@@TheArcaneLibrary I know this comment is old, but i just found it and it's really inspired me. Like, changed the way I think about this hobby. Thanks so much for all your work and sharing your philosophy with the community.
@@jerihoneywellart Epic! so cool to hear that! I'm grateful your comment brought me back to this thought, too. It's a good reminder of what to focus on.
I think there will be some new combat card updates before long. Lots of cool stuff with that! I'm thinking about what they might look like for Shadowdark RPG, especially monsters and treasure. :)
This is awesome! I am the opposite, I'm afraid. I'm a dragon sitting atop my hoard! I sleep on my dice collection so my belly is armored in polyhedrons.
You and me both pal. My DM kit is a handbag of holding and the innards of it are like a fish, expanded to fit its environment. I've tried keeping things generic enough, I can run multiple games, from D&D, to Shadowrun, to World of Darkness, but streamlined? Noooooope.
First video I've seen from this channel, greatly impressed and interested for the rest of the content. A thing I've seen happening in my 2+ years of DMing is that, at first, there is a desire for volume, from writing an extreme amount of lore to collecting an absurd amount of physical items for your game. Then, when I fell into a sort of rhythm, that need changed into minimalism. Writing less but with more quality and using less objects, even being interested in trying to map out combat on a normal a4 graph paper notebook. So I suppose it might be something a lot of us go through, until we try everything out and find what we enjoy and what makes the experience great and easier to prep. 3D terrain and minis are great but I've actually developed some medical problems because of my briefcase (yes, her name is Cerasella and she contains the things I use most often during sessions) and the time invested is not worth it, when you can describe all that in a short sentence for a greater effect. Did you have a similar experience? Anyway, thank you for making this video and happy gaming.
This is so insightful! I completely agree, I think a common first reflex DMs have is to create an entire world in exacting detail and build up a big stockpile of gaming gear. It really takes testing and refining over time to sort out what you actually use and want to keep, and what things turn into more of a hindrance than a help. It's a very interesting trend you've pointed out. I definitely feel like there are two kinds of experienced DMs -- those who have zeroed in on a small pool of highly effective stuff, or those who have gone extremely broad and have a vast collection of books and accessories that give them a sense of limitlessness. But the result seems to be that both have the end goal of operating with no restrictions; I just think folks like you and I view no restrictions as "no burdens," whereas the opposite types view it as "vast resources." It's a very interesting thought! You and I must have had a very similar experience where the physical toll of lugging around tons of stuff wasn't resulting in an equal amount of value for our players (or ourselves!) at the table. Haha, Cerasella is an excellent name for a briefcase that is a source of both pain and fun! It just fits!
Thanks for sharing! For some reason I find it terribly fascinating to see fellow DM's kits and/or how we set up at the table, like a peek into the psyche of how we each approach the same basic tasks. Thanks to you I'm going to pick up a set of character dice... and quickly navigate away from Arcknight before I buy their entire FPM line (they even have Deadlands!!!).
I knoooow, I picked up some of their Deadlands stuff before I could stop myself because its' so perfect for a Weird West setting I run called Ghost Mountain... I love seeing people's kits too, it really is interesting to see how DMs approach their setup! :)
Mix and match. I like the way you put it in the newsletter, about minimizing descriptions and scene setting so that the focus is on the players' actions/reactions. I think that's really important. DIgital references/rules are just too convenient not to. Tabletop, a flat grid map suffices (though I do dream of one of those flatscreen digital setups), and the speed and ease of setup is so valuable. But when it comes to characters and creatures, I LOVE a fully detailed model. That's in large part because I enjoy the making/painting process, and by that, pouring personalized character into...the characters. That particular sense of pride and ownership is just special to me, and wherever possible I encourage my party/players to get in on that.
I totally agree about a personalized model for PCs, I also love that! The characters are just so important that the extra customization and attention is always well worth it. 😊
This was fantastic, thanks. As a fellow minimalist I know the struggle of trying to be in this hobby as well. I’m constantly looking at the shelf where I have my games books/notes and wondering what I “really” need while also backing that latest kickstarter because it’s exciting, knowing full well that something will have to go down the line… There are great tips here for a traveling bag which when eventually I go to a con, I know I’ll want, this is a great start.
My DM's kit consists of a three-ring binder, a pouch with 1 of each polyhedral and an extra d20, a pencil, a pen, and one of those pocket sized notepads. I pretty much make everything custom - monsters, adventures, magic items. I never actually thought that was odd until I realized a lot of DMs needed to carry a frickin library with them. O.o
I love that you keep it simple! It really goes to show that it only takes a few things to run an awesome game. I'm the first person to be wowed by amazing 3D terrain and stacks of gorgeous books (I certainly have a few of those), but I also appreciate a focus on simplicity and no-fuss DMing kits that make running the game quick and easy.
OMG I am the same way with hardcover notebooks!!!!!!!!!!! I have a bunch of blank ones that I thought i'd write in but never do - but my softcover ones are full of ideas, doodles, notes, everything the hardcovers are desperate for!
I definitely agree on the minimalism for terrain. It's all cool, but it's just so unnecessary and EXPENSIVE and time consuming and space taking haha. If I run at a real table instead of online, which is what I do mostly these days, I would keep it as simple paper maps and maybe do something special for a big boss battle at the end of the story arc or campaign finale. The first time I ran Tomb of Annihilation i did the whole adventure on a wet erase vinyl mat - but for the final boss battle I made a 3d version of the boss room out of cardboard and painted the whole thing, had a huge mini of the boss 3d printed that I painted, had a cool light effect thing, etc. Made for a super memorable experience.
Little late to the party, but you just explained what i have wanted in my heart all this time. Dwarven Forge is amazing, but most 80% or so of my game time is story, intrigue, and atmosphere... Your method of combat makes SO MUCH MORE SENSE!!! Thank you so much for sharing!
Just getting back into the hobby my self, after 20 years :-) . and found your video. Love the passion you have for the hobby. one of the most enjoyable videos I have found on the hobby :-) , and DM'ing. thank you for posting this
Years ago, I had to move a lot for work, so I had this small leather backpack with literally enough stuff inside to run rpgs for decades... I discovered this super small games like Maze Rats, Lasers&Feelings, and loved them. I used to have tons of plastic minis and beautiful dice, but that had to change. Now I craft my own cardboard tokens... saving a lot of money and space. I even de-cluttered my shelves, selling or donating games and books that I don't use. It was a difficult change of mindset, but I cant go back. I dont want to hoard more dice and books, I want to play!
My transformation into minimalism also came in part because of frequent moves for work! Once you go streamlined, you never want to go back. I still am so, so grateful I can run all my games out of a small backpack!
I stumbled upon you and your one shot adventures looking for a game to play this Halloween. Very happy to know I'm not the only one who is afraid of wasting hardcover note books 😅
I am still totally in love with them! I just was leafing through the minis the other day thinking about some adventure ideas. They might be my favorite part of my whole DMing kit!
Those minies look great, all I have are cardboard pawns, they're cheap to make and easy to transport, but the flat plastic minis look like a great improvement.
I love those flat plastic minis thank you for turning me onto them! i might still use 3d minis for the players to make them stand out a bit but really lovely ideas and great video
That's a great way to make the PCs stand out! I like that idea of having them be the only 3d minis on the board. I'm very glad to hear you liked the video, thanks so much! :)
Greetings from another ex apple employee :) I generally just DM at my house but I too have gone very minimal. Totally get it (these hobbies can take up all your space if your aren't careful). I'm using a VTT (Fantasy grounds) for my DMing. Just project everything on to a a monitor and run the game for my players that way. They can use physical dice and what not, I'll move their tokens, everything I need is a click away in the VTT, I can roll the dice, and it's a built in DM screen (my laptop). I love it so much. :)
Apple escapees unite! Hahahaha! I appreciated my time there, though. I love that you project your VTT, that is so cool and definitely very minimalist! :D
Have you heard of Rocketbook? They're reusable notebooks that use Frixion pens. They have memo pads, flip pads, etc., even index cards! They take up almost no room and you can just use water or friction to erase stuff and reuse them. They let you take a pic with your smartphone and digitize your notes as well and they have "beacons" that let you do that with *any* dry-erase board :D Your kit is fantastic and very similar to the kit I'm assembling - I'm absolutely in *love* with the Arcknight Flat Plastic Minis; can't wait to get me some! I'll be getting Loke Battlemats as well which are spiral-bound books that lay flat and have various terrain imagery printed on them - they would pair nicely with the FPMs me thinks ^_^ Loke also have reusable vinyl stickers for various accoutrements which are pretty awesome!
I think I'm into the minimalist lifestyle in my day to day, so that I could over do it with gaming stuff. I've recently got into crafting my own terrain and its brought a lot of life back into the gaming hobby for me. You're totally correct though it's a ton of crap to lug around.
I'm of the mind that as long as what you do brings you joy and satisfaction, you're doing it right! :) I'd love to be a player in a game with epic, hand-crafted terrain, this is so cool!!
I can (just about) pull an adventure out of my AllRolledUp dice case and a mobile phone (for DnD Beyond monster lookup). Although my basic kit is a messenger bag, which whilst small, weighs a tonne because it appears my superpower is packing bags. The flat plastic minis with the flying riser are great. Currently I use printable heroes, but might try printing them on transparency film, saves spending hours cutting them out :) I am glad you showed your PC and Monster cards, grabbed the campaign set from the Arcane Library, yet more things to put in my DM binder, which I know isnt really the thrust of the video :)
I totally get the "too nice of a notebook to write in" thing, even if I don't *want* to get it. I'll mess up a 98-cent college-ruled notebook, no problem. Put a half-decent Moleskine in front of me, and I just can't bring myself to do it. Lately I've just been getting the smaller steno pads in three-packs from the dollar store, for this very reason.
Great Video. Thanks for sharing. Although, I'm not a minimalist, I enjoy seeing other DMs way of gearing up for their games. Love the card system for monsters, characters, and initiative. I use 3" X 5" cards. Mainly because I run using multi-editions of the game. So no one edition of cards works for me. Arc Knight flats rule! If I was just starting out, I would totally use them. However, I have been playing a very long time and have a collection of thousands of metal and plastic miniatures. Nearly all painted by myself or friends. So I use them unless I'm at a Con. Then the minimalist approach really shines. Your DM Screen and Mini-Wallet idea is great also. Look forward to more adventures from Arcane Library and videos from you. Keep up the great content.
Thank you so much! :) I love 3 x 5 cards, they're still my go-to when I don't have a specific card made for a particular situation. There is a definite soft spot in my heart for hand-painted minis... if I was better at that, I would totally incorporate them into my kit! Works of art definitely make the cut, hehe. Would be super cool to have a specific mini that is exactly right for a recurring villain of some kind. I did have a Strahd mini that I used to absolutely torment my players with, that was WELL worth carrying around! :D
I empathize with the notebook conundrum! Last year I decided to start bullet journaling with a really fancy code and quil book..... that stalled till I forgot it and bought a 4 dollar recycled paper one at a target on vacation.... now I refuse too spend more then 10 dollars on my idea notebooks
It probably comes down to gaming style: actual role playing vs mixed vs wargaming with miniatures. 4e sort of very strongly pointed at the use of miniatures - and it is hands down the best miniatures/wargaming-RPG out there to date. 5e to its core is a lot of 4e rearranged, renamed to hide it (hello, "30 feet" vs "6 squares" printed - uuuhh it is soooo different -.- ) and streamlined even further, yet retaining core ideas of 4e (daily etc.) more so than from 3.x editions. Of course all the systems (pf, 3.x ...) lend themselves well for the use with terrain, tho they might not have it hard coded in the books so blatently obvious as 4e did. But I agree: the story and encounters, the action is much more memoriable than "oh, remember when you moved your miniature 5 squares while jumping along that so nicely build dwarven forge bridge? No?" .... Some gamers are stuck on this "I want to show each and every item EVER in a room on the table top aswell". And that really breaks the game for me. Just describe the room in a way that is a bit different each time, give me the atmosphere. Atmosphere! Something which I just dont get from terrain - you could go with: light, maybe - smoke - smell - sound ... having your DM turn into this weird event manager (yo, sound check please! 1. 2.) who tries to cover it all and then NOTHING reaches any decent quality level except of course the terrain bought for the thousands of dollars.
I agree, 4E was a really well-designed tactical wargame. I actually still pull a lot of design inspiration from that edition! And I agree that it's not necessary to show every element of a room -- it gets to a point where it's information overload and there are diminishing returns. I always hope the game is more alive in my players' heads than on the table terrain! :)
Some great ideas here that I think I will try and implement into my travelling setup. Always a pleasure to see how other people prep their kits. Great work Kelsey! Danny -TIO
May I suggest if you want to go minimalist, the random direction die can be taken out and use one of the existing d20s to do so. The numbers on the d20 are triangles, roll the d20 and the direction the triangle points is the direction of the thing you needed. easy and no need for an additional die. Just a thought. :-) Interesting video, thanks.
If instead of the business card sized holder, you used a playing card sized holder, you could fit the flat plastic minis, and the pre-printed monster card in the same sleeve. :) Love your stuff!
Thanks, Nicolás! :) It's definitely a lot easier to have a larger kit if you play primarily at home. This little bag is my best friend when I'm at conventions and on the road, though! :)
I love this! I am just getting into DMing and have been feeling overwhelmed by all the stuff you can get or games I see else. This has made me totally excited to put together a minimalist kit too! Those flat plastic minis are so cool! Definitely want some. Also, I would totally buy premade blank cards from you.
Thanks for sharing your kit. I particularly liked the weather and NPC generators. As for mini, I'm kind of a fan of the Wiz Kids minis, even the unpainted ones.
Just watched this and the hardcover versus soft cover paranoia is exactly what I am going through! I am just forcing myself to write in the hardcover to break the bad habit
@@TheArcaneLibrary I have 2E but never had a chance to play it. As much as like watchin it's creater on UA-cam, I look forward to checkin out more of your content.
I'm really wishing I knew about those clear plastic minis before (somewhat recently) dumping more money than I care to admit into paper minis. They seem so cool. I'll need to check out their selections (he says, digging out his wallet).
@@TheArcaneLibrary Yeah it fits snugly on the rack on the back of my bike. We're doing all our gaming on Zoom & VTT these days, though so i don't have to carry anything or drive anywhere anymore, lol.
I appreciate you asking! I think I might indeed make an updated version of this video since I have a few new changes to the kit (although it's largely the same). Would be fun to do an update! :)
This is awesome!! I recently started playing for the first time ever, but I already know I would want to one day be DM for my own campaign. I just bought your Camping Bundle for cards ♥️
Love the kit, and would love to see your 2023 kit, even it it was just a list with links. Maybe you could make that a feature on your site? Also, did you ever mention what bag you use? Thanks for the great continue. New follower and supporter of the Shadowdark kickstarter. :)
I use a little Kanken mini bag! :D Holds tons of stuff. And I recently did a more updated video, so you have great timing! Here's the current version: ua-cam.com/video/nTGYMl_t4SY/v-deo.html
It's shocking how much work the party does themselves. Just had a fun festival session where everyone decided to buy each other gifts. I didn't script or even suggest it. At the end, they said it was the most fun they had RPing in a long time. I literally did nothing. I just supplied the setting.
That is so crazy, I just had my players do something similar not too long ago with in-game gifts! It really is true, there are times as the DM where you can just sit back for an entire session and watch the madness unfold without hardly lifting a finger, hahaha!
Another young woman running the game. Very good! 🥰 glad I found this channel. Edit: I love to pull out the cliche adventure for new players 🤣 last time, of course, there was an Aragorn in the corner. At least I made him an half ork ✌️😁
I have thought about those plastic minis. I use cardboard chits. The chits are color codes from 1-40 with every 10 being a different color. I then carry clear d6 to use for flying. ;) Works great.
I'm the opposite of minimalism. I spend more time fleshing out adventures than raising my kids lol. Currently running your Temple of the Basilisk Cult and turned it into a 10 session campaign haha.. thanks for your inspirational content
Hahahaha well I very much appreciate the other side of the minimalism coin, too! Some of my favorite DMs ever have been the complete opposite of minimalism. And that's so cool that you spun Basilisk Cult out into a 10 sessions campaign! :D
Good set up ,as long as you're stories are good. I like writing a synopsis of the game in story form especially if I'm doing a campaign sad I know I must have to much time on my hands.👍
I'm starting to try and set up a Campain within my friend group we all have 0 experience and there's no other campaigns since it's small town at least non Private ones And it's a bit overwhelming not knowing WHAT you need so this video was helpful to get a basic grasp on what's essential or a good starting point
Try the 1:1 adventures with your bestie b4 you try campaigns. Essentials kit is built for even 1:1 but there’s others too. I have new players go thru a level 0 adventure that ends up with their class and race fates decided. So it’s a good 1:1 or small group 1:3 adventure to learn on, “Escape From Fallston” it’s so fun
The Arcane Library I love all your adventures. They are great sidequest even like my group has stopped at Skyhorn lighthouses on their way to “Wrath of ~” in the essentials line.
My kit has been inexpensive, I took everything I could from stuff I have around the house. My minis for example are glass beads I got at Walmart for a dollar for a pouch. Everything else has been the same, gifts, borrowed from other things, and some things taken from work that was just going to be thrown away but could be recycled for my needs. My most expensive items is my tablet for all my books, and my carrying bag, both of which I had gotten previously for other things. It's not streamlined, but it's multi-use.
It sounds like you have a very flexible kit! :) I think we're similar in that we lean more toward representative stuff for the game board. I remember when I used to use a d4 or a piece of candy to represent my character, and I still had a lot of great adventures and memories from that! :)
Great video, very informative - thank you. I ordered the set of flat plastic minis because of this video. I hope you're right and oh should get referral fees from ArcKnight :)
Your comments about not wanting to "waste" a nice notebook is hillarous, I do the same thing! Check out Rhodia notepads, they are much better fountain pen paper. I love the dotpads and grid pads for drawing. Thanks for the great content, Im looking foward to sharing it with our friends at a table!
Oh wow, they make such nice notebooks! The paper looks 10x better than in the one I had for the video. And I have no idea why we're all afraid to write in our nice notebooks, but... they're just too pretty!
That is a slick mini DM screen. It's comparable to what I use. 2 cd jewel cases which I can put my own tables and notes into. Thanks to Dungeon Craft's channel for the idea ua-cam.com/channels/D6ERRdXrF2IZ0R888G8PQg.html.
Nice to see another video from you! The flat mini's and ipad are awesome solutions for the "on the go" DM. As for me, I love my mini's and books too much, so i just tend to host most of my games. I remember being thoroughly impressed by you Skyhorn adventure. The lay-out and flow you used was really easy to use. Do you have any tips about organizing notes, or even editing them into documents for self-publishing?
Thank you! And absolutely, if you love 3D minis, terrain, and physical books, then the right thing to do is have 'em and use the heck out of 'em! :) What I really love about this hobby is that one can go down any road and find something to enjoy. That's a great question about organizational tips and moving from notes to a formal document -- that could even merit its own video. But generally speaking, I find the easiest route is to make a bullet plan of the adventure's main encounters (ten or so for a 4-6 hour adventure), scribble down bits and ideas as they come, and eyeball it all to make sure there is variety and flexibility with the order of events. Then I write out each encounter by expanding on the notes, keeping each encounter as a contained bit and polishing until I'm ready to move onto the next one! A lot of the specific details of each encounter emerge as I'm in the weeds writing based on what is needed. I know an encounter is done once I can visualize running a group through it based only on what I've written! Rinse and repeat for each encounter, and then you have an adventure before long. I hope that is somewhat helpful!
I hate to say it, but I think the three standard sets of dice in this video are all Chessex! Definitely small and not very hefty. I'm slowly cycling in some slightly weightier dice into my set!
That's awesome! I've only ever had the chance to play in a game of it, but I've sadly never been able to run it. It's funny that you mention that, though, because lately I've been pondering how to get a one-off group together for a funnel. I love pouring through those books for inspiration, they're wild and delightful!
Nice work! Enjoyed your thoughts. Are you DMing online these days? And if so, how are you finding the usefulness of the plastic minis during COVID? Have you had to switch to something more 3D for a better image on ZOOM?
Hi Kenneth! :) I am indeed DMing online for my group these days, and I haven't been able to bust out any table minis for that since it would take more camera and video streaming magic than I have at my disposal -- we've been using Roll20 in the intervening time and it's been fantastic. But I'm excited to play again in person as soon as it's once again safe!
Hi Jean-François! :) Thanks very much. I got to play in it, which made me interested enough in the dungeon to then pick up a copy. I think it's sprawling, deadly, unforgiving, and thus extremely fun. It's also cool to see how the dungeon design evolved over time (I know it was written over the course of many years). Absolutely worth scoping out! :)
Hey Levi! Thanks for asking. :) Prepare for a long explanation, lol... So I've converted my 5E hardcovers into PDF versions since I filmed this (easier to reference from iPad than carrying them around). But I did keep a few of the books pictured because I just love having them to flip through and land on unexpected inspiration. ICRPG Core and ICRPG Words are two of the best TTRPG books I've ever read, including design advice, philosophy, simplicity, and fun. ICRPG Worlds itself is the most effectively presented worldbook I've ever seen. I've also added a physical copy of ICRPG Magic since it's now my favorite magic system, and I was also lucky enough to contribute writing. I have the Dungeon Crawl Classics hardcover (love the spellcasting system and flavor), as well as Mutant Crawl Classics (flavor bomb right there, phenomenal). I have the 5E Keep on the Borderlands compilation by Goodman Games, which is a study in converting forward one of the most classic adventures of all time. And finally, I have my original 3E Dungeon Master's Guide signed by Gary Gygax, Monsters of the Guild (first physical book I was ever published in), and the Monstrous Lexicon (first D&D book I co-wrote). Pending changes: Rappan Athuk 5E hardcover is going to a new owner who will run the heck out of it, and Matt Colville's Strongholds hardcover is on the way and will receive a place of honor for solving the problem of "why should I care about gold pieces" in 5E. :D
@@TheArcaneLibrary ICRPG is great; I own all of those in hardcover. ICRPG Magic is awesome! I actually found your channel when I saw your name as a writing contributor. This was a great video. Those flat plastic minis and the weather dice are going on my list.
@@ulrich_VH I'm so glad you're an ICRPG-er!! :D Very cool! I love the flat plastics and weather dice, definitely a useful addition to any kit. Happy gaming, Levi!
Good question! I was worried about that, but they're sturdy and moderately flexible. I've found them to be much less fragile (especially during transport) than plastic minis. I think they could take the same level of abuse, or more, than your standard 3D plastic mini.
"I don't want to impress other people with my stuff. I want to impress them with the quality of my game." Brava.
Thank you so much, Victor! :)
@@TheArcaneLibrary I know this comment is old, but i just found it and it's really inspired me. Like, changed the way I think about this hobby. Thanks so much for all your work and sharing your philosophy with the community.
@@jerihoneywellart Epic! so cool to hear that! I'm grateful your comment brought me back to this thought, too. It's a good reminder of what to focus on.
The combat cards were the best part of this video, for me. Since this is already 4 years old, I'd love to see how this concept has evolved since then.
I think there will be some new combat card updates before long. Lots of cool stuff with that! I'm thinking about what they might look like for Shadowdark RPG, especially monsters and treasure. :)
As a minimalist myself I am glad to see other people who think the same.
Just watched the interview with Me, Myself, and Die and your philosophies have remained the exact same. Must mean it works!
This is awesome! I am the opposite, I'm afraid. I'm a dragon sitting atop my hoard! I sleep on my dice collection so my belly is armored in polyhedrons.
Hehehe well SOMEONE has to collect all the cool dice and keep them safe from those loot stealing adventurers! ;D
You and me both pal. My DM kit is a handbag of holding and the innards of it are like a fish, expanded to fit its environment. I've tried keeping things generic enough, I can run multiple games, from D&D, to Shadowrun, to World of Darkness, but streamlined? Noooooope.
First video I've seen from this channel, greatly impressed and interested for the rest of the content.
A thing I've seen happening in my 2+ years of DMing is that, at first, there is a desire for volume, from writing an extreme amount of lore to collecting an absurd amount of physical items for your game. Then, when I fell into a sort of rhythm, that need changed into minimalism. Writing less but with more quality and using less objects, even being interested in trying to map out combat on a normal a4 graph paper notebook. So I suppose it might be something a lot of us go through, until we try everything out and find what we enjoy and what makes the experience great and easier to prep. 3D terrain and minis are great but I've actually developed some medical problems because of my briefcase (yes, her name is Cerasella and she contains the things I use most often during sessions) and the time invested is not worth it, when you can describe all that in a short sentence for a greater effect.
Did you have a similar experience?
Anyway, thank you for making this video and happy gaming.
This is so insightful! I completely agree, I think a common first reflex DMs have is to create an entire world in exacting detail and build up a big stockpile of gaming gear. It really takes testing and refining over time to sort out what you actually use and want to keep, and what things turn into more of a hindrance than a help. It's a very interesting trend you've pointed out. I definitely feel like there are two kinds of experienced DMs -- those who have zeroed in on a small pool of highly effective stuff, or those who have gone extremely broad and have a vast collection of books and accessories that give them a sense of limitlessness. But the result seems to be that both have the end goal of operating with no restrictions; I just think folks like you and I view no restrictions as "no burdens," whereas the opposite types view it as "vast resources." It's a very interesting thought! You and I must have had a very similar experience where the physical toll of lugging around tons of stuff wasn't resulting in an equal amount of value for our players (or ourselves!) at the table. Haha, Cerasella is an excellent name for a briefcase that is a source of both pain and fun! It just fits!
Business card holder for the flat minis are an excellent idea, thank you!
Thanks for sharing! For some reason I find it terribly fascinating to see fellow DM's kits and/or how we set up at the table, like a peek into the psyche of how we each approach the same basic tasks. Thanks to you I'm going to pick up a set of character dice... and quickly navigate away from Arcknight before I buy their entire FPM line (they even have Deadlands!!!).
I knoooow, I picked up some of their Deadlands stuff before I could stop myself because its' so perfect for a Weird West setting I run called Ghost Mountain... I love seeing people's kits too, it really is interesting to see how DMs approach their setup! :)
I have watched a few of these videos and you are the first one that uses the folding map, which I do. Good job!
The folding map is the best! :D
the algorithm brought this to my page again. I think I've seen it before but it's just as good the second time.
As always, thank you Kelsey.
Mix and match. I like the way you put it in the newsletter, about minimizing descriptions and scene setting so that the focus is on the players' actions/reactions. I think that's really important. DIgital references/rules are just too convenient not to. Tabletop, a flat grid map suffices (though I do dream of one of those flatscreen digital setups), and the speed and ease of setup is so valuable. But when it comes to characters and creatures, I LOVE a fully detailed model. That's in large part because I enjoy the making/painting process, and by that, pouring personalized character into...the characters. That particular sense of pride and ownership is just special to me, and wherever possible I encourage my party/players to get in on that.
I totally agree about a personalized model for PCs, I also love that! The characters are just so important that the extra customization and attention is always well worth it. 😊
This was fantastic, thanks.
As a fellow minimalist I know the struggle of trying to be in this hobby as well. I’m constantly looking at the shelf where I have my games books/notes and wondering what I “really” need while also backing that latest kickstarter because it’s exciting, knowing full well that something will have to go down the line… There are great tips here for a traveling bag which when eventually I go to a con, I know I’ll want, this is a great start.
My DM's kit consists of a three-ring binder, a pouch with 1 of each polyhedral and an extra d20, a pencil, a pen, and one of those pocket sized notepads. I pretty much make everything custom - monsters, adventures, magic items. I never actually thought that was odd until I realized a lot of DMs needed to carry a frickin library with them. O.o
I love that you keep it simple! It really goes to show that it only takes a few things to run an awesome game. I'm the first person to be wowed by amazing 3D terrain and stacks of gorgeous books (I certainly have a few of those), but I also appreciate a focus on simplicity and no-fuss DMing kits that make running the game quick and easy.
OMG I am the same way with hardcover notebooks!!!!!!!!!!! I have a bunch of blank ones that I thought i'd write in but never do - but my softcover ones are full of ideas, doodles, notes, everything the hardcovers are desperate for!
I'm amazed that the hardcover thing affects other people, glad to know I'm not the only one! Isn't it a weird thing??
love it love it love it!!! Ive seen people sorta talk this style up, but the full visual that you gave here is awesome!!! thank you !!!
thanks so much, I'm glad you liked the full walkthrough! :)
Those flat plastic minis look super easy to tote around, and the artwork rocks.
I absolutely love them! They're my #1 favorite DM kit item. :)
I like the Pathfinder flip-tiles as sort of a compromise between the Basic Map and something like Dwarven Forge.
OMG! I used to do the same thing with "nice" hardcover notebooks. Always thought it was just me. lol
I'm glad it's not just me! xD
Me too!
Me too!!!
Same lol
Now I'm thinking of NPC roll charts. Thanks!
Always a good thing to have! :)
I definitely agree on the minimalism for terrain. It's all cool, but it's just so unnecessary and EXPENSIVE and time consuming and space taking haha. If I run at a real table instead of online, which is what I do mostly these days, I would keep it as simple paper maps and maybe do something special for a big boss battle at the end of the story arc or campaign finale. The first time I ran Tomb of Annihilation i did the whole adventure on a wet erase vinyl mat - but for the final boss battle I made a 3d version of the boss room out of cardboard and painted the whole thing, had a huge mini of the boss 3d printed that I painted, had a cool light effect thing, etc. Made for a super memorable experience.
Little late to the party, but you just explained what i have wanted in my heart all this time.
Dwarven Forge is amazing, but most 80% or so of my game time is story, intrigue, and atmosphere...
Your method of combat makes SO MUCH MORE SENSE!!!
Thank you so much for sharing!
I'm so happy to hear this resonated with you! :)
Just getting back into the hobby my self, after 20 years :-) . and found your video. Love the passion you have for the hobby. one of the most enjoyable videos I have found on the hobby :-) , and DM'ing. thank you for posting this
Welcome back to D&D, that's fantastic! :D
Years ago, I had to move a lot for work, so I had this small leather backpack with literally enough stuff inside to run rpgs for decades... I discovered this super small games like Maze Rats, Lasers&Feelings, and loved them. I used to have tons of plastic minis and beautiful dice, but that had to change. Now I craft my own cardboard tokens... saving a lot of money and space. I even de-cluttered my shelves, selling or donating games and books that I don't use. It was a difficult change of mindset, but I cant go back. I dont want to hoard more dice and books, I want to play!
My transformation into minimalism also came in part because of frequent moves for work! Once you go streamlined, you never want to go back. I still am so, so grateful I can run all my games out of a small backpack!
I stumbled upon you and your one shot adventures looking for a game to play this Halloween. Very happy to know I'm not the only one who is afraid of wasting hardcover note books 😅
There are so many of us, I didn't realize it either!
Thank you for the link for the flat plastic minis. That's amazing! I have totes full of figs. I'm so ready to switch over. 😍😁
I am still totally in love with them! I just was leafing through the minis the other day thinking about some adventure ideas. They might be my favorite part of my whole DMing kit!
Those character creation dice are sick! Thanks for the tip.
Those minies look great, all I have are cardboard pawns, they're cheap to make and easy to transport, but the flat plastic minis look like a great improvement.
I'm glad you like them! Those minis are one of my all-time favorite D&D items.
I love those flat plastic minis thank you for turning me onto them! i might still use 3d minis for the players to make them stand out a bit but really lovely ideas and great video
That's a great way to make the PCs stand out! I like that idea of having them be the only 3d minis on the board. I'm very glad to hear you liked the video, thanks so much! :)
Love the flat plastic minis!! 😁
They're so fantastic, I absolutely love them!
Totally get the fear of wrecking a hardcover. Great vid!
I'm learning so many people have this same thing, and it makes me feel less alone in trashing nice notebooks, hahahaha! :)
Greetings from another ex apple employee :)
I generally just DM at my house but I too have gone very minimal. Totally get it (these hobbies can take up all your space if your aren't careful).
I'm using a VTT (Fantasy grounds) for my DMing. Just project everything on to a a monitor and run the game for my players that way. They can use physical dice and what not, I'll move their tokens, everything I need is a click away in the VTT, I can roll the dice, and it's a built in DM screen (my laptop).
I love it so much. :)
Apple escapees unite! Hahahaha! I appreciated my time there, though. I love that you project your VTT, that is so cool and definitely very minimalist! :D
Have you heard of Rocketbook? They're reusable notebooks that use Frixion pens. They have memo pads, flip pads, etc., even index cards! They take up almost no room and you can just use water or friction to erase stuff and reuse them. They let you take a pic with your smartphone and digitize your notes as well and they have "beacons" that let you do that with *any* dry-erase board :D
Your kit is fantastic and very similar to the kit I'm assembling - I'm absolutely in *love* with the Arcknight Flat Plastic Minis; can't wait to get me some!
I'll be getting Loke Battlemats as well which are spiral-bound books that lay flat and have various terrain imagery printed on them - they would pair nicely with the FPMs me thinks ^_^
Loke also have reusable vinyl stickers for various accoutrements which are pretty awesome!
I think I'm into the minimalist lifestyle in my day to day, so that I could over do it with gaming stuff. I've recently got into crafting my own terrain and its brought a lot of life back into the gaming hobby for me. You're totally correct though it's a ton of crap to lug around.
I'm of the mind that as long as what you do brings you joy and satisfaction, you're doing it right! :) I'd love to be a player in a game with epic, hand-crafted terrain, this is so cool!!
I can (just about) pull an adventure out of my AllRolledUp dice case and a mobile phone (for DnD Beyond monster lookup).
Although my basic kit is a messenger bag, which whilst small, weighs a tonne because it appears my superpower is packing bags.
The flat plastic minis with the flying riser are great. Currently I use printable heroes, but might try printing them on transparency film, saves spending hours cutting them out :)
I am glad you showed your PC and Monster cards, grabbed the campaign set from the Arcane Library, yet more things to put in my DM binder, which I know isnt really the thrust of the video :)
Lol I laughed about that too! But I use those cards so much, so I was like, well I better mention it! :)
I love the NPC generator dice! 😁
I totally get the "too nice of a notebook to write in" thing, even if I don't *want* to get it. I'll mess up a 98-cent college-ruled notebook, no problem. Put a half-decent Moleskine in front of me, and I just can't bring myself to do it. Lately I've just been getting the smaller steno pads in three-packs from the dollar store, for this very reason.
Great Video. Thanks for sharing. Although, I'm not a minimalist, I enjoy seeing other DMs way of gearing up for their games. Love the card system for monsters, characters, and initiative. I use 3" X 5" cards. Mainly because I run using multi-editions of the game. So no one edition of cards works for me. Arc Knight flats rule! If I was just starting out, I would totally use them. However, I have been playing a very long time and have a collection of thousands of metal and plastic miniatures. Nearly all painted by myself or friends. So I use them unless I'm at a Con. Then the minimalist approach really shines. Your DM Screen and Mini-Wallet idea is great also. Look forward to more adventures from Arcane Library and videos from you. Keep up the great content.
Thank you so much! :) I love 3 x 5 cards, they're still my go-to when I don't have a specific card made for a particular situation. There is a definite soft spot in my heart for hand-painted minis... if I was better at that, I would totally incorporate them into my kit! Works of art definitely make the cut, hehe. Would be super cool to have a specific mini that is exactly right for a recurring villain of some kind. I did have a Strahd mini that I used to absolutely torment my players with, that was WELL worth carrying around! :D
Completely understand your hardcover issue. Had same. Well done video, I enjoyed it and found some great thoughts as I lug too much.
Thanks so much!
I empathize with the notebook conundrum! Last year I decided to start bullet journaling with a really fancy code and quil book..... that stalled till I forgot it and bought a 4 dollar recycled paper one at a target on vacation.... now I refuse too spend more then 10 dollars on my idea notebooks
It probably comes down to gaming style: actual role playing vs mixed vs wargaming with miniatures. 4e sort of very strongly pointed at the use of miniatures - and it is hands down the best miniatures/wargaming-RPG out there to date. 5e to its core is a lot of 4e rearranged, renamed to hide it (hello, "30 feet" vs "6 squares" printed - uuuhh it is soooo different -.- ) and streamlined even further, yet retaining core ideas of 4e (daily etc.) more so than from 3.x editions. Of course all the systems (pf, 3.x ...) lend themselves well for the use with terrain, tho they might not have it hard coded in the books so blatently obvious as 4e did. But I agree: the story and encounters, the action is much more memoriable than "oh, remember when you moved your miniature 5 squares while jumping along that so nicely build dwarven forge bridge? No?" ....
Some gamers are stuck on this "I want to show each and every item EVER in a room on the table top aswell". And that really breaks the game for me. Just describe the room in a way that is a bit different each time, give me the atmosphere. Atmosphere! Something which I just dont get from terrain - you could go with: light, maybe - smoke - smell - sound ... having your DM turn into this weird event manager (yo, sound check please! 1. 2.) who tries to cover it all and then NOTHING reaches any decent quality level except of course the terrain bought for the thousands of dollars.
I agree, 4E was a really well-designed tactical wargame. I actually still pull a lot of design inspiration from that edition! And I agree that it's not necessary to show every element of a room -- it gets to a point where it's information overload and there are diminishing returns. I always hope the game is more alive in my players' heads than on the table terrain! :)
Some great ideas here that I think I will try and implement into my travelling setup. Always a pleasure to see how other people prep their kits. Great work Kelsey!
Danny -TIO
May I suggest if you want to go minimalist, the random direction die can be taken out and use one of the existing d20s to do so. The numbers on the d20 are triangles, roll the d20 and the direction the triangle points is the direction of the thing you needed. easy and no need for an additional die. Just a thought. :-)
Interesting video, thanks.
That's a very cool idea, I like it! :D
I guess using theater of the mind would be the ultimate in minimalism but loved hearing your thoughts!
Definitely, that is the ultimate form of minimalism! I love running things using TotM whenever possible. :)
If instead of the business card sized holder, you used a playing card sized holder, you could fit the flat plastic minis, and the pre-printed monster card in the same sleeve. :) Love your stuff!
THIS IS SO TRUE!!!
You have an easy to travel GM stuff. I usually play at home, so I have everything (books, minis and grid) at hand but I see the benefits of your style
Thanks, Nicolás! :) It's definitely a lot easier to have a larger kit if you play primarily at home. This little bag is my best friend when I'm at conventions and on the road, though! :)
I love this! I am just getting into DMing and have been feeling overwhelmed by all the stuff you can get or games I see else. This has made me totally excited to put together a minimalist kit too! Those flat plastic minis are so cool! Definitely want some. Also, I would totally buy premade blank cards from you.
So cool! Good luck as you go down the DMing road! :)
Thanks for sharing your kit. I particularly liked the weather and NPC generators. As for mini, I'm kind of a fan of the Wiz Kids minis, even the unpainted ones.
This Wiz Kids minis are really well done!!
You are my hero!
That is so kind of you, thank you! :)
Just watched this and the hardcover versus soft cover paranoia is exactly what I am going through! I am just forcing myself to write in the hardcover to break the bad habit
Thumbs up for the ICRPG books
Heck yeah! One of my favorite systems of all time!
@@TheArcaneLibrary I have 2E but never had a chance to play it. As much as like watchin it's creater on UA-cam, I look forward to checkin out more of your content.
@@donc7664 Thanks so much! I'm going to be doing new UA-cam content in the coming weeks, too! :)
@@TheArcaneLibrary sub'd
Thank you, great ideas, inspiring.
I'm really wishing I knew about those clear plastic minis before (somewhat recently) dumping more money than I care to admit into paper minis. They seem so cool.
I'll need to check out their selections (he says, digging out his wallet).
Me too, I had acquired a fair amount of 3D minis before this revelation!!
Great ideas! I loved your minis idea. Overall very nice content!
Great video and thanks for the links! :)
Thanks so much, I'm glad it was helpful! :)
Soo good!! The mini wallet is such a great idea, I may have to borrow that one! :) Great video thanks for sharing.
**looks at house**
**Observes the D&D trap house I live in**
Hahahahaaaaaaa!!! Hey, if I had space for a lair, I'd probably be ever so slightly less of a minimalist! :D
Just found your channel!! Really digging the content. Best of luck to you.
Thanks so much! :)
I have that same backpack in gray!
It’s a good one! 😊
@@TheArcaneLibrary Yeah it fits snugly on the rack on the back of my bike. We're doing all our gaming on Zoom & VTT these days, though so i don't have to carry anything or drive anywhere anymore, lol.
What a GREAT video!! Thank you!
Thank you so much!!
Can you make an updated version of your current DM setup? :D that was cool!
I appreciate you asking! I think I might indeed make an updated version of this video since I have a few new changes to the kit (although it's largely the same). Would be fun to do an update! :)
I had an NPC half orc fighter whose own mother ran the local tavern: The Owlbear's Talon. Well known for making owlbears delicious
Hahahaha nice! :D
This is awesome!! I recently started playing for the first time ever, but I already know I would want to one day be DM for my own campaign. I just bought your Camping Bundle for cards ♥️
Thank you so much! :) I hope you enjoy jumping into DMing when you start running games!!
Couldn't find what you were talking about with that miniDM screen but great video.
I used to make one but ended up retiring it after several years... but a new and sturdier one is on the way with the Shadowdark RPG Kickstarter! :)
Love the kit, and would love to see your 2023 kit, even it it was just a list with links. Maybe you could make that a feature on your site? Also, did you ever mention what bag you use? Thanks for the great continue. New follower and supporter of the Shadowdark kickstarter. :)
I use a little Kanken mini bag! :D Holds tons of stuff. And I recently did a more updated video, so you have great timing! Here's the current version: ua-cam.com/video/nTGYMl_t4SY/v-deo.html
Hahaha, I also get anxious about writing on hardcover notebooks D:
I don't know why we have this problem, hahahaha!
This is awesome and gives me some good ideas for my DM kit. thank you for some good ideas.
It's shocking how much work the party does themselves. Just had a fun festival session where everyone decided to buy each other gifts. I didn't script or even suggest it. At the end, they said it was the most fun they had RPing in a long time. I literally did nothing. I just supplied the setting.
That is so crazy, I just had my players do something similar not too long ago with in-game gifts! It really is true, there are times as the DM where you can just sit back for an entire session and watch the madness unfold without hardly lifting a finger, hahaha!
Another young woman running the game. Very good! 🥰 glad I found this channel.
Edit: I love to pull out the cliche adventure for new players 🤣 last time, of course, there was an Aragorn in the corner. At least I made him an half ork ✌️😁
You know, everyone does love an Aragorn in the corner!!
OMG- I keep finding books at a big used book store near me. I've found things for cheap but... they have been sitting on my shelf.
This video was soooo helpful! Thank you for sharing. 😁🤗
I'm glad it was helpful! :)
I have thought about those plastic minis. I use cardboard chits. The chits are color codes from 1-40 with every 10 being a different color. I then carry clear d6 to use for flying. ;) Works great.
That also sounds fantastic! I love it. :) Also, extremely portable!
I'm the opposite of minimalism. I spend more time fleshing out adventures than raising my kids lol. Currently running your Temple of the Basilisk Cult and turned it into a 10 session campaign haha.. thanks for your inspirational content
Hahahaha well I very much appreciate the other side of the minimalism coin, too! Some of my favorite DMs ever have been the complete opposite of minimalism. And that's so cool that you spun Basilisk Cult out into a 10 sessions campaign! :D
Good set up ,as long as you're stories are good. I like writing a synopsis of the game in story form especially if I'm doing a campaign sad I know I must have to much time on my hands.👍
I love writing synopsis, especially afterwards to keep track of what happened. :)
A nice video thanks.
Wet erase map for the WIN!
I'm starting to try and set up a Campain within my friend group we all have 0 experience and there's no other campaigns since it's small town at least non Private ones
And it's a bit overwhelming not knowing WHAT you need so this video was helpful to get a basic grasp on what's essential or a good starting point
I'm so glad this video was helpful! :) Good luck as you start up a campaign with your friends, it's gonna be a ton of fun! :D
Try the 1:1 adventures with your bestie b4 you try campaigns. Essentials kit is built for even 1:1 but there’s others too. I have new players go thru a level 0 adventure that ends up with their class and race fates decided. So it’s a good 1:1 or small group 1:3 adventure to learn on, “Escape From Fallston” it’s so fun
The Arcane Library I love all your adventures. They are great sidequest even like my group has stopped at Skyhorn lighthouses on their way to “Wrath of ~” in the essentials line.
Where did you get the clear mini holders? They are larger than Biz size ones
Flat Minis? Sold! 😂
Awesome flat minis! I like my token types but I prefer if they could 2d stand. These flat plastic minis are that answer
I love them! They've completely solved all my minis woes! :)
My kit has been inexpensive, I took everything I could from stuff I have around the house.
My minis for example are glass beads I got at Walmart for a dollar for a pouch. Everything else has been the same, gifts, borrowed from other things, and some things taken from work that was just going to be thrown away but could be recycled for my needs.
My most expensive items is my tablet for all my books, and my carrying bag, both of which I had gotten previously for other things. It's not streamlined, but it's multi-use.
It sounds like you have a very flexible kit! :) I think we're similar in that we lean more toward representative stuff for the game board. I remember when I used to use a d4 or a piece of candy to represent my character, and I still had a lot of great adventures and memories from that! :)
14:20 Oh wow I thought I was the only one! I have like 3 hard back notebooks on my shelf totally blank because of that!
I thought I was the only one too, but hearing other people agree is a bit vindicating. Hard cover notebooks can be intimidating!
Great. I like your kit!
Thanks great video
Great video, very informative - thank you.
I ordered the set of flat plastic minis because of this video. I hope you're right and oh should get referral fees from ArcKnight :)
I'm just happy if the FPMs make people's lives as easy as they made mine! :D
Everything you do is awesome.
Thank you so much!!
Your comments about not wanting to "waste" a nice notebook is hillarous, I do the same thing!
Check out Rhodia notepads, they are much better fountain pen paper. I love the dotpads and grid pads for drawing.
Thanks for the great content, Im looking foward to sharing it with our friends at a table!
Oh wow, they make such nice notebooks! The paper looks 10x better than in the one I had for the video. And I have no idea why we're all afraid to write in our nice notebooks, but... they're just too pretty!
That is a slick mini DM screen. It's comparable to what I use. 2 cd jewel cases which I can put my own tables and notes into. Thanks to Dungeon Craft's channel for the idea ua-cam.com/channels/D6ERRdXrF2IZ0R888G8PQg.html.
Nice to see another video from you! The flat mini's and ipad are awesome solutions for the "on the go" DM. As for me, I love my mini's and books too much, so i just tend to host most of my games.
I remember being thoroughly impressed by you Skyhorn adventure. The lay-out and flow you used was really easy to use.
Do you have any tips about organizing notes, or even editing them into documents for self-publishing?
Thank you! And absolutely, if you love 3D minis, terrain, and physical books, then the right thing to do is have 'em and use the heck out of 'em! :) What I really love about this hobby is that one can go down any road and find something to enjoy.
That's a great question about organizational tips and moving from notes to a formal document -- that could even merit its own video. But generally speaking, I find the easiest route is to make a bullet plan of the adventure's main encounters (ten or so for a 4-6 hour adventure), scribble down bits and ideas as they come, and eyeball it all to make sure there is variety and flexibility with the order of events. Then I write out each encounter by expanding on the notes, keeping each encounter as a contained bit and polishing until I'm ready to move onto the next one! A lot of the specific details of each encounter emerge as I'm in the weeds writing based on what is needed. I know an encounter is done once I can visualize running a group through it based only on what I've written! Rinse and repeat for each encounter, and then you have an adventure before long. I hope that is somewhat helpful!
Thanks for this!
Awesome , informative video!!
d12 as direction die - read as a clock.
What brand are those regular dice? I don't like chessex that are everywhere, a bit too small and light imo.
I hate to say it, but I think the three standard sets of dice in this video are all Chessex! Definitely small and not very hefty. I'm slowly cycling in some slightly weightier dice into my set!
OK, this is practical.
"Look at these lizard guys. Look at all this Lizard folk situation" LOL
Love the DCC/MCC/ books hanging out in the background! I love DCC, it's been my go to game for a long time now. Do you run/play it?
That's awesome! I've only ever had the chance to play in a game of it, but I've sadly never been able to run it. It's funny that you mention that, though, because lately I've been pondering how to get a one-off group together for a funnel. I love pouring through those books for inspiration, they're wild and delightful!
who turns books into PDFs legally? do you have a link, I would to check them out. thank you for a very informative video.
Nice work! Enjoyed your thoughts. Are you DMing online these days? And if so, how are you finding the usefulness of the plastic minis during COVID? Have you had to switch to something more 3D for a better image on ZOOM?
Hi Kenneth! :) I am indeed DMing online for my group these days, and I haven't been able to bust out any table minis for that since it would take more camera and video streaming magic than I have at my disposal -- we've been using Roll20 in the intervening time and it's been fantastic. But I'm excited to play again in person as soon as it's once again safe!
Amazing, you are great!!
Nice collection behind you. Did you played or dm'd Rappan Athuk? What did you tought of it?
Hi Jean-François! :) Thanks very much. I got to play in it, which made me interested enough in the dungeon to then pick up a copy. I think it's sprawling, deadly, unforgiving, and thus extremely fun. It's also cool to see how the dungeon design evolved over time (I know it was written over the course of many years). Absolutely worth scoping out! :)
Would you share what the hardcover books are (in the video behind you) that you have have deemed worthy of keeping?
Hey Levi! Thanks for asking. :) Prepare for a long explanation, lol... So I've converted my 5E hardcovers into PDF versions since I filmed this (easier to reference from iPad than carrying them around). But I did keep a few of the books pictured because I just love having them to flip through and land on unexpected inspiration. ICRPG Core and ICRPG Words are two of the best TTRPG books I've ever read, including design advice, philosophy, simplicity, and fun. ICRPG Worlds itself is the most effectively presented worldbook I've ever seen. I've also added a physical copy of ICRPG Magic since it's now my favorite magic system, and I was also lucky enough to contribute writing. I have the Dungeon Crawl Classics hardcover (love the spellcasting system and flavor), as well as Mutant Crawl Classics (flavor bomb right there, phenomenal). I have the 5E Keep on the Borderlands compilation by Goodman Games, which is a study in converting forward one of the most classic adventures of all time. And finally, I have my original 3E Dungeon Master's Guide signed by Gary Gygax, Monsters of the Guild (first physical book I was ever published in), and the Monstrous Lexicon (first D&D book I co-wrote). Pending changes: Rappan Athuk 5E hardcover is going to a new owner who will run the heck out of it, and Matt Colville's Strongholds hardcover is on the way and will receive a place of honor for solving the problem of "why should I care about gold pieces" in 5E. :D
@@TheArcaneLibrary ICRPG is great; I own all of those in hardcover. ICRPG Magic is awesome! I actually found your channel when I saw your name as a writing contributor.
This was a great video. Those flat plastic minis and the weather dice are going on my list.
@@ulrich_VH I'm so glad you're an ICRPG-er!! :D Very cool! I love the flat plastics and weather dice, definitely a useful addition to any kit. Happy gaming, Levi!
I've been considering how the flat mini's but I'm curious about how durable they are
Good question! I was worried about that, but they're sturdy and moderately flexible. I've found them to be much less fragile (especially during transport) than plastic minis. I think they could take the same level of abuse, or more, than your standard 3D plastic mini.
@@TheArcaneLibrary Awesome! I actually ended up ordering their DM Starter set.
@@pussmangus That's a great set! :)
I would like to try them as well. A bit pricey,but i heard they last forever and honestly the amount you get for the price tips the scales
@@anthonybernardo2214 i think the purchase was worth it