As long as everyone is having fun, you're doing it right.
At my table, I have healing potions with dice inside that the players can shake when they drink a potion. When the players find a map, I'll have one printed and aged. Puzzles make great props, and an hour glass can be used to convey a sense of urgency.
Cosplay/LARP props are great for ambiance, and can serve their purpose as passive background flavor.
If you are ever uncertain, ask your players what they like and dislike.
Just coming back into playing after about 30 years. Only played twice in the past 30 years and that was to start a nephew out who was interested. I played a regular weekly game for the preceding 13 years so not actually new to the game. I'm working on a dungeon and hope to get the old group and maybe a few new people to play. To make it more interesting I'm planning a modified Run What Ya Brung game. Not sure if the term is known here but it's something we did occasionally back in the day. The player is armed, armor and equipped as their character. Most of the old group had their own weapons or access to swords, dagger spears, maces and some light armor and garb. Several were in the SCA and a few were sword and knives collectors or their spouses were.
Regarding props: in this campaign, the players are going to have to find (through a dungeon) a locked chest, open it and steal the contents without moving the chest. I 'm trapping the box with several false traps and one trap that isn't designed to hurt anyone but is designed to destroy a message inside. I'm using several ballpoint pen springs pushing up some steel rods as false traps. The players will have to pick a lock (with actual lockpicks) then beat the actual trap which will have a modified mousetrap. The mousetrap will snap a small glass vial with lemon juice in it. The message under the vial is written in invisible ink (lemon juice). If the trap is sprung, the juice will spill out and obscure the message if the players figure out it's written in invisible ink, the new lemon juice will make it difficult to make out the message. The message is a clue to the next phase of the campaign.
In addition to the supplies, arms and armor that will be available for the players to purchase, I've spray painted bingo chips gold and silver to represent coins. I'll use pennies for copper pieces as it's not worth my time and effort to paint them. I also picked up some inexpensive jewelry to add to the chest.
Just coming back into playing after about 30 years. Only played twice in the past 30 years and that was to start a nephew out who was interested. I played a regular weekly game for the preceding 13 years so not actually new to the game. I'm working on a dungeon and hope to get the old group and maybe a few new people to play. To make it more interesting I'm planning a modified Run What Ya Brung game. Not sure if the term is known here but it's something we did occasionally back in the day. The player is armed, armor and equipped as their character. Most of the old group had their own weapons or access to swords, dagger spears, maces and some light armor and garb. Several were in the SCA and a few were sword and knives collectors or their spouses were.
Regarding props: in this campaign, the players are going to have to find (through a dungeon) a locked chest, open it and steal the contents without moving the chest. I 'm trapping the box with several false traps and one trap that isn't designed to hurt anyone but is designed to destroy a message inside. I'm using several ballpoint pen springs pushing up some steel rods as false traps. The players will have to pick a lock (with actual lockpicks) then beat the actual trap which will have a modified mousetrap. The mousetrap will snap a small glass vial with lemon juice in it. The message under the vial is written in invisible ink (lemon juice). If the trap is sprung, the juice will spill out and obscure the message if the players figure out it's written in invisible ink, the new lemon juice will make it difficult to make out the message. The message is a clue to the next phase of the campaign.
In addition to the supplies, arms and armor that will be available for the players to purchase, I've spray painted bingo chips gold and silver to represent coins. I'll use pennies for copper pieces as it's not worth my time and effort to paint them. I also picked up some inexpensive jewelry to add to the chest.
That sounds really cool! I mostly run things online so I don't really have any props. I like using miniatures for battlemaps, though. Unfortunately I've only got 40k miniatures and those are expensive as HELL so I don't let anyone touch them.
In the second story arc of my campaign, the players found a spell book that once belonged to the Necromancer who killed the cleric's mother (part of his backstory) along with their first clues as to where he had gone and what he was currently doing. I gave them both an item card and a prop of the book which I had designed, illustrated, printed and which my husband had bound for me.
Last night, 20+ sessions later, they confronted and fought the necromancer in his lair. The thing that stands out in my mind is that while they had passed the prop around both in character and out and had admired it, no one thought to read the spells it contained to gain insight into his abilities and possible tactics. Oh well, the best laid plans...
My players did all love the fantasy coins I passed out at character creation. And they always seem to prefer the healing potion prop to just rolling dice. (Do the red ones roll higher?)
In general, I like to have at least a cards for each potion, scroll, or magic item. It helps my players remember what they have and saves arguments if something gets traded or passed around the group.
How do you utilize props? I made it so they could use it to hit the 'monster which was a pillow, but I don't know if I'm doing it right.
As long as everyone is having fun, you're doing it right.
At my table, I have healing potions with dice inside that the players can shake when they drink a potion. When the players find a map, I'll have one printed and aged. Puzzles make great props, and an hour glass can be used to convey a sense of urgency.
Cosplay/LARP props are great for ambiance, and can serve their purpose as passive background flavor.
If you are ever uncertain, ask your players what they like and dislike.
Thanks alot!
Just coming back into playing after about 30 years. Only played twice in the past 30 years and that was to start a nephew out who was interested. I played a regular weekly game for the preceding 13 years so not actually new to the game. I'm working on a dungeon and hope to get the old group and maybe a few new people to play. To make it more interesting I'm planning a modified Run What Ya Brung game. Not sure if the term is known here but it's something we did occasionally back in the day. The player is armed, armor and equipped as their character. Most of the old group had their own weapons or access to swords, dagger spears, maces and some light armor and garb. Several were in the SCA and a few were sword and knives collectors or their spouses were.
Regarding props: in this campaign, the players are going to have to find (through a dungeon) a locked chest, open it and steal the contents without moving the chest. I 'm trapping the box with several false traps and one trap that isn't designed to hurt anyone but is designed to destroy a message inside. I'm using several ballpoint pen springs pushing up some steel rods as false traps. The players will have to pick a lock (with actual lockpicks) then beat the actual trap which will have a modified mousetrap. The mousetrap will snap a small glass vial with lemon juice in it. The message under the vial is written in invisible ink (lemon juice). If the trap is sprung, the juice will spill out and obscure the message if the players figure out it's written in invisible ink, the new lemon juice will make it difficult to make out the message. The message is a clue to the next phase of the campaign.
In addition to the supplies, arms and armor that will be available for the players to purchase, I've spray painted bingo chips gold and silver to represent coins. I'll use pennies for copper pieces as it's not worth my time and effort to paint them. I also picked up some inexpensive jewelry to add to the chest.
That sounds really cool! I mostly run things online so I don't really have any props. I like using miniatures for battlemaps, though. Unfortunately I've only got 40k miniatures and those are expensive as HELL so I don't let anyone touch them.
"h"
In the second story arc of my campaign, the players found a spell book that once belonged to the Necromancer who killed the cleric's mother (part of his backstory) along with their first clues as to where he had gone and what he was currently doing. I gave them both an item card and a prop of the book which I had designed, illustrated, printed and which my husband had bound for me.
Last night, 20+ sessions later, they confronted and fought the necromancer in his lair. The thing that stands out in my mind is that while they had passed the prop around both in character and out and had admired it, no one thought to read the spells it contained to gain insight into his abilities and possible tactics. Oh well, the best laid plans...
My players did all love the fantasy coins I passed out at character creation. And they always seem to prefer the healing potion prop to just rolling dice. (Do the red ones roll higher?)
In general, I like to have at least a cards for each potion, scroll, or magic item. It helps my players remember what they have and saves arguments if something gets traded or passed around the group.