An online store in South Africa for all things Dungeons & Dragons (including RPG Dice, 5th Edition Core Rulebooks, Official D&D Merchandise, 3D Miniatures, Dice Boxes, and Towers)? Geekware to the D&D rescue.
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There is nothing more frustrating than accidentally stumbling into the world of Dungeons and Dragons, learning how to make your first character, and then immediately being slapped with the sad reality that we live in South Africa and that items are hard to come by. Also, the community is a lot bigger in other parts of the world.
Being a 15-year-old teen (a good few years ago), there weren’t many options available at the time. We were all resigned to having a free dice app instead of physical dice and mainly only using free resources. Since entering the world as an adult and trying my best to find resources, I quickly concluded that there were plenty of options out there, but none that my wallet could withstand — especially since most of the products were being imported from overseas.
If only there were a fantastic local store that made everything you need to start your own games at an affordable price…
Geekware
Over the years, I have searched high and low for an affordable place to get D&D supplies, both as a Dungeon Master and a player in another DM’s circle. So, when we found Geekware, it was a sweet moment of serendipity. Although there are a few options for stores that might sell some dice (and you could get your handbooks off of Takealot), up until now, there wasn’t a place to get everything you needed from one place, especially not at an affordable price.
The range of Dungeon and Dragons products available on Geekware’s website really impressed me. They have everything from the Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Guide, and socks that are D&D themed to dice, jails, trays, and everything you could think of needing.
Character Journal, Spell Cards, and Encounter Tracker
Until now, I had relegated my time as a player to a flip file and a notebook to keep track of everything, like my character sheet and companions and spells. This works, for the most part, but functionally I found it annoying flipping through everything constantly. The papers would degrade under the weight of my pen or pencil over time, and I had to deal with the annoyance of continually reprinting everything. You don’t know torture until you have designed six spell cards by hand, trying to make them precisely the same…
Geekware has the solution to both of these problems. I tested out the A4 character journal they have available on their site, and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the paper. Of course, there are general areas that you would expect to see, a spell list, a character sheet, and all the things you generally need for the game. Still, it also includes everything in a way that makes much more sense than the broken-up standard layout of just a flat sheet.
Although spell cards aren’t something every player needs, I want them to make my life easier. NEVER AGAIN will I make them by hand now that I have found Geekware. Each card is beautifully printed, with the option of a protective sleeve. Each order comes with a sticker pack to make customising the spell cards more effortless. I moved all of my character info and spells over despite being far from my next session, purely because these items excited me!
The last item I tested in this section is a notepad specifically designed for encounter tracking. As soon as I saw it, I realised that I needed it even though I never realised that I did. No more disorganised notes for me. Now you can easily keep track of an encounter, your death saves, the spell slots you used, whether or not you took a short or long rest after, what loot you picked up, etc. They have thought of everything to make our lives as players more straightforward. A happy group of players makes a happy Dungeon Master too.
Most Affordable Dice
While searching the site, I even managed to find stunning dice at a very reasonable price. Being the dice goblin that I am, they will definitely be visiting and purchasing again soon.
They also have an adorable little time-out chair that functions as a little dice jail for those d20s that just aren’t behaving, which many players might have made extensive and very comedic use of.
Adorable, Great Quality Merch
The highlight of my Dungeon Master career has been walking into a room with my players wearing an awesome hoody that says “Roll for initiative” with a kitten playing with a d20. There is all this and more available on Geekware.
Again, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality I saw with their products. When the shirt saying “Dungeon Master” and the hoody first arrived, I thought the material was a little thin, but I was ashamed of judging a book by its cover. As soon as I tried them on, I couldn’t be happier with the comfort I felt in these clothing items, and it keeps me very warm without making me overheat. It’s a delicate balance.
From now on, whenever a Dungeons and Dragons player or a DM is looking for something related to the game, I know exactly where to point them to.