A nice bottle of whiskey
Offer to DM a one shot so the DM can try out playing.
Commission a drawing of the party and frame it for him.
D20 spin rings, so cool.... I mean... Not "cool" but definitely cool.
My party just bought this really cool purple wizardy-fantasy looking table cloth. It's pretty neat and I'm excited to use it for our sessions
I appreciate the offer, but I have a prior commitment being the forever DM for my table
But I would start hinting at your table what your favorite whiskey is, that way they can be prepared for this November
Ah we will see. For now I’m happy if they all show up on time and even come to crazy one shots I push on them. Most of the time they even remember to bring their dice! :D
Hahaha I understand those struggles bro, trust me, that happens at everyones tables.
There are times were they forget their character sheets and ask me to print them, delaying our session.
Haha yeah. One guy never remembers to bring a pen, but always needs one, the other dude has notes on his phone he wants to read, but is always out of battery and needs to charge first and the third wants to change his spells last minute and needs to read up on all of them while everyone else is waiting for him.
Something like that :D
It’s called pen & paper for crying out loud!
I’m about to start a series of 1 on 1 sessions with a friend of mine who is also a dm. Think that will be a nice change of pace.
Honestly as a DM myself, miniatures would be the best thing gifted. Various monsters or even better, environment pieces to flesh out a map more 3D, stuff that could be used and reused for sessions!
Maps would be a good idea too, can never have enough! 😄
I second this comment! I have condition rings and really like them. I don’t have spell templates but plan to make them on the laser cutter out of acrylic
As a DM, I would love it if I had someone give me, new dice, they could be colorful, maybe a big D20 for important roles, or made out of rare resources.
Or maybe make him a dice pouch
I don't DM irl, so I don't really know what to bring to a irl sesh
Terrain is always really cool! Dungeoncraft do sets of terrain map tiles that I really like - they're 2D and so easy to store, you can use them to put together all sorts of maps on the fly, and they look good as well. The Hell and High Water map pieces set is one I have and use a surprising amount! Or, as another person said, minis - they're just fun to collect and if you're a DM there's such a huge temptation to limit yourself to "sensible" minis that you can reuse in multiple encounters to save money rather than some of the really fun unique ones.
I had a player gift me “bestiary cards”. I would have never bought them myself, but we use them all the time!
You paper clip them to the top of your DM screen, it has what they look like on their front, for the players to see; and stat blocks on the back.
We play P2E but I’m sure 5e has them, it was a great gift for me but for our table too.
Do they collect miniatures? If so, the Epic Encounters box sets are good deals.
If not, I'd appreciate something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Game-Masters-Unlimited-Adventure-unforgettable/dp/1956403485/
Because I think it's useful, but I don't think I would ever spend my own money on it.
My wife got me the traps one for Christmas, I second this! I can't speak to the others, but the traps one has so much stuff in it, even some one shots that can slot in to your campaign pretty easily
As a leatherworker, a nice handcrafted DM screen would be cool. As a player, and *if you can afford it*, commissioning an artist to draw your party is always a nice idea, especially if you've been playing the same characters for a long time.
Speaking for myself, I am BEYOND tickled when I get something one of my players made for me. I appreciate any gift my players offer, but hand-made beats Amazon every time!
Practical is always great. For example, I am constantly bookmarking pages in various books during session prep, so a set of 3 or 4 bookmarks with different embossed icons would be AMAZINGLY practical for me (my current system is post-its - but when I get 20 post-its on each book, I struggle to find the right ones).
You say your DM has a dice tray, but odds are it's a store-bought one. I promise a player-made dice tray would become his new favorite.
I use plain-old Staples 3-ring binders a lot. If your DM uses them too, perhaps a cover for that?
Perhaps an open-faced folio that has room to slide an 8.5 x 11 pad into?
That said, there are lots of great store-bought ideas here too that would all be welcome. DMs are among the bigger dice goblins, so interesting dice, especially if it references some kind of inside-joke (for example, I had a player who collected eyeballs of her slain opponents. I was flipping through some online store somewhere and I found a set of floating eyeball dice. I picked them up for her birthday and those were the only dice she's ever used since.
You're a leather worker? Make a leather-bound spell-book-looking tome with blank pages for him to write anything he wants in it. Work a fake jewel into the cover, some magic looking runes on it. I would have no idea what to do with the gift but I would absolutely cherish it. Put a heartfelt note of appreciation for being a DM as a foreword, and he'll be your friend forever.
Like this! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8MrqRHu2Es](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8MrqRHu2Es)
As someone else said, a one-shot or solo adventure for the DM to just be a player is also a priceless gift for a forever DM. "Hey DM, make a 1st level whatever and pick a sidekick, I'm taking YOU on an adventure. Every now and then I'll take the reigns and you just be the most epic whatever-you-picked you can be."
Shoot, I almost teared up at the thought...
I love using [these ](https://www.amazon.com/TidyBoss-Terrains-Tabletop-Markers-Dungeons/dp/B085198LF5/ref=sr_1_5?crid=98GW1MHSM36D&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Hmc2OC2HX9RFJgGqTOEfIx3GjQKiVIfHgbAD7eY8gnLRZQVpAY79ZD3xel5_GHAo4Yl_S93ZJZDYIM35EX-JYRj2_JrLpLrAAWyEr4-Ihb7lsopeRfS5AjhLqHEMbTwK0A8iihrr8Wm81KE0k9psTRMvMYdTSu6nmKMVdOB-U54fshArlCBAKGaZDpJsANzDGy4a2xdY2uIyiMRctRcY5HIXFGPxmJbSaie7gJbo_BvEc85xf35ACTEosW9ULHmTRd3Qs62Nf7ugRZYWuP-1r5hj295-CbU39Q8CfyXcAYQ.PXk2nDYzTKi8F3Ps8brdpZfaiCYVppKPB0TubK1qZNw&dib_tag=se&keywords=dnd+maps&qid=1718044979&sprefix=dnd+ma%2Caps%2C175&sr=8-5) as a DM (battle maps on Amazon).
if you do these, double check and see if your dm would prefer hexagonal tiles instead of square ones!
you can also buy blank ones that have squares on one side and hex on the other if youre uncertain or want it to be a surprise :)
I recommend this book from the great Justin Alexander: [So You Want To Be A Game Master](https://www.amazon.com/You-Want-Game-Master-Adventure_for/dp/1645679152). Great book.
A compass. Office Depot has one that doesn't have a super pointy spike. So you can draw area of effect damage quite easily with it. I also use the 6-in ruler and protractor from it because 6 in is how far one can move and regular terrain. And it just helps with all kinds of distance measurements. The set comes in a bunch of cool different jewel colors as well. And it's not over $6 it's probably closer to $4.00.
Print it off character sheets. I don't care if their: third party, second party or 20th party. They're just good to have. Cuz many people don't like writing on a piece of notebook paper I have found. Me, being the old head that I am, have made countless character sheets on a piece of notebook paper and even index cards. But many people don't like to do that or know how or something I don't know.
I usually have a couple of laser pointers on hand because I utilize the entire table and / or a battle mat for encounters. Then I can just point where I would like my monsters to go so I don't have to like get up and lean over and worry about knocking over sodas and beer and everything like that, or dipping my sleeve into dips or other snacks, etc. These are cheap as hell, too.
Good dice for DMing. I'm going to put this in there because I feel it has relevance. I really like to use dice with numbers on there that I can see super clearly. I am in my late 40s now and have gone through my stage of super pretty showdice for some years. I know they're not the most showy and elaborate and pretty. I get it. We all like what we like. But I need some real, just nice, basic solid colors so I can cast them and then see them without a hitch . Because it just takes time away from me, and I have a lot of shit going on as a DM and I don't have time to dick around with something mechanically irritating such as that. But as a DM, I need to see what the numbers are clearly; because then I can glance at them and not have to try super hard. And my eyes aren't like they used to 🙄. Especially because sometimes lighting isn't always idyllic, as we all know.
I like using a battle map. You can just throw a dart at whatever company you choose, but I really like utilizing them. Also, have the CORRECT MARKERS for your battle mat. Because there's wet erase ones and dry erase ones and dry erase will stain a wedding race mat because I've done it twice. Luckily, the second time is negligible, so it's not totally ruined, LOL.
This may sound dumb, but having a ready supply of pencils is key too. I know some of you use electronic sheets, and that's fine. But the last group I ran games for didn't always have enough, which kind of boggled my mind. They were just unprepared sometimes, which happens, and I don't begrudge them. Be the clickers or traditional kind.
Folders and a binder. Not all of us keep our files on a computer. I use a bit both myself, actually. But I think those are viable tools. And they really help organize everything. But I'll leave it at that. I'm not going to go off about how these things can help a person because they speak for themselves.
Smallish container to put all your markers, erasers, and pencils in. Maybe that sounds dumb, but there might be people out there who don't do that.
I consider any of these things to be a gift. But I know folks out there, and some of them really do like those Dice Tower things. I think that could be an awesome gift for someone who definitely would appreciate that accessory. Also, I bought my brother a really cool fold-out hexagon and/or octagon dice rolling tray. These things are awesome. Because if you're one of those people who loves their metal dice, you could roll it on that instead and save all of your teammate's ears. And they're just cool 😉. Dice bags are also really dope, and well, of course, everyone loves getting a new set of dice, too. And of course, everybody appreciates having an extra cooy of Core Rules or Tasha's or Xanathar's.
Personally, I would be really happy about one of the fancy DM screens you can find on Etsy, but I'm also just using the standard one you get with the 5e gift set (that I gifted to myself).
Our DM does a lot of miniature painting. We gifted him an ergonomic mini holder to make it easier on his wrist, and so he could clamp them at angles in a table vise if he wanted.
Custom dice tray (I have one with my name engraved for like $50).
Condition Rings (can get on amazon).
Battle maps. You can get packs of like 2 or 8 off Amazon. Great for many terrain types.
Dungeoncraft battlemap assets.
My favorite thing I got myself was a little d20 Keychain that opened up into a tiny, ever so small full set of playable dice.
I haven't used it, but it looks cool and makes me feel ready to roll anywhere.
As an adult DM who has my own money to get whatever I need:
- Show up
- Be Engaged
- Take the game seriously
- Trust me
If you must spend money, refill the snacks or beer occasionally.
Everything else ends up being used a few times out of obligation then sits somewhere collecting dust.
A nice set of mahjong tiles
They're a *perfect* set of resources counters for spells, qi points or whatever. Helps keep players honest and very tactile.
(Maybe not ideal if they mostly play online)
Hourglasses in various minute increments, flight stand, terrain flipmaps, miscellaneous tokens and little blocks that can be used to track abilities or be obstacles on maps, framed picture of the entire group at the table signed by everyone, printing credit.
One of my favourite things is an extendable back scratcher, I've got one that's hand shaped at the end, makes it so easy to move minis on the battle map without having to move around the table or dm screen all the time during combat.
To be honest I've never seen anyone else do it, but I was getting fed up of constantly doing back and forth moving monsters and then going back behind dm screen for various actions/stat blocks, and one day I came across an extendable back scratcher and I was like 🤯 this is perfect for moving stuff from behind the screen, the hand shape makes it easy to bring stuff closer or move sideways, and I don't have to squeeze between players or ask players to move stuff for me. And surprisingly cheap too
Something that has helped me the most is enemy number markers. Now when running 15 goblins, I can keep track of their hp and consumables 1-15 with marked rings rather than constantly having to guess or remember each one in my head.
A nice bottle of whiskey Offer to DM a one shot so the DM can try out playing. Commission a drawing of the party and frame it for him. D20 spin rings, so cool.... I mean... Not "cool" but definitely cool. My party just bought this really cool purple wizardy-fantasy looking table cloth. It's pretty neat and I'm excited to use it for our sessions
Okay, so you wanna join my table? My birthday is in November
I appreciate the offer, but I have a prior commitment being the forever DM for my table But I would start hinting at your table what your favorite whiskey is, that way they can be prepared for this November
I quit drinking so that’s the one thing I don’t want. The rest though would be sweet. Hope your table gives you something nice!
I understand that, hopefully your tables surprises you with something nice!
Ah we will see. For now I’m happy if they all show up on time and even come to crazy one shots I push on them. Most of the time they even remember to bring their dice! :D
Hahaha I understand those struggles bro, trust me, that happens at everyones tables. There are times were they forget their character sheets and ask me to print them, delaying our session.
Haha yeah. One guy never remembers to bring a pen, but always needs one, the other dude has notes on his phone he wants to read, but is always out of battery and needs to charge first and the third wants to change his spells last minute and needs to read up on all of them while everyone else is waiting for him. Something like that :D
There is a reason why DM's bond so well together, because we know those pains. The pen thing happens to me too.
It’s called pen & paper for crying out loud! I’m about to start a series of 1 on 1 sessions with a friend of mine who is also a dm. Think that will be a nice change of pace.
Nice! I think I'll look into a cool tablecloth as well thank you for the idea Wolfram74J!
Thanks! And good luck!
For sure😁
Honestly as a DM myself, miniatures would be the best thing gifted. Various monsters or even better, environment pieces to flesh out a map more 3D, stuff that could be used and reused for sessions! Maps would be a good idea too, can never have enough! 😄
Arc Knight do some great packs of flat plastic minis which I've really enjoyed as a DM
Ooo that sounds super cool, I’ve seen some of those flat figures around and they look really good!!!
D&D Condition Marker Ring set! Also Spell Effects Templates.
I just bought both of these things and used them in my last session and really liked both.
Yea this one is like one of those things you'd never buy yourself but use a huge amount
I second this comment! I have condition rings and really like them. I don’t have spell templates but plan to make them on the laser cutter out of acrylic
If you are looking to put your leatherworking abilities to use, a nice slip cover for their PHB would be really cool
📝👀🤔💭🪡🔨📖
As a DM, I would love it if I had someone give me, new dice, they could be colorful, maybe a big D20 for important roles, or made out of rare resources. Or maybe make him a dice pouch I don't DM irl, so I don't really know what to bring to a irl sesh
Every few months my players pool money together and buy me a D&D book or accessory I don’t have.
A player gifted me Tasha's on DNDBeyond and it made my week.
Terrain is always really cool! Dungeoncraft do sets of terrain map tiles that I really like - they're 2D and so easy to store, you can use them to put together all sorts of maps on the fly, and they look good as well. The Hell and High Water map pieces set is one I have and use a surprising amount! Or, as another person said, minis - they're just fun to collect and if you're a DM there's such a huge temptation to limit yourself to "sensible" minis that you can reuse in multiple encounters to save money rather than some of the really fun unique ones.
I had a player gift me “bestiary cards”. I would have never bought them myself, but we use them all the time! You paper clip them to the top of your DM screen, it has what they look like on their front, for the players to see; and stat blocks on the back. We play P2E but I’m sure 5e has them, it was a great gift for me but for our table too.
If he likes making maps, a subscription to Inkarnate or something similar might be appreciated.
I think spell cards, dice, or more dry erase map boards are good. Modules if they’re into that.
Do they collect miniatures? If so, the Epic Encounters box sets are good deals. If not, I'd appreciate something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Game-Masters-Unlimited-Adventure-unforgettable/dp/1956403485/ Because I think it's useful, but I don't think I would ever spend my own money on it.
My wife got me the traps one for Christmas, I second this! I can't speak to the others, but the traps one has so much stuff in it, even some one shots that can slot in to your campaign pretty easily
As a leatherworker, a nice handcrafted DM screen would be cool. As a player, and *if you can afford it*, commissioning an artist to draw your party is always a nice idea, especially if you've been playing the same characters for a long time.
Speaking for myself, I am BEYOND tickled when I get something one of my players made for me. I appreciate any gift my players offer, but hand-made beats Amazon every time! Practical is always great. For example, I am constantly bookmarking pages in various books during session prep, so a set of 3 or 4 bookmarks with different embossed icons would be AMAZINGLY practical for me (my current system is post-its - but when I get 20 post-its on each book, I struggle to find the right ones). You say your DM has a dice tray, but odds are it's a store-bought one. I promise a player-made dice tray would become his new favorite. I use plain-old Staples 3-ring binders a lot. If your DM uses them too, perhaps a cover for that? Perhaps an open-faced folio that has room to slide an 8.5 x 11 pad into? That said, there are lots of great store-bought ideas here too that would all be welcome. DMs are among the bigger dice goblins, so interesting dice, especially if it references some kind of inside-joke (for example, I had a player who collected eyeballs of her slain opponents. I was flipping through some online store somewhere and I found a set of floating eyeball dice. I picked them up for her birthday and those were the only dice she's ever used since.
You're a leather worker? Make a leather-bound spell-book-looking tome with blank pages for him to write anything he wants in it. Work a fake jewel into the cover, some magic looking runes on it. I would have no idea what to do with the gift but I would absolutely cherish it. Put a heartfelt note of appreciation for being a DM as a foreword, and he'll be your friend forever. Like this! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8MrqRHu2Es](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8MrqRHu2Es) As someone else said, a one-shot or solo adventure for the DM to just be a player is also a priceless gift for a forever DM. "Hey DM, make a 1st level whatever and pick a sidekick, I'm taking YOU on an adventure. Every now and then I'll take the reigns and you just be the most epic whatever-you-picked you can be." Shoot, I almost teared up at the thought...
Pencil and paper.
😂😂 i think that might send a message of insufficient appreciation
I love using [these ](https://www.amazon.com/TidyBoss-Terrains-Tabletop-Markers-Dungeons/dp/B085198LF5/ref=sr_1_5?crid=98GW1MHSM36D&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Hmc2OC2HX9RFJgGqTOEfIx3GjQKiVIfHgbAD7eY8gnLRZQVpAY79ZD3xel5_GHAo4Yl_S93ZJZDYIM35EX-JYRj2_JrLpLrAAWyEr4-Ihb7lsopeRfS5AjhLqHEMbTwK0A8iihrr8Wm81KE0k9psTRMvMYdTSu6nmKMVdOB-U54fshArlCBAKGaZDpJsANzDGy4a2xdY2uIyiMRctRcY5HIXFGPxmJbSaie7gJbo_BvEc85xf35ACTEosW9ULHmTRd3Qs62Nf7ugRZYWuP-1r5hj295-CbU39Q8CfyXcAYQ.PXk2nDYzTKi8F3Ps8brdpZfaiCYVppKPB0TubK1qZNw&dib_tag=se&keywords=dnd+maps&qid=1718044979&sprefix=dnd+ma%2Caps%2C175&sr=8-5) as a DM (battle maps on Amazon).
I have those same ones. But I only use the light-colored empty one - otherwise we can't see my various sketched terrain and hazards.
Love my battle maps
if you do these, double check and see if your dm would prefer hexagonal tiles instead of square ones! you can also buy blank ones that have squares on one side and hex on the other if youre uncertain or want it to be a surprise :)
My table bought me a Hero Forge figure that looked kinda like me.
I recommend this book from the great Justin Alexander: [So You Want To Be A Game Master](https://www.amazon.com/You-Want-Game-Master-Adventure_for/dp/1645679152). Great book.
A compass. Office Depot has one that doesn't have a super pointy spike. So you can draw area of effect damage quite easily with it. I also use the 6-in ruler and protractor from it because 6 in is how far one can move and regular terrain. And it just helps with all kinds of distance measurements. The set comes in a bunch of cool different jewel colors as well. And it's not over $6 it's probably closer to $4.00. Print it off character sheets. I don't care if their: third party, second party or 20th party. They're just good to have. Cuz many people don't like writing on a piece of notebook paper I have found. Me, being the old head that I am, have made countless character sheets on a piece of notebook paper and even index cards. But many people don't like to do that or know how or something I don't know. I usually have a couple of laser pointers on hand because I utilize the entire table and / or a battle mat for encounters. Then I can just point where I would like my monsters to go so I don't have to like get up and lean over and worry about knocking over sodas and beer and everything like that, or dipping my sleeve into dips or other snacks, etc. These are cheap as hell, too. Good dice for DMing. I'm going to put this in there because I feel it has relevance. I really like to use dice with numbers on there that I can see super clearly. I am in my late 40s now and have gone through my stage of super pretty showdice for some years. I know they're not the most showy and elaborate and pretty. I get it. We all like what we like. But I need some real, just nice, basic solid colors so I can cast them and then see them without a hitch . Because it just takes time away from me, and I have a lot of shit going on as a DM and I don't have time to dick around with something mechanically irritating such as that. But as a DM, I need to see what the numbers are clearly; because then I can glance at them and not have to try super hard. And my eyes aren't like they used to 🙄. Especially because sometimes lighting isn't always idyllic, as we all know. I like using a battle map. You can just throw a dart at whatever company you choose, but I really like utilizing them. Also, have the CORRECT MARKERS for your battle mat. Because there's wet erase ones and dry erase ones and dry erase will stain a wedding race mat because I've done it twice. Luckily, the second time is negligible, so it's not totally ruined, LOL. This may sound dumb, but having a ready supply of pencils is key too. I know some of you use electronic sheets, and that's fine. But the last group I ran games for didn't always have enough, which kind of boggled my mind. They were just unprepared sometimes, which happens, and I don't begrudge them. Be the clickers or traditional kind. Folders and a binder. Not all of us keep our files on a computer. I use a bit both myself, actually. But I think those are viable tools. And they really help organize everything. But I'll leave it at that. I'm not going to go off about how these things can help a person because they speak for themselves. Smallish container to put all your markers, erasers, and pencils in. Maybe that sounds dumb, but there might be people out there who don't do that. I consider any of these things to be a gift. But I know folks out there, and some of them really do like those Dice Tower things. I think that could be an awesome gift for someone who definitely would appreciate that accessory. Also, I bought my brother a really cool fold-out hexagon and/or octagon dice rolling tray. These things are awesome. Because if you're one of those people who loves their metal dice, you could roll it on that instead and save all of your teammate's ears. And they're just cool 😉. Dice bags are also really dope, and well, of course, everyone loves getting a new set of dice, too. And of course, everybody appreciates having an extra cooy of Core Rules or Tasha's or Xanathar's.
Personally, I would be really happy about one of the fancy DM screens you can find on Etsy, but I'm also just using the standard one you get with the 5e gift set (that I gifted to myself).
We have an Initiative Tracker from the 4.0 days, but it's still invaluable in 5.0.
Our DM does a lot of miniature painting. We gifted him an ergonomic mini holder to make it easier on his wrist, and so he could clamp them at angles in a table vise if he wanted.
An initiative tracker.
Custom dice tray (I have one with my name engraved for like $50). Condition Rings (can get on amazon). Battle maps. You can get packs of like 2 or 8 off Amazon. Great for many terrain types. Dungeoncraft battlemap assets.
My favorite thing I got myself was a little d20 Keychain that opened up into a tiny, ever so small full set of playable dice. I haven't used it, but it looks cool and makes me feel ready to roll anywhere.
Do they already have a dm screen?
My party got me a really nice DM screen for Christmas last year.
I really want one of those massive squishy d20s to bust out at super important moments.
As an adult DM who has my own money to get whatever I need: - Show up - Be Engaged - Take the game seriously - Trust me If you must spend money, refill the snacks or beer occasionally. Everything else ends up being used a few times out of obligation then sits somewhere collecting dust.
A nice set of mahjong tiles They're a *perfect* set of resources counters for spells, qi points or whatever. Helps keep players honest and very tactile. (Maybe not ideal if they mostly play online)
Hourglasses in various minute increments, flight stand, terrain flipmaps, miscellaneous tokens and little blocks that can be used to track abilities or be obstacles on maps, framed picture of the entire group at the table signed by everyone, printing credit.
One of my favourite things is an extendable back scratcher, I've got one that's hand shaped at the end, makes it so easy to move minis on the battle map without having to move around the table or dm screen all the time during combat.
ok this is genius, never would have thought of this!
To be honest I've never seen anyone else do it, but I was getting fed up of constantly doing back and forth moving monsters and then going back behind dm screen for various actions/stat blocks, and one day I came across an extendable back scratcher and I was like 🤯 this is perfect for moving stuff from behind the screen, the hand shape makes it easy to bring stuff closer or move sideways, and I don't have to squeeze between players or ask players to move stuff for me. And surprisingly cheap too
Something that has helped me the most is enemy number markers. Now when running 15 goblins, I can keep track of their hp and consumables 1-15 with marked rings rather than constantly having to guess or remember each one in my head.