- pictures of creatures, landscapes or cities so that the players can get a sense of where they are
- sound effects such as bar noises, ships, howling wolves etc.
I'm interested in how and whether other DMs use these types of things frequently. How useful to you find them? What types of things do you use? I play IRL not online so there must be a difference there, but I'd be interested to know and any ideas that people have for how they bring things to life. Thanks.
I tend to forget to do sound effects, but now and again I will prepare some just for a fun sequence or a monologue at the start or end of a session. I do quite enjoy preparing props, however, and because I am a collector of antiques I often incorporate them into my games, sometimes even using antique model ships instead of battlemaps. I also occasionally commission or create art, but I rarely print it up, except for in certain situations where it's handy to have a bunch of cards with NPC names/faces on them, such as when I run this one murder mystery one shot.
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"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Yes I don't use sound effects all the time, but it's fun when appropriate and I'm trying to create a spooky atmosphere. I imagine antiques could be great - good idea.
I essentially never do. (I'm also playing online these days with players in multiple states, so physical handouts aren't a thing.)
I once drew up an NPC's attempt at organizing information about something they were investigating (basically a murder wall with no red string), because writing down all the cross-outs, smudging out old text, writing on top of things, etc. would be impossible, but if the PCs find a complex map, chart, or whatever, I prefer to describe it and the information they can extract from it in a text write-up.
I like making parchments with maps and clues that can be used for multiple sessions or for clues they can look at between sessions. Also letters to tie into personal backgrounds for characters and mementos of events like medals from festivals and things like that. Lots of fun with players that invest in their characters. Also left notes in bottles and red dye writing on leather scraps. Love handmade touches!
Even in my online games I like to make jpegs of letters on parchment for them to discover. Roll20 has a "reveal to players" function for notes that lets you drop them on the players' screen when they discover it.
Sure, maps and drawings. They always get the pulse of the game up because the players assume it's an important thing I've put the time into it. My players have been great about cataloguing characters and party events that happen in sketches. I'm not a good artist, but it doesn't matter. My monster sketches are always appreciated.
Physical props are great. So are online pictures of things like notes and maps.
Sound effects tend to work well in a IRL game. DM gets good control and can ensure it is is not too soft or too loud.
Online games however have MAJOR problems with sound effects. The DM has no idea how loud it is at any person's computer and sometimes it will be way too loud on one person while simultaneously being way too soft on another computer.
I strongly warn you against using sound effects in any online game.
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In my homebrew games I quite frequently use:
- small props such as ripped up letters/clues
- pictures of creatures, landscapes or cities so that the players can get a sense of where they are
- sound effects such as bar noises, ships, howling wolves etc.
I'm interested in how and whether other DMs use these types of things frequently. How useful to you find them? What types of things do you use? I play IRL not online so there must be a difference there, but I'd be interested to know and any ideas that people have for how they bring things to life. Thanks.
I tend to forget to do sound effects, but now and again I will prepare some just for a fun sequence or a monologue at the start or end of a session. I do quite enjoy preparing props, however, and because I am a collector of antiques I often incorporate them into my games, sometimes even using antique model ships instead of battlemaps. I also occasionally commission or create art, but I rarely print it up, except for in certain situations where it's handy to have a bunch of cards with NPC names/faces on them, such as when I run this one murder mystery one shot.
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Yes I don't use sound effects all the time, but it's fun when appropriate and I'm trying to create a spooky atmosphere. I imagine antiques could be great - good idea.
I essentially never do. (I'm also playing online these days with players in multiple states, so physical handouts aren't a thing.)
I once drew up an NPC's attempt at organizing information about something they were investigating (basically a murder wall with no red string), because writing down all the cross-outs, smudging out old text, writing on top of things, etc. would be impossible, but if the PCs find a complex map, chart, or whatever, I prefer to describe it and the information they can extract from it in a text write-up.
I like making parchments with maps and clues that can be used for multiple sessions or for clues they can look at between sessions. Also letters to tie into personal backgrounds for characters and mementos of events like medals from festivals and things like that. Lots of fun with players that invest in their characters. Also left notes in bottles and red dye writing on leather scraps. Love handmade touches!
Even in my online games I like to make jpegs of letters on parchment for them to discover. Roll20 has a "reveal to players" function for notes that lets you drop them on the players' screen when they discover it.
I definitely feel like it adds to the immersion
Sure, maps and drawings. They always get the pulse of the game up because the players assume it's an important thing I've put the time into it. My players have been great about cataloguing characters and party events that happen in sketches. I'm not a good artist, but it doesn't matter. My monster sketches are always appreciated.
Physical props are great. So are online pictures of things like notes and maps.
Sound effects tend to work well in a IRL game. DM gets good control and can ensure it is is not too soft or too loud.
Online games however have MAJOR problems with sound effects. The DM has no idea how loud it is at any person's computer and sometimes it will be way too loud on one person while simultaneously being way too soft on another computer.
I strongly warn you against using sound effects in any online game.