Player costuming, props etc in "table top" games.

[Janx]

We once interogated a PC in live action

I emptied out my game room, setup chairs a small table and a lamp on an arm.

I put the player in the room, and gave him a sheet of paper, briefing him on what his PC knew, and basically explaining that the room was a cell, and it wasn't break-outable, that this would be a role-playing exercise.

We then turned off the AC, and waited 20 minutes or so before we sent in the first interogator....

Bear in mind, the PC had no memory of what he was being questioned on (just as the player lacked such info). We let it go on for a couple hours, swapping out interrogators, with breaks where the player had to sit in the room.

It turned out to be a really good session, with the PC learning that everybody died but him at the Battle of the Line right at the end.

A case of using the entire room as a prop, just to set the mood.

 

[Aeolius]

A case of using the entire room as a prop, just to set the mood.

My game is set entirely underwater. I suppose I could use my swimming pool...

 

[Crothian]

I have used my trombone as a prop for a bard and for the adult NPCs talking in a game where the PCs played children.

 

[Wolf1066]

My game is set entirely underwater. I suppose I could use my swimming pool...

Now we're getting into "sets", a whole different ballgame.

Come to think of it, my lounge doesn't look very Dark Future - far too cosy - I wonder if the landlord would mind if I tear up the carpet and pour bitumen instead...

 

[Chainsaw]

I'm a props, yes, costumes, no kinda guy.

....

For clothing, the closest we get are gamer shirts like "+20 shirt of smiting"

I probably fall in this area.. Probably as close as I get to a costume is a heavy metal shirt of some sort and, for props, maybe my pipe..

 

[Almacov]

The character I'm playing right now doesn't share my gender, and I have a feeling that if I came in full costume it would be... distracting.

I've never actually used costume pieces in my games, but in the 4e game I run we use a tin urn that has a greek battle scene on it to hold glass counters, and each player has a small green dish at their seat with a number of counters within equal to their character's healing surges. When one is spent, it gets tossed in the urn. There are also certain situations where I'll add black or coloured glass counters into their dishes, swapping normal ones out for them when the lose surges from nasty environmental conditions, etc. I used to use green ones to track ongoing poison damage.

Most of my preparations involve mapmaking though. I had one session where I covered the map of the cave they were exploring with face-down tarot cards, each one with a significance to the room it was over, each being flipped over as they explored.
In several sessions I've used UV ink to mark hidden areas or information, only revealing it with a blacklight when the PCs discovered the secrets.

I sometimes illustrate scenes, or characters I think they'll encounter, but often that winds up being too specific and PC actions make them irrelevant.
What I have done recently though, is made reference cards for magic items they've received, and illustrated those by hand. Unfortunately, I have a player that absent-mindedly folds small pieces of paper as a habit...

Ah well. I can only hope that sort of stuff makes sessions a bit more memorable for them.

 

[nedjer]

Wolf1066's Aztec theme looked a winner. No problem sourcing black shoe polish for the priests; plenty of kindling on hand for disciplining kids in clouds of raw chilli smoke, and straight up with serving the hot chocolate cold, (kind of Mesoamerican gaspacho thing I guess). Even found a few willing human sacrifices down the local lawn bowling club. Sadly had to blow the whole thing out of the water - couldn't source a flock of quetzal birds for love nor money

 

[Wolf1066]

The character I'm playing right now doesn't share my gender, and I have a feeling that if I came in full costume it would be... distracting.

Could wind up a bit like hosting a Rocky Horror Picture Show evening...

we use a tin urn that has a greek battle scene on it to hold glass counters, and each player has a small green dish at their seat with a number of counters within equal to their character's healing surges. When one is spent, it gets tossed in the urn.

One game ages ago, I thought it would have significant impact if, instead of saying "the contact tosses you an envelope filled with money" I actually tossed an envelope filled with money to the characters.

I made up some false "money", stuck it in an envelope and, on successful completion of the mission, tossed it onto the floor between the characters. One picked it up, opened it and it had the desired effect - they felt that they had just completed a real deal and had been thrown a bonus by a satisfied contact.

One of the players then said "that'd be an ideal way for us to keep track of how much we have and how much we've spent" so I made up some more denominations and gave each player an envelope containing the amount the records showed they should have. All transactions from that point were in "cash" with players handing over play money and (possibly) getting change in return. It's worked so well, I've continued the practice with the current game. Removes the "did you note down how much you paid for lunch" issue and resolves any miscalculation issues - they have precisely as much "money" as is in their "wallets". And adds a level of realism to the game - buying a Heckler and Koch USP and 100 rounds of .40S&W JHP is more realistic when you hand over something that, in the game universe, represents 1000eb. Almost compensates for the fact that the closest you're going to get to the actual gun is the picture on the weapon card you get in return...

That's something I shamelessly pinched from the Serenity RPG - weapon cards. A picture of the weapon, its basic statistics and check boxes to mark off how many shots you've fired. When the player "draws" his/her pistol, (s)he pulls out the card and gets ready to mark off the shots.

Ammunition expenditure is another thing that was not remembered by players in previous games. The cards help with that just as the play money helps with cash flow. They can glance down and see they're half way through their second mag just as they can glance in their "wallets" and see they're down to their last 55eb - time to get some work... or turn the table on that mugger and take his money...

Ah well. I can only hope that sort of stuff makes sessions a bit more memorable for them.

I'm sure it does, going by the way my players have reacted to things I've done - the look of horror when they see the laser dot on their chest, the gleam in their eyes as they riffle the "money" between their fingers, one player's avarice just looking at a picture of a silenced H&K VP70, everyone's avarice when I pulled out the soft air guns.

Once it goes visual and/or tactile, it takes on a new dimension, it becomes more tangible than mere words.

GM "There is a laser dot on your chest"
Player "Yeah? Well I break out my mad kung fu skillz and dive for cover"

cf

Player looks down at dot on chest. Eyes widen. "Oh, crap!"
They can then bust out the mad kung fu skillz if they wish - but they do so realising the gravity of the situation and knowing they really should have scoped out the area better beforehand.

GM: "The contact throws you an envelope containing two thousand euro in hundred euro notes"
Player: "Cool!"

cf

Player opens envelope.
"MONEY!"

 

[Wolf1066]

couldn't source a flock of quetzal birds for love nor money

I feel your pain - I tried substituting ducks but found that duck crap was harder to get off the character sheets than the blood...

 

[karlindel]

I have played in costume at Cons and for Halloween games, but do not normally do so. I wouldn't have a problem with players coming to a game in costume, as I think it could be fun.

I sometimes use props, both as a player and as a DM. I have used stuffed animals for familiars, my dice box as a treasure chest, maps and the like (though they barely count), and sometimes use physical puzzles for characters to solve. I have played in campaigns where we had in character journals, which can be a lot of fun as long as people don't slow down the game to write in them.

My wife used a stuffed animal to represent a doll that her star pact warlock always carried with her and sometimes talked to, which I think improved the roleplaying of the character.