the DM or anyone who has access to a photocopier).

Snacks? Depends on the group. In our group, Doritos is something everyone likes.

Either way, good luck with your first game!

banjo1985
2007-08-10, 07:19 AM
Dice, dice & more dice!

Hehe, seriously dice are good. Snack and water are a good idea, I personally find it quite taxing on the throat roleplaying, especially if I'm running, so a good amount of your tipple of choice helps to keep it lubricated. Apart from that, there's obvious stuff like pencils, erasers, a sharpener and a decent amount of scratch paper is also good.

Starsinger
2007-08-10, 07:19 AM
Snacks? Pringles are always a good choice..

As for other equipment, you'll want a pencil or two, an eraser (the ones on pencils work fine, unless they're chinsy erasers, then buy a seperate one). Some scrap paper for taking notes if necessary. Your own figurine if possible/if you use figurines at the table. Your own dice are also a good investment.

But the most important thing you can bring with you? Your sense of enjoyment, you're going to go play a game, so have a blast! And have extra fun for those of us who don't get to play as much as we'd like. :smallbiggrin:

Also.. bring gum, everyone likes gum.

SpikeFightwicky
2007-08-10, 07:21 AM
One other thing, DO NOT bring corn nuts. They may be tasty and fun to eat, but the constant crunching will likely drive your group insane.

Redblade
2007-08-10, 07:22 AM
Well having only just started myself I have gotten along with notes taken from http://www.d20srd.org/, notes taken from PDFs of the books and some dice.

Although frankly I would advise you to get at least some real books as I plan to when I get the cash.

The one you start with is the players hand book, then the dungeon masters guide and the monster manual (nether a must for a player but good to have read none the less) and what books you get from there depends on what you enjoy playing.
As for dice its easy enough to find a pack that has a 20d,12d,10d,%d,4x6d and a 4d.
I guess you could use an online roller for dice as well (which again is how I started) but I found it a lot better to have real ones.

And good luck :smallbiggrin:

Falrin
2007-08-10, 07:52 AM
Lots of organized Paper.

Get 1 for passive Equipment. ( Ex. +1 Full Plate)

Get 1 for Active Equipment (Ex. Potion CLW)

Get 1 for in-game Info.

Get 1 for New Loot.


Pre-organize these. Get a box for Potions, wand, 1/day stuff, ...
- It can be good to note CLW, CMW, CSW, CCW under potions and just use I as marks.

AslanCross
2007-08-10, 08:00 AM
Having lots of dice is good. It's best if you have lots of d6s. Gaming specialty stores sell 36-piece d6 blocks. That should be enough. Scratch paper is good too, and maybe a notebook.

NamelessArchon
2007-08-10, 08:17 AM
Gaming Equipment to think about - some for players, some for DMs:
-required-
1. Dice. Without these, you don't typically play D&D.
2. Paper. Without this, you will have greater difficulty tracking the flow of the game.
3. Writing Implements. Pencils work well, ink less so, blood a distant third.
4. Rulebooks. PH for players, DMG for DMs is a good idea at a bare minimum. MM is semi-optional, but strongly advised for new DMs.
5. Imagination. This is the single most important thing for a new player to bring, whether they're playing or DMing. Leave this at home, and you might as well not come at all.

-optional-
1. Table and Chairs. Rolling dice on flooring and books can work, but it's usually just a pain.
2. Snacks/Drinks. My group typically orders pizza, but if you're on a budget, having everyone bring drinks and chips isn't hard to organize.
3. Battle map. My group uses a large mat marked in 1" squares, over which we toss a thin clear sheet of plastic. Maps for fights, towns and dungeons go on the plastic with overhead pens, and if we need to make a new one in a hurry, we can just pull the old one off, and toss on a new sheet. Spare sheets and maps not in use can be rolled for storage, and the plastic sheets can be easily erased at any time by wiping them with a wet paper towel or by rinsing them in a sink.
4. Computer. Useful for tracking and organizing campaign or adventure progress, communication and organization with players. Also useful for creating fake "written documents" using handwriting fonts, coffee grounds, a printer and some water. (Hand your players a fragment of a nearly destroyed map, written orders from the BBEG to a minion, or a posted notice from the king's agents, written on "parchment". They'll probably love it.)
5. Props, if you use them.

JEntropy
2007-08-10, 08:28 AM
I'm going to go against the grain here and say

Don't buy anything before your first D&D game if you're new to tabletop RPGs

I have yet to be in a gaming group (and I've played in a good number of them) where people did not have more than enough to share in terms of books, dice and miniatures. You don't need it as 'starting equipment' for your initial foray into roleplaying.

I hope you have a great initial experience with D&D. I know my first campaign is still one of my favorites I've ever played in. But I can't say that every one of the groups I've played with would have hooked me on the game. There are gaming groups that you just don't click with. I'd wait until you find a game you're serious about, then starting outlaying cash.

The only things I would bring to the game:

- Snacks: you want something that isn't too messy, and ideally finger food. This being said, my friend brought spaghetti for everyone during one game and it was a terrific (if cumbersome) experience. Bring plenty of drinks.

- Notes: you want to do your homework before your first game. If you've already rolled a character up, I would bring the character sheet with a written explanation of how the rules impact your character. That means an explanation of feats, spells, class abilities and other mechanics you expect them to use. Printing out the combat mechanics is never a bad idea, as I often go back to consult them as an experienced player :smallwink: Basically, the rules you expect to use so you don't have to spend so much time thumbing through books at the table.

- Your character: duh, right? Well, since I don't know if you've played other tabletop RPGs, I'm going to bring this up anyway. While some groups focus more on roleplaying than others, it will help you immensely to not only have a (brief) backstory for your character, but to understand who they are and where they're coming from. Unlike a virtual rpg, where you have a limited set of options in any given situation and plenty of time to pause the game and decide what is the best course of action, D&D presents you with a series of problems, and you have to decide on the spot how your character would approach the situation given a set of options limited only by your imagination. It takes some getting used to, I know I fumbled with a lot of decisions my first few games trying to figure out what my character would do, so it definitely helps to get into the mindset. Even in a hack-and-slash campaign.

Whew. That was long.

Good luck to you. I hope you have a blast with the game, and I hope reading all that didn't make you late for it :smallsmile: Let us know how it went!

Telonius
2007-08-10, 10:32 AM
Regarding drinks... If the gaming session is around two hours or less, coke/pepsi/whatever will be fine for drinks. If it's longer than that (as most sessions are), you'll have the standard problem with caffeine and sugar: peak and crash. To keep up the energy level you'll have to keep drinking the stuff, which will lead to frequent bathroom breaks and a furthering of the Overweight Gamer stereotype. I recommend water or orange juice.

Mad Wizard
2007-08-10, 10:40 AM
I've always had a tradition of eating pizza rolls when I go to a gaming session. They're tasty.

draca
2007-08-10, 11:46 AM
Dice, any book you have, and pen and pencil, that’s all I’d recommend for the beginner.

I highly recommend one of the pre-generated character sheets (like a photocopy of the one in the back of the PHB, or a printout of one if you have it in PDF format, or use some form of online character sheet tool (several good links are on this site in the Guide to Play By Post Games (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46074)). I've seen a lot of posters stress the importance of having a pencil. There really are Never enough of these to go around. Bring one for you and one to share.

Personally, I like to keep as much information in pen as I can. This keeps my sheet crisp and easy to read. When things like permanent stats, or my weapons or armor change, I print out a new sheet and rewrite it. I hate pencil smudges; it makes me feel like my character is fading away, hehe.

Bring whatever for a snack or drink that you like, as long as it's not too messy or cumbersome. Anything that you'd bring to a study session would be appropriate. You're there to recreate, so whatever would make an evening with your friends enjoyable.
*****
For your character: Never forget to bring 50ft of silk rope and a crowbar. Other equipment I like to think of in terms of class, and what I’d need for a 10 mile hike. But never, never forget the rope and the crowbar.

Morrandir
2007-08-10, 11:51 AM
My own recommendation is to have just a set of dice and papers/pencils.

The group *should* have some books they can share, so you don't really need to worry about it at first.

I don't suggest buying books at first, because there is the off chance you won't like it (it isn't likely, since you're, well, here, but there's still the possibility). Sucks spending $40+ on supplies that you use once. However, if you do get into this, a Players Handbook is a must. After that, probably the Dungeon Master's Guide and a Monster Manual. Then whatever your little gamer heart desires.


In-game equipment, as we don't know class just yet, make sure you get backpack, bedroll, food, and a waterskin. Most groups don't keep track of them (most, not all), and will only care about them if you don't pick them up.

goat
2007-08-10, 12:33 PM
I like having a small notebook. You can keep your notes all in one place, you don't need a big folder to keep loose sheets together, and if it's a wirebound one you can just rip out pages when they becomes irrelevant, keeping your active notes nearer the front with your static information.

PlatinumJester
2007-08-10, 03:15 PM
1 - dice (get 2 sets to avoid constant fumbling)
2 - a binder to organise notes etc
3 - A notepad
4 - PHB
5 - Pencils (go to IKEA with a carrier bag and take as many as you can. Thats what I did)

Freshmeat
2007-08-10, 03:30 PM
(in-game, since OOC is already discussed in great detail):
Caltrops. Tactical, cheap, yet still nearly useless all the time.
When you're in a situation that they do prove to be useful however, you're glad you spent a few lousy gold pieces on them.

Kurald Galain
2007-08-10, 03:40 PM
I second JEntropy's words.

Don't buy anything yet. You might turn out not to like roleplaying (in which case dice are a waste) or learn to prefer some other game than is presently on the table (in which case you shouldn't have bought rulebooks).

For D&D, beginning players needn't buy a rulebook to begin with, because there's websites that cover all the basic rules, e.g. http://d20srd.org . Aside from that, the Dungeon Master's Guide is intended for dungeon masters and isn't all that useful for players; likewise, the monster manual. WOTC would like you to buy everything but let's face it, it's expensive and unneeded.

Bring writing implements, and snacks. Always appreciated.

Fhaolan
2007-08-10, 03:46 PM
Yeah, paper and writing tools. That's about it.

Everything else can be borrowed, probably from the DM, for your first game. Your *second* game, if you get that far, you will probably want your own dice.

By the *third* game, your own PHB, and maybe one or two splatbooks specific to your character, depending on your free cash level.

From there on, the sky's the limit. :smallcool:

TheOOB
2007-08-10, 04:04 PM
New players should always play for a few sessions before they decide to buy anything.

Anyways, general D&D gear is

-Players Handbook(Eventually every player needs one)
-Dice(2 of each and 4 6 sideds is usually enough, but more never hurts)
-Pencils and Erasers(Mechanic works wonders)
-Spare character sheets (when soda attacks)
-Scratch Paper(For writing maps, notes, ect)

Things that are not needed but very helpful

-Binder/Folder (Store all your stuff)
-Clipboard (So your character sheet and notes don't take up table space)
-Erasable Grid Map
-Dungeon Masters Guide & Monster Manual(Don't by other books until you get all three core rulebooks)
-Other Books(Try to get books no one else has)

D Knight
2007-08-10, 04:10 PM
for in-game equipment it turely depens on your class and what poston you are filling, for example you want to be an archer. Go ranger and foucs on the long bow and have your pet go melee to keep the enemy at bay while u shoot them.but your class is the important thing to know that way as i said befor your postion can be found.

horseboy
2007-08-10, 05:36 PM
Things to the table:
Pencils,
Character
Cheese-but not Chee-toes. All that yellow stuff gets all over the book you borrowed. Gamers love cheese. :smallsmile:

Edit: Oh, be sure to bring enough for everybody. Nothing says "buddy" like someone handing you a piece of longhorn to dip into your jalapeño cheddar dip. :smallbiggrin:

talsine
2007-08-10, 06:21 PM
my group has always been partial to ordering pizza and wings, but i tend to bring along something extra, doritos or something like that, for the longer than normal combats. Also water will be your friend, stick a gallon in the fridge and one behind your chair. Nothing like passing it around when everyone is thirsty late in the game and too lazy to get up.

As for real materials, pencils and paper, whatever kind you like, is about all you should need for your first 2 or 3 sessions. I don't know about everyone else, but we rarely have enough table space for all the books, and thats will 2 books shelves the group has purchased. we're all horders, and we all buy different stuf. walking into this gaming room is like visiting a library that has nothing but gmaing stuff. From GURPS 1st Editon, to Car Wars, to Toon, if you can name it, someone has it on one of their shelves. Books are rarely an issue.

Also, leave your gameboy and other electronic toys at home, and put your cell phoneon vibrate, they can be distracting.

Dean Fellithor
2007-08-10, 08:25 PM
Dice, dice & more dice!

get 3 pounds of Dice just to be safe, some Dice can be lucky some are Unlucky, if you're an Unlucky Person with Lucky Dice: you will curse the dice. (takes about a year to be uncursed).
if you're an Unlucky person with Unlucky Dice: You will counter act the curse of the unlucky dice(Permanant.)
Lucky person/Unlucky Dice: You will counter act the curse with your luck.

dragonwings
2007-08-10, 09:46 PM
Get snacks that will not leave a mess. Cheetos, some Doritos, and greasy potato chips are notorious page-ruiners. Take it from someone who is finicky about her books: the last thing you want to do is leave a Cheeto mark on a book that isn't yours. A roll of paper towels is always nice if you don't want to go nuts and get those neat little moist towelettes. I'm a fan of cheap jerky, the day-old bread things at your local supermarket (beware crumbs and icing), and pretzels.

Everyone loves pretzels and they're VERY clean. These are perfect, especially if you're taking the advice from others and not buying your own books. Ritz crackers are also a good choice.

As far as equipment in game goes, it depends entirely on your class, in my opinion. I'm typically a caster class and I know you always need a spell component pouch (they're cheap so don't bother wasting a feat). Aside from that, go over your spell list. Make sure you have a divine focus if you need one and keep note of whether a component is used up when casting (like the glowy moss in the Light spell) or just a focus (like the target in the True Strike spell). You also want to have food and water, a torch or two, rope, and I personally like having either a healing potion on me or caltrops for running away.



And about dice... get a set you just plain like. You'll learn how they work and whether or not you want to stay true to one set or get a different set per character/class/race in time. For now, get some you like and that are a good price. Even if you find you don't like D&D, keep them as a souvenir of nerdiness. :smallwink:

horseboy
2007-08-10, 09:54 PM
Get snacks that will not leave a mess. Cheetos, some Doritos, and greasy potato chips are notorious page-ruiners. Take it from someone who is finicky about her books: the last thing you want to do is leave a Cheeto mark on a book that isn't yours. A roll of paper towels is always nice if you don't want to go nuts and get those neat little moist towelettes. I'm a fan of cheap jerky, the day-old bread things at your local supermarket (beware crumbs and icing), and pretzels.

Everyone loves pretzels and they're VERY clean. These are perfect, especially if you're taking the advice from others and not buying your own books. Ritz crackers are also a good choice.

Yes, pretzels are good. Ritz and Ez Cheese are good too.

kjones
2007-08-10, 11:48 PM
Get snacks that will not leave a mess. Cheetos, some Doritos, and greasy potato chips are notorious page-ruiners. Take it from someone who is finicky about her books: the last thing you want to do is leave a Cheeto mark on a book that isn't yours. A roll of paper towels is always nice if you don't want to go nuts and get those neat little moist towelettes. I'm a fan of cheap jerky, the day-old bread things at your local supermarket (beware crumbs and icing), and pretzels.

Everyone loves pretzels and they're VERY clean. These are perfect, especially if you're taking the advice from others and not buying your own books. Ritz crackers are also a good choice.


Seconded. Cheetos and Doritos are banned at my table due to the irrevocable damage they've done to my precious precious sourcebooks.

You'll need to pick up the Player's Handbook sometime, but honestly, the SRD will have most of what you need, and if your DM is a good DM you can get away by sharing his or somebody else's. In my group, there's only two PHB's among the seven of us, and we manage somehow. So don't go and blow $40 (Good God, I remember the good old days, when you could get the entire core rule set for <$100...) unless you're really sure. And even then.