Any suggestions for roleplaying game props?

[MaggieTheCat]

To all pen and paper RPGers:

I am running a d20 Call of Cthulhu campaign with my D&D group. I am rather "crafty" and like to make props and such for the players to interact with. For instance, I want to write my own Necronomicon, a couple of diary entries that they will find, and make a couple of things (pendants and statues) out of polymer clay. For today's game, I had made a giant jig-saw puzzle out of a large piece of poster board for them to solve. Does anyone else ever make their own props, or have any good suggestions for anything creative to use in a P&P RPG?

[gremcint]

I use actual file folders for the stuff in my stargate campaign.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

One of the guys I game with made an exact replica of the white house Anasazi ruins (we play Boot Hill) out of legos. He did this so we'd have a three D map. Just brilliant.

We use modelling clay, painted bottle caps (they make great saloon tables for the barroom brawl), plastic cowboys, horses, and stagecoaches from the dollar store, cap guns (for atmoshere), rumpled blankets (for terrain) and, of course, legos.

I also made actual currency so it's easier to keep track of everyone's wealth (just colored chits with the denomination on them, about the size of a business card) and also item and weapons cards. It's much easier for me to keep track of numbers and stuff if the relevant ones are written out clearly on a card so I don't have to figure out a chart or table every time. That also helps keep track of who has who's gun because my players are always swapping around their gear.

I ALWAYS make paper props, if the characters would encounter one. Those are just too easy. A bloody, torn map section, a wanted poster nailed to a tree, a battered box with props inside, etc. If the weather in the game is rainy, the poster will be wet. (My players discovered they had prices on their heads when one of them said they were going to the saloon...I sent him into my bedroom to wait so's not to gain info he wouldn't have...and there he discovered honest to God wanted posters with his face and those of the other players on them hanging on the wall.)

Oh, I have to tell you what Lego guy did for another game he ran. He set up a scenario where we had to solve a murder mystery based largly on clues found in a graveyard at night.

This guy made a graveyard, filled it with clues, and them made us explore it using oil lamps. Seriously, he made tombstones out of styrefoam and set it up in the woods behind his place. We were out there in the dark in real time.

I'm also not above playing sound effects recordings. Man, let me tell you, that will really set a tone for a group.

My group also often will "dress." They won't wear a bona fide costume, but they will suggest one with their clothing, if that makes sense. I see a lot of dusters and boots and in some cases, moccasins and long skirts.

[MaggieTheCat]

Man, this is some good stuff!

Oh, I have to tell you what Lego guy did for another game he ran. He set up a scenario where we had to solve a murder mystery based largly on clues found in a graveyard at night.

This guy made a graveyard, filled it with clues, and them made us explore it using oil lamps. Seriously, he made tombstones out of styrefoam and set it up in the woods behind his place. We were out there in the dark in real time.

I would LOVE to do that. Unfortunately, I live in an apartment complex in the middle of a huge city, so no woods on our property. Actually, maybe I could still do it if I just hid clues in public areas around the complex. I will definitely keep this in mind.

The campaign I'm running is actually set in my hometown in Wisconsin. It would be really fun to have all the players actually go up there to see what I'm describing. Hmm, too bad they couldn't all get out of work long enough for a road trip.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

MaggietheCat, you could easily hide the stuff in public places. Just make them small and unnoticable to anyone not searching.

I once hid a bunch of real clues inside a bookcase full of books. Just write your scenarios to use what you have on hand.

We took a road trip out to Little Mountain once (we're not talking a long drive here) because the GM made his map match the town of Little Mountain, just for fun. That way, we could actually see it and get a feel for the layout in realtime before we played.

[cinema guy]

The most I ever did was type up some diary entries, newspaper articles and the like.

I did do one inscription that was in Bajoran for a Star Trek game, simply by changing the font.

[AccountingDrone]

I showed up at a gaming session once with a set of borrowed wisby plate armor http://www.forgottensea.org/caerleonisscymni/a-s.html made of metal instead of plastic, my spangenhelm, and assorted other metal bits [my wisby was sensibly made of barrel plastic] so they could see how well a fighter in armor can *sneak*

I sounded like a pile of metal dropping off a loading dock. Stuff sort of clinks and creaks and jingles, no matter what It was a lot of fun, got a couple of the guys interested into going to some SCA events, and learning to fight, and make armor and do all sorts of stuff out in the sunlight

[ArcticChicken]

I showed up at a gaming session once with a set of borrowed wisby plate armor

I am so making a set of this for Wayfinder.

....I don't suppose you have any handy links that can help my modify it to allow for my rather substantial bosom?

[gremcint]

go to a local usedd bookstore, buy the biggest, oldest hardcover books you can find, even better if they have dustcovers with blank covers beneath. You can have these books represent old volumes (hell singe a few pages, use tea make them look roughed up) it probably wouldn't be that hard to make new covers for them.

you could hide clues in them are just use them as props, hell you can hold one up and pretend to chant from it.

also go to your nearest second hand store, there are any number of toys that could be useful, you could repaint some to be wands or other artifacts.

hell pick up some nice smooth stones in your backyard or around town, clean them and paint them with symbols.

[MergedLoki]

hmm.. Me and my RP group don't really use any props.

But in the past I've done the whole, use a tea bag to make a map/letter/document look old/yellowed with age.

also, music works very well in setting a tone or mood for a paticular scene.

hm for what your running I recommend checking out 'midnight syndicate' instrumental dark/haunting music.

I use it now and again when running my VtM games.

but yea i'm not the crafty type.. writing I can do. but give me a ruler and it's only 50/50 that I can draw a straight line lol

[Gerrinson]

but yea i'm not the crafty type.. writing I can do. but give me a ruler and it's only 50/50 that I can draw a straight line lol

Amen, brother, amen!

I suck at drawing, voices, poetry, etc.

Fortunately I'm really good at prose and making a fun and interesting story.

Well, I assume it's fun as there is a waiting list for the game that my group wants me to GM after the current campaign ends.

The last time I did a 'prop' I simply typed up and printed out the clues they were going to find. Then I only shared the written version with those who could read the appropriate in-game language.

It was actually pretty fun how they mangled the meaning of straight forward English paragraphs. Not one player thought to give a word for word reading. They just summed up, paraphrased, guessed, or otherwise FUBAR'ed the meaning. It was great.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I know, it's both frustrating and hilarious when you basically give it to them on a silver platter and they are too thick to get it right. I mean, if they are accustomed to a GM who, say, goes to the trouble Gerrinson did to make sure the clue was distributed only to those who could read it, and then they DON'T read it, well, they pretty much get what they have coming to them.

I do voices and accents. Always. I never get lazy about it. You will ALWAYS know who you are talking to in my games. Once I dropped someone's accent and the players assumed I'd gotten lazy.

I hadn't, and I didn't bother to correct their assumption. The dropped accent was a clue. Which they found out the hard way and to their sorrow.

Dumbasses.

[gremcint]

you could record a number sound effects and play them at the right moment.

[Rine]

I use actual file folders for the stuff in my stargate campaign.

Wait. Star...gate campaign? REALLY?! Awesome.

My group sometimes uses props. Music, yes. Occassional fancy sword, yes.

Old made up diaries, letters, etc--use those too. For a bridge encounter, the DM built a bridge for our little figurines.

Once, a DM made potions--even had cute little bottles with corks.

The DMs usually do accents or voice characteristics as well. It helps.

[Eric the Grey]

I did this one for a group I had only been GM'ing for a few months. They were digging down into a deep underground complex, and I wanted something special for when they finished.

So that night, I brought a box with me which contained 1 map (created by aging paper with tea), 1 scroll (aged the same way), 1 ring, a potion and something else I cannot remember.

When they got the chest open, I set it on the table, and opened the lid.

I swear, I heard 2 distinct knuckles pop as they all grabbed for something.

The something else was cursed, and it took effect when it was picked up.



Eric the Grey