Running a TTRPG is a thoroughly appreciated endeavor. Players always shower their GMs with praise and extraordinary gifts, right after they accept a failed check without argument and have their entire round of combat meticulously planned out by the time it’s their turn in an encounter.
Okay, now that we’ve all finished laughing and wiping the tears from our eyes, let’s acknowledge that we love our DMs who put in so much time behind the scenes to ensure every session runs smoothly. Whether you’re playing with long-time friends, classmates, coworkers, or a professional GM via StartPlaying, sometimes you might want to go the extra mile to show appreciation for your trusty forever DM. Besides the perfect gift of an SPG gift card, here are some other amazing options to let them know they’re loved, or at the very least earn an inspiration point or two.
Before You Buy, Know your GM Subclasses
Did you know Game Masters, just like your player characters, have subclasses, too? For example, as a forever DM, I consider myself a Bard/Tavernkeeper multiclass. The list of the various types is vast: some are cruel masters who relish a diabolical puzzle where one bad skill check could lead to a TPK, while others will roleplay the seduction check on a red dragon for 40 minutes straight. The point is, buy them something that suits the way they play the game, or even helps them run it, and they’ll be forever grateful.
The Stickler
The Stickler GM type shares many similarities with the player subclasses of Notes Taker and Rules Lawyer, defined by a tendency to shy away from the Rule of Cool in favor of Rules As Written. A Stickler will always love leatherbound notebooks and game journals, whether for campaign notes, encounter tracking, or dastardly plots. Fancy pens and pen holders to go along with those leatherbound notepads. For these human encyclopedias, find them a new gaming system to dive into, the more elaborate the better, and various ways to stick to them more firmly than a Kuo-toa shield.
2024 D&D 5e DM Rules Gaming Mat
Quick-reference gaming mats featuring core rulesets are one of the most practical gifts you can give. They can help both you and your GM run interactions and encounters a lot more smoothly. Also, they look slick as heck. Shop now.
D&D Core Book Bundles
Books, books, and more books. Core rulebooks or campaigns will always be appreciated. Buy it here.
Maze of the Blue Medusa by Satyr Press
You could also go all out and buy them an indie dungeon book, which also doubles as a not-so-subtle hint that you’d like to play through one of the most uniquely artpunk megadungeons of your life. Buy it here.
Torrents of the Spellhoarder Dungeon Master Screen
More GM screens than you can shake a shillelagh at. Buy it here.
The Battle Master
The Battle Master GM loves running tactical combat. Their eyes light up when players approach a court’s intricate political intrigue with the simplest argument: cold hard steel and a fireball or three. Your Battle Master might like a real-life recreation of their favorite weapon, custom figurines of everyone’s favorite characters, or a wizardly robe and staff to make sure everyone knows who’s boss.
Battle Mat Books by Loke
This will go along with anything else that augments running an encounter, like battle risers, condition trackers, or dry erase grids if you play in person. Buy it here.
Premium Content Packs from Foundry VTT
Foundry VTT has an official marketplace where premium content can be purchased to greatly expand the boundaries of what can be played on its platform. These include packages from expert creators like D&Demetrius, who have a wealth of options to choose from. Buy it here.
Any subscriptions to online game-running services, especially VTTs and mapmakers, are a treat if you play online.
Creatures And NPCs Card from D&D Beyond
Cards for quick creatures and NPCs are great gifts regardless of whether they’re for in-person or online games. The creature cards are especially fun for encounters, where even the DM may not know what’s coming up next! Buy it here.
The Tavernkeeper
Some GMs prioritize vibes before all else. They want gameplay to be social and, perhaps, a little boozy. They might ensure everyone is well-fed, a tray of snacks always at the ready. This is a common subclass, which means you’ll find plenty of gifts out there to suit their penchant for food and good ale.
“Because I’m the DM” Stein
Any fantasy or sci-fi themed dishware, coasters, food trays, shot glasses, or whiskey sets are perfect gifts for a Tavernkeeper. A big ol’ stein with a phrase or personalization on it is extra fun in that it will become the only mug of choice for a GM for every game henceforth. Buy it here.
The Dragon Flagon
Enough said, honestly. There are many products out there riffing on the same idea, ranging from the simple to downright ostentatious. Your GM will love each and every one.
Fantasy-Themed Beer from Miskatonic Brewing Company
A fantasy-themed bottle of craft beer is never a bad choice. Our personal favorite, Miskatonic Brewing, even has several beers in a Dungeon Master series! Buy it here.
Officially Licensed D&D Food Tie-ins
There’s no shortage of official D&D gifts for your DM. There's Puncheons and Flagons: The Official D&D Cocktail Book for your boozy brawls.
Hero’s Feast: The Official D&D Cookbook contains some truly delicious morsels.
Snack Sticks Variety Pack: The Official D&D snack by Mystery Meats, complete with a different flavor for each of the 12 traditional classes. How great is that?
The Cottagecore (aka the Cozy GM)
A closely related subclass to the Tavernkeeper, the Cozy GM is just as vibes-based, but a little less boisterous. For these Masters of Mellow, look for anything that makes you feel like you’d be right at home at a halfling’s eleventy-first birthday party.
Cantrip Candles
Nothing sets the scene like a good candle. Buy it here.
Beeholder Blanket
It’s a bee. It’s a beholder. It’s a beeholder. It’s also a really great gift for any DM who likes to be warm, cozy, and slightly threatening. Buy it here.
Smoky Dragon Diffuser by Blasters4Masters
Just cuz we’re cozy doesn’t mean we can’t also be super badass, okay. Buy it here.
DM Pajamas
The coziest pajama set for DMs ever. Buy it here.
Candy Dice by Candy Counters
Yes, you heard us right. You can finally eat them. Shop here.
Owlbear Plushie from Metal Weave Games
Part owl, part bear, all cuddly. Comes in a variety of colors and outfits! Buy it here.
Tea from the D&Tea Tea House
Are you looking for a less boozy game, a dry game, or just an afternoon tea sorta vibe? Look no further than the D&Tea Tea House, one of the greatest shops on the internet. You’ll find custom flavors like Elven Bazaar and Feywild Frolic, plus accessories like a D20 tea infuser. Shop here.
Trinkets Goblin/Dice Dragon
These are actually two separate GM subclasses that we’ll combine for the purposes of this article. The gifts for the lover of trinkets or the hoarder of dice should be fairly obvious: trinkets and dice. You may also want to consider baubles, tchotchkes, gewgaws, or even a stack of bric-a-brac. Not until we––ahem, sorry, they––have enough dice and associated trappings to make a bed and sleep on it for eternity shall such GMs be appeased. Hooray shiny math rocks!
Goblin Treasure Scoop!
Try your luck with a scoop of goblincore trinkets.
Pins, Patches, and Paperweights Make Perfect Presents
This Pin is Cursed | D&D D20 Skull Pin by TotalPartyChill
Ghost Fighter Dungeon Cutie by TotalPartyChill
Nat 1 Award Paperweight by Sabertooth Beaver on Etsy. This one might seem a little odd until you realize they can actually be used to hold down the corners of encounter mats, making them possibly the most useful trinket on the list.
Dice!
Every GM, no matter the cloth from which they are cut, loves fancy dice. Dice are the most common gift among all players and GMs of TTRPGs, but the Dice Dragon in particular wishes to collect them all, even old school dice. Dice made from steel, obsidian, smoked glass, quartz, even bone. Dice with flowers and glitter inside of them. Dice of every odd shape, size and color. Dice, and dice accessories. You simply cannot have too many.
Volcanic Onslaught Luxury Dice by ShinyMathRocks
You can never go wrong with crafted dice that looks like they were cut straight from the brimstone of the Nine Hells. Every GM needs dice for special situations, the more themed, the better. Buy it here.
Cherry Wood Dice Jail by Norse Foundry
There are as many accessories for dice as there are dice. Dice boxes, dice bags, dice trays, dice towers, or even a literal dice jail, like this one from our friends at Norse Foundry, for the math rocks who are misbehaving. Buy it here.
D&D Ready To Roll Backpack
What’s the point of a dice horde if you’ve got nowhere to stash it in? This is actually an impressively well-made little pack, and the elastic pentagram is a nice touch. Buy it here.
The Cartographer
Is your GM a master worldbuilder? Have they charted out every rock, river, and tributary? Do they create breathtaking battle maps and overworlds, with a fully fleshed-out backstory for every cave and village? These GMs probably want, you guessed it, more maps. If they’re an artist, maybe get them their favored supplies. If they’re not, you could commission an artist to turn their sketchy world into a fully-rendered art piece. They’ll love books and other resources for worldbuilding. Or, go a little further outside the box and get them a travel journal for IRL adventures. Anything to satisfy their hunger for imagining whole worlds and diving into them.
Map Case of Duplication by Black Wand Supply
Not only could you get them maps, you could gift them magic items based on maps! It also doubles as a dice holder and mat, which is pretty neat. Buy it here.
Inkarnate Subscription
You may already have an idea of which mapmaking software your GM prefers. If not, you could gift them a subscription to Inkarnate, a great all around mapmaker, or you could also look at options like Dungeon Fog or Wonderdraft.
Books!
The Kobold Guide to Worldbuilding
Tome of Adventure Design (Revised) by Mythmere Games
UNE, The Universal NPC Emulator
The Trickster (aka The Rogue)
Imagine Loki, but sitting behind a DM screen. That glint in the eye, the barely suppressed smirk, these are the traits of a Trickster GM. These Dungeon Masters love a good puzzle or a mind-bending maze. Not only have they plotted what happens if you attack the shaman instead of bargaining, they already know where all the snake pits are located in the forgotten prison pit she’s about to throw you in. They’ll love anything with a mischievous bent, or that adds to a mysterious mood during a session, like flickering lights or a shadowy cowl. Rogues love getting gifts––the only catch is that you have to find them first.
Toilet Mimic by TotalPartyChill
Tricksters love minis of their favorite stealthy monsters, especially anything involving a mimic. Strong overlap with the Trinket Goblin here, of course. Buy it here.
The Deck of Many Things
This elusive subclass also has a penchant for cards, appropriately enough. Get them puzzle cards, trap cards (with apologies to Yu-Gi-Oh players), or the notorious Deck of Many Things to shake up any adventure. Buy it here.
The Game Master's Book of Traps, Puzzles and Dungeons
Endless options for populating adventures with challenging riddles, puzzles, spiked pits, Rube Goldberg-style deathtraps, and, you know, a lot more deathtraps. Buy it here.
Grimtooth's Old School Traps
An absolute classic recently revised and released for the 5e rules. Buy it here.
The Peacock (aka The Bard)
Does your DM have a flair for the dramatic? Are they constantly coming up with costumes and elaborate voices to go along with every session? Have they ever, even once, broken out into a song and dance number just to set the scene? If so, you may have a Peacock (non-derogatory) on your hands, a performer who wants everyone to be part of the show. Think about clothing, jewelry, and pendants. Or, if you find their bardic nature more inspiring, get them their favorite bardcore album on vinyl, or maybe even an ocarina. You might even agree to all show up to your session dressed as your player characters, which I assure you would make your GM absolutely giddy. Roll performance!
Gelatinous Rubik's Cube T-Shirt by TotalPartyChill
Everybody loves a T-shirt!
Dungeon Master Dad Hat by TotalPartyChill
Everybody also loves a dad hat. Especially, you know. Dads.
Witch Skin Hat
It's 100% witch skin! (Someone did make an actual stats page, you know.)
D&D Monsters 3” Vinyl Minis by Kidrobot
The Goblin wants trinkets. The Bard wants fancy trinkets.
Fantasy+ Subscription from Monument Studios
For all your GM’s auditory needs. This one is a key ingredient to really getting lost in a session.
TLDR: The Perfect Gift Comes from the Heart
The reality is, most dungeon masters will love most of these gifts. Everybody really does love a good T-shirt. Even little gag gifts like the one pictured above will tug at their heartstrings. Most DMs playing online would love a subscription to DMs Guild or DriveThruRPG. Heck, if you give us a single cupcake with an icing dragon (get it?) on it for our birthday, we’ll remember it for the rest of our lives. But getting them something personal, something only they would appreciate, or that makes a direct reference to their style of gameplay or to something memorable that occurred in the campaign, will make their day. In the end, no two sessions, groups, or GMs are the same. Get them something unique to let them know you did notice how hard they worked on that rock gnome’s funny voice, and they’ll treasure it until the end of time.
Paul is an author and forever DM with a traditionally published sci-fi novel on the way. He’s a fan of all things narrative, especially when it involves dice and a lot of math. Find him on Instagram discussing the general state of the world.
