Props at the table?, news headlines, voice recordings, text conversations, etc... Options

[Overclockworked]

I'm looking for ways to make props for my upcoming Shadowrun 5e campaign, mostly media type props like news headlines and fake IRC conversations. When I googled 'making Shadowrun props' I only got Shadowrun Returns results.

I've played around with voice editors and what not, and I actually have a recorder with playback I can download clips into, which is a good start. I'd welcome any advice regarding here.

However I'm primarily looking for ideas about making text props. I have a crappy old tablet I can display images on (only access to kindle app store =P), and the host house has a flatscreen with chromecast hook up, so I have a few options for displaying a digital image. My problem then I suppose is making the prop itself, because I'm crap at GIMP and artsy things in general.

Am I going to have to buckle down and learn to shop or are there alternatives programs/strategies available?

Really any advice on making Shadowrun props is welcome, I love game aids but I'm kind of floundering.

[Wounded Ronin]

I'm looking for ways to make props for my upcoming Shadowrun 5e campaign, mostly media type props like news headlines and fake IRC conversations. When I googled 'making Shadowrun props' I only got Shadowrun Returns results.

I've played around with voice editors and what not, and I actually have a recorder with playback I can download clips into, which is a good start. I'd welcome any advice regarding here.

However I'm primarily looking for ideas about making text props. I have a crappy old tablet I can display images on (only access to kindle app store =P), and the host house has a flatscreen with chromecast hook up, so I have a few options for displaying a digital image. My problem then I suppose is making the prop itself, because I'm crap at GIMP and artsy things in general.

Am I going to have to buckle down and learn to shop or are there alternatives programs/strategies available?

Really any advice on making Shadowrun props is welcome, I love game aids but I'm kind of floundering.

I think playing with graphics is time consuming and hard and will probably look cheesy as hell if you're not really good at it. I'd stick with creepy recordings and good writing.

[Sendaz]

While not exactly what you are needing, you could use the Cyberpunk city generator to generate a setup that you can then spin some news off of.

So for example:
Boost is an American “old city” that has gained increased prominence due to neoliberal reforms and a favorable corporate environment.
The city is controlled by a democratically elected Mayor. The current Mayor, Sonja, accepts bribes from Apex Frontiers and is focused on stimulating the economy. Corporations are given generous subsidies and assistance to create jobs. Sonja is a Punctilious Charmer.

Armed vigilante gangs make up the core of law enforcement of Boost. These gangs are very unprofessional, but are highly dedicated to protecting “law and order”. The police is trying to eliminate Swartz's Army, an illegal terrorist group seeking to violate copyright law by producing counterfeit goods and services. The leader of this group is Chin Tai, a Burned-out Workaholic. According to police records, Chin Tai is being funded by Goldmund-Teller.

The education system in Boost specializes in the humanities; employees are experts in philosophy and ethical decision-making, but lack basic math and science skills.

Boost has a booming industrial sector, but its environmental record is horrible.
-----------------------------------------------

So from this you could create news sound bites relating to the details above, so rather than having tons of threads to follow you can follow a few key news stories for continuity.

will keep looking...

[Sn00py]

Using pics for every NPC is a really simple but effective way to make everything a little more real. When you're preparing the run, think of an actor or character from a film who more or less matches up with how you imagine your NPC looks, then internet image search (pinterest is good for this) and print out a small pic - you can note stats on the back. I find it really helps players visualise who they're dealing with and it makes the relationship between them mean a bit more. I also keep a bunch of stock pics for gang members, cops, civilians etc that can be recycled for minor characters in different runs.

[Overclockworked]

I think playing with graphics is time consuming and hard and will probably look cheesy as hell if you're not really good at it. I'd stick with creepy recordings and good writing.

That's kind of what I was afraid of initially, which is why I was hoping for a convenient program. I do plan on writing most of the missions, which will be time consuming enough without wasting hours in photoshop.

It shouldn't be too hard to write up some faux news to announce even if the players don't get to read it and peruse it at their leisure. I used to have a player that had a lot of trouble following my verbose descriptions, so I've become used to succinct 2-3 sentence descriptions for even my most important parts and writing out anything huge. But now Its dawning on me that I don't have to accommodate him anymore.

While not exactly what you are needing, you could use the Cyberpunk city generator to generate a setup that you can then spin some news off of.

So for example:
Boost is an American “old city” that has gained increased prominence due to neoliberal reforms and a favorable corporate environment.
The city is controlled by a democratically elected Mayor. The current Mayor, Sonja, accepts bribes from Apex Frontiers and is focused on stimulating the economy. Corporations are given generous subsidies and assistance to create jobs. Sonja is a Punctilious Charmer.

Armed vigilante gangs make up the core of law enforcement of Boost. These gangs are very unprofessional, but are highly dedicated to protecting “law and order”. The police is trying to eliminate Swartz's Army, an illegal terrorist group seeking to violate copyright law by producing counterfeit goods and services. The leader of this group is Chin Tai, a Burned-out Workaholic. According to police records, Chin Tai is being funded by Goldmund-Teller.

The education system in Boost specializes in the humanities; employees are experts in philosophy and ethical decision-making, but lack basic math and science skills.

Boost has a booming industrial sector, but its environmental record is horrible.
-----------------------------------------------

So from this you could create news sound bites relating to the details above, so rather than having tons of threads to follow you can follow a few key news stories for continuity.

will keep looking...

I love this actually. My game is taking place in Seattle and one of the biggest things I'm aiming for is making it feel big. A lot of those generated details I'm going to use for outlying towns or neighborhoods in Seattle. Its going to be a sandbox game so random generators like this that actually fit the theme are wonderful.

Using pics for every NPC is a really simple but effective way to make everything a little more real. When you're preparing the run, think of an actor or character from a film who more or less matches up with how you imagine your NPC looks, then internet image search (pinterest is good for this) and print out a small pic - you can note stats on the back. I find it really helps players visualise who they're dealing with and it makes the relationship between them mean a bit more. I also keep a bunch of stock pics for gang members, cops, civilians etc that can be recycled for minor characters in different runs.

I actually have a pinterest with ~800 character pictures. Most of them aren't actors because I tend to avoid recognizable faces. I do prefer photographs because duh realistic proportions and detail, but I have art for mages and deckers actually doing their stuff which is cool. I have a few other sections too like drones, creatures, and locations. My plan is to prop my tablet up on the other side of the GM screen with a gallery of NPCs, locations, and relevant items to flip through when I call for it. I have a fuck ton of note cards for stat blocks too (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

https://www.pinterest.com/Seattle2072/

I mentioned this game is going to be in the sandbox style, which I find to be the style in where its most difficult to keep players engaged. If you turn them loose to find their own plot they often kind of struggle. I'm hoping it'll be different for my group, but one way I'm planning on driving the game is through NPCs. Groups tend to form weird attachments to NPCs I never would have thought, so I'm gonna flesh out as many as I can and just throw them at the party until one sticks.

Which means character art, goals, personalities, and motives for a whole cast of NPCs, which is a lot of work. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lick.gif)

[Deckbeard]

Finally someone else who does this. I liked to do at least one prop per game when I ran. Since we only played every other week I had a lot of time to prepair.

A lot of the stuff was super simple. A Manila folder with pictures of of the layout of a nearby gas plant I took from google earth and then did some photo shop to remove a couple of the stuff from Google.

The absolute best place to look is the dollar store toy isle. You get a shit ton of fake guns that are super cheap and you hopefully won't be confused for a terrorist. One of em had sound effects and when someone was taking too long in combat I'd shoot it at them.

I actually still have a collection of props and stuff I've bought or made at various times. I'll upload some pictures later.

[Overclockworked]

Finally someone else who does this. I liked to do at least one prop per game when I ran. Since we only played every other week I had a lot of time to prepair.

A lot of the stuff was super simple. A Manila folder with pictures of of the layout of a nearby gas plant I took from google earth and then did some photo shop to remove a couple of the stuff from Google.

The absolute best place to look is the dollar store toy isle. You get a shit ton of fake guns that are super cheap and you hopefully won't be confused for a terrorist. One of em had sound effects and when someone was taking too long in combat I'd shoot it at them.

I actually still have a collection of props and stuff I've bought or made at various times. I'll upload some pictures later.

Ooh thanks I'll definitely stop by the dollar store and see what I can find, and manila folders for mission briefings and what not would be awesome (depending on the mission & who is hiring them, not all Johnsons are that prepared)

[Adhoc]

However I'm primarily looking for ideas about making text props. I have a crappy old tablet I can display images on (only access to kindle app store =P), and the host house has a flatscreen with chromecast hook up, so I have a few options for displaying a digital image. My problem then I suppose is making the prop itself, because I'm crap at GIMP and artsy things in general.

The only way to get better at something is to do it. So get going (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

OTOH I find a lot of maps, pictures etc online. I basically just google what I need and refine the search until I find what I'm looking for.

A.

[Adhoc]

Double post. Don't know how to delete it.

[Forgotten_Lore]

Pinterest is a dangerous thing, I find myself looking at it for hours writing down details to pics i find, check my stuff out. Hope you find some of it useful.

https://www.pinterest.com/RobjustRobsArt/

It was actually a Champions GM many years ago that had everyone use an actor to visualize their character, when I started GMing more I kept up with it for NPC's. Eventually started using laptop for game and starting collecting pics for whatever i could find. When I work on a game I randomly search in the pics, it really helps me to put in details and its crazy how often I find a perfect pic for the setting, person, or object I need. If I stopped using pics for things in my games, my players would think something was wrong.

[Deckbeard]

Sorry this took so long. Schools just staring up again.

The picture quality isn't great but it's enough to get the gist of it.

http://imgur.com/FEpIynD

From left to right, top to bottom we have an Aztec weapon foci, a shitty deck, a light pistol, a pair of image link glasses, a sub-machine gun, a balaclava, a Manila envelope with surveillance photos and a pair of latex gloves.

The other item that isn't in the photo was my trench coat which I wore to the games. Props can be a lot of fun and players love em, but you have to be careful with shadowrun cause if your not you look like a terrorist.

[Wounded Ronin]

Pinterest is a dangerous thing, I find myself looking at it for hours writing down details to pics i find, check my stuff out. Hope you find some of it useful.

https://www.pinterest.com/RobjustRobsArt/

It was actually a Champions GM many years ago that had everyone use an actor to visualize their character, when I started GMing more I kept up with it for NPC's. Eventually started using laptop for game and starting collecting pics for whatever i could find. When I work on a game I randomly search in the pics, it really helps me to put in details and its crazy how often I find a perfect pic for the setting, person, or object I need. If I stopped using pics for things in my games, my players would think something was wrong.

They make you create a login just to look around? Boo!

[Forgotten_Lore]

Yes they do require you to have a login, but you don't ever have to put anything up to browse and look around. I have a lot of people following me who don't post anything, I will say there are a lot of good pictures up so it will be useful if not for my stuff, then someone else.

[tisoz]

There was a SR map pack. I'm not sure if they come up for sale too often. I have a set and at the time most thought they were overpriced. But the SR figs/minis were usable with them as well as the cardstock from DMZ. Later on I noticed some Christmas Village miniature buildings were close to the same scale as the minis. Though they are not cyberpunk, I think I had about a dozen of them including a church, gas station, movie theater...