Top 10 Accessories for DMs | Nerd Immersion

So based on your feedback from the comments on my last Top 10 video, I present to you my Top 10 IRL Accessories for Dungeon Masters. While I'm sure several of you will disagree with me, this is my channel and my list, so that's just how it is. That being said I want to hear what are the Top 10 things you must have at the table as a DM! Leave your answers in the comments! (check below the list for links to the various items)
Top 10 IRL Accessories for DMs:
10. Battlemat/map 1:00
9. "Minis" 4:22
8. DM Screen 8:10
7. Spell Templates 11:35
6. Hourglass 14:15
5. Means for Tracking Concentration 17:40
4. Whiteboard 22:45
3. Initiative Tracker 24:05
2. Notebook 29:35
1. A good pen 35:30
Battlemaps:
amzn.to/2Ih2mqN
amzn.to/2IfFR5x
amzn.to/39mCx4x
Minis:
amzn.to/2wo3wOA
amzn.to/39pmNOg
amzn.to/2TnK5i9
amzn.to/38l2noi
DM Screen:
amzn.to/2wp446Y
amzn.to/32N6xnH
Spell Templates:
amzn.to/2VHW37O
amzn.to/38iX88K
amzn.to/2Tj2CvE
amzn.to/2x7lCot
Hourglass:
amzn.to/2uR2JFB
amzn.to/39iTexW
Means of Tracking Concentration:
amzn.to/2TkEWHy
amzn.to/2vE7K4H
amzn.to/32Os9zW
Whiteboard:
amzn.to/2TkFDRe
amzn.to/2Tio8ko
Initiative Tracker:
amzn.to/39gk0XD
amzn.to/2x55Pq5
amzn.to/2TzHh03
A notebook:
amzn.to/32N7AUF
amzn.to/39lELBk
amzn.to/2If80tz
amzn.to/2VSoWOL
A Good Pen:
amzn.to/38hxH7d
amzn.to/2wqaouO
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[@JesseNapalm]

1:00 Game mats 4:22 "Minis" 8:10 GM Screen 11:35 Spell Templates 14:15 Hourglass 17:40 Condition Trackers 22:45 Whiteboard 24:05 Initiative Tracker 29:35 Good Notebook 35:30 Good Pen

[@NerdImmersion]

I spaced on the time stamps! Thanks! I'll add those into the description

[@swaghauler8334]

@@NerdImmersion PIN HIM! He deserves to be pinned.

[@NerdImmersion]

@@swaghauler8334 I added his timestamps to the video description. (I usually do all the timestamps myself (see the previous videos)), I just spaced on this one.

[@recowabunga7200]

you just saved me 10minutes thanks

[@DaveMcAnulty]

24:05 Initiative Tracker should be 25:05 Initiative Tracker

[@gabebaum6527]

Ted out here teaching us how to be DMs without spending more than $50

[@HorrorMetalDnD]

Not all heroes wear capes

[@bipinnambiar]

Is a flannel jacket not just a glorified cape when open?

[@taleteller7838]

For our minis we use LEGO figures. They are customizable so new equipment can be added or taken off and they can be cheap or expensive. Custom parts aren’t that expensive either.

[@HURRIC4NEyt]

That is actually smart tho

[@InhabitantOfOddworld]

I've used Lego LoTR figures before - Lego Gandalf can double as a generic wizard mini, for example

[@MemphiStig]

My first DM was an electrician, and he used various sizes of plastic wire connectors to represent monsters. He also had little numbers taped onto them to keep track of which was which. They come in many sizes, colors, and shapes, and are the perfect scale for D&D minis. And they're quite durable.

[@HephaestesVulcan]

Definitely going to use some of these. One thing i do is i have a little palm clicker. Like... For training pets? And when the players trigger a trap i click it, then describe what happens. After a couple of traps that way, when that click happens all cross talk ends, all eyes turn to you, and you have full undivided attention.

[@gelbadayah.sneach579]

I made a dial that keeps track of time on a 24 hour scale. It clips to my DM screen and the side facing me has the actual time while the one facing my players has a picture of the sky (blue for day and black with stars for night.) It beats the old days when players would ask me what time of day it is and we'd have to deliberate over how much time had passed since they last asked. Say it's 3 pm. Tick 2 hours for traveling to town, 20 minutes for buying a few sundries at the market, an hour for dinner at the inn, 40 minutes playing cards with that mysterious hooded figure in the corner, and 8 hours for a long rest. They can look at their side they see the night sky display and know roughly what time it is. If someone pulls out their pocket watch (or has the Keen Mind feat) and asks me what time it is, I know at a glance that it's 6 am. Easy peasy!

[@gelbadayah.sneach579]

Oh, also, in the video your shirt is partially covered so that it look like it reads "SCENT INTO AVERNUS." Now I'm imagining Baldur's Gate being slowly taken over as one Yankee Candle after another opens throughout the city. Can our party save the local candle market from being overrun by the ever growing chain? Only time will tell!

[@f1ngerguns98]

This is such a good idea I'm stealing it lol

[@gelbadayah.sneach579]

@@f1ngerguns98 It really makes running a game so much easier!

[@BaileyJadeMakes]

When I started playing D&D we used Lego.

[@-WinterJam-]

@@gelbadayah.sneach579 I have a question... How did you make the timer thing. Like, just a rough idea 🙂

[@cassodembreankia2076]

I was a fiction writer for 14 years before I was a DM and honestly the notebook and pen thing is SO important to me. Those Pilot G-2’s are my absolute favorite too. The thinner the better. (But if you still wanna be a pretentious stereotype, I like taping feathers to my pen during sessions because my players stare at me like I’m crazy)

[@kalacs32]

My addition to the notebook idea: some people like me make notoriously bad "first drafts" or order stuff incorrectly/don't leave enough pages for some parts. Get a binder-style notebook/journal, or one of those ringed ones, so you can remove, add, and reorder pages without trouble.

[@paigeherrmann6332]

Pipe cleaners have been the mvp in my pathfinder game. They’re so good for marking spells/areas of effect. I knew that my group was really into our game of pathfinder on the day that I noticed that every single player had a special notebook just for that game, and that everyone was taking notes. For that game I play an inquisitor, so I have a small notebook that looks like a pocket prayer book. I also specifically have a fountain pen I use for that game with ink that matches my character’s color scheme. Now they also sell notebooks designed for tracking campaigns. I’ve used several of them and they’re great. Some of them are even customizable.

[@WarmCatFurniture]

An ERASABLE pen, preferably in lots of different colours. I can keep my notebook neat AND change my mind AND/OR add things in later (especially if I've modified an NPC after it's met the players). Also scrabble tiles are great for monsters - match the letters to the monster, especially in mixed combat, flip them when they die (thus the corpse is marked), and can be stacked if the foes are tiny.

[@UnableToFindName]

I was hoping that the video would be more "out there" or unorthidox, but that could be just becasue I've consumed so much dnd content that I've heard all of these before. Except the pen thing. That threw me for a loop but I totally get it. Makes me want to get some good pens. 1. Lighting. If you have a low-hanging light fixture in the room you play in or a spare lamp, cover it with a coloured plastic bag or some other coloured transparent material to adjust the mood at key moments. 2. Music. Using a soundboard like syrinscape or just a Bluetooth speaker and a good playlist. I'm on my DM about this a lot whenever there's no ambient music or sound playing. Personally, a good battle song or thematic music for a settlement or dungeon really goes a long way to set the mood. 3. Props and handouts. Nothing gets players more giddy and invested than having something physical to hold as a representation of a map, clue, or even a magic item card/prop to remind them that they have it. Added to this are inspiration tokens- having that little something to remind them they have it goes a long way.

[@therowlet3979]

Tealights for Concentration is a great idea. I'm going to have to give that a shot in my next session, because I'm always forgetting to have my casters roll, even with the little milk-cap rings around the miniatures.

[@ShriKenerd]

I use coke bottle rings which works pretty well!

[@robmartinez1627]

I can get behind the use what you got for minis. When i first got into d&d we used lego men as our minis

[@matashwood6688]

rob martinez that is a beautiful idea

[@JesseNapalm]

Exactly. If the game is fun, you don't need fancy minis. My favorite game of all time used Lego PCs and enemies were pencil erasers with numbers on them

[@stevenjacobs8797]

I use bottle caps from plastic soda bottles to represent NPCs and monsters. I had various colors: red, blue, green, black, gold, brown. That way if there's more than one type of monster I use a different color for each.

[@drewjohnson1814]

We used chess pieces until we got minis which was awesome because they looked nice, and had plenty of variation to easily know who was who.

[@_stonhinge]

Dollar store toy section can be a treasure trove, depending on your setting. Bags of "green army men", although I've also seen cowboys and indians and others.

[@chrishousenick6105]

A clock. Not a cell phone (because that can be a distraction), but a timepiece of some form in order to keep track of "the real time" so you can actually remember to take breaks and pace your game session better. my wife got me a pocketw atch when we got married, and it is perfect for knowing what time it is while we play.

[@jlastre]

I ran accord this video thinking I wanted to get back into D&D. I learned it in 1978 when it first came out. It’s the boomer in me but the non-computer version of D&D is called pen and a paper version for a reason. I think you’re spot on that the pen and paper you use are the most important decision you’ll make. Back in the day we didn’t have mats and used graph paper. I had access to the really fine graphing paper that was in 5 squares to an inch or more. I also picked up the hobby of calligraphy from my mom, and am left handed. Left handed people tend to be picky about their writing ✍️ implements. I use fountain pens, gels, low viscosity roller balls, and mechanical pencils. I will point out that Japanese writing paper, some of which is gridded, is an entire step above. IMO it’s better than Moleskine. The impetus to get back into D&D was due to resent health issues I’ve had. Almost two years ago I had a staph infection and this past October I was diagnosed with lupus. So I’ll go on disability. I am presently training myself to write again. Thanks for the motivation.

[@gusinwv]

I LOVE the candy bad-guy mini idea. I think I'd actually prefer that over the all out expensive painted minis.

[@hyzmarie]

Mmm yeah, but I can see that getting SO sticky, and potentially ruining a nice mat.

[@Captainbigmike86]

Microsoft OneNote Treasure/loot cards for when the party finds stuff Hot tea w/ honey DM inspiration cards Markers for battle map Post it notes

[@PiprJade]

You're absolutely right! With good writing materials, you can bring worlds to life.

[@saravelasco5807]

Index cards - I mainly use them for creature stats or my random encounters table. Doing this made the creatures I planned on using more accessible, which is especially great because I could literally just hand the card to my co-dm and take a minute break to recollect myself. I’m considering to make some npc follower cards this way too. Now if only binder sheet index card holders were common materials I could find in my local Target. 😅

[@nonya9120]

Geezer here.... Spent a while away from the hobby... I realize things change..... But it is really great to hear as then, now to... Good writing gear is worth a hoard indeed. Game on

[@Katherine_The_Okay]

What I do for DM screens is a pair of large 3-ring binders (2 inch or bigger stand up on their own best) with artwork in the outside plastic sleeves, that I can change depending on the campaign. Then inside I have more clear sleeves holding all the tables, encounter info, handouts, etc that I need, so I can easily flip through, and also swap out the contents as needed. Works like a charm and has since I was a broke college student back in the 2e days.

[@MrBalthazar78]

When you said a good pen is your number one I *immediately* subscribed.

[@corygumminger6349]

Thoroughly enjoyed this video. Not gonna narrow down a top 10, but a couple of things I really like having as a DM: A side table: where I keep my notes, books I need handy, my monster tokens, DM screen, etc. Until recently, I rolled my dice on it, but have since invested in a dice tray with somewhat high walls. Not having the barrier between me and my battlemaps/players makes for a much smoother, more connected gameplay experience. Condition trackers: Like for concentration, but for all of the conditions as well. Makes life a bit easier. Personally, I ordered a couple packs of rings on Etsy (I think?), and concentration was included in the set.

[@nicholasbennett7463]

For Initiative Tracker i really like having cards with each characters name on it in a card sleeve. My players keep the cards on them and when a fight breaks out i tell them to roll they roll and write it on the card then pass them to be and i have cards with my mobs on them. When i get all the cards i sort them and just flip the top card and that's whos turn it is.

[@Khrene]

I might use this!

[@TheMerrox]

Im the same with the pens and notebooks! =) I do use fountainpens (there are those that doesnt scratch =)), I have many of them but can recomend Pilot Metropolitan (low price but still good) or the TWSBI GO, also a good beginner pen that holds much ink. I also love my Rotring pens (ballpoints and mechanical pencils) but a nice cheap workhorse like a Pilot G2 works just fine. My favourite notebooks is Moleskin, Rhodia and Leuchtturm. And I also always have a Field Notebook in my back pocket for writing down ideas on the run. There is few things that gets me writing rpg material as when opening a new notebook, writing with a nice pen and with some inspirational music in the background.

[@Balcamion79]

I use small poker chips as enemy tokens when I don't have the exact mini I want, and I write initiative on a dry erase board inside the lid of my dice box. I've also got index cards with the character stats (ac, hp, passive perception etc) as well as their ideals, bonds and flaws.

[@OtsegoKid]

Use a spiral notebook for session notes, and then you can rewrite them or type them. The basic stuff gets digitized, and the meaningful stuff gets written down in a nice notebook, or vice versa.

[@tantris1998]

Instead of using minis a much cheaper alternative is to get the NPC Codex Pawns from Paizo. It will set you back like 30-40$ and you have all the "minis" you could want for NPCs and PCs, which, let's face it, is all you really need. I use the actual pawns for important npcs or for the PCs (super important to be able to tell them apart) and the pawn bases (little black plastic things) for general monsters. You can also find bases that are different colors so you can represent different types of monsters. DONE, save thousands on minis xD.

[@orionhibbert3045]

This actually helped a lot, I never even thought of using a dry erase board

[@phballer99]

I love them for DM stuff. I also use it one way I didn't see mentioned, which is as our initiative tracker. I draw a quick square/rectangle/etc for the shape of the table. I line up each player's roll with their location at the table and then I put my monster ones in the center.

[@williamings773]

Pathfinder Pawns are nice. They are relatively cheap and easy to store.

[@Valdrath]

William Ings The problem I found with pathfinder pawns is that the older boxes with more common monsters are out of print. You can still buy the pdfs but then you'll have to print them yourself and glue them to cardstock or something similar if you want to have some durable pawns.

[@jodie9496]

I love the concentration hat thing! I think, personally, the ring trick or the tea light trick would go unnoticed, by me at least. But I already have enough to lug around to games, so bringing strange hats for my players seems stupid, but then I realised something quite genius - Christmas Cracker hats. The paper crowns. They're strange enough that I'd pay attention to them and they fold up and slip easily into my folder.

[@vinyldash3633]

We have saved about 5 or 6 of those small triangular plastic pieces that prop up the inside of the pizzabox. They work great for a large enemy, or object. Plus you can mark one corner of the triangle to keep track of their orientation. Also ended up using 3 to show a player 30 feet in the air in a goblin net trap

[@nestorious2008]

My daughter and I love using minis. I don't have lots of time to paint actual minis, so we like to use LEGO minifgures as they have armor and weapons (Ninjao, Starwars, etc.). I also like to use Sculpy clay minis my daughter makes. It just adds some visual fun to the game.

[@b.a.barackas2141]

A company called blueline has a fantastic line of journals/notebooks called miraclebind that you can probably find at Staples or Walmart. Great product for D&D. If you can find some on sale, I recommend them. Nice hardcover notebooks, easily indexed, with movable pages! (including grid pages) This is the kicker for me. Finish a page of notes on tavern encounters, grab the page and insert it into the village/town section of my notes. Keeps everything linear & logical.

[@Εμτι]

I second the Pilot G2 so much. Back when I was studying for my SATs in 12th grade I was writing so much, and after I discovered them they made everything so easy! They really flow very well, and the best thing is, they're refillable! You can buy cartridges for them at most stores that sell them.

[@TheToxicNomad]

For concentration, I highly recoomend a coin (preferably one with stamping visible from decent distance), or another double sided token (playing card, double-sided poker chip, etc.) One side is default, and the other means you succeeded on a check already, it makes catching errors way easier. Also, on a somewhat related note - separate Bane/Bless/Bardic Inspiration dice, that are laid before the player who has them, make for excellent reminder :P

[@Thuggle_Bus]

As a self described pen nerd, I fully agree with your #1. I gotta have my bold pilot g-2 or a nice uniball for handwriting and a few assorted art pens for sketches and charts.

[@greathorn]

I LOVE the tea lights for Concentration idea. I’ve recently become an “Initiative Tree” convert, where you have a vertical stand with plastic clips that can spin around, then you use tiny flash cards to write the character names and turn them around at the end of their turns.

[@mykediemart]

I too share your note book and pen fetish. Note books with grid lines and pilot pricise v5 pen.

[@TheBeelzboss]

I prefer a uniball vision

[@3squareddesigns]

The pilot precise V5 is my current favorite pen too. It writes so nice!

[@gabriellecussel1937]

my dnd pen is shaped like a dragon

[@Daddylonglegs93]

I like the TUL pens a lot. Get the right width for you and they just glide.

[@Lapatosthedragos]

I completely agree with this list. Numbers 1&2 are a must.

[@ImGonnaLiveByMyRules]

Legos are so underrated as minis. I’ve been supplying my personal legos as minis at sessions for the other players to use, I’m not a DM in the campaign I’m in but if I was legos would be super convenient because I’d be prepared. They’re also the right size and can be customized and changed in case a character gets new armor or a new weapon. You can take things out of their hands and add new ones! They’re so convenient and have been working great for me and my party.

[@fozziedublin3242]

Get the gaming tiles from gaming paper. They can be used for drawing maps, used for white boards, used for tracking initiative as they are all wet wipe away. They lock into place with each other so that you can create huge maps. Just a brilliant tool to have.

[@progress_notperfection]

Let's time I was this early, they were revising the ranger kkkk Btw, great content lately with the news coverage and items for each class list Cheers from Brazil!

[@zombinekiller]

Having a nice table sit around is a big help.

[@patricktwcs]

Starburst works great you can put numbers on the wrapper to help track the mook and the colors for different monsters on the board. Bonus you Eat what you Kill as you said

[@angelaoneal5169]

Hands down I completely agree with the good notebook and good pen. Excellent list!

[@kaonders]

I like your list, while I disagree slightly you are correct. I watched your video not the other way around. I would have put a portable speaker to give some background sounds to the game to create tension on the list. I also feel Pizza is a necessary accessory.

[@NerdImmersion]

I feel like players should bring the pizza, cause the DM is providing the entertainment

[@trickstur5994]

A benefits of a good notebook and pen can't be overstated.

[@benjaminjaebates]

Dude, I'm totally with you on the Pilot G2! I've sworn by it for as long as I can remember.

[@crystalheath6510]

At my table we bought a ton of different coloured hair scrunchies from the dollar store. you can get a bag of 100 multicoloured ones for $1. I use the to mark which enemies/players have which debuffs (was more useful in 4th ed) for example white for stunned, yellow for confused, green for poisoned, black for unconscious, etc.... and you just slide the scrunchie over the miniature or dice or whatever you are using to represent the enemies and characters. They can also be laid down on the grid squares of the map to represent areas that contain spell effects like entangle or web. I also like to make my own monster and npc cards for adventures i run with a summary of their stats. I have used both the Deck of Many Monster Cards and Galeforce9 Monster cards but sometimes there are monsters you use that aren't included in these products so i made some of my own and i like to use them especially for NPCs that join the party. I can hand the card to my players and have them run the npcs in combat.

[@jeffw991]

"Or this... obnoxiously yellow... almost too bright to look at..." The notebook drives home the point by destroying the auto-brightness and auto-white-balance for its entire on screen appearance. That's some serious yellow, all right!

[@dungeonpastor8295]

Great video! Wish I’d seen it when I started DMing

[@wolfmunroe]

I originally took my session notes in a Five Star Notebook. When I filled it, I decided not to move onto another Five Star and instead took out all the perforated pages and moved them into a plastic softback 1-inch three-ring binder, to which I then added more paper. I prefer this method to using a notebook, so I can expand within one binder for the campaign rather than building a small library of notebooks of session notes. (I have a second, hardback three-ring binder for typed monster stat blocks and printed materials.) For my personal writing--I enjoy writing fiction--I still use sequential Five Star Notebooks. I don't have the issue with the covers bending because the covers are plastic, and their spirals are better quality than the cheaper spiral notebooks. I have noticed a decline in the product quality in the last decade though, as the new ones have thinner card-stock for their back covers than the old ones. For all my writing, whether it is my RPG campaign notes or my personal fiction writing, or anything else I do routinely, I absolutely cannot argue that a good pen is super-important. I get fatigue using ball-point pens, though much less so with gel pens as they flow better and require less pressure. I prefer to use fountain pens though, not because they're fancy but because they require zero pressure on the page. If the nib is touching the page the correct direction, ink flows. If your fountain pen is scratchy when you're writing with it, your nib size may be too small. I prefer a Medium nib, as anything smaller than that is scratchy for me. Fountain pens (and dip pens) do have an orientation as well, and if they're turned the wrong way they can also be scratchy. I can imagine taking notes with a dip pen or a quill, but that sounds awful. It would require frequent dipping and having open ink on the table is just asking to ruin your supplies (and maybe notes) by spilling ink. I tried using a Speedball crow quill dip pen once (not made of an actual crow quill or feather, that's just what they're called). I wasn't trying it at the game table, just as a general use pen when I ran out of fountain pen ink. (Fountain pens should be used only with fountain pen inks as other inks can clog their guts easily and ruin them.) The "crow quill dip pen" is a very sharp nib though, and I had to learn to apply even less pressure than was natural because it could cut the paper. (That type of dip pen is more of an artist's tool than a common writing instrument.) Anyway, my personal pen recommendation is a fountain pen with a Medium nib, but know that using a fountain pen so that it doesn't scratch has a learning curve. The smaller the nib, the more scratchy the pen. (This is also why I hate to use a rollerball pen lower than 0.7mm.) There is much less hand fatigue writing with a fountain pen than a ball point pen though. (I currently use a Lamy Al-star with a Medium Nib and a converter cartridge so I can use bottled fountain ink.) I don't use any hourglasses in my game, but I'd like to get some, either two- or three-minute timers to use to keep players' turns from running too long. For in-game events I prefer to count down by the game round rather than real-life time, so I wouldn't use the timer in that way. (Like having an event happen at the top of round 4, for instance.) I have some of the GameMastery spell templates (actually manufactured by Steel Sqwire). They were originally released as accessories for D&D 3.5e though so there's no 30 foot radius one, and that's a common effect in Pathfinder 1e as that's the size of a cleric's channel energy burst in Pathfinder 1e. They're good for most other effects I've dealt with though. I notice that they are marked down significantly on Paizo's webstore now. I've had them since 2009 and I think they've been a worthwhile investment. They still offer the cone templates packages I have, but the radius package I have was replaced with a skirmish package that has a mix of radii and cone templates. (Still no 30 foot radius.) I do want to get some electric tea-lights too. Not sure how I want to use them yet, as concentration is much less frequent in Pathfinder 1e than D&D 5e. I use condition cards that I generally hand out to players when their characters are suffering conditions. AleaTools makes a nice series of colored magnetic status indicators too, that can sit underneath miniatures. I have some of those, though I usually just use them to label multiple enemies using the same type of miniature. (So Ghoul Red, Ghoul Yellow, Ghoul Orange, etc.) I guess that's all of my comments for now.

[@rebeccabielow3176]

Papierminis are also an affordable alternative to full-fledged minis

[@mikoajgrala7494]

There's no food on this list because of "no potions, no consumables, any tomes that just give you +2 to wis or int" rule.

[@tubulardose]

this is a good practical list of things a DM could use. I couldnt think of any particular order but for me 1 - battle map 2 - a mix of paper and 3d minis (the paper minis like pathfinder bestiary boxes is great value and i can easily print out drawings and artwork to slot into the paper holders for my homebrew monsters) 3 - A binder! (more than just a notebook. having a multi-pocket binder that i can slot all my loose sheets into as well as an attached notepad, slots for pens/pencils, and a calculator makes organising everything into one place easy!) 4 - cloud storage (like google drive) sharing character sheets and digital content is super easy with this and people regularly upload google docs to reddit that improve organisation or the game in some way 5 - UE Boom (or other speaker) nothing sets the scene better than a handcrafted playlist made specifically for the game ahead. makes my players happy every time 6 - Laser Pointer the maps either too far for the DM or too far for the Players this helps for obvious reasons thats about all i could think of

[@damionnichols06]

Loved it. I like ambiance. Incense, candles, lighting.

[@time_flash]

I've been loving the D&D Beyond Combat Tracker

[@OtsegoKid]

Part of the DM screen can also have an encounter sleeve attached to one of the panels. So you can slide a piece of paper into that details the shorthand of the enemies and their abilities. Maybe use the same sheet slot for town rules, etc.

[@devinmosley5958]

I'm a huge fan of random encounters. I like to have tables on tables of RE's for different scenes, different activities, etc.

[@00Fiddlesticks00]

1. a good plot. 2. good sound effects with speakers.

[@MrContilius]

Ahhh! The pink coin machine ninja! I have a brown one sitting 4 feet from me, on a shelf!!

[@GeoFry3]

I'm with you on the pens. I stopped using pencils probably a decade ago, even for drawing amd plans. The pilot G-2s are good, but I found Sharpie S-Gel pens to be better. They don't bleed as bad as the G2 if the paper gets wet. My kids made minis out of legos for all the PCs. You can order armor and weapons from the Lego website on the cheap if you don't already have kits. They made a bunch of mobs as well. Coins work well. Pennies for weak ones. Quarters for the bosses. I look for big bags of cheap decorations for monsters. Recently picked up some 30 odd, various sized spiders for $6. Glued the tiny little ones on a piece card stock for swarms, and the bigger ones stand alone. A piece of weak double-sided tape, and they can stick the walls of terrain. Desk lights for the game table. Let's me easily mess with the lighting at the table. Brighter or darker as needed.

[@NerdImmersion]

I have switched over to Sharpie S-gels once I found out about them

[@swaghauler8334]

I highly recommend getting some Poker Chips at the Dollar Store or Walmart. They can be used to represent a number of things. That jar of Pennies everyone has is also a good source of "chips" for Initiative or Inspiration. Beads from the craft store are a third source of cheap markers. I also make "condition indicators" from those clear plastic tubes you get Hershey's Kisses in at Christmas. They are slightly larger in diameter than most minis, so I just cut them into 1/2" long rings and write the condition on the clear plastic (stunned, charmed, paralyzed, etc...). I then just drop them over the mini during play. The cheap universal DM's screen is to take two 3-ring binders and a package of binder clips and make one. You just overlap one flap of each of the two binders and clip the flaps together with the binder clips. The binder clips also allow you to put notes on the front of the screen (held in place by the binder clip's arm). this is a very durable screen that will also allow you to clip your notes inside the screen (on the three-ring system).

[@notronsivart]

I was on the fence on subscribing cuz I already subscribe to a shit ton of dnd channels...then you got to number 1 and I was sold!

[@404Matt]

I really enjoyed the part on notebooks. It's the small subtle things that really make the difference.

[@avoral98]

I ended up making a DM tower, that held a small binder for notes that could be changed out. It also acted as a dice tower with a compartment to hold my dice and my initiative tracker. It also was half as wide of up only a normal dm screen so I could more easily access the battle map in the middle of the table

[@GeebusCrust]

I have that exact set of hourglasses from the thumbnail. They cover so many different timeframes and keep my players focused, especially when i give them 1 minute to make combat decisions.

[@357Dejavu]

Before I had miniatures I had a bunch of bases from 1/2 inch to 3 inch. I would print out a picture from online and glue it to my base.

[@dane3038]

ToTM is usually preferred by older DMs, like me ( but not me ) who have never struggled to get their Thief in position for a backstab while 6 or more players are waiting for their turn. Get a map and something to serve as monsters. Use coins if you have to.

[@dirtywhitellama]

Decent notebooks are great. You can get pretty cheap knockoff moleskine ones at craft stores that are still decent. I like dot grid better than full grid though, same advantages but less visual clutter.

[@hatchbackhound]

Food and Drink, the correct bar snack or beer can make or break a session. No one like the sloppy drunk DM or the flat soda.

[@woodenkat8971]

We are using Lego figurines for our first DnD. It's been a blast.

[@Gryphon2026]

Totally agree with #1 & #2 A good pen is essential for me! Then a good notebook is another essential thing, both go together like peanut butter and jelly, cant have one without the other! P.S. I also LOVE the Pilot pens you mentioned in the video they are so smooth and like you said they have soooooo many colors to choose from!🤓🤓🤓

[@KabukiKid]

#1 and #2 are important, by default... but what made your video so amusing was how passionate and extensive your discussion on those items were. lol :-) It was like 15 minutes of your video. You sure are passionate about your pens and notebooks! ;-)

[@ljmiller96]

I agree on your order, especially #1 and #2. The right pen and notebook make a huge difference. My favorite pens are fountain pens. Amazon sells the MUJI aluminum pen which is terrific. The so-called medium tip is finer than most medium tips. Ink cartridges work well, but I use the Schmidt K5 converter with my choice of ink. Rather than a bound blank book I prefer to make a 3-ring binder for each campaign and fill it up with my session prep and notes plus stuff I'll always need like NPC descriptions, lists of names for new NPCs, random NPC tables, morale and reaction tables, other homebrew, town and city maps, unkeyed dungeon maps, org charts for fronts and factions, and printouts of 3rd-party PDFs I bought to use in emergencies when the players go somewhere I didn't prep. I play in person at a game store, and paper is king. The internet isn't always available, so everything needs to be in the notebook. I also make a 3-ring binder with my personal version of the monster manual, one monster per page to pull out and scribble on during fights. I have pencils and separate erasers for this use. I'd like to keep monsters on 3x5 cards but as the campaign passes level 5 most monster stat blocks are too long to fit on a 3x5 card.

[@TeapotDaddy]

I genuinely feel like pens are underrated. I personally love fountain pens since you can swap up the inks, the line thickness and how smooth they are, there's a whole fountain pen community that share your view. Have you tried regular fountain pens (instead of calligraphy pens)? The pilot Metropolitan may be something cool to try out ^^ Great video btw!

[@ratatatuff]

Fountain pen addict here. I agree, there's nothing that beats a good fountain pen. I particularly like the Muji pen. It's cheap but entirely made of aluminium and does neither scratch nor smear.

[@completesubjectchange3853]

Way late to the party here but I am a new DM who is watching all the content on youtube. I totally agree with no.2 and no.1 for me it is the large size grid soft back molskine, and erasable pens (still looking for the best one but settled on papermate for now) I also picked up one of the rook and raven campaign planners, it is helpful for the notes I need during a session. The molskine is for my notes between sessions or for planning.

[@moolowik]

For both PCs and DMs: Bookmarks - I prefer metal - to mark relevant pages in books (monsters, spells, etc) for quick reference Rolling Tray - there's nothing worse than dice flying off the table at a critical moment to break the ambiance PC: Spellcards to arrange and keep track of spells known - great for all casting classes but especially too all classes that have access to an entire spell list and can choose a select few every day Also agree with your stationary and writing utensil for players also A good rubber eraser that will erase easily and not make a hole in your character sheet (esp the hp area :P) DM: Treasure Cards as previously mentioned - fold and seal an index card with scotch tape and toss it to the players when they get it. Outside has the description of what the item looks like, inside has the details and function of the item once IDed. GF9 ones work great too! Condition Cards - Deck of Many makes them, and they are also included in the Essentials Kit or make your own. Quick to toss out and easy to reference.

[@amandasigler9802]

We had several rolls of Gaming Paper that we took to the local copy store and had lamented so we could use them over and over and make battlemats in custom sizes.

[@boblinhobgoblin]

Imagine that, the thing you need most in a pen and paper game are good pen and paper! I totally get that.

[@MartinBayliss]

My top 10. 10. A mobìle or iPad this is number 10 for a reason.this is great for digital content like dnd beyond or roll 20 etc. reason y I place this as 10 is coz this might be a hazard to players misusing it and distract the game to new players/veterans but if you say keep it on the dnd site only. 9. Models and battle mats he already explained in the video 8.snacks and drinks. I KNOW this is odd but hear me out and this is hard to place coz it depends if your session is short or long this is great to make ration tracking fun i did use this and my table really like this method 7.spell cards. This is excellent to help new players to reference spells in a fun way you can even make your own or buy them 6. Dice and dice trays i dont need to say why 5. Dm screen digital or physical. He mentioned y 6.bottle rings. For tracking initiatives,cosentration tracking, conditions poisoned etc, spell effects tracking useful or what 5.white board he says y 4.props. this is easly the most great way to remind peeps what they got on them 3.pen and a good note book i dont disagree with him bout this 2. A quick guide to prepare campaigns well this is a thing a campaign leaflet 1. A voice recorder

[@DracoMalfoy1st]

I think you'd like a bullet journaling notebook and would probably like Pilot friXion pens. I got a bunch from Costco at school start last year, they're pens and they erase with heat! I like to use a dotted journal like the bujo girls do because they have the dots in a grid but it's less visual clutter than a 'normal' math grid book and the books are usually made for high intensity journaling.

[@JudgeShadowfoot]

Stationary is important, I use 3x5 notecards for a lot. Enemy AC/HP and to hit, I will note my enemy spellcasters "order of spells" (Don't need the entire list). I personally use table initiative so I have the players sit in their marching/combat order at the start of game and when we roll initiative, either the players or the NPCs go first. If I have a lot of enemies, I will use a piece of grid paper to track HP for each one as each square can be one hit point so I just mark them off as they take damage.

[@SoaringDodo128]

For Minis I bought a bag of 100 generic wood meeples and 1inch wood discs and a tube of super glue. Like $16 on Amazon? Spray painted a few groups of a dozen or show different colors, numbered them with a sharpie.

[@ZDSAlchemist]

I Liked this Video a Lot, shows how you DM your sessions Just by seeing the items you use

[@muker83]

My fav accessories/the one used the most: 10. Big d6 that usually shows the players that something will change in that many rounds. 9. Grid map 8. Minis for monsters/npc 7. Minis for PC 6. List of names for NPC 5. Tokens that serve as reminder for several statuses 4. Many small d6, that I usually throw at the map and they serve as tons of weak enemies with HP equal to the roll and position, according to where the die landed. 3. Playing cards for initiative order 2. Piece of paper + pencil 1. PC names reminder 😀

[@Taylor1989s]

10. A way to organize all the small thing that are behind the screen i.e. the minis dice paper terrain pieces if you got them. 9. A way to track players limited use powers my players normally forget 8. Maps\battle mats 7.stat block/personality notes either the cards you can bye or made by you 6. Initiative trackers 5. Effect tracker 4. Writing utensil 3. Good markers 2. Hour glass timers they very very helpful 1. Personal beverage and or snack

[@williamturner6192]

For tracking initiative you should use a spiral bound, right? 10-20 initiative orders per page easy if you don't have an excessive number of enemies (5 across and 2-4 combat orders from top to bottom).

[@Jeffs40K]

I have played since 1e came out, and used most every thing you are saying but Now days digital is just easy ... I love Owlbearrodeo VTT, I carry a Backpack with laptop, few cables, Dice (because everyone would rather roll dice than use Digital, which owlbear has), notebook with pen, and if away from home I have a portable Touchscreen for players. Your #10 Basically erasable maps, well I have maps for days digitally, under fog of war so Exploring s the same as drawing as you go with out stopping to draw. ... your #9 Minis: I can have all the players & Monsters tokens already in place ready, leave hidden sticky notes on the quest, monsters, traps etc, as well as loot list, so i don't have to read it 10 times to them to write down, I just reveal it. ... #8 DM screen, its on my Owlbear as a Token I can drop under any map I add. ...#7 Spell Templates, well owlbear has them or you can add your own easy ... #6 Hourglass/Timer, first i hate timers, but IF i needed one phones have them ... #5 Conditions ... same as 7 Owlbear has condition markers or you can add custom ones. ... #4 White board I did use to use this, and I do keep a note book, more for ideas for future adventures, But Owlbear can track my Monsters health and players to if like, as well as Text I can put any where or Sticky notes that I can make visible to players or not ... #3 Initiative tracker again it has it, plus I just added a token for long bar with numbers and I put a 2nd set of there tokens on the board along with monsters, normally sits above map like it would on a DM screen ... #2 Leather Notebook I agree and I carry, I keep handouts, adventure Notes, print outs of special weapons the players could get, etc BUT I do prefer ring Binder, so I can remove and change pages around, I don't need notes from past adventures and have to scroll back to find current info ... #1 again I agree a good pen/mechanical pencil ... BUT owlbear can easy add notes to it but this I Do prefer separate.

[@michaelonak3356]

Love the omni blade behind you!

[@ThatDiceGoblin]

Ive only just started Gming and i must say unlike most Gms ive played with or watched i like to stand back a little from the table, As such i just did a 9 hour one shot birthday game, Time flew so fast but i did notice as i like to stand, Good footwear is a must but i do agree a good Pen or pencil is always in my bag

[@CarbonKnights]

Ahh yes, the dog vs top hat vs Boba Fett war never dies, a battle as old as time!

[@AvangionQ]

3:30 I want to buy one of those foldable six-page battle maps ... does anyone have a link where I can get one?

[@Moffadavve]

Man, I am totally going to use the hourglass for evil. Player: "whats with the hourglass?" Dm: "Don't worry about it"

[@lwriker1304]

My granddaughter used her highschool project to make a DM screen like Matt M's for me. That's before Wyrmwood gave Matt M a magnetic DM screen. It included a white board in the screen.

[@juddery]

I'm still relatively new to D&D and jumped straight into DMing. I couldn't afford a load of minis, but wanted to have something to represent characters and monsters etc, so I bought a load of different coloured decorative glass beads, which works super well and didn't cost that much either.

[@danimaldm1739]

Big believer in your stationary notions!!! My biggest thing in my home games is a TV in the middle of our table for a digital table top using Roll20. My extra thing for a top 10 item is POST-IT NOTES! Useful for tracking player AC, passive abilities, languages and tool proficiencies. Also useful to not forget important rules and important things you want to remember for a specific session.

[@SRautaro]

For me, it would be a laptop, using Scrivener as a writing software. You can have all the images, sounds, music at your disposal in your device. Your notes are so easy to manage with Scrivener, it's like a single document that you can organise with folders and subfolders (though when you have tons of information for like a detailed long-running campaign, if you don't have a nice computer it can get kinda laggy when writing). I literally cannot DM with pen and paper after using such a comfortable medium. I like checking information for consistency sake all the time and I cannot imagine doing that constantly without a search function.

[@fuzzygreentiger]

Like this, do players as well please. Even as a DM majority of the time, I keep an eye on player tips to help teach newer people. My list in no specific order; -battle map. For me WAY more important than 10th. If a dwarf is pursuing a wood elf, with the different speeds, that visual makes it sooo much easier. Specially when teaching people completely new to table top. Also, if you do flanking grants advantage, the map is a golden thing. -minis/tokens. Early days, I used hero quest minis and dice. 12 goblins? Here is 6 red dice 6 blue ones. Which did you hit? Red 4? Ok *scribbles damage on tracker* -dm screen is maybe my 10. I use it to hide map if I have to lay it down and hide minis that are up coming so players don’t know ahead of time since 85% of my combat now is represented by accurate minis. But an upside down opaque tubberware works too. -spell templates. Omg squee. Never thought about it before seeing in a store the wiz kids one. I LOVE it. No more people arguing “well, thee spell is round yes, but since we can move on a diagonal and use 5ft speed....” because angles on squares are longer than sides, and don’t even with hexes, sigh. I love spell templates. I encourage frugal people to make their own shapes out of bristol board. -monster cards/que cards. If you can afford the official D&D monster cards, great specially when you have encounters that source mm, volo, mtf. Three books or a small hand of cards. Frugal, write out the stats you are going to need on a que card. Also, with que cards, if there is a note, or poem on a wall and a player copies it, or custom magic item, its great to have a pre written card and just hand it to them and go. Makes for smooth flow. And definitely my top one; -white board, initiative tracker, concentration and condition tracker. I literally combine all of those into one thing. And cheap. Lined paper, cardboard and a plastic sleeve (the kind that you cab slide a sheet of paper into and put into a binder. On a lined sheet, I pre write numbers down the left. I have players call out their initiative one at a time and I write name in. Sometimes my monsters are pre rolled and already on there. Across the top, I have character name with ac / pp. right side, letters of alphabet with conditions. I also add things like weaponless if its dropped or taken, if the npc or pc has advantage or disadvantage against them for spells like faerie fire. Also up top, common things for that party to help track. Example, my one party has a barb (rage) archer (arrows fired) cleric with many 1 min buffs etc, I’ll put up top “rage” then I have a pack of 10 circles so I can just stroke as the rounds go / shots fired. And all of this in the plastic so you can use pen / marker that you wish, dry or wet erase. Add condition by matching letter near name. If its fixed, wipe. So useful to me. I put a thin cardboard like cereal box cut out or something so I can walk around with it. Sometimes moving around, placing minis, drawing on the huge battle map, I don’t want to go back to my chair every time. Plus one of my players is in a wheel chair, so I’m often on my feet to help out anyways. On the reverse side of what I call my “DM brain” is either a blank sheet or grid sheet so I can flip and doodle as needed to show something. Props to you. You mentioned one thing, whether your original idea or not, but brilliant, physical initiative markers. The folded tent on the screen is awesome. Even the pegs on a stick, you can spin or pivot to show that turn done incase of interruption or breaks mid combat. (I’ve had 1.5 hr combats bellow level 10) really helpful when people take opportunity attacks or hellish rebuke reactions, and I gotta remember that was a reaction and not their turn and don’t restart turn order from their name on the list. Overall, thanks for vid.