Shots from the Studio #31

Anyone who has followed my “Shots from the Studio” articles knows I’m an avid Dungeons and Dragons player and DM. So today I’m going to talk about my top five D&D accessories the both help me at the gaming table and are fun to use. In no particular order here they are.

Folding Wet/Dry Erase Grid Mat:

This first item is pretty essential if you play with minis or tokens and don’t play at your place of residence. It’s less cumbersome than a roll up mat and is double sided with an outdoor design on one side and a stonework design on the other. It works with dry or wet erase markers and folds up to the size of a typical D&D book for ease of transport.

Condition/Spell Effect Markers:

These handy plastic rings are designed to fit around the base of a standard D&D mini or token. The have the name of the spell effect or condition printed on them to make it easy to tell which character is affected. Now when you have four players fighting four monsters you can tell at a glance who is blessed, poisoned, stunned or any other number of conditions that are affecting them.

Initiative Trackers:

There are several different types of ways to track player and monster initiatives, but my favorite are these laminated, folded cards that hang over the DMs screen. One side (the player facing side) has a spot for the characters name and a small picture or symbol. The other side (the DM facing side) has areas for the characters name, hit points, armor class, passive perception, ability scores, spell saves etc. Now, as the DM, you can see the important stats of your players and they’re adversaries as well as the entire table being able to clearly see the turn order.

Area of Effect Templates:

This set templates is perfect for determining the area of affect for spell and some character abilities. They come with several sizes of labeled radius, cone, cube and line templates making it super easy to determine who is trapped in a 20 foot radius fireball or how many creature are struck by a 30 foot cone breath weapon.

RPG Storage Bag:

This bag is perfect for the DM or player on the go. It has three zip up pockets that are great for storing pens, dice, tokens etc. There is a section on top that can hold up to eight minis. The main area is is divided into three sections that are perfect for books, notebooks, your fold up grid map and a host of different accessories. Its great for keeping all of my essentials in one place. It’s especially helpful when you have to travel to your games like i do. Everything is in one place, just grab it and go.

So there you have it – my five favorite Dungeons and Dragons accessories. You can find them at most gaming stores or online.

Enjoy your adventures!