DnD Gifts for the Player Who Already Owns Every Dice Set

The problem with buying for a DnD player is that the obvious gifts are already bought. They have dice, more than they admit. They have a dice tower, a dice tray, a bag with a dragon on it and three minis they will never paint. Buy them a fourth dice tower and it goes in the closet with the other two.

What actually gets used is different. The things that sit on the table every session, the things that hang on the wall behind the DM's chair, and the one object that is unmistakably their character and nobody else's. Steel and horn do all three, which is why a sword company has a DnD gift guide at all.

Why this and not the usual gifts

The dice set is the safe gift, and safe is the problem: it disappears into a bag of sixty others. The miniature is personal but lasts one campaign. The rulebook is a thing they will buy themselves the week it comes out. The gift card says you gave up.

A drinking horn on the table gets raised every session for years. A hand-forged sword above the game table is the thing every new player asks about. Neither competes with anything they already own, because nobody buys these for themselves.

Under $50: the table gifts

If you want one gift that lands with any player at any table, it is a horn.

• Fantasy Potion Flask Dice Set, $39.99. A full polyhedral set in a potion flask. Yes, it is a dice set. It is the one that gets asked about instead of lost in the bag.
• Viking Drinking Horn, Large, 16 fl oz, $49.99. The classic shape, with a stand so it lives on the table between rounds.
• Viking Wooden Mug, Large Tankard, 16 fl oz, $49.99. For the player who wants the tavern without the spill risk. A flat-bottomed tankard is the sensible choice at a table covered in character sheets.
• Viking Mug with Ship Etching, Horn Mug, from $39.99. A horn mug with a longship etched into it. Two sizes, both under $60.

$50 to $100: the DM's cup

The Dungeon Master does the most work at the table and gets the fewest gifts. A cup that is visibly better than everyone else's is the right kind of petty.

• Viking Horn Mug, Large Tankard, Buffalo Horn, 12 fl oz, $69.99. Buffalo horn, heavier in the hand than the standard mugs, with a handle.
• Horn Goblet, 4 oz, Gold, $99.99. The villain's cup. Small, ornate, and exactly right for the DM who narrates in a voice.
• Floating Mug Shelf, Mahogany or Oak, $39.99. Where the horns go between sessions. Add it to any horn gift and the gift gets displayed instead of stored.

$150 to $400: the character's weapon

Every long-running character has a signature weapon. A greatsword, a curved blade, a knife they would never give up. Buying the real version of it is the gift that stops the table. These are hand-forged, full tang steel, not costume pieces, so the blade laws and the wall mount below both apply.

• Fantasy Short Sword, 24", 1095 Steel, $199.99. The rogue's blade. Short enough to hang over a desk, and the entry point for a real sword.
• Dragon Longsword, 29", Damascus Steel, $199.99. A dragon hilt on a patterned Damascus blade. The paladin's sword, and the one most people picture when they hear the words.
• Fantasy Knife, 17", Curved, $179.99. A wide, curved fantasy blade at knife length. For the ranger or the player whose character fights with two of something.
• Dragon Gurkha Kukri, 19", Damascus, $189.99. A real kukri with a dragon on it. The barbarian's sidearm.
• Fantasy Sword, 47", Extra Wide, 1095 Steel, $299.99. The greatsword. Forty-seven inches of extra-wide blade. This is the one for the player whose character sheet says two-handed and means it.
• Fantasy Sword, 24", Damascus Steel, $379.99. The same fantasy profile in patterned Damascus at a shorter length. The upgrade pick when the person you are buying for cares about steel.

For the game room wall

The DM who runs a campaign from the same room for years has a wall behind their chair, and that wall is either blank or it is not. A shield and a helmet change the room.

• Spartan Shield, 24", Metal, $199.99. A full-size metal round shield. Hangs, and looks like a set piece from across the room.
• Roman Galea Helmet, Metal, $199.99. The legionary's helmet, in steel. Wearable, but most end up on a shelf.
• Nasal Helmet, Medieval, $398.99. The eleventh-century fighter's helmet. The piece for a DM whose campaign is more grim than glittering.

The custom route: their character's actual sword

If the character has a named weapon and you have the runway, build it. Customize Your Sword, $199.99, lets you specify blade profile, steel, guard, grip, pommel and scabbard, and the engraving is done in our own Illinois workshop rather than sent out, so the weapon's name or a line from the campaign goes onto the blade. Customize Your Knife, $149.99, is the same idea at knife scale.

Two honest notes. Custom sword builds take three to eight weeks, with expedited two to three weeks on request, and the knife builder runs four weeks or longer. And custom builds ship unsharpened unless the sharpening option is selected, which for a display piece over a game table is usually what you want.

Give it somewhere to live

A sword with nowhere to go leans in a corner. A Dragon Wall Mount is $99.99 and turns any blade above into a wall piece with a dragon holding it. The Dragon Sword Stand, $99.99, is the tabletop version. A plain Wall Mount Sword Stand is $49.99 and a Blade Stand is $29.99 if the dragon is too much.

When to buy something else

• They want the official book, the official screen, the official anything. None of this is licensed product and none of it pretends to be. These are hand-forged fantasy weapons and drinking horns that fit at a DnD table, not merchandise.
• The player is under eighteen. Blades ship to adults. For a younger player, the dice set, a horn mug and the floating shelf are the whole list.
• They play online only. No table, no wall, no session to raise a horn at. A dice set still works. The rest is for a room.
• You need it in under three weeks and you want it custom. Buy from stock and have it engraved.
• They live somewhere with strict blade laws or a landlord who has opinions. Laws vary by state and city. A horn or a shield has no legal footnotes.

Also worth thirty seconds: nothing with an edge goes in carry-on. Ship to a home address.

Frequently asked questions

What are good DnD gifts for someone who has everything?
Something they would not buy themselves: a drinking horn for the table at $49.99, or a hand-forged version of their character's weapon from $179.99.

What should I get a Dungeon Master?
The DM does the work and rarely gets the gift. A buffalo horn tankard at $69.99, a horn goblet at $99.99, or a shield for the wall behind their chair at $199.99.

Are these real swords or props?
Real. Hand-forged, full tang, 1095 high carbon or Damascus steel. They hang on a wall and they are not toys, which is why the blade laws and the age note above apply.

Can I get a character's name or the weapon's name engraved?
Yes. Engraving and etching are done in our own Illinois workshop: names, dates, a line of text, a logo or an image on the blade, or on the scabbard.

How much do DnD gifts in real steel cost?
$39.99 to $99.99 for dice, horns and mugs. $179.99 to $299.99 for a hand-forged fantasy sword or knife. $199.99 and up for a shield or helmet.