If there's one thing that can really make a game for me it's props.Over the years, I have accumulated an ever-growing horde of bits and bobs that could be potential in-game props - many even for RPGs that I'll probably never run (such as Call Of Cthulhu).
And while I may have the artistic talent of a monkey with a fistful of poo, that doesn't stop me from "getting all creative" when I foresee a "prop opportunity" in my current game.
I knew The Tuesday Knights would be meeting up with a potential halfling hireling called Jabo Furfoot (inspired by a cowardly halfling hireling profiled in a recent issue of Knights Of The Dinner Table), so, for a bit of added value, I decided that his "grandpappy" used to be an errand boy for White Rabbit Castle (the site of their exploration) and Jabo happened to have his "grandpappy's" old sketch map of the "public areas" of the castle.
Now it has to be said that not all halflings (hobbits by any other name) have the penmanship, or cartography software, of Bilbo Baggins!
I "traced" the castle map - leaving out some areas - onto a piece of printer paper, then screwed it up and dropped it in a bowl with a teabag. Hot water was added, so the tea leaves would stain the map.
For added effect, I then spread the sodden map on a baking tray and slid it under the grill in our cooker for a few minutes... until it started smoking, actually... then quickly removed it and left it to dry (and make sure it didn't burst into flames).
Seriously, I'm not sure of the safety implications of "grilling" maps - so I'm not recommending you try this at home, kiddies.
When I was sure it was safe and dry, I folded the map into quarters and slid it away with Jabo's character sheet - ready to hand to the players at the right time.
I think they appreciated it - although Pete did enquire whether the halfling had been using it as toilet paper (or words to that effect).
It was a useful tool for their exploration of the castle as it meant they didn't need to map the surface level.
Of course, compared to the stylish maps used by groups like that at Geek Orthodox, my efforts were pretty craptastic - but it did its duty and helped guide the players, eventually, down into the dungeon... where no doubt they will all meet horrible deaths within about 10 minutes of the start of the next game.
I'm hoping to make some more maps in the future, so if anyone has any other more interesting - and safer - techniques for giving pseudo-parchments a quirky texture I'd love to hear about them.
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10 persons have something to say about this!:
"...where no doubt they will all meet horrible deaths within about 10 minutes of the start of the next game."
At which point you'll have the opportunity to add faux bloodstains (and/or burns? tears?) to the prop map. :)
Nice work, BTW - especially for a monkey with a fistful of poo! :P
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Christopher.
I'd actually already thought about adding some tears as Jabo has spent the whole expedition in utter terror...
We'll have to see what happens next time (bwahahahaha!)
I used to make mine with hot chocolate. Mmmmmm sweet.
As another notorious prop maker, I salute you sir!
Hot chocolate, eh? We have some of that - I'll have to give it go next time :)
Just wait until I get my shed later this year... there'll be no stopping me then!
I don't think it's better than tea for the effect, but you can take a good lick!
That map is sweet! I love props that the players can handle. Being a Yank, I prefer to use coffee for staining paper. I crumple it, uncrumple it, then lay in in a cookie tray which becomes a sort of shallow pool of coffee.
Also, try different types of paper, which will take the staining better than others.
I save burning for corners, like as if some clumsy thief past it across a tavern table too close to a candle!
Thank you all - looks like I'm going to be raiding the cupboards for hot chocolate and coffee and hunting around for some different grades of paper :D
Ah yes, burns should effectively foreshadow that dragon at the end of the corridor!
I once spent quite a lot of time writing & drawing an elaborate prophetic scroll, which I then tried to age a bit by burning the corners with a lighter--of course, the flames spread faster than I expected and a big burnt hole appeared in the middle of the thing before I could get the fire out. I still gave it to the players, it was just a much more cryptic prophecy than I had originally planned :)
Thanks for that, Jeremy. Hope your players appreciated the effort (and danger) you went to to produce that scroll!
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