As an ADHDer myself, I have struggled with organizing my whole life. If I can’t touch or see something, my brain basically blinks it out of existence. I’ve wasted hours looking for lost character sheets, notes, dice, and accessories before I got my crap together so to speak. If you have a problem staying organized, trust me I understand.
Staying organized can be a challenge for anyone but role playing games create particular challenges. First these games come with tons of accessories. New books and gear come out all the time. Various systems require specific tools. Second, we players have a reputation (sometimes deserved) for being loot hoarding goblins who need all the shinies.
The final straw came when I lost a 2D standee for my D&D character, Gilbert. After months of looking, some pouting, and accusing more than one innocent person of negligence, I finally ordered another. Not long after receiving the new one, I picked up an old plastic steamed bun squishy toy (I had them before tiktok made them cool). The original Gilbert was nestled in the plastic steamer with the bun for protection. Now on top of wasted time, I was wasting money too.
How Much Stuff Are We Talking About?
Maybe I am descended from dragons because I love my treasure hoard of bits and baubles. Having less than 5 sets of color coordinated dice available each session makes my bones itch. I need to be able to touch everything I might need. Could I play without it? Yes. Would I want to play without it? Still yes, but I enjoy it more with my things.
For perspective I did a thorough inventory to see what I am working with.
Steff’s Current RPG Stuff
- 22 sets of dice
- 4 character figures
- 5 character sheets
- 2 dice trays
- 2 notebooks (1 spiral, 1 notepad)
- 1 folder for the game I DM
- 1 acrylic spell range finder
- 1 set of condition rings (to show characters that are concentrating, invisible, poisoned, etc.)
- 1 flash drive with pdf versions of books, guides, and character sheets as a back up
- Assorted pencils, pencil sharpener, labels, binder clips, etc.
- Notes and support documents
- Fidget toys
- Laptop if I am DMing that day
Just imagine the damage I could do if I had money to burn.
How to Actually Organize It All (For Real This Time)
If you want to avoid losing things and reduce the mental drain of keeping track of everything, most people have 2 options: keep everything together or become a minimalist.
Option 1: Keep Everything Together
Believe it or not, I keep everything in the list above (except for the laptop) in 1 rolling backpack and 1 large zipper binder with a carry strap.
The key lies in compartmentalization. Every necessary item has a secure home in the binder. The zipper makes sure that it all stays safe in its home. This system makes certain that I have what I need to play as long as I have my binder so I don’t have to worry.
That said, let’s start with the binder. Mine is bright pink to make it harder to lose. Every character or game I run gets its own labeled folder. In that folder goes the current character sheet, pages that hold notes that are not contained in the notebook (I tend to write on the back of old character sheets), anything we have been given by the DM like maps or clues, and any personal character items like a copy of a contract between the party and an NPC. These folders pop securely into the binder rings.
Next items in the Binder are a pouch for writing supplies, a small accordion file folder for the range finder and other small items, and a zipper pocket for figures and small fidget stones. Spiral notebooks or writing pads fit nicely inside the binder when it is zipped. Lastly there is a small dice bag in the front pocket. I pop a few sets in it when I don’t feel like taking my full bag with me.
In the backpack goes my dice box, 1 dice tray (the other stays at home), box of condition rings, and fidget toys. There is usually space leftover for any drinks and snacks I want to bring.
What About All the Shiny Math Rocks?
My dice are kept in a plastic organizer box like the kind crafters use for beads. I like that it comes with removable section dividers. Some dice are bigger than others and it takes two spaces to fit a full set. The box makes it easy to see all of my dice at one time so I can pick out the ones I feel like using.
Another dice organizing method involves separating dice by the number of sides. If you don’t care about keeping sets together, a dice bag with 7 compartments is a good option. Put all the D4’s, D6’s, D8’s and so on in their own section. Just grab however many of that type that you need when it is called for. I have considered this method, but the need for my sets to match always wins out.
I do not recommend a large container that provides no option to keep dice divided. Yes, they are all together but it is time consuming to find what you need and difficult to tell if you are missing one from a set. Dice are sneaky like that.
Option 2: Become a Minimalist
Get just what you need to play. Seriously. That’s it. The less stuff you have, the less stuff you have to keep track of. At a minimum you need the following: 1 pencil, a set of dice, a character sheet, and a way to take notes.
Forget all the accessories. Any small object can represent your character on a map- a coin, an unused die, a torn off piece of paper. It is completely possible to play most game systems with one set of dice. (Forgive me. I will light a candle at my dice tray and roll 20 clickety-clacks later.) Other than the 4 items above, the rest fall into the “nice to have” category.
Look into online tools too. Use electronic versions of character sheets and guide books to cut down on physical items. Various apps are available that let you build your character sheet, track spells and resources, and make updates midgame. Laptops and tablets are great for note taking.
If you use any of these, make sure to get familiar with how it works so you aren’t spending valuable time scrolling through looking for what you need. The other players will appreciate not having to wait while you swipe through 15 screens to see how much gold you have.
Just remember to check the power for your devices before you play and to have a charger handy. None of this will do you any good if your battery dies!
Owlbear Opinion
For a lot of people out there, this system isn’t a system. It’s just common sense. For me it was a revelation. Now I just grab as much or as little stuff as I want to be bothered with for that day.
It doesn’t matter what plan you come up with. The important thing is that you stick to it. Keeping everything together only works if you put everything back where it belongs after you use it. If you choose to keep it simple, stay strong and resist the temptation to buy more stuff. If you can keep on top of your stuff, you can sit back and enjoy the game.