If you recall from my last post, one of the items in my EDC RPG kit is a credit-card sized game called “Korg”. This is a quick, easy, dungeon crawling game in a portable format that allows you to play a quick RPG on the go. Originally Kickstarted by Caleb Engelke (also known as Dungeon Havoc) back in December of 2022, the campaign raised over $17,000 dollars (!) for the first iteration of Korg.
The primary goal of the game is to collect a set amount of “GP” (gold pieces), by defeating monsters in a dungeon. Once you reach that goal, you get to retire! The gameplay loop is also simple, making it easy to pickup and play wherever you are. You just roll a d6 (6-sided die), the number corresponds to what you encounter in the dungeon, then roll over that foes target number. If you win you get GP, if you lose you take damage. Lose all your health, and you have to start over. There are additional cards with a Shop, which lets you buy your choice of several items to help heal you, reduce damage you take, and more.
The simplicity of the game also lends to its ability to be expanded on. If you wanted to create an in depth character with a complete backstory, and place the dungeon in a world you start building, you can do that! Maybe you want to add a few new rules, while keeping the same core loop, that’s also possible!
Korg did well enough that Caleb eventually created a new crowdfunding campaign to fund Korg Slayer, new expansion cards to add additional locations and foes to fight, in the world of Korg. These include the Putrid Bog, Dragon’s Lair, and Tyrant’s Keep – and of course, new shop items to help you along the way as well.
Since then, there have been other additions to the Korg lineup as well, with CY//Korg, Scars of Silvos, and Classic Korg v.1 (a remastering of this original Korg, with some new locations and quests). I still enjoy my copy of the original Korg and Slayer expansions, because none of the new ones have been printed in a durable format like these ones (though that didn’t stop me from backing all the other campaigns…).
My main draw to this game, when I first saw it, was the format. A durable, portable game that could be played whenever I had downtime, and would last longer than something I print out myself. I pair it with a small dice spinner (effectively a ball bearing with a bunch of number rings to indicate different die types – d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20), which is usually with me all the time anyway, and it makes it pretty easy to pull out and play a few quick rounds.
This is also a game that I can take out and play with my kids. It’s actually a great introduction to RPG’s, but it’s also a great reinforcement for my sons math classes, where he’s learning addition and subtraction. He also has to learn about making choices – when to spend that hard earned GP on a potion to heal (or risk death on the next dungeon roll), or even some upgrades like armor, to absorb some of the damage he might take. We can also come up with stories about the encounters we roll, change the monsters (a Skeleton might become a Goblin or a Wolf), and try to figure out why we’re trying to collect all that gold in the first place!
So if you need a simple game to take with you on the go, or want to find something that you can teach to younger children, take a look at the Korg games for your next Pen & Paper Quest!
P.S.: I am unaffiliated with any of the platforms or folks mentioned in this post, I’m just sharing them so that others can find out more about them.
While I don’t think you can get this copy of the original Korg any longer, Korg Classic v.1 is the same content (and more!), just printed as standard playing cards (definitely sleeve them!). You can find them on the Dungeon Havoc Ko-Fi page.
What do you do when you’re out and about, and have a sudden desire to play a game? Or maybe you just find yourself with 10 minutes before your next meeting or before you have to run your next errand.
Sure, it’s easy to pull out a phone (something I am still guilty of), but I stare at enough screens all day that I feel like I need a break most of the time. So, I started carrying around a handful of different things that could get me into an analogue mood.
While the items within my kit may change, or rotate in and out, generally speaking it’s still the same. Sometimes it will have a fountain pen, other times it may have an extra “pocket game”, or if I’m really into a particular ruleset, it may cater to that particular game I’m playing. Now let’s dive into the details!
Nock Co Hightower case in coffee brownNock Co Hightower case interior in amethyst purple
My kit is contained within a Nock Co Hightower case in Coffee and Amethyst. Sadly, this is a product no longer available (RIP Nock Co), and I only managed to get this one through sheer luck many years ago. It has a 3-slot pen case on the left, with a flap to cover them, and a single pocket on the right.
Three pen pockets, easily fits 6 narrow pens.
If you use narrower pens, as I mostly do, you can usually double-pack the pen pockets and fit up to 6 writing instruments, or similar size and shaped items.
As it is today, I have the following items in the pen pockets:
Staedtler 925, 0.5mm mechanical pencil in midnight blue, currently filled with standard Staedtler Mars Carbon HB lead
There are other options for mechanical pencils, but I find this is the one that always ends up staying in my EDC. I do worry about bending/breaking the lead sleeve, though, as I am by no means gentle with this kit, and it often gets thrown about in my jacket, stepped on, or even dropped.
The Pentel Multi 8 is hit-and-miss. I find the leads aren’t the best fit for me, and they’re just a bit too easy to break inside the holder. That said, this is a great utilitarian piece, as it can hold up to 8 different colors of lead. If you color code your writing in your games, want to add some color to your sketches, or have kids who may suddenly want to draw, it does come in handy.
I find the 0.5mm Hi-Tec-C is better to carry around than the narrower 0.3mm or 0.4mm, as this is also the pen I will use to sign things, or even give to my kids if they would like to draw or play a game. The smaller tips take a little more care to write well, though they do let you take more notes in a smaller space.
I’m a big fan of the Sakura Pigma Micron fineliners. You can use narrower pens for fine details or space-saving writing, and the larger line widths can help block borders or delineate text space in notes.
The, currently vacant, 6th space is usually either filled with a fountain pen, such as the ensso Bolt, or another size Sakura Pigma Micron fineliner. Can never have too many fineliner sizes in your kit!
Mini-zines!Game and art cards.Index cards fit perfectly inside the B7 notebook as well.Ready to go hex map for on-the-go gaming.
The deeper pocket on the Hightower can fit more than just a notebook. Here’s the current inventory I have tucked away:
Bookmark No HP RPG, and Dracula’s Get, a small “sourcebookmark” for the same system. A quick, simple system to get you gaming fast by Lester Smith, that requires a d4, d6, d8 and d10
4-5 various art trading cards, for inspiration and mood setting
Random map printout with hex grid overlay
A small Fresnel lens, not necessary for gaming, but comes in handy if you need a little zoom to read, or write, small text
I have a local Daiso store where I spend way too much money on stationery items. That includes these Nakabayashi Logical Swing notebooks. I quite like the Nakabayashi lineup of notebooks, including their Logical Prime series. They’re not always the most fountain pen friendly, but most of my EDC kit is exempt from that anyway. I wish I could find more of these B7 size, because they haven’t been stocked in quite some time, but it’s not like I don’t have a stash of them… This notebook can track your stories, take notes on your games, jot down quick lists, whatever you need them for really.
Index cards are great for keeping as a character sheet, taking notes, or handing to your kids to draw on. If only the Nock Co DotDash cards were still around, they were some of the best index cards available!
This probably deserves a post on its own, but I am obsessed with the 8-page mini-zine format. There’s a great page here (and I’ve seen several others out there as well), that explains how to fold a letter-size sheet of paper (with one simple cut) into this format. It’s perfect to keep in your pocket, you can keep notes on them, write down rules for your favorite RPG, create your own character sheets, and so much more! I almost always have one or two of these on me, and have had so many ideas for mini-zine content (I’ve never shared any though… maybe someday). In the image above, you can see one of these that I turned into a small character sheet for the Zones RPG, a system I’ve been trying to find time to play.
Korg, Advance Quest and Bookmark No HP RPG are all “pocket size” games that can be easily played while out and about, and require pretty minimal material to get going. You can keep notes on your game, or track your character(s), on a mini-zine or index card. There’s no wrong way to do it, and you only need to write things down if you want to. There are a lot of other, great, pocket games out there which could easily be switched out. Check out some of theseItch.IOpages dedicated to small, portable games. The Bookmark No HP RPG system has a bunch of additional material to cover different genre’s of games, and there are other AdvanceQuest games as well. Caleb, at Dungeon Havoc, has a bunch of other content for Korg, but I really like the original format which is easy to carry with me – I’ve given away several copies of this game to people, simply because it was easy for me to carry an extra Korg card with me.
I have cards from Darrell K Sweet and John Berkey in my EDC kit, but I have full (or nearly full) sets from a variety of other artists, including Borris Vallejo, Frank Frazetta, and Tim Hildebrandt. These are from the days when trading cards were really booming, and it wasn’t just for sports. Artist trading cards can give you inspiration for different settings, such as Borris and Berkey’s sci-fi scenes. If you want something to pull you out of the hustle and bustle of daily life, into a high fantasy or science fiction setting, find a couple cards that you really enjoy and carry them around. You can usually find them for under $1 apiece.
Quite some time ago I wanted a map to use for a game I was playing, and I ended up using Open Street Maps to pull up random locations till I found something I liked. Then I overlaid a simple hexagonal pattern to create a quick-and-dirty hex crawl map. I carry it with me all the time now, just in case I need a quick setting location.
But wait, you’re thinking how do you play those games without any dice!? They all require some form of polyhedral math rock, you even said so!
Dice spinners mean less worry about losing pockets full of dice.
Outside of my EDC case, I also usually have one of these on me. It’s a dice spinner, so you don’t have to carry a full bag of dice to play your favorite games (though don’t get me wrong, I’ve definitely done that too).
Each spinner has several concentric rings, and each corresponds to a different polyhedral die, from D4 up to D% (aka: rolling 2d10 or d100). You spin the “die” section, then use your finger as a brake to stop it. There’s an indicator to point where it “landed”, and that’s the number you “rolled”. Is it truly random? No, you could definitely work the system to get the numbers you wanted. But if what you want is to simply have fun? Then it doesn’t really matter anyway, you’re only cheating yourself!
A small, but mighty, case.
The Hightower case is deceptive in what it can hold. It seems like a simple 3-pen, 1-notebook case, but it can actually hold way more than that! It can wind up a little chonky, but mine usually lives in a jacket pocket where it doesn’t actually bother me. This is usually more prominent if I include other items, such as a Paper Apps game, which are also great little games to play on-the-go.
That’s the basics of my EDC kit, that’s usually with me whenever I’m out of the house. If I know I’m going somewhere where I might have more downtime, such as a day-trip, I’ll usually take something a bit bigger, that gives me more options and allows me to carry a full size book. Perhaps I’ll cover that in a future post!
Even if you don’t have your own EDC game kit, rather than pulling out a phone, just take a look around you. Take in the sights, sounds, and sensations of wherever you are. Maybe you’ll even find something that inspires a new storyline for your next Pen & Paper Quest.
