Props for a Miniatures Game

[warrenss2]

I used to add props to my game when I was running a pulp RPG. It gave the players a tactile connection to the game as well as providing a visual aid.

I know miniatures games provide this a lot by use of the miniatures themselves.

But wouldn't add even more to the fun if your players could handle these?

http://www.miskatonic.net/pickman/mythos/

^{I know many of you folks already know of this site.}

[jnr]

Here is a link to more statues   http://www.monolithdesigns.co.uk/gothic_horror.htm, I fancy Cthulhu Cult Statue, works out around £14 with post.

[Uncle Mike]

Cool stuff! Gotta make a bottled deep one! Great idea! 

[Alcide Nikopol]

What fun ideas you have. Thank-you for sharing this information.

[Mr. Peabody]

A'yup. Information and clues in the form of letters, telegrams, invitations, documents and page fragments: these added so much to our games over the years.The HPLHS props available online, many of which are free, were a super source of mad inspiration.

The thing to keep in mind is that you can produce play aids in a manner that is fairly quick and painless, so your game keeping efforts are enhanced and not side tracked. Sure, you could spend a week or or even months creating the perfect Liber Ivonis, but a good show has more than just one prop; think about that.

Ideally, with a few hand writing type fonts and a little practice you can bring to the table, as often as is needed, play aids that put lost players back on track (never letting them know they were off-track!), that introduce new information or that move the story along. Ultimately these props create a scrap-book history of the history of the group's activity vs. the Mythos.

Everyone loves the mystery of opening a letter, or the excitement of a telegram requesting immediate response and the grime covered note found, damp with the morning dew, at the front door is always a treasured memory!

At least when we are playing Call of Cthulhu.

[Bako]

Cool stuff! Gotta make a bottled deep one! Great idea! 

Yar, that be right!

[warrenss2]

Yar, that be right! - Bloody Pirate! What in the h#ll are you doing in a Cthulhu forum?!?!

[fairoaks024]

he's not a pirate, he's a sea-going family ancestor, who, by rights, should have died long ago.........


regards

jim

[warrenss2]

  GLUP! 

Warren picks up an boat oar and travels inland until someone cannot identify what the oar is.

[Mr. Peabody]

I think I was a bit off topic w/ my post.. I guess a bunch of telegrams would hardly make a prop for a miniatures game, unless we glued them into a pup-tent or somethin'...

I'm just saying....

[warrenss2]

I think I was a bit off topic w/ my post.. - Not at all! I like doing little role-playing parts to connect segments of the overall adventure. Those will help tremendously.

[Wirelizard]

I think I was a bit off topic w/ my post.. I guess a bunch of telegrams would hardly make a prop for a miniatures game, unless we glued them into a pup-tent or somethin'...

A lot of games, especially at conventions, have "briefing notes" for players. How about doing those briefing notes up as telegrams, or a mix of telegrams and other 'period' documentation - newspaper excerpts and the like?

I've always been interested in more props and atmosphere for tabletop gaming and RPGing alike.

[Cory]

Western Union telegrams printed the words out on a strip of tape that was then cut and pasted to the card - easy to do. I just wish someone would print up bundles of blank telegram cards.

What I really want though is a telegram delivery boys outfit to dress my kid up in and make him go deliver the game bulletins. One of the ones with the little pillbox hats.

[Mr. Peabody]

One trick I was very happy with was to use glue-stick to attach onionskin (tracing) paper to a piece of lightweight card that already had been printed upon - just a bit along the top edge. Then as soon as it was dry I ran this through my printer (which could not handle thin slippery tracing paper alone) and create some interesting creepy looking two-part documents.
The two parts are separated and they only come together when enough clues are gathered.
Wizard!

[Bako]

...and travels inland until someone cannot identify what the oar is.

That the dust bowl?