Homemade Props In Your Game

[drawingfreak]

As much as I would love to be able to purchase the best in Dwarven Forge tiles or large amounts of professionally painted metallic miniatures, I simply can't afford to do so with the pay I get in my current occupation (Stay At Home Dad).

The games I run have been rather low in the props category, the most I have done being a rather cryptic ritual scroll a character drew while asleep. While my players loved the prop, it was wholly agreed upon that it was far too nonsensical.

Scroll Rolled Up (http://twitpic.com/5c7xk2)
The Ritual (http://twitpic.com/5c7y91)

I'm wondering, what are some cheap homemade props that you have created in for your games? I've seen Sly Flourish's Portal (http://slyflourish.com/dm-tips-video-building-a-portal-prop/), but I want to see what else is out there. Post 'em if you got 'em.

[Mazeburn]

Props are the best. <3 They're fun and usually really memorable.

One of my party members' characters hates magic. So, for a Christmas session when we were exchancing gifts in-character, I gave him a 'My First Level in Wizard' kit, complete with pointy hat and wand made from craft paper. I believe it also had the slogan 'Anything I Cantrip, You Cantrip Too'.

Our DM also dedicatedly made an entire newspaper front page with about four different stories on it, all relevant to the plot. It's now proudly mounted on the wall.

[EccentricCircle]

I'm a fan of making maps for my games.
some I paint using digital watercolours to make a nice looking "out of game" map for the players. some I hand draw to be "in Game" maps of the sort the characters would have.
a Neat trick is to make old looking paper:
dissolve Sugar in warm water to saturation then paint the sugary water over some paper with a paintbrush, place the paper under the grill of an oven for a couple of minutes (being careful not to let it catch fire) the sugar goes a nice brown colour and the toasted sugar makes the paper smell really nice and gives it a parchmenty texture. its much easier than staining with tea, and you get interesting patterns on the parchment.

I usually make a few sheets at once and then keep them for future use. it looks better if you cut the edges to not be straight, so it doesn't just look like a sheet of A4.

[danzibr]

For props I basically only use maps and figurines. I'd like to do more but I find myself too busy.

However, I do something that I think the players like. Little slips of paper. Say the party makes a spot check and only a few people succeed. I have little pieces of paper with whatever they saw and then only they can read it.

It's also nice for loot. Instead of having to read the stuff several times and them deciding, just one item per piece of paper. That also makes who's getting how much more visible.

[valadil]

I like making maps, but they don't get a lot of play time. Whenever I make one, I need to realize that it's an art project. It doesn't count toward GM prep time. No map I've made has ever seen more than 30 seconds of game time.

I use Construx to model 3d scenes. You can buy them by the pound on eBay. They're not exactly pretty, but they get the point across. Pic in spoilers.

http://files.sagotsky.com/construx_dnd.jpg

[Nachtritter]

I've always liked using props. Sometimes I'll go to craft stores and buy a small, cheap felt bag and stuff it with paste gems, the kind you get for like 50 cents a handful. The next time they help out a PC, or kill a brigand, or what have you, I toss one of the group the bag of gems. There's always a bit of excitement when they open the bag. Granted, you don't want to do this too often, or they'll go "hey, it's a bag of gems." But if you do it enough, they'll enjoy the experience - and get really, really confused when the PC they just helped throws them a bag of ordinary rocks instead and then hightails it down the street on his horse, laughing as he goes.

Also, fake mustaches. They can be surprisingly useful in a campaign when you need a notable NPC.

[Mastikator]

I wanted to play a ranger once, so I made a bow, medieval style and fletched arrows. And whenever the DM throw mobs at us I would LARP the combat by shooting at the DM with the bow.

I kid of course. I don't know how to make bows, I just bought one.
The DM is dead though.

[Nachtritter]

I wanted to play a ranger once, so I made a bow, medieval style and fletched arrows. And whenever the DM throw mobs at us I would LARP the combat by shooting at the DM with the bow.

I kid of course. I don't know how to make bows, I just bought one.
The DM is dead though.

Are... are these two effects related, somehow?

[Traveler]

I rarely get around to actually make props. Usually the most I do is get a pewter mini for the BBEG. But game props aside I try to make a 'movie' trailer for the campaign with microsoft powerpoint using some fantasy art, bold words, and some music to hold it all together. Not saying I always finish them, but I try :smalltongue:.

[Goober4473]

I once used this (http://www.tfu.info/1998/Maximal/OptimalOptimus/optimaloptimus.htm) as the mini for a final boss. I also used a big dinosaur toy as a dragon sub-boss. I made cardboard bases for them. The dragon was 6x6, and Optimus was 8x8. :smallcool: