I was reading an older post on Chad Underkofler’s livejournal (you really should check out the latest PDQ game, by the way, Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies – it sounds COOL) about his prep for Dreamation this year. He made a list of the things he needed to take in his “game bag” and I realised I really need to be better organised myself. I have regular fortnightly games, go off to club every month, plus my extra-curricular game activities, but my stuff is always spread all over our very crowded house and I am always forgetting things – last club I started playing a wargame when I realised I didn’t bring a tape measure! Anyway, I was thinking “what would make an essential game kit – something I (or any gamer) could just pick up and go with?”
- Bag: Small and durable enough to run all over town or a convention with, but large enough to carry all my stuff. A small rucksack / satchel type thing.
- Dice bag: with a set of standard polyhedrals, plus enough d6 to play most wargames (10?).
- Pencils: a couple of mechanical pencils for notes, filling out charactersheets, etc.
- Pen: for filling out surveys and writing notes that won’t smudge after a couple of days.
- Notepad: for writing on… derr.
- Tape measure: just a small one, for impromptue games and proving ones manhood…
- Space Rat: because I am a shameless self-promoter, so I might need a few promo postcards too.
- Digital recorder: I am keen to catch sound bites and quickie interviews for Here Be Gamers.
- The Game: space for whatever I happen to be playing that day. For GenCon and other cons there would have to be enough space for all the games I run – several digest (ish) sized books.
What would be in your essential game pack?