If you’re new to D&D, regardless of whether you’re playing in-person or online, there are some items you should have to make your gameplay go smoothly. A few of us have listed some items we consider essential (or maybe just very useful and/or fun), that you may want to have handy before, during and/or after your first session:

Devyn’s Picks

• Notecards

  These are very helpful for keeping important notes or names down. In addition it is especially useful for me as a Druid to keep my Wild Shape forms on Notecards to remind myself of all of the shapes I can access. Lastly if you are a DM these become very useful for keeping track of NPCs, baddies and encounters.

• Player’s Handbook

  (Although you can borrow one from others in your group) It is important to have one to better know the rules of the game and even look up things that you may have forgotten. It is a bountiful resource of information that is a must have for any D&D player old or new!

• Pencils! NO PENS!

  You will be changing a lot of things about your character and getting new items, and then you go to sell them: this adds up to a lot of erasing. Even if you have a large notebook, you will be flying through those pages – pencils and a notebook are definitely your friends!

Kim’s Picks

• Journal or Notepad

  What’s the name of the city you’re currently staying in? How do you pronounce the name of the baddy you’re currently pursuing? Having somewhere to jot down notes while you play (preferably not just a set of lose sheets of paper) is tremendously helpful.

• Spellbook Cards

  In my opinion, these are a necessity for spellcasters – they make sorting through & referencing your spells so much easier. I use & love this app: D&D 5 Spellbook Cards

Matt’s Picks

• SNACKS!!!

  Regardless of how long you are playing for, you will get hungry. Rather than leaving the table and risking the possibility of missing out on some action, bring some snacks with you. Probably stay away from foods that can cause a potential mess or get papers or minis sticky. Or plan in a snack break. Bottom line, no one likes to adventure on an empty stomach.

• Character Sheet App

  As long as your phone/tablet doesn’t become a distraction, there are quite a few useful apps on mobile market places. One of my favorites is this Fifth Edition Character Sheet app. If you somehow manage to leave your physical one behind, you can input your character information into the app so you always have a backup. It does cost when you level your character up, but I feel it is definitely worth it.

• Sticky Notes for Your PHB

  Flipping through pages trying to figure out what a certain Feat does can bet tiresome. I use sticky notes to mark pages that I visit often, like certain spells or what the different skills are used for. You can even go all out and place a tab for each Race and Class for quick reference. I like the flag style notes like these.

Something we missed

Is there an item you consider essential to your D&D campaigns that we forgot to mention? Leave it in a comment below & share with your fellow Critters!