Game Props Options

[Chrome Tiger]

An old old topic, but I thought I would refresh it as I am looking to expand my game with some more flair and style. Anyone out there use props, sounds, etc for their games? If so, care to share your exploits? I am looking at using minis more, provide in-game documents in 'Top Secret' style envelopes, use a soundboard, etc.

I am honestly looking for ideas and inspiration, but am also interested to see what the community does as well. I like some of the crazy shit people here have come up with in the past.

It all started with me trying to find those little breakable 'biscuits' you always see them cracking open in movies to get the nuclear missile launch codes. I got so obsessed over finding those, that everything I found in my search turned into a 'hey, I can do this and that and the other'. Now I have all these ideas for adding flavor to the game. Of course, I have still not found the launch code biscuits...

[Doc Chase]

I like adding playlists to add to the mood. I have club mixes, street mixes, or things like that. I also tend to have a soundboard to lighten the mood if the game goes completely off the rails.

[Chrome Tiger]

I have tried to do the ambient music thing, but my idea of 'good Shadowrun music' differs from most of my players. I am not a metal fan, which they tend to lean toward for their idea of SR music. I am more techno/industrial/goth/etc in my concepts. Though it is something I am going to try inserting back into the game.

[Doc Chase]

Depends on the style of game I'm running. I've been dealing with a lot of noir lately, so Massive Attack has worked well to fit the scenes I write.

[CanRay]

I had a soundtrack for my Deadlands games back in the day. But I don't have any sound systems near where we're currently playing so I can't do that this time around.

For game props, I write news reports that are reposted on ShadowSEA with ShadowTalk from a growing list of folks, some of whom the group has met. I rarely, if ever, get feedback on these, so I don't know if I'm just wasting my time with them.

I also bought a package of Jiffy Pop for my first game...

[Runner Smurf]

Music in my experience is good, but not worth going to a lot of hassle over - where I play these days doesn't have a sound setup, and I don't really miss it. On occasion, I'll play a music cue off the laptop. Most common is, strangely, the Corporate World ditty off of the Fight Club sound track - the perfect silly corporate elevator muzak. Sets the mood perfectly for Food Fight. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I've never tried using a sound-board, but I don't much like the idea, and I don't like it when I'm a player. Realistic sound effects are jarring when you are looking out over a table of miniatures and looking at sheets of tables. It, oddly, breaks immersion. For me at least.

I'm a big fan of printed handouts. I typically have a screamsheet giving news before each new run. I'll often put together maps and overhead views as well to give to the players. For extractions/hits, I put together a quick dossier. Three warnings, learned from bitter experience:
- Do that stuff after you've finished prepping a session. Having a map is not as helpful to immersion as having a GM that knows what the stats are for the security node.
- Be very careful with what is on the documents. Players can't tell the difference between meaningless fluff and vital clue. I left some Lorem Ipsum on a document, and they started trying to translate the latin, thinking that was the whole point of the thing. Even after the GM told them what it was and why it was there, they kept at it anyway.
- Multiple copies are good. Handing over a folder as the Johnson would is nice for realism's sake, but have a few extra copies so that the game doesn't stop while each player in turn reads the document.

Useful Tools for Handouts:
- Google Earth is your friend. You need an overhead view of a city block, it's the tool for the job. Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and New Delhi are great places to go that won't be recognizable for most.
- Keynote (or Powerpoint) is great for putting together quick diagrams without too much hassle, especially adding annotations to images grabbed in Google Earth.
- I'd love to have time to put together web pages or the like for the players to visit in-game using their phones, but it's just not practical.

Minis and Terrain:
- Check out WorldWorks Games if you want to do urban terrain. Time consuming, but looks really cool. They have some good modern stuff that works well for Shadowrun.
- For something faster, I use these whiteboard erasable tiles (well, their predecessor's, but it's the same idea). Expensive, but worth it. You can also pre-prep the board before a session so you can start tactical stuff faster. I use them all the time, both for combats, and for laying out scenarios.
- For minis, I use Lego minifigs. Mainly because I have a ton of legos, but also because they are easily customizable/posable - and they don't take as much time, or cost as much, as buying and painting minis. You can also put together little lego models of drones and vehicles. Brick Arms makes some pretty awesome weapon packs as well that work great for SR. Only problem is doing trolls. Lego terrain isn't such a good idea, I have learned. Takes too much time.
- A couple of packs of hot-wheels are useful for vehicle minis and drones. They may not look perfect, but they get the job done. I suggest glueing the wheels so they don't roll around on the boards.

[jaellot]

Letters and such documents work great. Did that in a WoD game I ran, a letter from a dead mother to be exact, and it gave all sorts of cryptic tidbits to ponder on. The players loved it.

Also foods. Don't do the stereotypical cliche' gamer foods (Mnt. Dew and Cheetos) that is the "norm". Do fusion foods. Soy foods (tofu or the beans themselves), or asian(ish) dishes would work for SR, depending on setting exactly. Or if you are trying more for bleak, depressing food stuffs, there is always Top Ramen Noodles. For our 7th Sea game I actually looked up alot of Middle Eastern dishes when they were in the Crescent Empire. Didn't work quite the way it was supposed to, but it did bring in that air of the exotic I was going for.

With the abundance of cell/smart phones I'm going to start incooperating things like texts, messaging, emails, and whatever for SR, depending on players' plans of course. Don't want to eat up some one's minutes or whatever with gaming texts.

[Wesley Street]

Gnome Stew had a good video blog on just this topic.

And nix the whole ambient music thing. That's just annoying. No one wants to listen to anyone's Final Fantasy soundtrack collection (which, if you game long enough, will find its way into your sessions. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) )

[vladski]

Maybe I have jsut played with too many ADD players (that's Attention Deficit... not Advance Dungeons) but the first thing that happens when a session is starting is turning off music, tv's and anything else that is a potential distraction. Also, I find that ambient music is rarely that. I want to be able to hear the players and have them hear me.

As far as other gaming aids go, I think I have used nearly all the ones thus far suggested: maps, hand-outs, letters, hot wheels and other improvised miniatures... but when it comes down to it, I find spending the time on the session itself is the most important thing. Sure your game can be flashy, but when it comes down to it, immersion in the game comes from being enthralled by what is going on in your minds, not because of a pretty handout. Anymore I tend to stick to using vis-a-vis markers (wet erase), homemade battle mats, metal miniatures for the PCs and Scrabble tiles for the majority of NPCs. I usually computer generate a map or two of important locations(for my own reference and sometimes as handouts) and improvise the rest as it comes up. I do find that my homemade grunt stat sheets help to move the game along when dealing with a large force of opponents. Keep the players engaged and always doing something and you don't much have to worry about the rest.

Vlad

[scarius]

i mostly do maps and the like this is great for floor plans of many different houses. i have done the handout thing with letters/threads/what ever, and while it was good it just wasnt worth the time i put into it for the reaction that i got, and as stated above the PCs focused on some minor insignifcant detail as apposed to the massive clue that i left them in it.

also depeding upon how well my group goes with their "gathering infomation" i give out blue prints, secutity systems, gas/water lines, and other bits and pecies

[CanRay]

I think the meanest prop I threw at the players was a print-out of Adam West in his Batman get-up from the TV Series.

You see, they had to find him... At the San Diego ConiCon.

[Wesley Street]

If a PC finds a CD with a mysterious program on it, I give them a busted up CD with notes I wrote on it. If a PC finds a car key, I give them a car key (which came with some piece of advertising mail... but I hung onto the key). I have a box of junk that I pull out when I want to get a little more immersive and keep player's heads in the game. I'd like to collect enough fake money and plastic gems to use those rather than having the characters just use scratch sheets. It would probably be easy to mock up some fake nuyen notes and pretend those represent electronic or cash transactions.

[jaellot]

If a PC finds a CD with a mysterious program on it, I give them a busted up CD with notes I wrote on it. If a PC finds a car key, I give them a car key (which came with some piece of advertising mail... but I hung onto the key). I have a box of junk that I pull out when I want to get a little more immersive and keep player's heads in the game. I'd like to collect enough fake money and plastic gems to use those rather than having the characters just use scratch sheets. It would probably be easy to mock up some fake nuyen notes and pretend those represent electronic or cash transactions.

Yeah, we have a box or two of such nick-nacks, too. I generally call it our LARP box as that is when it gets brought out.

As for the fake money, if you look around, sometimes you can find play money sets at dollar stores or the dollar bins.

[Wesley Street]

You can find a lot of great generic game stuff, like fake money, at boardgamedesign.com and skybluepink.com.

[Chrome Tiger]

I have seen 'educational' money at the local dollar store. Used to teach kids how to count money. I think I may need to pay a visit.

On a kind of similar note, another thing I was thinking was taking my gamers out to the farm to fire some live ammo. Give them an idea of what it is like. See what is involved in making a called shot, how long it takes to holster/unholster a firearm, change a mag, intuitive fire versus aimed fire, etc. It is something I grew up around and was later trained on in the military that most of my players know little about. Break the John Woo imagery they base all of their combats on. (Not that my own theatrical flourishes help)

[Game2BHappy]

I love props for games, but my big recommendation is to keep it portable. Bulky props never last long in my kit.

Something that I added recently (with great success) was poker chips. To keep a group moving/motivated/in-character, I reward a poker chip any time someone drives the story, does something clever, has a good rp moment, etc. They can then use these at any time to add a single die to a roll (or someone else's roll). Cheap plastic is lightest and least bulky.

I rely on the the gridded foldable dry-erase sheet and dry-erase markers for just about any 'map' I have to put out. I draw quick, not worrying much about exact lines or scale so I can do it more often. Otherwise the players will assume that map drawing only comes out for combat.

Speaking of maps, the clear tubes or boxes that dice come in make great indicators for minis of levitating mages (which seems to happen a lot) or flying drones.

Speaking of minis, the little wooden discs you get at a craft store can be placed under a smaller mini to indicate that it is bigger and takes up more space (i.e. trolls, big spirits, big drones).

Speaking of mini-markers, use a tiny loop of red pipe-cleaner to indicate which of your mooks are wounded. Helps both you and your players.

As someone else stated, pre-printed handouts go over really well with players. It shows that you took time to make this a good experience for them and they get excited to see it through. In particular, a "scenic shot" that gives the feel of an area and pictures of NPCs are particularly well received.

PC placards: I have a placard template I give to each player to put down their character's name, race, gender, description so everyone can stay in character a bit easier (on the back i have some quick reference rules).

Player info cards: Have players fill out a 3"x5" card with some info you might have to roll secretly for them. Perception, resistance-to-illusion-spells, a list of their knowledge skills, willpower attribute, and maybe some special qualities you notice on their character sheet that should be on their to remind you of something (like "uncouth" in a social situation). Hang these from the top-inside of your GM screen.

Laser pointer: i haven't added this one to my game yet, but I saw it used effectively for a GM at a large table easily pointing things out as he described them to his players.

Pre-gen characters: Keep a couple pre-generated characters handy for new players who join your table. Keep them simple to play (simple street-sam or phys-ad) and give them some really stereotyped character hooks (drunk dwarf who makes short jokes or angry-but-loyal troll). This can really make a difference on whether you hook a new player to the game.

oops... I didn't realize I wrote so much. That's it for now. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[kbrock1]

An old old topic, but I thought I would refresh it as I am looking to expand my game with some more flair and style. Anyone out there use props, sounds, etc for their games? If so, care to share your exploits? I am looking at using minis more, provide in-game documents in 'Top Secret' style envelopes, use a soundboard, etc.

I am honestly looking for ideas and inspiration, but am also interested to see what the community does as well. I like some of the crazy shit people here have come up with in the past.

It all started with me trying to find those little breakable 'biscuits' you always see them cracking open in movies to get the nuclear missile launch codes. I got so obsessed over finding those, that everything I found in my search turned into a 'hey, I can do this and that and the other'. Now I have all these ideas for adding flavor to the game. Of course, I have still not found the launch code biscuits...

U kno those cheap reading glasses? some of them come in break open tubes,...

[jaellot]

Something that I added recently (with great success) was poker chips. To keep a group moving/motivated/in-character, I reward a poker chip any time someone drives the story, does something clever, has a good rp moment, etc. They can then use these at any time to add a single die to a roll (or someone else's roll). Cheap plastic is lightest and least bulky.
***
Player info cards: Have players fill out a 3"x5" card with some info you might have to roll secretly for them. Perception, resistance-to-illusion-spells, a list of their knowledge skills, willpower attribute, and maybe some special qualities you notice on their character sheet that should be on their to remind you of something (like "uncouth" in a social situation). Hang these from the top-inside of your GM screen.

7th Sea fan, yeah? I've toyed with the idea of bringing over Drama Dice, or making Edge more like it, or something to that effect. I've also toyed with the idea of the Dirty Dice Tricks mentioned in the GM's guide.

Also, the bit about working up a cheat sheet or what have you for things like perception rolls and flaws is awesome. I've done up a database, for every game I run, and pretty much have taken to using my netbook as a GM screen. Just open it up along side any notes and images I can show to the players.

[sunnyside]

i mostly do maps and the like this is great for floor plans of many different houses. i have done the handout thing with letters/threads/what ever, and while it was good it just wasnt worth the time i put into it for the reaction that i got, and as stated above the PCs focused on some minor insignifcant detail as apposed to the massive clue that i left them in it.

also depeding upon how well my group goes with their "gathering infomation" i give out blue prints, secutity systems, gas/water lines, and other bits and pecies

Great link. Personally I think the first game prop you should add is floorplans/maps. Players dig it and while verbal descriptions can work, actually having a map adds a lot to the players "grip" on a situation.


Something I've been thinking about doing is starting to include pictures of NPCs. People are good at remembering images but often suck at remembering names. I speculate that if I set up blown up pics on stands for NPCs when I"m having them speak, the players will actually remember who the heck they are the next time they meet them, even if its been a few sessions.

If you want something official SR, I've got the old sprawl sites book, and it's got a lot of floorplans, a lot of pics you could use for NPCs, and a more flavor in the small amount of remaining text than most books twice its size.

[Chrome Tiger]

Great link. Personally I think the first game prop you should add is floorplans/maps. Players dig it and while verbal descriptions can work, actually having a map adds a lot to the players "grip" on a situation.


Something I've been thinking about doing is starting to include pictures of NPCs. People are good at remembering images but often suck at remembering names. I speculate that if I set up blown up pics on stands for NPCs when I"m having them speak, the players will actually remember who the heck they are the next time they meet them, even if its been a few sessions.

If you want something official SR, I've got the old sprawl sites book, and it's got a lot of floorplans, a lot of pics you could use for NPCs, and a more flavor in the small amount of remaining text than most books twice its size.

That is one thing I love is making maps and floorplans for my games. I started building up the Kenner Girder and Panel set I have had since I was a kid. With a few extra bits here and there, I am hoping to construct 3D shootout maps. I have a few cars and trucks that are to scale with the minis, even an RC chopper (that just sits there).Team Deathmatch, Shadowrun style.

Now I just need to get it all in the game.

[CanRay]

My parents had a book of floorplans from the 1950s when they were starting to really build subburbs. I'm going to have to see if that's one of the things that survived the move here... Not so useful in Seattle, but if I were to start running in a place that had room to spread out, like Winnipeg...

[Chrome Tiger]

My parents had a book of floorplans from the 1950s when they were starting to really build subburbs. I'm going to have to see if that's one of the things that survived the move here... Not so useful in Seattle, but if I were to start running in a place that had room to spread out, like Winnipeg...

That would be very handy. I have had my players invade residential areas, so why not? In my line of work, I am always working with plans for buildings. Our hardline crews use them for all of their wiring and installs. As a lot of our runs take place in the SR future of our local area, having layouts for existing buildings that they would actually be running against, it is an added bonus.

[Chrome Tiger]

My parents had a book of floorplans from the 1950s when they were starting to really build subburbs. I'm going to have to see if that's one of the things that survived the move here... Not so useful in Seattle, but if I were to start running in a place that had room to spread out, like Winnipeg...

That would be very handy. I have had my players invade residential areas, so why not? In my line of work, I am always working with plans for buildings. Our hardline crews use them for all of their wiring and installs. As a lot of our runs take place in the SR future of our local area, having layouts for existing buildings that they would actually be running against, it is an added bonus.

[CanRay]

Hell, I'd love to get my hands on the infrastructure "plans" (Well, as outdated as they'd be) for a city to figure out just how complex things would get to knock out power to a building or to steal power from old lines (Like in the Barrens.).

I've had a tiny bit of experience with the bureaucratic side of it at a job I did dealing with New York... I still have nightmares.

[Chrome Tiger]

That would be cool. I have been down in a few utility tunnels when I was younger, exploring with friends. No ideas really what was what back then, but I would imagine that would be a good place to start looking for access into the power grid.