Let’s face it, this economy hits like a barbarian in rage. As nice as it is to have all the fancy RPG accessories, when you’re fighting IRL battles to feed your party, you may not be able to justify added expenses. That said, being a denizen of the Stenchstreets doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice function or organization when questing with your peeps. One of the hallmarks of old-school gaming is being resourceful. With that in mind, I introduce to you the concept of the gaming hack, the inexpensive solution to a common TTRPG need. In this article we will explore the use of dry erase index cards.
There are two activities central to table top gaming: Taking notes and referencing source material. If you’re anything like me, there’s never enough space on a character sheet for ALL the things you need to make note of, especially spells, gear, magic items, and plot McGuffins.
Index cards are a great solution to this issue. They represent small, dynamic, self-contained packets of information that you can organize alongside your more static character sheet. They help to keep the character sheet free of constant erasure and sprawling clutter. But, I submit to you that there is an even better solution than the index card: the Dry Erase Index Card.
Hits
The main advantage of Dry Erase Index Cards over the regular kind is that they are reusable. You can play a wizard today and a cleric tomorrow, and use the same cards to organize your spells. Just erase and start from scratch. While having to look up spells is one of my personal pet peeves, that’s not the only thing index cards are good for. If you are a DM handing out items from a source book that your PCs don’t have access to, you can easily hand out a dry erase card and collect it after the quest is over, to be recycled for future use.
Second, they allow for multiple levels of permanency. If you want to add text to a card that you don’t want to ever come off, you can use a permanent marker to ensure the text won’t rub off. If you want to place text in a semi-permanent fashion, you can use Wet Erase markers, which need water or alcohol to wipe off of the laminated cards. And finally, if you have text that is ephemeral, and subject to constant change (like charges or counters), you can use the dry erase marker to manage that data.
Finally, it can serve as a vehicle for PCs to pass notes to each other or to the DM, without having to use scraps of note paper. Also, so that the evidence can be easily erased.
Misses
If minimalism is your thing, adding an extra set of objects to keep track of may not be your cup of tea, especially when, in theory, most notes can be contained on a typical character sheet.
Also, it does require you to carry additional writing implements, beyond just a pencil, which carry their own cost to buy and replace after use.
Finally, if you do use mixed media on these cards, you run the risk of staining them over time, which can leave your cards looking grimy (though a good washing typically fixes this issue).
Conclusion
If you are looking for organization that is both functional and inexpensive, dry erase index cards are a fine solution. While you won’t earn any style points, you can save a little money for things that matter more. Like miniatures…and groceries.
