RPG Accessories That Are Actually Used at the Table

RPG Accessories Players Actually Use at the Table

There's a difference between RPG accessories that look good in a haul photo and RPG accessories that come out of the bag every session. After sewing dice bags for thousands of tabletop players since 2020, we've noticed a pattern: what people actually bring to the table is a much shorter list than what the internet says you need.

This isn't a buying guide. It's an honest look at what gets used, what gets left at home, and why.

Dice - Obviously

Dice are the one accessory nobody forgets. Rolls happen every few minutes - combat, skill checks, saving throws - and most players carry more than one set. New players start with one. By month three they have four. By year two they own more dice than they can count and have opinions about which d20 is lucky.

The thing nobody tells beginners: how you carry your dice matters more than which dice you buy. Loose dice in a jacket pocket get scratched. Dice in a ziplock bag get mixed up. A bag with internal pockets keeps sets sorted so you grab the right d20 without dumping everything on the table mid-combat.

Dice Storage - the Underrated Essential

Dice bags are the most used accessory after the dice themselves. Not the fanciest, not the most exciting - just the most used. Every session, the bag comes out, the dice come out, and at the end the dice go back in. It happens so automatically that most players don't think about it until their bag breaks or they outgrow it.

What separates a bag that works from one that doesn't:

  • Pockets. Once you switch to a bag with internal pockets, you don't go back. Sorting sets by character, by campaign, or by dice type saves time every round.
  • Capacity. A bag that fits 3 sets today will be too small in six months. Players accumulate dice faster than they expect.
  • Standing base. A bag that sits upright on the table stays open for easy access. A bag that flops over becomes a pile.
  • Lining. Cotton or fleece lining protects dice from scratching — especially resin and metal sets. Cheap bags with no lining will damage your dice over time.

This is what we make at GameFancy - handmade dice bags with pockets, cotton lining, and exclusive printed fabric. 300+ dice capacity, from $32. We also take custom orders: send your own artwork and we print it on the fabric.

Dice Trays - Small but Useful

Not every table uses a dice tray, but the tables that do never go back. A tray keeps rolls contained - no dice bouncing off the table, no knocking over miniatures, no chasing a d4 under the couch.

Compact collapsible trays work best because they fold flat for transport and set up in seconds. A tray that takes up too much space or doesn't pack easily gets left at home by session three.

Trays are also one of the best affordable RPG gifts - useful for every player regardless of experience, and cheap enough to not overthink ($21.70 for a handmade fabric tray at GameFancy).

Character Sheets and Notes

Every player brings their character sheet - paper or digital. Every player also brings some way to take notes, even if "some way" means the margins of the character sheet and the back of a receipt.

Pencils beat pens. HP changes every round. Spell slots track up and down. Anything permanent is a problem. Some players use tablets or phones, but paper is still more common at physical tables because it doesn't need charging and doesn't tempt you to check Instagram between turns.

Miniatures and Tokens

If the table uses a battle map, someone brings minis. It might be painted models, it might be cardboard standees, it might be bottle caps with names written on them in Sharpie. The format matters less than having something to mark positions during combat.

DMs carry more minis than players - they need NPCs, monsters, and encounter-specific pieces. A dice bag with pockets doubles as mini storage for some DMs: small minis fit in the same compartments as dice sets.

At Least One Rulebook

Even at tables where everyone knows the rules, at least one physical or digital rulebook is present. Edge cases come up. Arguments happen. Someone casts a spell they've never used before and needs the exact wording.

DMs carry more - monster manuals, adventure modules, printed notes. Players usually carry only what's relevant to their character and wing the rest.

A Way to Carry Everything

This sounds obvious but it's the thing that makes or breaks the experience of going to a session. Most campaigns happen outside the home - a friend's house, a game store, a library, a college common room. Everything needs to fit in a backpack or a shoulder bag and come out fast when you sit down.

Players who bring too much spend the first 10 minutes unpacking. Players who streamlined their gear sit down and start playing. The difference is usually one good dice bag that holds everything (dice, tokens, small minis) instead of three separate containers.

What Players Buy but Don't Bring

Dice towers - fun at home, annoying to carry. Oversized decorative dice - cool on a shelf, impractical at the table. Elaborate organizers with 20 compartments - great in theory, never worth the space. Candles and ambiance items - DMs love them, but only at home games.

The pattern is consistent: anything that doesn't fit in a backpack or takes more than 30 seconds to set up gets left behind within a few sessions.

What Actually Matters

After watching 7,200+ orders ship to tabletop players worldwide, the conclusion is simple: the accessories that get used every session are the ones that help you play faster, pack lighter, and keep your dice in good shape. That's a bag with pockets, a compact tray, your character sheet, a pencil, and whatever minis the table expects.

Everything else is optional. And that's fine - the game happens in the conversation, not in the gear.

Written by the team behind GameFancy - handmade dice bags and dice trays for DnD and tabletop RPG players. 7,200+ orders, 4.9★ rating. Custom printed fabric, embroidery, plush creatures. Ships from Miami and Ukraine.

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