5 Gifts For The Gamers in Your Life (And At Your Table)

Before we get started with this Monday's post, I wanted to take a second to share something that came across my feed the other day. It seems that my 5th Edition DND horror module The Curse of Sapphire Lake now has its very own play through, courtesy of FeatherFall Tabletop! So whether you want to see what the module is all about, or check out this gaming podcast, I wanted to lead in with that bit of pleasant news.

There's also a straight-up review of the module, if you'd rather just hear the high points without going step-by-step through the full session!

Anyway, as you're no doubt aware we're in the midst of the holiday season. Black Friday has come and gone, and Cyber Monday is in our rear view mirrors. If you're still not sure what to get for that gamer in your life (assuming they couldn't use a solid module like The Curse of Sapphire Lake or False Valor), well, here are some other things that just might make their eyes light up on the big day.

#1 (Affordable) Metal Dice

When you need the BBEG to really feel that death blow.

Metal dice have become the new hip thing, despite the plastic dice we use today being tested for more rolls than we will ever go through in our careers as gamers. There's something primal about the heft of metal dice... their sheer weight makes them feel more serious when you let them fly. And if you've got some wide margins in your budget then a set from Norse Foundry or SkullSplitter is a great stocking stuffer for the ones you love.

With that said, though, my money's on the Hestya metal dice, pictured above. They've got the heft, certainly, and they're more than a couple bucks cheaper than even the least expensive of the glossy, polished sets on the market. What really caught my eye, though, was the 4d6... enough to roll all your stats with the set you'll be playing with. I might be a little superstitious, but I like that feature.

Whatever set you end up going with, though, a simple dice tray is a great pairing with these dice. Last thing you want is to damage the table because someone got overeager with their new weapons.

#2: A Carrying Case

Have you been a good dungeon master this year?

If that image looks familiar, it's because it's the Enhance tabletop adventurer's bag. With more than enough room for rulebooks, monsters, notebooks, and even your map roll, it's really a one-stop shop for the DM on the go. So if someone you love is always rushing off to a convention, or constantly carrying an armload of folders while heading out to their friend's place, this is quite the lovely gift. It is, however, approaching a C-note, which is a huge price tag for all but the most devoted gamers.

For something a little sleeker, more modern, and more affordable, the USA GEAR compact travel bag might be more your speed. With everything from dice pockets to separated sections for books, folders, modules, etc., it certainly gets the job done as long as someone isn't planning on running two mega dungeons back-to-back.

#3: A DM Writing Tablet

It's useful for players, too, but you get the gist.

I talked about these LCD writing tablets a little while back in Stop Marketing On Your Character Sheet (Seriously, There Are Better Ways), but since I'm putting together a best-of-year list, I figured I'd include this one here. These things cost maybe $10, and the battery they run on can last for years before any fiddling is required. Best of all, they can be used for everything from hit point tracking, to map drawing, to initiative. Cheap, but oh-so-effective!

#4: Campaign Notebooks

Well... it's not wrong...

For the paper and pencil crowd who want something a little more old school, this DM notebook (and several other campaign journals) are available from Adventure Gaming Notebooks. If you want to have a little fun with your fellow players, get your table mates matching journals for the next campaign... and if you're the dungeon master, leave a cryptic clue written on the first page to really get their minds churning about what sort of games are coming in the new year.

Just saying... that's what I would do.

#5: A Spellbook

Yeah, it's real dragon skin, since you ask.

I mentioned these earlier this year in Organize Your Spell Cards With a Portable Spellbook!, but once is not enough for these handy dandy little organization tools. This red dragonhide spellbook holds your caster's spell cards, providing you easy access to all the magic you have available for the day, and making sure you never lose track of what you have and haven't cast (or in some cases, which spells you do and don't actually know).

And if the eldritch evoker isn't really the right look, there are others available. The Tome of Recollection has the standard feel of a leather grimoire that's a little more on the traditional side, whereas the Tome of Corruption has a decidedly Necronomicon vibe to it. In any case, if you know someone who loves spell cards, but who needs a little help getting everything in its proper places, these are a godsend for de-cluttering the table.

What Cool Stuff Have You Found?

My own delvings into the dark markets have only turned up so much... have you found something I didn't mention, or that you'd like to share with other gamers here? Even if the new year has come and gone, leave links in the comments below so we can keep the treasure hunt going all year long!

Also, some stuff I didn't have room to mention above can be found in Need Cheap Minis? SCS Direct Has You Covered, as well as in 4 Tools To Help You Control The Dice At Your Table.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully you enjoyed, and if you've used run these kinds of games before, leave us a comment to let us know what worked for you!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Organize Your Spell Cards With a Portable Spellbook!

One of the biggest frustrations when you're playing a spellcaster in any game is keeping track of how many bullets are left in your gun, so to speak. What spells do you know? Which ones did you prepare or pray for? Which ones have you cast? It's simple when you get started, but soon the back of your character sheet where you've kept your daily load out is so marked up and worn down by your trusty eraser that you're scared to try to write anything new on the page, lest it tear through and require a total re-write.

There is, of course, an easier way to keep yourself organized when you're a spellcaster of any sort; spell cards. Whether it's something like the Ultimate Spell Decks For Wizards from LPJ Design for use with Pathfinder Classic, The Wizard Spell Deck from Total Party Kill Games for use with Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, or even the Pugmire Shepherd's Spell Cards from Onyx Path Publishing, there is a deck out there for your class, and your edition to make sure you have all your spells right at your fingertips.

These spell cards give you all the details of the spell, saving you time looking them up on your turn, and making sure you've got your entire arsenal ready to go. However, it's not enough to just have the cards on-hand; you also need a way to organize them. Because leaving them spread out on the table may be fine when you're a 1st or 2nd-level caster, but you don't want your spells edging out fellow players' dice and elbow room.

That's where this glorious gaming accessory comes into play.

That beautiful little tome is the Pocket Compendium, and it has enough room to fit 54 separate cards in it. A small spellbook that you can keep on-hand, and even make a part of your character if your inquisitor needs a field version of their holy text, or your wizard prefers a pocket grimoire. Durable, easy to carry, and able to fit enough magic for any character (even the vaunted mystic theurge), it keeps everything neat and tidy. And then, when you've cast your spell, simply remove the card and set it aside to keep a record of what you've got left. Refill as your daily resting and studying allows.

EDIT: There's also a Necronomicon version! It's called the Tome of Horrors, but we all recognize that face.

Wait A Minute... Isn't That Just A Fancy Card Wallet?

Astute observation, heading. Technically speaking, yes, that's basically all this item is when you cut down to its core. You could achieve much the same results bringing something like a business card book organizer or a leather credit card holder to the table. The price between the different items isn't really all that big, though, and I can tell you from experience that products meant for business often aren't properly sized for holding gaming accessories like spell cards, which can lead to a lot of frustration. And, of course, there's the matter of bringing a boring business accessory to your table over something that's got a bit of personality.

Either way, before you buy, make sure you read the fine print and check all the measurements. With that said, though, the key to a potent spellcaster truly is how organized you can make all your information. That's why I recommend giving this method some consideration... especially if you've already got decks of spell cards laying around gathering dust!

Also, if you're looking for more handy accessories to add to your gaming shelf, I'd recommend checking out:

- Need Cheap Minis? SCS Direct Has You Covered!

- 4 Tools To Help You Control Your Dice At The Table

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully you enjoyed, and if you've used run these kinds of games before, leave us a comment to let us know what worked for you!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Historians Discover Secret Libraries in The Bindings of Early Printed Books

One reason the written word has always been associated with magic is that letters were always the domain of the truly scholarly. They represented a mastery of arcane lore, and they could grant a kind of immortality to a person's thoughts and deeds. Not only that, but books were labor-intensive to create. It took a skilled person to learn the letters, and then to write (or copy) a manuscript. The books had to be hand-bound as well, and the sheer amount of effort it took to make a book meant they tended to be fairly rare, and quite precious.

You could fairly judge a lord by the size of his library.

All of that changed thanks to the printing press. With the widespread use of that particular device, books were available to more people than ever before. Not only that, but because they were so much easier to produce, literacy increased. Books were still precious, but they were nowhere near the treasured status they'd once held.

And all those handmade books from ages past? Well, they were clearly no longer important, so they were cut up, and used to help strengthen the bindings in a new generation of books.

Wait, What?

According to Tor, it seems some historians have been X-raying books printed between the 15th and 18th centuries. What they've found are strips of older, medieval manuscripts that have been torn apart, and used to help strengthen the binding. Out with the old, in with the new, and all that.

On the one hand, it hurts a book lover's heart to see that kind of destruction of historically important texts. On the other hand, the bizarre mystery of these hidden libraries is intriguing. These strips of ancient books may be little more than shards of their original manuscripts, but those shards have been exceedingly well-preserved.

Kind of makes you wonder how they chose which books got shredded.

Which makes you wonder... was that dark grimoire ever truly destroyed? Or were the pieces simply hidden away, and preserved in other, more innocuous books? If you needed a prompt for your fetch quest, you now have it courtesy of one of history's funny little quirks.

As always, thanks for stopping by to check out my Moon Pope Monday update this week. Hopefully everyone found it as interesting as I did. If you'd like to help support Improved Initiative, then why not stop by The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to toss a little bread in my jar? As little as $1 a month gets you free swag! Lastly, if you haven't done so yet, why not follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and/or Twitter?