Comments on: How Do You Use Props? http://www.treasuretables.org/2005/10/how-do-you-use-props Game mastering advice, ideas & resources • Dedicated to helping GMs Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:04:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Treasure Tables » Getting Inspired by LARPs http://www.treasuretables.org/2005/10/how-do-you-use-props/comment-page-1#comment-908 Treasure Tables » Getting Inspired by LARPs Sun, 04 Dec 2005 01:37:25 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=56#comment-908 [...] 1. LARPS involve walking around and interacting with lots of players. This isn’t the way a traditional tabletop game works, obviously, and you might be surprised at how refreshing it can be to shift perspectives. 2. The players drive the story. This is true in some RPGs, but certainly not all — and in most games, everyone interacts quite a bit with the GM, which isn’t always the case in LARPs. 3. You can watch multiple GMs in action. Seeing how 2+ GMs divide up their tasks is quite interesting, and even though some of the tasks are different in a tabletop game, there are enough commonalities to make for a good learning experience. 4. LARPs tend to use props well. Props can be time-intensive to create, but seeing them in action can be just the thing to get your creative juices flowing. (I wrote about props here on TT, in “How Do You Use Props?“) 5. Look for tricks on creating ambience. Whether it’s background music, scenery or even just their choice of locations, I’ve played in some LARPs that did this well — often with minimal use of sets and props. (”Creating Ambience” here on TT covers this topic.) 6. Beef up your improv skills. Gaming involves improvisation by default, but in a LARP you have less to fall back on than in a tabletop game. They often have minimal rules, and in the case of one-shot LARPs (like those at cons) there’s no setting or background info to absorb — which means you spend several hours doing everything by the seat of your pants. [...] [...] 1. LARPS involve walking around and interacting with lots of players. This isn’t the way a traditional tabletop game works, obviously, and you might be surprised at how refreshing it can be to shift perspectives. 2. The players drive the story. This is true in some RPGs, but certainly not all — and in most games, everyone interacts quite a bit with the GM, which isn’t always the case in LARPs. 3. You can watch multiple GMs in action. Seeing how 2+ GMs divide up their tasks is quite interesting, and even though some of the tasks are different in a tabletop game, there are enough commonalities to make for a good learning experience. 4. LARPs tend to use props well. Props can be time-intensive to create, but seeing them in action can be just the thing to get your creative juices flowing. (I wrote about props here on TT, in “How Do You Use Props?“) 5. Look for tricks on creating ambience. Whether it’s background music, scenery or even just their choice of locations, I’ve played in some LARPs that did this well — often with minimal use of sets and props. (”Creating Ambience” here on TT covers this topic.) 6. Beef up your improv skills. Gaming involves improvisation by default, but in a LARP you have less to fall back on than in a tabletop game. They often have minimal rules, and in the case of one-shot LARPs (like those at cons) there’s no setting or background info to absorb — which means you spend several hours doing everything by the seat of your pants. [...]

]]> By: Cameron http://www.treasuretables.org/2005/10/how-do-you-use-props/comment-page-1#comment-537 Cameron Fri, 21 Oct 2005 17:56:19 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=56#comment-537 Not online. I do have them on my home pc. They're in word format so I could easily upload them. Like I said, I used almost all WotC content and fit them into a one page newspaper style sheet. Not online. I do have them on my home pc. They’re in word format so I could easily upload them. Like I said, I used almost all WotC content and fit them into a one page newspaper style sheet.

]]> By: Martin http://www.treasuretables.org/2005/10/how-do-you-use-props/comment-page-1#comment-527 Martin Thu, 20 Oct 2005 19:34:15 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=56#comment-527 I just found this article about props -- where to find them, and how to use them: <a href="http://theharrow.com/rpg/dmprops.html" rel="nofollow">DM Props</a>. It covers some good ground. I just found this article about props — where to find them, and how to use them: DM Props. It covers some good ground.

]]> By: Treasure Tables » Creating Ambience http://www.treasuretables.org/2005/10/how-do-you-use-props/comment-page-1#comment-508 Treasure Tables » Creating Ambience Tue, 18 Oct 2005 16:40:56 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=56#comment-508 [...] 3. Use props. From the simplest to the most elaborate, few things connect in-game events to the act of playing the game like props. I posed an open question about props to TT readers a little while back, and there are some handy tips in that post and its comments: “How Do You Use Props?” [...] [...] 3. Use props. From the simplest to the most elaborate, few things connect in-game events to the act of playing the game like props. I posed an open question about props to TT readers a little while back, and there are some handy tips in that post and its comments: “How Do You Use Props?” [...]

]]> By: Martin http://www.treasuretables.org/2005/10/how-do-you-use-props/comment-page-1#comment-492 Martin Fri, 14 Oct 2005 18:12:15 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=56#comment-492 (Judas) <i>In my next run, Id like to try one of the neat looking paper castles.</i> I don't have nearly enough minis to make those work properly (I mainly use counters), but man do they look sweet! I like that there are prop sets for other genres as well, like sci-fi. (Judas) In my next run, Id like to try one of the neat looking paper castles.

I don’t have nearly enough minis to make those work properly (I mainly use counters), but man do they look sweet! I like that there are prop sets for other genres as well, like sci-fi.

]]> By: Judas http://www.treasuretables.org/2005/10/how-do-you-use-props/comment-page-1#comment-491 Judas Fri, 14 Oct 2005 17:11:25 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=56#comment-491 "The second part is what made it interesting: when the player handed it to a sage to get it translated, the sage named an enormous price; the player said no — so the sage tore up the message." LOL- Classic! Anyhow, I like props quite a bit and try to always incorporate some into the game. I find that anything the players can "hold" helps draw them into the game. Theres always letters and such in the game, sometimes riddles etc. One of my favorite props was a "book"- in reality, only maybe 2-3 pages but like 5 counting the covers. I stapled the pages together and even drew a symbol on its cover. The book was the "bible" of an evil god. Of course, clues were hidden in the text and there was a part that said . I came up with the text by reading lyrics to black metal music. I had an artifact sword that had it's own sheet of paper complete with an image I found on the web. That seemed to go over well. Of course, I do use maps for battle and I enjoy giving them some detail, not just a grid of squares. I've made a "ship" map for a ship-ship sea battle (Pirates). In my next run, Id like to try one of the neat looking paper castles. I ran Return to the Tomb of Horrors and that boxed set has many nice props in it. Thats a good place to look for inspiration (even if the module is a cosmic beatdown). -Judas “The second part is what made it interesting: when the player handed it to a sage to get it translated, the sage named an enormous price; the player said no — so the sage tore up the message.”

LOL- Classic!

Anyhow, I like props quite a bit and try to always incorporate some into the game. I find that anything the players can “hold” helps draw them into the game. Theres always letters and such in the game, sometimes riddles etc. One of my favorite props was a “book”- in reality, only maybe 2-3 pages but like 5 counting the covers. I stapled the pages together and even drew a symbol on its cover. The book was the “bible” of an evil god. Of course, clues were hidden in the text and there was a part that said . I came up with the text by reading lyrics to black metal music.

I had an artifact sword that had it’s own sheet of paper complete with an image I found on the web. That seemed to go over well.

Of course, I do use maps for battle and I enjoy giving them some detail, not just a grid of squares. I’ve made a “ship” map for a ship-ship sea battle (Pirates). In my next run, Id like to try one of the neat looking paper castles.

I ran Return to the Tomb of Horrors and that boxed set has many nice props in it. Thats a good place to look for inspiration (even if the module is a cosmic beatdown).

-Judas

]]> By: Martin http://www.treasuretables.org/2005/10/how-do-you-use-props/comment-page-1#comment-485 Martin Thu, 13 Oct 2005 14:28:59 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=56#comment-485 Cameron, I don't suppose you have samples of some of your props -- in particular, the newspapers -- online, do you? Cameron, I don’t suppose you have samples of some of your props — in particular, the newspapers — online, do you?

]]> By: Cameron http://www.treasuretables.org/2005/10/how-do-you-use-props/comment-page-1#comment-483 Cameron Wed, 12 Oct 2005 19:04:07 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=56#comment-483 Props are something I never got enough of as a player. Now that I'm DMing a campaign in Eberron, I have begun to use props, including campaign maps, letters, newspapers, and other plothook devices. The Dragonshards and Sharn Inquisitive from Wizards and Korranberg Chronicle are all useful. I pick and choose, and have created my own version of the Sharn Inquisitive using the various stories from online. I even went so far as to lay the paper in tea to give it a parchment feel. Props are something I never got enough of as a player. Now that I’m DMing a campaign in Eberron, I have begun to use props, including campaign maps, letters, newspapers, and other plothook devices.

The Dragonshards and Sharn Inquisitive from Wizards and Korranberg Chronicle are all useful. I pick and choose, and have created my own version of the Sharn Inquisitive using the various stories from online. I even went so far as to lay the paper in tea to give it a parchment feel.

]]> By: Frank Filz http://www.treasuretables.org/2005/10/how-do-you-use-props/comment-page-1#comment-478 Frank Filz Wed, 12 Oct 2005 05:56:31 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=56#comment-478 True, although if effort is made to use appropriate minis or counters, they have some prop value. I've actually always played fairly tactical (just not with all the options), so I don't consider them to have changed all that much. Frank True, although if effort is made to use appropriate minis or counters, they have some prop value. I’ve actually always played fairly tactical (just not with all the options), so I don’t consider them to have changed all that much.

Frank

]]> By: Martin http://www.treasuretables.org/2005/10/how-do-you-use-props/comment-page-1#comment-477 Martin Wed, 12 Oct 2005 03:32:04 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=56#comment-477 With 3.x D&D, I don't think of battlemaps and minis/counters as props anymore, like I might have with earlier editions. Now, they're very close to just being required game elements. With 3.x D&D, I don’t think of battlemaps and minis/counters as props anymore, like I might have with earlier editions. Now, they’re very close to just being required game elements.

]]> By: Frank http://www.treasuretables.org/2005/10/how-do-you-use-props/comment-page-1#comment-474 Frank Tue, 11 Oct 2005 19:21:35 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=56#comment-474 I like the idea of props, but I tend to use relatively few props, at least those that people typically consider - I do use counters and miniatures on a battlemat to run battles or otherwise show layouts of places, and those certainly count as props (especially since I have started to use Fiery Dragon Press's Counter Collection Digital to print out the numbers of certain things I need - though other times I just use generic counters). I did draw up a map the PCs found for them. I have also photocopied props out of modules to hand out. Frank I like the idea of props, but I tend to use relatively few props, at least those that people typically consider – I do use counters and miniatures on a battlemat to run battles or otherwise show layouts of places, and those certainly count as props (especially since I have started to use Fiery Dragon Press’s Counter Collection Digital to print out the numbers of certain things I need – though other times I just use generic counters).

I did draw up a map the PCs found for them. I have also photocopied props out of modules to hand out.

Frank

]]> By: Martin http://www.treasuretables.org/2005/10/how-do-you-use-props/comment-page-1#comment-470 Martin Tue, 11 Oct 2005 17:22:25 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=56#comment-470 I actually wish more published modules came with handouts for this reason. Or even with a supplemental packet of handouts, like the one Chaosium did for <i>Beyond the Mountains of Madness</i>: along with the GM's screen and map, it had a player map, boat tickets, an expedition patch and other goodies. You didn't need any of them for the game (hence, the supplemental pack), but they were neat. I actually wish more published modules came with handouts for this reason. Or even with a supplemental packet of handouts, like the one Chaosium did for Beyond the Mountains of Madness: along with the GM’s screen and map, it had a player map, boat tickets, an expedition patch and other goodies. You didn’t need any of them for the game (hence, the supplemental pack), but they were neat.

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