Elderwood’s Dungeon Journal is a fantastic RPG gift, now on Kickstarter

While many tabletop gaming groups are now entirely online, the vast majority of them still meet in person to play in anger. Wouldn’t it be nice, therefore, to have everything you need to run your character all in one place? The Dungeon Journal from Michigan-based company Elderwood Academy looks like just the thing — a Trapper Keeper that holds your dice, a miniature, your character sheet, and any extraneous notes, all in a petite A5 portfolio.

The minimum order is $89, plus shipping. This new Kickstarter campaign launches this week. The leatherbound A5 Folio comes with a spine and a dice vault. You can undo just a couple of snaps to get your character, as well as your math-rocks, right where you want them. Crack open the folio, and you’re ready to roll.

Elderwood takes things one step further. There are a few thoughtful additions to the campaign. There’s a dice tower and a rolling tray, both of which are made of soft leather and fold flat. A dozen metal grommets allow them to clip into your journal. There are upgrades available for various wood and leather qualities, as well as embossing options. But I think the nicest feature is the nominal price for custom lettering on the front: Just $15, and you can affix your character’s name right to the cover.

A bespoke multi-functional item such as this is a great deal in a world that has fancy dice running $60 per piece and rolling trays selling for hundreds of dollars per pop. It’s also convenient that you can easily print any size A5 sheets of paper to use later. The only problem is the possibility that they might wear down over time. My three-ring binder is a favorite of mine.

I’ll be waiting for these to come to retail myself, as Elderwood has an excellent presence on the convention circuit. But if you’re an early adopter, or are looking for a gift for the role-player in your life, July 2023 isn’t all that long to wait for delivery. You can find the configurator — which will help you price out the set of your dreams — on the Kickstarter page.