Use of props in games.
- Thread starter Tortoise
- Start date
Invictikore
First Post
I have to agree I have spent allot of $$$$ lately on minis, Just so when my party goes against a horde of Kobolds I can pull them out...
Rafael Ceurdepyr
First Post
Oh, man, I've spent tons on minis as well.
I love props, though, particularly documents. I've gone document-wild in Call of Cthulhu games, but those are really conducive to it, since they're so much about research. One of the first things I ever made was for an in-game auction: an aluminum foil ibis-head-hilted dagger.
I also like props for characters. Raef acquired a necklace from an NPC we met that gave him +1 to saving throws. The DM said it had a rat's skull on it. Naturally I had to make one. Used a shell slice from another necklace for the purpose and added a feather and a charm to make it more fetish-y, put it on a faux leather strip. He also picked up a ring in a cult temple that I HAD to make. Used metallic Sculpey to fashion the serpent holding a black pearl in its mouth. And Raef gave a party member a pin in an elaborate box that he knew was what fashionable people gave a prospective fiancee--who was ignorant of its purpose (which he also knew). Naturally I had to make that too. The romance didn't work and Ari gave the pin back, but the player would absolutely not part with it.
Pretty sad.
I love props, though, particularly documents. I've gone document-wild in Call of Cthulhu games, but those are really conducive to it, since they're so much about research. One of the first things I ever made was for an in-game auction: an aluminum foil ibis-head-hilted dagger.
I also like props for characters. Raef acquired a necklace from an NPC we met that gave him +1 to saving throws. The DM said it had a rat's skull on it. Naturally I had to make one. Used a shell slice from another necklace for the purpose and added a feather and a charm to make it more fetish-y, put it on a faux leather strip. He also picked up a ring in a cult temple that I HAD to make. Used metallic Sculpey to fashion the serpent holding a black pearl in its mouth. And Raef gave a party member a pin in an elaborate box that he knew was what fashionable people gave a prospective fiancee--who was ignorant of its purpose (which he also knew). Naturally I had to make that too. The romance didn't work and Ari gave the pin back, but the player would absolutely not part with it.
Pretty sad.
fredramsey
First Post
I just got through preparing a scroll for my Friday game. I found a cool graphic background, and put the spell description in blood red on it. I then rolled up the scroll and looked around for a rubber band or something. I couldn't find one.
So I got an empty toilet paper tube and slid it down over the scroll, then used a marker to make a rune on the tube. I think this is going to work well, of course, a paper towel tube would probably be better.
So I got an empty toilet paper tube and slid it down over the scroll, then used a marker to make a rune on the tube. I think this is going to work well, of course, a paper towel tube would probably be better.
Scribble
First Post
I used to do a lot more propwise, but lately I hardly have the time to spend on "extras" like props.
I have a few pieces of scenery that I built for use in outdoor combats which is about it fro props lately.
Once I played in a game at a convention where the two DMs had little test tubes of cool aid prepaired for potions. (like someone earlier mentioned) If you used one you drank it. Poison was done up as unsweatened koolaide. It was great. There was also a potion of fire breathing which was tobasco and a few other hotsauce like ingredients... I had that one... Looked at it made a face, and the DM took pity saying he didn't expect me to drink it... I took a sip anyway...
All in all it really added to the fun.
I have a few pieces of scenery that I built for use in outdoor combats which is about it fro props lately.
Once I played in a game at a convention where the two DMs had little test tubes of cool aid prepaired for potions. (like someone earlier mentioned) If you used one you drank it. Poison was done up as unsweatened koolaide. It was great. There was also a potion of fire breathing which was tobasco and a few other hotsauce like ingredients... I had that one... Looked at it made a face, and the DM took pity saying he didn't expect me to drink it... I took a sip anyway...
All in all it really added to the fun.
barsoomcore
Unattainable Ideal
We were investigating the house of an Italian nobleman, looking for stolen items. We discovered a secret door in his study but couldn't open it. We found a keyhole, but no key.
Me: What else is in the room?
DM: There's a desk, a chessboard, an armchair...
Me: I check out the chess pieces. Search check... 24.
The DM hands me a stainless steel rook. It rattles; there's obviously something inside it.
The entire party spent twenty minutes trying to figure out how to open it. Inside was a key.
Very cool.
I'm a document madman -- my players have folders full of letters and notes and scribbles they've discovered over the years. Everytime something new shows up, there's a flurry of paper shuffling as everyone looks for some kind of correlation in their notes.
Me: What else is in the room?
DM: There's a desk, a chessboard, an armchair...
Me: I check out the chess pieces. Search check... 24.
The DM hands me a stainless steel rook. It rattles; there's obviously something inside it.
The entire party spent twenty minutes trying to figure out how to open it. Inside was a key.
Very cool.
I'm a document madman -- my players have folders full of letters and notes and scribbles they've discovered over the years. Everytime something new shows up, there's a flurry of paper shuffling as everyone looks for some kind of correlation in their notes.
Wombat
First Post
We use a lot of letters and documents (actually in one of my previous campaigns I had two charactes who kept up series correspondence with some long distance NPCs -- picked up several handwriting fonts so it was easy to distinguish who was writing).
We also use washers for coinage and keep them in moneybags/purses. They can also get Letters of Hand/Credit so that they don't have to carry all the cash all the time. To that end we have also used some coloured markers for gems.
There are the various maps, of course, many of which are more of the "poetic" than topographical variety, in keeping with the era we are trying for, technologically speaking.
Miniatures when we feel like it, but that is very, very rare.
Some people have started bringing hands, wands, and bags of "stuff" ("spell components")to the table. And there is quite the fight over specific mugs in my cupboards (the skull mug is a particular prize, followed by a couple of hand-thrown, not by me, ceramic jobs). We also use some very old-fashioned style tarot cards for local card games (based on 16th century tarroc rules).
If I don't watch out, the group will show up in costume soon
We also use washers for coinage and keep them in moneybags/purses. They can also get Letters of Hand/Credit so that they don't have to carry all the cash all the time. To that end we have also used some coloured markers for gems.
There are the various maps, of course, many of which are more of the "poetic" than topographical variety, in keeping with the era we are trying for, technologically speaking.
Miniatures when we feel like it, but that is very, very rare.
Some people have started bringing hands, wands, and bags of "stuff" ("spell components")to the table. And there is quite the fight over specific mugs in my cupboards (the skull mug is a particular prize, followed by a couple of hand-thrown, not by me, ceramic jobs). We also use some very old-fashioned style tarot cards for local card games (based on 16th century tarroc rules).
If I don't watch out, the group will show up in costume soon
