D&D General What are good secret code decorations or tchotchkes to signal you are a gamer to other gamers in non-gamer environments

[GuardianLurker]

Eh. I'd suggest my avatar; it's from a T-Shirt by off-world designs. It just looks like a stained glass window at first glance. But to anyone who pays attention, the d20 is obvious, and then you realize the other polyhedra are surrounding it.

 

[Micah Sweet]

You have a hat of d20? I have to ask, does it know limit?

It hasn't hit its limit yet...

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

Depending on where these are hung one, some, or all of these could work.

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https://www.amazon.com/DND-Decor-Decoration-Dungeons-Accessories/dp/B0B1ZRKXDB

I think this is the most subtle. You could even drop one of the d10s. Then someone will come in and comment that one of those shapes is not a Platonic solid and you can just blame it on Amazon.

 

[MNblockhead]

The basic ampersand for $45.00 would be cool and most would think it some sort of Asian Dragon.

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$20.00 coffee mug would do the same thing.

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This one pulls double duty and is only $13.00

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This one is hard core with prices varying based on size and location.

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The stars and stripes ampersand isn't exactly subtle but would fit right into the work environment.

 

[MNblockhead]

This one is hard core with prices varying based on size and location.

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My brother-in-law is a well-respected tatoo artist. I've thought of getting a tatoo but have yet to come up with anything that I want permanently inked on my body. I don't think a corporate logo is it. Even though I do like the 5e ampersand logo. He does a lot of tatoos with calavera, Mayan, and Aztec motifs. Integrating that with a d20 might be cool. Not sure if it would be seen as disrespectful or not.

 

[MNblockhead]

It's a shame that Think Geek got purchased by GameStop and was essentially killed. This was their bread and butter.

Yes! I really miss the old Think Geek store!

Is it like a cubicle? When I worked a job with a cube I used to hang up comic strips, and had this one from XKCD among the various Far Sides and Pearls Before Swine

I actually have a full office with a window and everything now. Last job didn't even have cubicle walls. Just lots of desks in an open room. Never thought I cared much about having an office or not, but this is in an old building that hasn't been gutted for "open space" design. I have to say it is pretty amazing to be able to close a door and experience quiet at work. Anyway, let's say that I work in an environment where I have to have people meet me in the office were if I had a bunch of cartoonish knick knacks it wouldn't go over well. It isn't necessarily that I'm trying to hide being a gamer, but more that I need things that keep a "professional" look. Also, I'm no interior designer, but I have some very nice art work I've purchased over the years from various countries and a lot a cheap gamer art just doesn't go well with the over all look I'm going for.

I had a colleague at a prior job who had these really cool 40s/50s era travel posters. Except they were for various planets and locations in space. It was really cool, geeky chic, and tasteful.

I've seen some posters on Etsy that take the same approach with D&D locations (I posted some above), which might work.

Another thing I've noticed is some people will frame old movie posters. Which apparently is not more sophisticated than geeky.

The DAD:HOT movie posters I've seen don't work for me. It would be cool to find mock posters.

I think Eberron provides a great thematic setting to make mock 20-60s style travel and movie posters. The alt cover for Eberron: Rising from the Last War would make a cool poster. I like how it doesn't have "Dungeons & Dragons" prominently branded on it. Just a tasteful ampersand at the bottom. I think most people who are not involved in the hobby would just think it is a poster based on a work of fiction (well, yeah, it IS, but you know what I mean) or movie.

 

[MNblockhead]

That’s not really a code though, those are just overt expressions of gamerhood. Which are all well and good, but not what I understood @MNblockhead to be asking for.

When you’re forced to speak in code, there’s naturally going to be some risk that the people you want to send the message to won’t understand it. But a lot of gamers would understand it, while no non-gamers would, and that’s the point of a code.

And I am a fan of Critical Role. In some ways, that would be even more cool to have someone in my office recognize the reference.

 

[MNblockhead]

how about a Buckminster Fuller projection of the world map? One where the triangles of the icosahedron are pretty obvious.

Then numerate the world's regions in a d20 pattern with poles as 1/20

That would be cool, but do you know of anything like this available for purchase?

I have seen some cool maps of the Forgotten Realms that are made to look like old maps, or wooden reliefs. They are pretty cool, but it feels a bit false to me as I've never been a big Realms head. I need to search for similar art based on Greyhawk. I found this, which is close...but I don't really like it. Can't really say why. I think it has something to do with the overly bolded lines of the rivers.

 

[MNblockhead]

Maybe I should frame and hang these among my family pictures:

 

[Laurefindel]

That would be cool, but do you know of anything like this available for purchase?

I have seen some cool maps of the Forgotten Realms that are made to look like old maps, or wooden reliefs. They are pretty cool, but it feels a bit false to me as I've never been a big Realms head. I need to search for similar art based on Greyhawk. I found this, which is close...but I don't really like it. Can't really say why. I think it has something to do with the overly bolded lines of the rivers.

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I remember seeing poster of diaxiom or Fuller projections, so they must be available somewhere. Googling it reveal a few. I see however that many are not quite a perfect flatten icosahedron. I’m thinking something like this one but with the triangles made more obvious.

https://content.instructables.com/FR7/TTV0/JQGYTOXI/FR7TTV0JQGYTOXI.jpg?auto=webp&fit=bounds&frame=1&height=1024&width=1024

Basically, a Fuller projection is a world map as a d20, opened and flattened.