Here’s a bit of a peek at what is in my convention kit, or ConKit, for Vampire the Masquerade, though this list could easily be translated for your TTRPG of choice.

For setting up and packing down

Anti-bacterial cleaning wipes and zip-lock bag

These are a necessary inclusion to my kit. You don’t know what condition the tables and chairs are going be in when you arrive, so having something you can wipe them down with is ideal. Players who come to your sessions with food and drink may spill, so having something to clean up messes is always vital. The zip-lock bag gives you somewhere for the wipes to live after they’ve done their job, if you can’t get to a bin right away. Simply wipe down whatever needs it, pop the used wipe into the bag and zip it up, keeping the mess and moisture far away from books and the like. Then, when you are able, you can simply take the bag, open it up and tip the contents into the trash.

Rubbish bag

Having a larger bag on hand for the end of the day when packing down is always a good idea. Keeping your area clean and tidy goes a long way to ensuring event coordinators will ask you back again. I tend to check in between sessions as I’m resetting my table for any rubbish or things left behind by players. Rubbish goes in this bag which slides under my chair. Items left behind by players goes into my case, or to the sing up table, if I have a chance to get there before the next wave of players.

For the game sessions

Flat dice trays

Dice trays that pack flat and then clip into shape are invaluable for convention GMs. They take up next to no space in your bag, but are completely functional when set up for game time. I have one per player, but can run with fewer if some need to be loaned to other GMs. I got mine from Meeples & Dragons, but you can find similar across the internet. They also wipe down well with the anti-bacterial wipes mentioned earlier, and are easily replaced if they get ruined.

Dice sets

Try to have on full set of dice per player at your table. When signing up for a convention, you will likely get asked how many people your game runs well with, and will probably have the opportunity to set an upper limit. You should aim to have a full set of all player needs for this upper limit, just in case. Whatever game system you’re going with, you don’t need to use expensive dice sets. In fact, dice have a tendency to go walking at conventions and other events, so it’s better to go with easily replaceable sets. I have five full sets of Vampire the Masquerade branded dice, but I also take a simple numerical set of D10 dice in two colours, to showcase that you can play the game with just normal D10s. At a pinch, you can run a table of six players with three sets, but it does help the speed of your session if everyone has their own.

A copy of the core rule book

Do not take your special limited edition to a convention. Well, don’t take it to run games with. If you’re getting it signed, that’s a different deal. The rule book you take for the table will get ruined. It will get spills and wear and tear, and you need to be okay with that. Ideally, have one copy of the core rules that is your convention book. This keeps the wear and tear and risk to just one book that you can replace when it’s time. As a little suggestion, put sticky tabs into any sections or pages you think you will need to reference frequently or quickly. The last thing you want, when you’re on a time crunch in a short game session is to be frantically hunting for that page.

Laminated character folios, whiteboard markers and whiteboard cleaning wipes

I know there many game runners, GMs, DMs, STs, etc who are happy to print off multiple copies of their character sheets and just go through them throughout the duration of an event or convention. Me? I prefer one copy, laminated, and good to go for the whole length of the con. The whiteboard markers allow players to take notes, edit trackers and scribble all over their laminated character sheets. The whiteboard cleaning wipes allow you to clean all that off at the end of a session while you’re resetting the table. Pop them into the zip-lock bag, along with any antibacterial cleaning wipes, and you’re good to go for the next session!

Your game notes

This may seem like an obvious choice for inclusion to this list, but you would be surprised how many GMs end up winging it because they’ve left their notes, or story guide, behind. Don’t be that person. Besides making you feel silly when you realise you’ve left them behind, the stress of trying to wing it every session across multiple sessions over multiple days is going to leave more drained than just having your notes on hand.

X cards

Most events insist on some kind of safety tools at tables. The simplest to explain to folks who may have never played a single session of a tabletop roleplay game before, in my humble opinion, is the X card. It is the easiest to deploy at a table, and requires the least amount of set up. I use a square card with a use X on one side and my business card (a QR code to my Linktree with my logo) on the other. This type of hybrid business card works a dual purpose and means less stuff to carry.

For your peace of mind

Powerbanks and cables

Every event tends to have the same problem in that there are a lot of people using the mobile phone network, so you will use much much more of your battery power than you expect. Having multiple power options at hand is essential for communications, but also having them on hand for your players if they are waiting for friends to join them, for example, can lead to a better experience for them overall.

Water

Have a small water bottle with you at the table and a larger one in your bag. Not every event will think to have refilling stations for water bottles, and they may be a distance away from the tables you’re at, so having a larger water bottle in your bag allows you to refill your carry bottle easily. And you will need it. Conventions are loud and can get humid, so regularly hydrating is necessary if you want to go the distance.

Hand fan

Stagnant air in a convention centre is definitely a thing. A hand fan helps. Likewise, folks with less than agreeable hygiene can be somewhat mitigated with a hand fan that has been sprayed with perfume, essential oils or the like.

Hand sanitiser

People. Surfaces. Dirty. Gross. Clean your hands regularly, or you will get ill. Hand sanitiser helps when you don’t have access to a bathroom to use soap and water.

Snacks

It can be hard to get to food in a timely fashion, let alone through a line that has formed to get an overpriced, under-seasoned burger. Snacks help to bridge the gap when this happens, and stops you from really wanting a TPK because of the hangries.

Other things you might want to have on hand just in case

• a change of clothes
• a book
• headphones
• change of socks
• change of shoes

Hopefully this list helps you get through your convention GMing experience with a bit more ease. Have I forgotten something, or do you have an inclusion in your ConKit that you want to share with others? Let me know! You can drop me a line here or DM me via any of my socials.