Using Visuals in Game

[Waylander the Slayer]

I have been tossing the idea around of giving the PCs picture and portraits of important NPCs. Further, i am going to give PCs pictures etc of the "special" items they posess. Unfotunately, i suck at drawing and have to use online resources.

How many people actually use visual aids ( other than miniatures) and how effective is it? Are there any really cool props / visuals that has enhanced your gaming experience? Let me know any of special props you have used in game and how it worked out.

 

[alsih2o]

well, i collect photos like mad to use as inspiration for drawing and i have found the various renfair/reenactment sites to be a wealth of pictoral goodness for such things.

also, slide over and check out the art forum on these very boards, there is some great stuff there that can be stolen, borrowed and otheriwse abused to great effect.

good luck

 

[Mr Fidgit]

i've used alot of pics from National Geographic magazines, to show places and some treasures (they've run articles on various gemstones and items recovered from shipwrecks).

my DM has used real photographs from the 1800's for mock-up wanted posters for a Wild West style game...

i've created maps for the players to use...(complete with age and burn marks)


i wouldn't worry too much about using the 'net as a resource for materials. the more props in game, the better, IMO (which is why i love the game Deadlands - built in props!)

 

[Vaxalon]

I think visual aids are very important.

I am presently working on a project that will prominently include visuals to show to the players.

 

[Waylander the Slayer]

I dont know if anyone here has actually seen it, but the original Earthdawn sourcebook had all the unique magical items as card stock pereforated pictures in full color. Those were just really kool.

I am trying to create a portfolio of as many NPC pics as i can get my hands on. The WOTC PC portraits are really cool. I love the idea of using real pics but these might be a bit hard to fit in to specific needs in a campaign.

 

[KnowTheToe]

Visuals can be good and bad. The good part is creating more connections to between the players and story, the bad is PCs can quickly learn that you only have to pay attention when you get a handout or picture. Kenzer Co uses image quest (pictures) to show PCs at specific times in the game. I won't use them because of what I mentioned above.

 

[Buttercup]

A few months back the PCs encounterd a village that had been completely destroyed when an evil cleric opened (and lost control of) a portal to the plane of decay. There were fungi, maggots and rot all over the place. Because I doubted my ability to describe the scene adequately, I used Google Image Search to find lots of pictures of disgusting things. It was very effective.

KnowTheToe is correct that you have to be careful, or your players will only pay attention when you start whipping out pictures. But if you also use them regularly when they arrive at a new place, or randomly at other times when you find an image that fits, you can prevent this sort of thing from happening.

 

[johnsemlak]

I am now trying to use visuals much more than previously (in part because some of my players don't speak English as a first language).

I use counters and a battlemat.

I want to use visuals to help describe rooms as much as possible. Illstrations in modules is now a major factor for me (I'll never use this module, probably, but Tomb of Horror's illustrations are great).

CErtainly, I encourage players with artistic skills (not me) to draw their players.

I'm curious about other playing aids available that provide visuals for gameplay.

 

[Piratecat]

well, i collect photos like mad.

Really?

My goodness. I hadn't noticed.

 

[Capellan]

I like to include as may visual aids in the game as I can, because players enjoy them so much But I try to be careful to use them for both important and unimportant things. And not every important thing gets a picture.