I’ve put together a list of what I think are the most essential D&D accessories for players. There’s nothing worse than being at the table with your friends and not having any cool accessories. Worry no more! I’ve come through with a decent list of things that will help you play DND.
What should every D&D player have?
Good question! It’s a sign that you’re serious about Dungeons & Dragons. Having a good DM is essential for a good campaign, but great players are also needed. This quick D&D guide will help you know the answer to the question, “What should every D&D player have?” Ready to get started? By the time you’re done reading, you’ll have a better idea of what D&D accessories you need to get started playing.
7 Essential DND Accessories for Players
Here’s my list of essential D&D accessories. Hope you enjoy!
Dice
Sure, you can bum D&D dice off other people, but if you do that you won’t get a chance to find your lucky d20! In all seriousness, having a set of polyhedron dice is essential. This means a d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20. You might also get an extra set of d10’s that act together as a d100.
Basically, you want to have at least one of every die. Most players will want to have multiples of each die so they always have a die on-hand to roll. There’s a lot of fancy dice out there, but you don’t need to spend a lot of money on your dice. There’s a lot of great dice retailers online that are always competing on price.
The only thing is to remember that not all dice are created equal. Some dice are weighted and others are not. If you play a game like D&D and you don’t want to cheat, you’ll want to get dice with a good, random roll. If you’re caught with trick dice, you might find that your DM exiles you!
Having a good set of dice is important for all players. However, you also might want to consider having some extra dice around for people who don’t have any. Most players will have at least one DND dice set, but some players don’t. That’s why it’s nice to have some extras on-hand. Being a helpful player can make the roleplaying experience better for everyone involved.
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Polyhedral Dice Bag
While you could carry your dice in your pocket, you could also get a polyhedral dice bag. There’s also dice boxes and other containers, but the classic dice bag is simple, easy to use, and very handy. The bag will come in handy for carrying your dice in backpacks, in the car, or when you go out to play.
Notebook
You’ve got plenty of options here. A 3-ring binder is nice if you want space for stats, maps, or other notes, but you could also use a simple college-style notebook. If you go this route, you’ll want to get a notebook that has plenty of pages. You don’t want to run out of room when you’re in the middle of an adventure.
Some players get fancy and buy a specialized adventure journal, but this isn’t absolutely necessary. Nobody is going to look down at you if you’re writing in a spiral notebook. At least I wouldn’t hope so! In all seriousness, having paper to write notes and stats down can be a big help.
Pencils
As a player, you’ll be writing a lot of notes and keeping track of a lot of stats. You’re going to be writing a lot of stuff, so having a good pencil is a must. There’s a good chance you’ll be erasing something, so going with pencil rather than pen is recommended. No, I don’t like those erasable ink pens.
You just want something that works, and that will last. I love mechanical pencils for this reason. They’re more expensive than regular pencils, but they’re super useful and handy. A solid pencil plus some notes is a good way to survive a dangerous situation in Dungeons & Dragons.
Miniature or Mini
This isn’t absolutely needed, but it’s highly recommended. If you purchase a custom miniature from somewhere like HeroForge, you will be able to accurately represent your character in the game. You can also just use a generic mini that you find at the local game store.
Having a miniature allows you to play out your character and move around more easily on the table’s battle map. A good DM will sometimes have extra miniatures lying around, so this is an easy way to get started without having to drop some money on your first miniature.
Spell Effect Markers
If you’re playing a magic user, having your own custom spell effect markers can be a great help. They’re basically decals that show the spell effect for your character. If you want to be able to cast spells more easily, having your own spell effect markers can be super handy.
Again, this isn’t absolutely essential in most cases, but for a true D&D fan, it’s essential all the way. Having a method to accurately know an area of effect on one of your spells is a big help as a magic user. In this way, it’s more about efficiency than anything else.
Adventurer’s Backpack
Yes, you could haul around your D&D accessories in a box or a shopping bag if you want, but having a custom adventurer’s backpack can really help you out. It’s more about looking the part than anything else. If you’re playing a character, having a backpack that looks like it belongs to your character is pretty cool.
Even if it’s not fancy, having a backpack or some sort of system for transporting all your D&D accessories is recommended. It just helps you play better.
Essential D&D Accessories and More
That’s it for this quick guide to the most essential D&D accessories for players. If you have any questions, please leave a comment on Twitter! Additionally, you might check out the D&D accessories section over at Best RPG Books, a new website I’ve started.
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