Nice things to have for D&D

[Thelownlycheese]

So I have a question. I've bought both the MM, SKT and the PHB and I'm about to buy the DMG. I have all the dice I need and printed paper minis on card stock and used alligator clips to hold them up, so I'm covered for minis. My question is what other fun things that either aid/make more fun for dnd might you recommend. I'm looking to pick up another one of the adventure books to read for fun and use for my original group that most likely won't stick with the game(Mabey just run TFTYP? But if they stick with it they won't want to play a bunch of small missions. Is there a adventure book at could be run for a session or two and wrap itself up?). What do you recommend? Also what extra books might you consider most intresting to read or helpful for the game. Aditionaly what other things might you consider fun for the game?

[Ganymede]

You should get a big, fantasy-themed calendar and put it up near your gaming area.

You can use it to keep track of time and events in the game by having your players write notes on it as the game progresses.

[SiCK_Boy]

Most campaign books are organized in chapters covering specific level range, and if your players don't want to play to full campaign, you can still play one or two of these chapters. I would just go with the campaign that best goes with your player's interest.

I think you should favor the non-adventure books before the adventures, however (XGtE, VGtM, SCAG), as I think they give you more generic information that can be reused from one game to another (XGtE also has lots of player options; SCAG is mostly if you really enjoy the Forgotten Realms; since you already have SKT - which covers a lot of similar ground with its sandbox chapter across the whole Sword Coast - you could skip this one).

As for other accessories, a DM's screen is always nice (not everyone enjoys using one as DM, but I do).

One of the best things I bought was a laminating machine. I print all my tactical maps in color and plastify them; I can just pull dungeons components room by room and "build" the map using these as the players are exploring. I also have a bunch of 10x16 maps (sometimes I combine two of these in a single map) I use for random encounters in the wilderness.

[The Cats]

Tales from The Yawning Portal is a godsend. My players haven't run any of the adventures in it, but they've gone through dozens of rooms, riddles and traps from it inserted into my homebrew adventures. I've used content from that book in a solid majority of the sessions we've had since I got it and I've still just scratched the surface of things I can steal.

[MarkVIIIMarc]

Tales from The Yawning Portal is a godsend. My players haven't run any of the adventures in it, but they've gone through dozens of rooms, riddles and traps from it inserted into my homebrew adventures. I've used content from that book in a solid majority of the sessions we've had since I got it and I've still just scratched the surface of things I can steal.

I have a group playing through that book and agree. Its excellent.