Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Tordex 05-30-07, 02:43 AM	Not sure if this thread is out yet, (and I dont really feel like going through all of them since I dont have the ability to search just yet) but I'm interested to see what/if real life props you DM's use to enhance your gaming. Music in the background dosent count! 1. Print off a note from computer, crumple, poor in coffee, let sit, pull out and dry, burn edges. Bam...real life parchment. 2. (got this one from some wizards book) The candy "coins" can be used in conjuction with a leather bag to throw at the PC's when an NPC is paying them for a service. Tor
Adamaro23 05-30-07, 03:09 AM	2. (got this one from some wizards book) The candy "coins" can be used in conjuction with a leather bag to throw at the PC's when an NPC is paying them for a service. Tor I'd do this with pennies. 3. If you had the time, effort, and money, granted your players would even want to,...you could provide them with costumes.:rolleyes: 4. I've used round glass paper-weights as orbs, and crystal balls. 5. A stick for a wand.
JerBar 05-30-07, 03:12 AM	6. I put a small set of files, keys, and other bits folded into a homemade parchment note as a set of improvised lock picks being handed to a PC who was in jail once.
calronmoonflower 05-30-07, 03:19 AM	7. printer + photo shop (or borrowed pics) = quick and easy prop.
Oof GruumshNoLike 05-30-07, 03:51 AM	I wrote out several pages of "journal entries" that belonged to the unfortunate NPC adventurers who'd come just prior to my PC group, attempting to tackle the same dungeon on the very same quest. The entries detailed events as written by the NPC party's cleric. It was a great way to build suspense and give the players a sense of impending doom. Especially since each of the journal entries was found amid the aftermath of a recent battle. I also have a running magical "newsletter" that I update from time to time. That is a great way to get the PCs to seek out side-missions and builds a sense that the world is alive and that things are happening outside of the dungeon setting. One key PC Barbarian/Cleric even learned that his tribe had been wiped out by some religious crusaders when the party Wizard noticed the name of the Barbarian/Cleric's tribe in a headline in the newsletter. It was heartbreaking to see the Wizard struggle with how to break the news to him. That was a great roleplaying moment on the PCs part.
Adrez Nesnsid 07-09-07, 06:47 PM	:bump:
Sajek 07-09-07, 07:34 PM	My brother likes to take pictures of papyrus parchment, enlarge it to fill up the whole page, and print it. Then he take the "parchment" and types job offers, wanted posters, journal entries, or whatever on it with a caligraphy font.
Mock26 07-09-07, 08:02 PM	1. Print off a note from computer, crumple, poor in coffee, let sit, pull out and dry, burn edges. Bam...real life parchment. Most paper stores also have, at cheap prices, parchment colored paper. I find this works better as sometimes when soaking in tea or coffee the ink can run and ruin what was printed. Additionally, a relatively small investment into some sealant wax and a couple of seals can make for an even better prop!
shadzar 07-09-07, 09:57 PM	number as/if you want... 100 pennies 10 silver dimes 2 half dollars (nickle/copper) 1 gold dollar all this is my monetary conversion chart in order copper silver electrum gold for those who get confused on how to add their money up. (but i frown upon paying $3.26 for something costing 3 gold 2 silver and 6 copper) gemstones of the appropriate sizes for any treasure found. real wands to show what the ones they find are (real as in not plastic kids toys, but made of metals and woods) minis to show locations on a battle map. maps and such created form using tea-bags on paper and then printing them out for maps and documents. (older documents get the burnt/tattered edges) pages written in code or scripts the players must decipher. (lemon juice, puzzles) all would be things avialable to the time setting that the PCs would have acess to so no black light invisible inks. incense for those ambient smells. (please keep your shoes on players dont like THOSE smells) pretty much anything that i can find that would add to mood or atmosphere that the players would get a kick out of.
Selandril 07-09-07, 11:34 PM	Two words, my friend: Tarot cards. Totally trumps playing cards in terms of DoI and DoMT.
OleOneEye 07-10-07, 12:22 AM	Slip a fake blood capsule into your mouth without the players noticing such that you start spitting up blood at a dramatically appropriate time. Absolutely freaks them out.
Sci_fi__Messiah 07-10-07, 01:43 AM	I wrote out several pages of "journal entries" that belonged to the unfortunate NPC adventurers who'd come just prior to my PC group, attempting to tackle the same dungeon on the very same quest. The entries detailed events as written by the NPC party's cleric. It was a great way to build suspense and give the players a sense of impending doom. Especially since each of the journal entries was found amid the aftermath of a recent battle. I like that idea very much. You don't mind if I use it do you?
Thubby 07-10-07, 01:55 AM	print outs or photo manips of npcs or environments. and i've been working on compiling sounds of dungeon stuff, screams, maniacle laughter, all that. trust me when i say, its hard to convince people to scream.
Bobfred21 07-10-07, 01:59 AM	I find that while props may be hard to come by, hand gestures and actually standing up and walking around as your describing things works as a great way to draw players into the game. For example, if describing a brilliant tapestry that hands from the wall, reach of to the ceiling where the tapestry might be as you describe it.
Sci_fi__Messiah 07-10-07, 02:22 AM	I am a very artistic person, so I often insted of trying to describe a monster to my players will pull out a picture that I've drawn of that monster instead. It defenatly helps them get a better image of what they're fighting. Here's some of my stuff (some don't have the best quality, my scanner sucks and I had to tweak the Brightness myself): http://s64.photobucket.com/albums/h194/Sci_fi__Messiah/
Darth_Cariosus 07-10-07, 04:00 AM	I've been collecting swords and daggers for years. I've designed every one of them into a D&D weapon with a memorable history, and I will bring them out when the D&D version makes an appearance.
shadzar 07-10-07, 08:06 AM	print outs or photo manips of npcs or environments. and i've been working on compiling sounds of dungeon stuff, screams, maniacle laughter, all that. trust me when i say, its hard to convince people to scream. find a CD or old tape of halloween sound effects. i had a cassette that had a great bunch of sounds including several hideous laghters, and one blood curdling scream from a women.
Viperninja 07-10-07, 08:33 AM	Slip a fake blood capsule into your mouth without the players noticing such that you start spitting up blood at a dramatically appropriate time. Absolutely freaks them out. Lol that is great, I act in character of NPCs with voices and the like. So I might use that. I make models from playdough. Its reusable and by players have enough sense of what i monstrocity I have created... btw is there such thing as a dire chameleon? I made one for a adventure but i was just wandering..
foxtail 07-10-07, 09:34 AM	I've been collecting swords and daggers for years. I've designed every one of them into a D&D weapon with a memorable history, and I will bring them out when the D&D version makes an appearance. You want to be extremely careful with those, though. Any LARP group will tell you, real weapons around = bad, even if you're not using them.
Wizard Random 07-10-07, 09:35 AM	Used a sleeping cat as the Dragon the party encountered in its cave Used cell phones for the "sending" spells Used Instant Messaging for Telepathy Used gummie bears for monsters when the PC played a druid that would turn into a T-Rex (swallow whole)
penchant 07-10-07, 09:49 AM	I used to use props more. I would go hunting in junk shops and try to find strange looking baubles. When I found something I liked, like pendants, brooches, engraved rings, old knives, tools, etc. and then weave a strory around it. Sometimes it represented a magic item, sometimes it was somethings that an NPC treasured or was the crux of a plot line. Some games, I would produce the item when the players discovered the significance of it in the game. If it had information like an engraving or a picutre, they would get it early to help them solve some puzzle. Occassionally I would tell a tragic backstory and relate it to the item and then leave the item on the table so they could see it for the whole game. I still have a few of them, but most got given to the players who really liked the game.
_Jayne_Cobb_ 07-10-07, 10:21 AM	Toy money. Here in Canada we have $1 coins, brass in colour, so those sets of toy money you get from bargain shops includes both silver and gold coins of varying sizes. Fake Gems A bag of like 100 fake gems can be had from craft shops for just a couple dollars. Most have a silver backing on them on which I write a number. I can then track the value of all the gems in the PCs' possession, which may not be what they think the value is based on Appraise rolls or people trying to rip them off. I also do thing like wanted posters and notices, and being a graphic designer I create quick battle-maps (like the one below) for use with minis: http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y36/TheSulaco/sewer2.jpg
shadzar 07-10-07, 04:40 PM	~~~ and being a graphic designer I create quick battle-maps (like the one below) for use with minis: http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y36/TheSulaco/sewer2.jpg now you can just kiss my butt. :bow: that is too good to say you do it quickly! why dont you just make the maps and sell them. you wouldn't even need the OGL cause you could make varied maps with 1 inches grids without even including game types or brands. just make them for fantasy, modern, and futuristic and sell packs of maps. that is a rather nice map in any event.
soulnova 07-11-07, 12:58 AM	Is that RPG maker?
Darth_Cariosus 07-11-07, 01:56 AM	You want to be extremely careful with those, though. Any LARP group will tell you, real weapons around = bad, even if you're not using them. I've been in the SCA for over 20 years. No worries.
_Jayne_Cobb_ 07-11-07, 10:42 AM	Is that RPG maker? Is what RPG maker? The map? No, it is something I threw together in Photoshop. All it takes for a simple map like that is a little up-front time to select the textures, shadow settings, etc. then I can toss a new map together in like 5 minutes. You want to be extremely careful with those, though. Any LARP group will tell you, real weapons around = bad, even if you're not using them. I've never had a problem with real weapons around. Perhaps problems with them is something unique to LARPers. ;)
Confusion567 07-11-07, 04:56 PM	I take a week's vacation down to Mexico every year, and I always pick something up for everyone. Last year, I got a little turtle flute for the bard, a viking helmet for the barbarian, a small wooden bobble-head trinket sort of thing as the Druid's badger companion, and... Something else, can't think of what. I've got a new group this year, and I'll grab some new stuff. As for props, nothing beats "You find this on his body" before tossing out a cryptic note of some sort. I've also sent my players through a "puzzle dungeon" with no monsters, but each room had a puzzle, and hints were left by a previous adventurer. I wrote those on post-it notes and said "You find this." After a dramatic scene where the PCs had to destroy (completely, down to the last man, woman, and child) an orc village to protect a human village, I handed them a little doll. "You find this in the ash of one of the houses." And, of course, real or fake swords to give them an idea of just how intimidating this new opponent is.
Crystal Monk 07-11-07, 10:01 PM	one thing I've found that works well for both myself and the group: find a picture, whether drawn or a photograph, that looks like where the PCs are. if you know what the place looks like beforehand, that can help, but it works just as well if you find the picture and base the place around it. print out or otherwise get a copy of said picture that's big enough to see easily - about the size of a regular piece of paper works well. then, when the PCs are in that place, use a paperclip to attach that picture to the outside of the DM screen. it gives the players a constant visual of where they are, and I think it tends to make the place more memorable. I use the picture of the "Human City" from the old 3E previews for the largest city in my world, and having that makes it even more real for the players, they really like that place.
glorfon 07-12-07, 11:03 PM	I'd do this with pennies. 3. If you had the time, effort, and money, granted your players would even want to,...you could provide them with costumes.:rolleyes: No! we mustn't give into the television cliche!!
Thubby 07-13-07, 02:40 AM	No! we mustn't give into the television cliche!! but you know you want to :emp: speaking of cliche', i have a Tshirt with "meddle not in the affairs of dragons" thing on it.
yellowdingo 07-13-07, 08:49 AM	MAKING COINS Get yourself a clay block and press a coin design into the surface. Make a plaster stamp from the mold and stamp out the coin in a second block of clay. -------------<Making sure to wear safety equipment>------------ With some Copper, Smelt it down with an OXYTORCH to Molten Copper and pour into the moulds. Copper Coins for the Players to fondle to their hearts content.
_Jayne_Cobb_ 07-13-07, 10:22 AM	MAKING COINS Get yourself a clay block and press a coin design into the surface. Make a plaster stamp from the mold and stamp out the coin in a second block of clay. -------------<Making sure to wear safety equipment>------------ With some Copper, Smelt it down with an OXYTORCH to Molten Copper and pour into the moulds. Copper Coins for the Players to fondle to their hearts content. Or reach into your pocket and pull out some pennies.
Gemmalah 07-13-07, 12:34 PM	one puzzle which i found fun was to buy a small plastic skeleton, one of those ones which you have to put together like a puzzle and the PCs job was to find the scattered remains of a guy and put it back together. I may do it with my new group but with a harder and more detailed skeleton the most fun for a tired party, is a magical fountain of rejuvination (bring out favourite big bottle of fizzy drink) and in a large haul rations in the form of sweets. I use small party bags of harribo cos using big bags leads to gluttony! :eek: Notes are fun if ripped up and placed around a dungeon so the players have to put the notes together themselves. or if they cannot find all pieces work out what the missing ones may be.
Luzetski 07-13-07, 03:16 PM	I've done a lot of things over the years: I created a clay model of the final room of the old S4 module (a spherical room that the group comes in at the equator) to ensure that they could visualize it correctly. Made all the difference in the world... I created clay tiles with painted, wooden items embedded within to facilitate a puzzle I'd created. The players worked forever on that, and it was especially funny when they solved it: it required them to break the tiles! :eek: They couldn't imagine that I created the tiles specifically for them to break. It was absolutely hilarious! I often print a note, map, or some other paper-based clue/item that the group finds, spill coffee, tea, and/or vinegar on it (different places or completely, depending upon the effect I'm going for), bake it at low temperatures to make it really brittle (gotta be careful to do this for short periods of time, or it'll burst into flames!), roll it up, beat it against the table, carry it around in my pocket for a few days, take a lighter to the corner, etc. Watching the group carefully unroll these things, trying really hard not to break it or ruin it... Man, it's so much fun! :D When a player has a familiar, we always try to find some representation of it (to keep us from forgetting about it, for one thing). We've used stuffed animals, puppets (very cool, as they can show what the critter's actually doing), and pictures in standing frames (good for visualizing what it looks like). I take a lot of pictures when we're travelling, things that I can later actually show the players while we're playing. "You come around a hilltop and see this!" then throw out the picture of the ruined castle that I took while in England, for example. Or pictures I cut out of magazines like National Geographic to show geography. There are lots of things out there we can use. Just keep your gaming goggles on when you're looking at the world around you... Rabit