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Shade's Live Action Role Playing (LARP) List: Forums
Hey, Tak here. Does anyone have any advice for how to make/acquire, say, traps, realistic signs, money, etc? _________________ "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle (so... apply that to LARPers.)
Joined: Feb 14, 2012 Posts: 12 Location: within this plane. I think.
Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2012 5:10 pm Post subject:
Hello?!?!?!? _________________ "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle (so... apply that to LARPers.)
Joined: Aug 24, 2002 Posts: 746 Location: New England
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 5:25 am Post subject: Re: Prop advice?
[quote="Tristantak"]Hey, Tak here. Does anyone have any advice for how to make/acquire, say, traps, realistic signs, money, etc?[/quote]
There are some groups in teh UK that be able to help you with that. Especially a group like Labyrinthe. Great group of people. Known them since the late 80's. _________________ Just when you thought the worse was over. Here I am. :0)
You can always hit second hand shops and flea markets for many props. Yard Sales are also a great place to find really cheap stuff. Now coins may be found at costume shops or you can get a Doubloon company to make you some custom coins. _________________ I know the pieces fit! I watched them fall away!
Joined: Feb 14, 2012 Posts: 12 Location: within this plane. I think.
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 10:55 pm Post subject:
Well, one, I'm in Alaska, so stuff in the UK... not so much help. Also, it turns out my dad has some experience with traps (safe but highly realistic), which is good. I'm not sure we really have a flea market around here, but I'm sure I'll find something.
Now, I could also use a little advice on making ruins on a $5.20 a week budget... _________________ "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle (so... apply that to LARPers.)
Traps can actually be pretty darn simple. Basic explosive trap? Hook a party popper (pointed straight up and/or at a nice safe angle from the trapped item) to a line. Player pulls door open/trapped item...yoink, POP, streamers everywhere make it obvious something just went off. Some places simply sell noisemakers that work the same way and are less messy. There's also bang traps that use those caps from cap guns (try to avoid mousetraps as an alternative, please) or if you've got a rigid surface to work with even setting up those little paper bang-snaps in a small cup or the like to dump for a good shock and boom.
Signs? Not as hard as you'd think. If you've got a computer, there's plenty of freeware template/stencil programs out there and clip art to go with them. Print out paper stencil, a little time with paint and you can have yourself some nice signage.
Money? Depending on how cheatproof you want things to be, this can be as easy as snagging some glass "gems" at the local craft shop/pet store (they're sometimes used for aquariums). Being able to mark them in some way as "game money" helps keep people from padding their wealth, as it were. I've even seen people print their own paper game money at times.
Ruins on the cheap? Painted tarps/cloth can give you instant walls to set up inside a larger building/along a wooded path for tunnels and dungeons. With some PVC framework, you don't even need something to put them on- just make sure said framework is stable. LARPers tend to end up bouncing off stuff.
Joined: Feb 14, 2012 Posts: 12 Location: within this plane. I think.
Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 6:42 pm Post subject:
PVC... now that's a great idea. as for the poppers, I'd prefer not to have to clean hundreds of little streamers up from the forest floor. For the money... somehow, it doesn't sound quite right, but thanks for the idea. _________________ "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle (so... apply that to LARPers.)
You can also put cardboard buildings up on the PVC or wood frames. With a bit of used or returned paint you make make a fairly realistic looking set. _________________ I know the pieces fit! I watched them fall away!
Joined: Feb 14, 2012 Posts: 12 Location: within this plane. I think.
Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 6:09 am Post subject:
Good idea. Actually, I just had an idea for little lootable statues- as in, scattered around in treasure chests and random clearings... Spraypainted action figures! Use resin figures, or non-valuable action figures/dolls (i.e. Ken) maybe give 'em a cape or whatnot, then spraypaint. If fabric is used, dip it in something that dries hard, glue or somesuch, then paint when ready, sort of dappled stone/light/dark grey. _________________ "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle (so... apply that to LARPers.)
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