All #RPGaDAY questions - click for full-size graphic.

This post is a part of the #RPGaDAY series for 2017 by David F. Chapman and RPGBrigade. For more information, see this post at AUTOCRATIK. I'm modifying per suggestions from S. John Ross as well as applying my own interpretations. Comment with your answers or links to your own posts!

Day 27 - What are your essential tools for good gaming?

I feel like I can indulge my minimalist streak for this question, but my list is pretty simple and has been for basically my whole gaming career: good players, paper and pencils, and dice. More recently I've been getting into index cards and Sharpies, but I gotta be honest: that's about as fancy as I'll get. I never even got quite comfortable having a computer at the table, nor did I ever really cotton to online gaming. I guess RPGs have become a big way for me to not engage with technology so much, which I guess is a little weird, but there it is. And even my simple list isn't "essentials" across the board; I'm sure there are many fine RPG experiences to be had without dice, for example (hello, Dread). I'll just blanket concede that there will always be exceptions. Good players are probably the most essential, though, and everything else on the list is there based on my own personal preferences. And my "essentials" list is pretty damn close to what I'd consider a "complete" list, anyway. I like to keep it simple as much as I can.