CleverNickName
Limit Break Dancing
Every DM has one: an old tackle box, Rubbermaid box, or shoebox full of little bits, bobs, and gadgets that you keep handy just in case they are needed. What are some of these must-have items that you keep close?
Here's mine.
A deck of Tarot cards. If the party decides to visit a fortune teller, or if they cast a particularly complicated Divination spell, or if they find a magical Deck of Illusions or a Deck of Many Things, I reach for this deck. I mean, sure, I could use a regular deck of poker cards, but there's just something a little more mysterious and stylish about a Tarot deck. Mine has the classic Rider-Waite artwork, but you can find them in just about any theme you can imagine...I've seen Egyptian, Norse, faerie, sci-fi, mermaid, and vampire-themed versions.
An hourglass. The fancier the better; mine is about 12" tall and made of brass, and takes 5 minutes to empty one bulb. It comes in handy for things that are time-sensitive, or if I just want to build some tension at the table.
A Ziploc bag of pipe cleaners. I have about a dozen different colors of them. I like to twist them into rings and drop them around minis to mark conditions...black for Bane, white for Bless, yellow for light sources, red for Hex, green for Poisoned, etc. I wrap them around minis to indicate the character is tangled in vines or stuck in webs. I wrap them around two minis to indicate they are grappled. And so on.
Clear plastic dice boxes. You know the ones I'm talking about, the boxes that Chessex dice come in. They are the perfect size to slip over a mini to indicate they are invisible or hidden (or trapped in a Forcecage). They are stable enough to work as stands, too, for characters that are held aloft. Lay several of them them in a row to indicate a Wall of Ice.
Puzzle Fragments. I bought an unglazed ceramic vase at a craft store for $5, and drew a map on it with a Sharpie. Then I broke it into a dozen pieces with a hammer. I keep those fragments in my prop box, and I hand them out to the players every blue moon as they explore the world. Eventually they will collect all the pieces and have both the complete map AND a Decanter of Endless Water (or an Eversmoking Bottle, I haven't made up my mind yet.)
A book of riddles. I found a very old book of riddles at a used bookstore in Downtown Colorado Springs years ago, and I put it in my prop box for those times when I need a riddle or puzzle that predates Google.
A candle. It's a simple prop, but it's effective. I like to light it up at the table whenever someone casts Zone of Truth or whatever, but it's also pretty useful when I need to soften up some sealing wax, scorch the edges of paper to make it look "old," or just create some mood lighting.
Here's mine.
A deck of Tarot cards. If the party decides to visit a fortune teller, or if they cast a particularly complicated Divination spell, or if they find a magical Deck of Illusions or a Deck of Many Things, I reach for this deck. I mean, sure, I could use a regular deck of poker cards, but there's just something a little more mysterious and stylish about a Tarot deck. Mine has the classic Rider-Waite artwork, but you can find them in just about any theme you can imagine...I've seen Egyptian, Norse, faerie, sci-fi, mermaid, and vampire-themed versions.
An hourglass. The fancier the better; mine is about 12" tall and made of brass, and takes 5 minutes to empty one bulb. It comes in handy for things that are time-sensitive, or if I just want to build some tension at the table.
A Ziploc bag of pipe cleaners. I have about a dozen different colors of them. I like to twist them into rings and drop them around minis to mark conditions...black for Bane, white for Bless, yellow for light sources, red for Hex, green for Poisoned, etc. I wrap them around minis to indicate the character is tangled in vines or stuck in webs. I wrap them around two minis to indicate they are grappled. And so on.
Clear plastic dice boxes. You know the ones I'm talking about, the boxes that Chessex dice come in. They are the perfect size to slip over a mini to indicate they are invisible or hidden (or trapped in a Forcecage). They are stable enough to work as stands, too, for characters that are held aloft. Lay several of them them in a row to indicate a Wall of Ice.
Puzzle Fragments. I bought an unglazed ceramic vase at a craft store for $5, and drew a map on it with a Sharpie. Then I broke it into a dozen pieces with a hammer. I keep those fragments in my prop box, and I hand them out to the players every blue moon as they explore the world. Eventually they will collect all the pieces and have both the complete map AND a Decanter of Endless Water (or an Eversmoking Bottle, I haven't made up my mind yet.)
A book of riddles. I found a very old book of riddles at a used bookstore in Downtown Colorado Springs years ago, and I put it in my prop box for those times when I need a riddle or puzzle that predates Google.
A candle. It's a simple prop, but it's effective. I like to light it up at the table whenever someone casts Zone of Truth or whatever, but it's also pretty useful when I need to soften up some sealing wax, scorch the edges of paper to make it look "old," or just create some mood lighting.
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