[DMing]Prop-use?

[Harlock]

I recall the old DM's Netbook having many articles on using props in games and was wondering how far some of you other DMs out there go with such things.

I've used different voices and accents, and players seem to dig that, so I'll probably go back to it soonish. What about other things you do? Music? Lighting? Minis as props and if so do you bust out terrain as well? Do you use Dwarven Forge? Do you just use wooden buttons as tables on a battlemat, or green circels to represent a tree? I am a tabletop DM so am not really looking to go so far as LARPing, but would like to involve more senses in my D&D games than bland old boring junk. So, how far do you go as a DM and do you have any clever suggestions for representing things on battlemats, suggestions for instrumental music, cool resources?
I know there is a vast number of DMs in these here parts and I want to get better, so thanks in advance!

 

[Crothian]

I like handouts. Info the players can refer back to with 100% clarity. I use them for dreams and other surreal instances.

 

[Gnarlo]

Now that I'm playing face to face again, I use lots of props.

*Minis and terrain, of course.
*Funny voices at times. My Meepo sounds like a cross between Gollum and Sweetpea.
*Small glass novelty bottles of various shapes and colors with corks in them for potions, each filled with a different liquid depending on what the potion is (e.g. strawberry cola for potion of fire breath).
*Piles of colored glass disks for jewels found.
*Plastic coins you buy to go in toy cash registers for money piles (occasionally will get the gold foil chocolate coins for the treasure of the Boss, adds to the satisfaction of defeating him).
*Aged maps, handbills, letters, etc.
*I have a small leather journal with rag pages inside and a leather thong closure that I've filled with runes and drawings and invented script and stuff as a spellbook treasure.
*We often play by candle light when we are deep in the dungeon and relying on torches and such.
*Mood music in the background.
*If I have the time, I'll try and set up sound effects on my computer nearby for easy and quick use.

I'm sure there are other things, but those are the ones that come to mind without thinking too much about it

 

[shilsen]

I like handouts. Info the players can refer back to with 100% clarity. I use them for dreams and other surreal instances.

Funny you should mention that, since I like using handouts and esp. so for dreams (and visions).

If I'm doing a handout which is supposed to represent an ancient document, a judicious use of coffee, crumpling and maybe even a little light charring works well.

A treasure chest can be nicely represented by an envelope with small slips of paper, each describing an item found within the chest. That's especially fun when one is trapped and set to go off when handled, i.e. when the player reading out the slips says, "And this is a...crap!"

 

[Storminator]

Two of my players just came over in their halloween costumes for tonight's game. One of them brought his axe.

And we always use minis, and tonight was the first for our terrain, which is just a bunch of tree stands right now. I didn't need the hills.

PS

 

[Halivar]

When we play in the lower planes, we turn off all the lights in the apartment (we play at night) except for this solitary red lightbulb in the room we're playing in. It's dark and garish at the same time; very spooky and unnerving. It actually makes us, as players, not want to spend time in the lower planes; thus it effectively subconciously enforces what our characters ought to be feeling anyhow.

 

[Harlock]

Some great ideas so far. I especially liked...

A treasure chest can be nicely represented by an envelope with small slips of paper, each describing an item found within the chest. That's especially fun when one is trapped and set to go off when handled, i.e. when the player reading out the slips says, "And this is a...crap!"

I am certainly considering stealing this one.

Also, Storminator, what are tree stands?

Finally, Gnarlo, can you suggest some good music for D&D? I think lesser nkown instrumental would be best for our group, some of us are very into music, so anything well known may lead to off-topic discussion. Thanks!

 

[haiiro]

I use large, somewhat abstract maps for combat -- all the major stuff goes on the map, and smaller things are drawn in as they come up -- accompanied by Fiery Dragon counters.

Any time the party encounters something like a symbol, letter, etc., I draw it on an index card (or just make it outright) -- that way they have something to hang onto. Significant (not just magical) items usually go on index cards as well, for the same reason.

I don't tend to do lighting or music, or hand out toy daggers. I've got nothing against physical props -- they're quite cool, actually -- but they're not really my style.

 

[Harlock]

haiiro -- Do you go so far as to name significant items etc. to add a bit of extra flavor? Oh, and have you ever gone so far as to find a nice graphical representation of the item to print off and include on the back of the index card? If so, how did the players respond?

Sorry for the continued grillnig folks, but I am really wanting to learn as much as I can about this style of DMing because I think i need a shot in the arm to help improve the atmosphere in our games.

 

[Stormborn]

For DnD the props usually take the form of letters, but for other games things get more elaborate. I have a friend who has a BA in graphic design, she loves to make props for her games. We get matchbooks for little inns left as clues in CoC games, and I have seen small statuary made of paper mache (can't spell sorry). Most recently she has started building scenery. She built a section of forest trail and a giant ruined building with a well for our, believe it or not, MERPs game.

The most elaborate thing I have done was for an Unknown Armies game. The maguffin was a sheet of paper covered in eldritch symbols. I converted some random text with a cool looking font on both sides, cut it into a square, and spilled tea on it and the like to make it look weathered. I folded it and refolded it, but several times made it into what it was supposed to be: an oragami cup. The cup was the Paper Grail, and I made the playes actually figure out how to transform it. It took them a little longer than I expected, but the climax that followed made it worth it for them.

The simplest thing I have used was a small plastic Centari starship that came with a Babylon 5 Londo figure. I used it to represent a cavorite powered airship that crashes on its maiden transamerican voyage in 1899. It didn't DO anything, but the players liked, it let them picture where they were and what they were on.

Commonly, no matter who runs the game in our group, special items take the form of index cards, with name of item (if appropriate), stats (if appropriate), and a detailed physical description. One of the players will be getting one from me tomorrow night, should things turn out as planned. Not that they ever do, but even when they don't I find a way to use props I had planned.

Celtic music plays for the high fantasy games, like MERPs, eerie stuff for horror, I listen to Darkest of the Hill Side Thickets to get into the mood for CoC, and sometimes have it playing when people arrive. The afore mentioned graphic designer is burning a CD of sea shanties,pirate ballads, and highwayman songs (mostly from Steeleye Span) for the Swashbuckling game that starts tomorrow.

We always use minis. Reaper has some minis for treasure, inculding weapons, that work well. Mageknight has several sets of various dungeon and fantasy furniture,and modern stuff. I have never used those, but they look cool and I have oft been tempted, and would buy them if I needed them for a specific use. A battlemat that can be written on with an erasable marker and wiped clean helps for identifing walls and other obstacles is good. I think Chessex makes some. The new terrain cards for the DnD mini line look like they could work for that as well, and I use the various maps that Dragon and Dungeon mags have in them from time to time. My favorites are the city and sewer maps from about 6 months back.

In short (too late) even small props can help things stand out for your players. A climatic scene or a special item rendered in just that much more detail can really make a difference for a session.