Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Gifts For Gamers

As of today there is officially a week before the big hallmark holiday, but still plenty of time in the season for general gift giving, receiving, and all around merry making. However, for some of you you may find that shopping for a gamer is hard, or you are otherwise unsure what to get them. Bit late for the season, but I figured I'd compile a list of some general things that most gamers will likely enjoy.



#1) Dice
In over twenty years at the game table I have yet to meet a gamer who doesn't want, need, or like getting more dice. Even if you already have a full set for the game you need another full set is rarely something you turn down. We use dice a lot, they get lost easily, and so having more is always a boon. Besides, sometimes you just need a special set for that new character concept.

#2) Paper, Pens, and other Writing Utensils
Maybe not as necessary as dice, but especially for GMs the gift of paper and things to write with can be a huge boon or time saver. It is handy for notes, maps, impromptu counters, and a myriad other things - up to and including character sheets.

This can be especially true with pads of graph paper for anyone running, or playing in, a game that uses miniatures or focuses on dungeon crawling. After all, what better way to plot out the next dungeon than with graph paper?

#3) Miniatures
Character representation can be important, especially in games like D&D 4th ed where a lot of the game involves moving minis around on the map on a person's turn. Something that specifically represents their character, especially if it can do it accurately, can thus be a very welcome gift.

#4) Anything Related To The Game
This is the area I like delving into the most. The idea here isn't so much that you are getting them something to use in the game as something that may help them think about the game, or remember that time more fondly. For example, a couple years ago I gave one of the player's in our Dark Heresy game the Imperial Guard Infantry Primer book as he was playing an IG trooper and it worked very well. I know someone else who received a copy of the Book of Five Rings from their GM when they were playing a Mirumoto Swordsman in an L5R game. In both cases the gift worked because it was neat, played into the interests of the person, but also let them enjoy the game more with the added insight.

What Else?
Odds are all of you have other ideas, and likely better ideas, than what I've presented here. So, gifts for gamer, what do you get? What do you want?

1 comment:

  1. I tend to be a gift certificate guy myself. Things like dice are a decent generic call, but so much of RPG is personal taste. Not sure if RPGDriveThru offers gift certificates, but that strikes me as pretty ideal.

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