Author Topic: Gaming Aids (Read 1958 times)

ictus · « **on:** June 24, 2009, 09:48:42 AM »

I'm curious, what sort of things do people use when they are gaming?

figures, dice, pictures, video, sound effects....

The list could be infinite, but I have kept it to this one, just to get a rough idea.

rafmeister · « **Reply #1 on:** June 24, 2009, 09:12:59 PM »

I also use pre-printed game maps (from battletech) and props. One time I asked players how their characters went up a set of steps, and had them step on boxes. Basically the trick was to hop, skip, jump, or run. The steps were in different dimensions, and you went into a fugue if standing on different steps at the same time!

CroakerDogBoy · « **Reply #2 on:** June 24, 2009, 09:41:51 PM »

Strictly old school myself. A big stack of books and a bag of dice are it.

Ironmaul · « **Reply #3 on:** June 25, 2009, 02:22:41 AM »

I would have ticked video but I havn't got my projector in the gaming area yet. It's a slow works in progress.

Usdrothek · « **Reply #4 on:** June 25, 2009, 07:24:58 AM »

Ive found a whiteboard to be very useful for maps/battlemaps. Coloured magnets which stick to the whiteboard are great for player positions.

Celedor · « **Reply #5 on:** July 10, 2009, 12:27:45 AM »

I've used all of the above at one time or another, but it's been a long time since I've used figures/scenery/models.

arakish · « **Reply #6 on:** July 10, 2009, 07:02:23 AM »

nowadays, i tend to use mostly computer based stuff
rule books in PDF format
3d renders
mapping software
photoshop
gimp
etc...

however, i still do use one old fashioned thing: dice.

rmfr

GrumpyOldFart · « **Reply #7 on:** July 10, 2009, 08:33:29 AM »

What he said.

Grinnen Baeritt · « **Reply #8 on:** July 10, 2009, 01:31:30 PM »

Something I've just started using is a velcro board for recording initiatives. Each player has a small business-card sized summary, which is velcroed to the board.

Celedor · « **Reply #9 on:** July 10, 2009, 08:55:42 PM »

dry-erase battlemats, or just a dry-erase whiteboard of portable size, have become typical in FtF games on my end.

Moostik · « **Reply #10 on:** February 19, 2010, 12:41:59 AM »

same as Arakish, and a few excel sheets with macros for faster combat resolution etc. I made quite a few simple ones myself.

Mort · « **Reply #11 on:** September 25, 2010, 11:57:42 AM »

I use anything I can put in the players' hands to represent what is going on in the story: passports, telegrams, photos, old newspapers, etc. The more the merrier.

Shroudeye · « **Reply #12 on:** November 24, 2010, 05:07:19 PM »

I use my depravity and then my excuses for why I do not think I am a childless weirdo.

Kantron · « **Reply #13 on:** May 30, 2018, 01:05:36 PM »

I'm a rather interesting blend of "old and new school" on this. I am writing my own app for generating characters. However, the way I am doing it, I will be able to literally have thousands of characters within an hour. I am also going to have an app which will generate a plot outline using the system as described in Gamemaster Law. I am doing this with an emulator for 1990's Apple //e technology.

Just X · « **Reply #14 on:** June 26, 2020, 03:27:36 PM »

I have just recently tried adding some new tricks to my tool box. In the past it was mostly maps and figures. Then I save beer caps and the various colors became coins. Adding a few old seasoning and shot bottles made for potions, kids toys for rings, etc. But now I have actually built some paper dungeons in 3-D and even tried adding sound effect. My players love the props, and liked the 3-D dungeons and sound effects, but felt that they took too long to get set up and interfered with game play. I am toying with Virtual table tops and mapping software, but haven't really gotten any where yet, with those.

Grinnen Baeritt · « **Reply #15 on:** June 26, 2020, 03:58:42 PM »

Quote from: Just X on June 26, 2020, 03:27:36 PM

I have just recently tried adding some new tricks to my tool box. In the past it was mostly maps and figures. Then I save beer caps and the various colors became coins. Adding a few old seasoning and shot bottles made for potions, kids toys for rings, etc. But now I have actually built some paper dungeons in 3-D and even tried adding sound effect. My players love the props, and liked the 3-D dungeons and sound effects, but felt that they took too long to get set up and interfered with game play. I am toying with Virtual table tops and mapping software, but haven't really gotten any where yet, with those.

With recently living in interesting times, our ftf club has moved all it's games online.. this includes mine, which as a technical buffoon, was a *bit* of a challenge. However, the Roll20/discord combination is actually quire easy to use (but I've watched a LOT of youtube videos, to get my non-d&D system to the state where I'm happy with it..)

I use Campaign cartographer for the maps.... and that's on Humble Bundle atm

https://www.humblebundle.com/software/maps-extravaganza-software?hmb_source=navbar&hmb_medium=product_tile&hmb_campaign=tile_index_2

Grinnen Baeritt · « **Reply #16 on:** June 26, 2020, 04:07:43 PM »

In fact just splashed out to get the bottom layer bundle... ironically, the only ones I didn't already own!

Dax · « **Reply #17 on:** August 08, 2020, 04:23:10 PM »

Beside Imagination and the dice

The most important thing for me is a pregenerated list of names:
Names for persons and for towns (for rivers you can mostly use one of both)

For names there is the little free software "Everchanging Book of Names"; although I never used it much.

I mostly make up many things on the run.
(Remember the description in Campaign Law: "If the Characters decide to go to an area not prepared by the GM, the game ends and starts again prepared at the next session."
My players would just accept to go the other direction,
but not for me: I'm ready for every thing.
Fun Fact: The start point of an adventure was "traveling" with them - the rumor of a missing child, then it became a family then children etc.
Until a rich inn owner asked the adventurer directly and they went questing for the reward.)

But if a inn owner calls for his own son to show the adventurer the hidden path into the forest, he really shouldn't stumble with his name.

Better late than never. (I should put this in my signature)

Grinnen Baeritt · « **Reply #18 on:** August 08, 2020, 05:14:59 PM »

LOL.... I have no trouble coming up with random names... it's then remembering them that's the problem!

I really need to take notes...

Dax · « **Reply #19 on:** August 09, 2020, 06:52:28 PM »

Yes, remembering is the other problem;

but I note any information - I come up with - down on the list.

Poll

What do you use?

Author Topic: Gaming Aids (Read 1958 times)