Prop Ideas

[coffeefueled]

I like to have my players worrying about extra things, so hand out props for various reasons. It's gone well so far, and I've started doing some for bonus duty as well.

Everyone gets a Hello, my name is sticker (I have a regularly changing player base, it makes it much easier to remember names)
Smiley happy treason star stickers
Bonus duty cards go on lanyards along with the No. 1 card
A big box of different coloured dice - there's a conspiracy among those who've played with me before not to warn new players about rolling dice above their security clearance

Science Officer - gets a pump bottle of hand sanitiser (which is quite nice to have at a table with snacks, drinks, etc anyway)
Happiness Officer - a small pillbox of sugar pills/sweets
Combat Officer - I'm struggling to find the right prop here, but currently using batteries as extra power packs (for weapon use only of course, any other use would be treasonous, the equipment officer's spare power packs are identical apart from a small UV mark I've put on them for my own reference), power packs are somewhat volatile when being shot at so carrying spares is not recommended for health
Equipment Officer - see above on the power packs
Loyalty Officer - currently gets a pack of smiley face stickers and a pack of frowny face stickers which they can pass out
Team Leader - nothing

Does anyone else use props?

 

[ShadowofLords]

One thing I'm planning on doing is actually using the player's handbook as a prop. They suggest this in one of the books, but my plan is that if they need to look up something in the book, the are only allowed to look at the book. They have to hold it in front of their face, and the game continues. This is because the book is Alphapedia, and Alphapedia functions like an annoyingly large popup in their visual system.

The only way to look away from the book is to close the popup and therefore close the book. There is no bookmarking. This should help keep the game flowing when players decide they want to look up the rules... they'll learn quickly, I hope.

 

[BanjoFox]

I was trying to work out how to build a set of headbands (head boppers?) for showing off how many Treason Stars one has.
Something where stars could be easily added/removed would be the ideal.


Here is a sample image:
https://www.znovelties.com/images/head-boppers.jpg

In case that doesn't work "head boppers" works as a search keyword.

 

[Zarathud]

I believe in activities.

I give the Loyalty Officer a deck of "Treason Stars" to pass out. Some of the cards have Two Stars, while others have Zero Stars.

When something questionable happens, I'll shout "Loyalty Officer, what do you think?" Or I'll direct the Loyalty Officer to pass out Treason Star. Inevitably the Loyalty Officer will miss a beat, so I'll direct them to give themselves a Treason Star. The cruelist players will start pointing out the Loyalty Officer's treason in failing to keep the Treason Stars flowing. That moment is joyous fun, as much as the Loyalty Officer looking around at a hostile table because they've taken their job too seriously.

The Happiness Officer will be in charge of turning over the new RAM Deck. Repeating the directions of Friend Computer will increase team happiness.

I hand the Equipment Cards to the Equipment Officer. For a shining moment, they have ALL the equipment and can pass them out as they wish. At least, until the Team Leader suggests a little direction in (not) sharing among the group.

The Combat Officer gets to call out initiative and break ties. That way the GM isn't the one who just happened to skip over another player, again.

I'll call on the Science Officer to explain "how that just happened." Sometimes their explanation is better than anything I could come up while running the madhouse.

The Team Leader gets to be the boss. i once had a group at a convention where the Team Leader showed up with their own mini bullhorn.