Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Illiden_Nailo 07-12-07, 11:48 AM	I want to try some 3d dungeon ideas. There are some molds on http://www.hirstarts.com But they are extremely expensive and i don't know if I'll llike the idea of 3D dungeons. One on my ideas is to get modeling clay and make it myself. Any ideas?
constanzza 07-12-07, 12:10 PM	yes, i have one,which i am using. take wooden splints. some workers were cutings some furniture, and i saw those and took alot of them. take battle grid, miniatures, and those wooden splints.it helps really.those are easy to move , and to make rooms easily. you can use that modeling clay, but its going to waste your time modeling every room,aint it?:emp: :fight!:
FoolForThought 07-12-07, 07:31 PM	I use wood blocks. You know the kind you find at a kids toy store. They cost about $20 for a large bucket which is enough to build an entire dungeon. It may seem kidish but it works great.
Man in the Funny Hat 07-12-07, 07:51 PM	I want to try some 3d dungeon ideas. There are some molds on http://www.hirstarts.com But they are extremely expensive and i don't know if I'll llike the idea of 3D dungeons. One on my ideas is to get modeling clay and make it myself. Any ideas?Get some cardstock and do it yourself: http://worldworksgames.com Other similar companies are out there as well. The thing with the Hirst Arts molds is that once you buy them you can make as many pieces as you like, but you also need to mix plaster, seal and paint, and then assemble. It's a hobby unto itself - which is not a bad thing but not necessarily what you wanted. Stuff like Dwarven Forge is resin and prepainted but is also prohibitively expensive to acquire enough pieces to do you any good. Particularly if you're looking for not just dungeon but village, city, castle, and other settings in 3D. The print/fold/assemble stuff from places like Worldworks should be less messy, still requires time for assembly but no artistic ability, and still enables you to make as many of the pieces you need as you like. And is much cheaper (unless you print a LOT of stuff which will then start getting into ink costs on your printer).
dknight100 07-12-07, 08:43 PM	i know its not actually a 3d dungeon, but for a far less expensive option, and a tad easier to play on, not to mention far less to make... sheets of a3 paper with a dull gray grid printed on them. Draw your terrain over it (i also label with terrain name and basic info so my players can get info on the terrain that their player would know quickly an easily). For a 3d area, draw multiple maps in a layer configuration. if you want, also do a quick cross sectional sketch showing the where the layers represent. Its not true 3d, its more stacked 2d, but its quick, and easy to manage.
PenderGrass 07-12-07, 08:53 PM	Stuff like Dwarven Forge is resin and prepainted but is also prohibitively expensive to acquire enough pieces to do you any good. Dwarven Forge is great. I ended-up with a huge amount of it and I love it. Mixed with a battle mat, train terrain features and other things - it really makes a great accessory. If you have the cash, I highly recommend it. :dragon: ****
trapspringer 07-12-07, 10:39 PM	If your broke (or just cheap like me), you can print out a grid and cut it in such a way as to form 1" x 1" x 1" blocks of paper. Assemble those blocks in such a way as suits your three dimensional terrain needs. It'll wind up lookin' a little like MGS: VR missions, but hey, you could do worse, right?
Mistimp 07-12-07, 11:01 PM	Styrofoam and a hot knife. Cut wall sections, carve grout lines into them, coat with Elmers glue (to keep the paint from melting them), and paint.
trapspringer 07-12-07, 11:04 PM	Good call on the Elmer's glue. That's kinda' absolutely critical if you go that route, BTW.
Kradlo 07-13-07, 01:05 AM	Master Maze still stands head and shoulders above the rest. I've heard people call it expensive, but for hand painted resin that's even felt lined on the bottom, you really get what you pay for. I've used Master Maze since it came out over 10 years ago, and players still drool every time I bring it out. Check 'em out at www.dwarvenforge.com. You won't be sorry.
Sci_fi__Messiah 07-13-07, 01:48 AM	My little brother has some Imaginext toys that work okay for something like a castle seige. And I also use his MegaBlocks Dragons to build some really neat stuff. That kind of stuff works great if you just happen to have them lying around your house or attic or whatever.
Ayra 07-13-07, 03:31 AM	My friends and I bought some foam plate and a green mat from a warhammer hobbyshop. We used a metal string and some knives to cut groves into it and and tuck the green mat over it. The end result looks pretty good, although we don't have any obstacles yet. We were planning to buy some with the whole group chipping in but found out it was rather expensive. Making the stuff ourselves was put off due to lack of time. In the end we don't even use the grassy mat thingy anymore. Another friend made a game plate where we can draw on with a marker and wipe it off with a wet piece of cloth. The good part of this thing is that it doesn't wipe off easily, so someone moving his sleeve across it accidentally doesn't wipe out the dungeon. Oh, another reason why we didn't choose to do this was because if you do it for one dungeon, you'd basically have to do it for everything.. and if you make different dungeon styles it's very hard to imagine an underground water-cavern complex when all you're seeing are the ruined walls of a castle. Granted one could buy multiple sets, but that would be even more expensive (or time consuming when making it). Anyway, to come to the actual advice if you want to do it still: Go to a local warhammer store. My friends and I did and there they make a lot of things themselves rather than using the default things you can purchase. They know perfectly how to do it and most stores have a hobby room where you can use their tools.
Xeque 07-13-07, 06:38 AM	I look at 3d scenery in a "if I was a millionaire" perspective.... :weep: Could you guys post some photos of the stuff you use? I would love to see them.
Prom 07-13-07, 08:40 AM	Hi All, I made my Group some 3D dungeon walls and doorways. I used PVA glue 18 mm and 5 mm MDF board (man made custom board). I used a jigsaw to cut out doorways in an arch. The walls were made one inch high, by ripping the MDF board on a table saw. Then I cut a range of different lengths with the drop saw. I also used a dremel to cut a stone pattern into the wall and door sections. You can paint it very easily and it is cheap and very strong. You can make anything you want from the selection of parts. Go to the below thread to see what 3D terrain we have used. The wall sections and doorways are about halfway down. http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=858266&page=2 Prom
Frugal 07-13-07, 09:53 AM	Lego
DoveArrow 07-13-07, 12:20 PM	Check 'em out at www.dwarvenforge.com. You won't be sorry. Sadly, this has not been my experience. I have a lot of the dwarven forge stuff, and while I think it looks great and adds a lot to the game, my players just roll their eyes whenever I break it out. Of course, I spent several hundred dollars on it, so I could care less what they think.
Frugal 07-13-07, 12:27 PM	Sadly, this has not been my experience. I have a lot of the dwarven forge stuff, and while I think it looks great and adds a lot to the game, my players just roll their eyes whenever I break it out. Of course, I spent several hundred dollars on it, so I could care less what they think. I think the big thing is to ask whether it adds to the gaming experience or takes away. Maps and minis can really add to the gaming experience and streamline things if done well but it can also easily turn into, "oh great, here come the minis again," 20 minutes to setup and then everyone's distracted and lost their focus on the encounter.
Kradlo 07-13-07, 01:12 PM	Sadly, this has not been my experience. I have a lot of the dwarven forge stuff, and while I think it looks great and adds a lot to the game, my players just roll their eyes whenever I break it out. Of course, I spent several hundred dollars on it, so I could care less what they think. Your players roll their eyes? What kind of jaded schmucks are you saddled with? When I ran a D&D game at DunDraCon for the release of D&D 3rd edition, I used Master Maze and the players were in awe. One said, "It makes me want to run dungeons again." The new Medieval Building Set and MBS Expansion are great for urban games, and they're releasing a new Tavern Set to go with it. I've invested over four grand in Master Maze, and it's money well spent. I'd have bought more, but eBay won't let me auction my kidney (or anyone else's kidney, for that matter). :P
Phrennzy 07-13-07, 01:22 PM	I love prom's work on the sets for RHOD. You rule.
PenderGrass 07-13-07, 04:02 PM	Your players roll their eyes? What kind of jaded schmucks are you saddled with? When I ran a D&D game at DunDraCon for the release of D&D 3rd edition, I used Master Maze and the players were in awe. One said, "It makes me want to run dungeons again." The new Medieval Building Set and MBS Expansion are great for urban games, and they're releasing a new Tavern Set to go with it. I've invested over four grand in Master Maze, and it's money well spent. I'd have bought more, but eBay won't let me auction my kidney (or anyone else's kidney, for that matter). :P I'll agree with most of this sentiment. Although I can sympathize with those that groan at the long set-ups. Hence the reason most everything I build is either built prior to the group showing up or I have practiced building it once or twice and know exactly what I need (so the set-up time is maybe 2-3 minutes). If the set-up time seems longer or more convoluted than that, I go ahead and use the battlemat. This is why having options is always the best route. As a sidenote, I used a 7-8 foot long and 3 feet wide design of pure dwarven forge at the very last SoCal GenCon - it was a smash hit and all the feedback was ecstatic and enthusiastic. :dragon: ****
Phrennzy 07-13-07, 04:51 PM	That resin stuff is awesome. Like Pendergrass said, I would balk at the setup time, but I guess if you know exactly what you need and have it on hand - or if you have enough to pre-build some setup, that would just rock. I would worry about it being to hard to see everyone though. And my cluymsy players would be knockig the walls down and generally run ramp[ant on it. But they sure as hell wouldn't be jaded.
Prom 07-13-07, 05:29 PM	Hi Phrennzy, Quote, I love prom's work on the sets for RHOD. Thanks for the praise. My DM, asked me to buy some of those dungeon tiles (2D), but they don't get used that much. That's why I made the dungeon walls. Quote I would worry about it being to hard to see everyone though. And my cluymsy players would be knockig the walls down and generally run ramp. The walls were orginally 2 inches high and people were knocking them over or they could not see what was going on. The DM asked me to cut them down to 1 inch and this seems to be the perfect height. The rest of the players in my group like the new terrain, but it needs to be simple enough to set up quickly. And the DM is using his transperant sheets and white board markers less. The set up time is less or the same, and he does not have to try and draw stuff then rub it out and alter. I also made him some generic furniture, so he does not have to draw little chairs, boxes, beds, tables, etc. The players also help my DM set up now. Could be very useful if characters want to start throwing furniture around, lol. Prom
boozerker 07-13-07, 05:32 PM	Your players roll their eyes? What kind of jaded schmucks are you saddled with? When I ran a D&D game at DunDraCon for the release of D&D 3rd edition, I used Master Maze and the players were in awe. One said, "It makes me want to run dungeons again." Probaby depends on the situation. If like Frugal said it takes 20 minutes to det up during game time, it'd might be less appreciated.
Jagyr Ebonwood 07-13-07, 05:40 PM	Frugal mentioned LEGO above. I've actually been toying with the idea of buying grey, green, and brown 2x4 bricks in bulk to build terrain out of. Anyone had experience with this?
ccerose 07-13-07, 06:50 PM	Get some cardstock and do it yourself: http://worldworksgames.com Other similar companies are out there as well. I really like the cardstock building that WWG puts out. I've purchased a couple of sets. My players really like them. I like the fact that they are inexpensive and I can printout as many buildings/pieces as I need. Not to mention that I suck at painting. A ream of heavy weight card stock is only about 10 bucks and I buy third party ink carts in bulk. The cost to print out 20 buildings costs me about $15. It doesn't take very long to cut them out and glue them together. To make them sturdier, I glue in wooden coffee stirrers and then weight them down with pennies. I usually set them up before the game starts. If I have to change things, I usually wait until there is a natural break in the game. If I had the bucks to blow, I'd go with Dwarven Forge in a heartbeat. But until then, WWG are an inexpensive, but great looking alternative.
trapspringer 07-13-07, 09:33 PM	I would worry about it being to hard to see everyone though. And my cluymsy players would be knockig the walls down and generally run ramp[ant on it. True 'dat. Geeks ain't know for their coordination, and the more expensive, precariously balanced, labor intensive stuff you put around us the greater our general impairment gets. If you game publicly, just imagine the devastation if, Heaven forbid, a girl should walk by. I don't know for a fact that clumsiness can reach a level that would cause the time-stream to collapse, but I, for one, am not willing to take that chance.
Gerry 07-16-07, 09:21 AM	Frugal mentioned LEGO above. I've actually been toying with the idea of buying grey, green, and brown 2x4 bricks in bulk to build terrain out of. Anyone had experience with this? Yup. Megablocks-Dragons. Go to your Wal-Mart and look for the sets from 2-3 years ago. They're on massive sale, and look more stone-like than the grey lego. My Skull Gorge Bridge is made from this stuff, towers included. I'll be using it in about two sessions, and I'll be able to post pictures then. Gerry
Mock26 07-16-07, 04:55 PM	I want to try some 3d dungeon ideas. There are some molds on http://www.hirstarts.com But they are extremely expensive and i don't know if I'll llike the idea of 3D dungeons. One on my ideas is to get modeling clay and make it myself. Any ideas? Some of the individual molds might seem a bit pricey, but you have to remember that you get to use it as often as you want and you don't have to buy all the fancy molds that they have on display. You can actually get away with just buying one or two basic floor tile molds and use just those. I've used floor tiles to create walls as backdrops for some rooms and they work just fine. They just require a little extra sanding of the edge upon which it will stand and a bit of cardboard or thin plastic board to mount it on. Also, you can do a froogle search for "hot wire foam cutter" and find lots of great cutters with various different wires and such. Then, you just need to get some solid foam insulation and start creating your own dungeons and what-not. They are easy to use and quick to master the art of turning out decent looking scenery. Then, all you need do is give a coat of spraypaint and then sealant and you're good to go. They might be a bit bulky, but they are light-weight and the insulation can usually be purchased quite cheaply at most hardware stores.
Gerry 08-25-07, 03:01 PM	Yup. Megablocks-Dragons. Go to your Wal-Mart and look for the sets from 2-3 years ago. They're on massive sale, and look more stone-like than the grey lego. My Skull Gorge Bridge is made from this stuff, towers included. I'll be using it in about two sessions, and I'll be able to post pictures then. Gerry And here it is, ready for my next session of Red Hand of Doom! They're made from Megablocks (rival of Lego), mostly from their Dragons series of kits. With a name like that, how can you NOT use them? Okay, maybe I should call it mixed media. This thread (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=895603) has all the photos, but here are a couple of the best: Bridge and Towers, South Approach http://www.cfrq.net/albums/Memories_of_Skull_Gorge/IMG_1945_Forest_at_the_Gorge_001.jpg (http://www.cfrq.net/albums/Memories_of_Skull_Gorge/IMG_1945_Forest_at_the_Gorge.jpg) Before: Druid and friends having picnic. http://cfrq.net/albums/Skull_Gorge_Now/IMG_2084.jpg (http://cfrq.net/albums/Skull_Gorge_Now/IMG_2084.jpg) After: And here's what the hobgoblins have done to the place - cut down all the trees to clear fields of fire - set up catapults with log shielding - added a few shields at the tops of the towers - put a dragon in charge of the place. - added a sign on the south side of the gorge that says "You've crossed Skull Gorge with dry feet courtesy of Green Brigade". And yes, the slave parties in front are still clearing off some of the trees and brush. Gerry
Ack 08-25-07, 05:16 PM	For another approach, if you have a laptop available for use at the game table, download (just get the ordinary one - you don't need Pro. Really). With a little practice, you'll be putting together 3d virtual dungeons, that you can actually turn the screen to the players and say, "That's what you see." (there's even the option to put in 'darkness' so that darkvision-impaired characters can't see all the way down the hallway :P For a quick start, I've put together a SketchUp file of various pieces that basically click together, [url=http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=da3a7a6a8251499a7ee791095a41 292e]here (]Google SketchUp[/url). Textures are almost infinitely customiseable (you can import your own) and you can add whatever new pieces you feel are necessary.
Thubby 08-25-07, 07:09 PM	legos, cheap, quick, and reusable. if you dont mind having a blue-green-yellow-red-black dungeon, that is. k'nex work too
omnicrondelicious 08-26-07, 02:32 AM	Another note about Hirst Arts is they are time-consuming to make. If you really plan on making a significant amount of terrain, you may wish eventually to buy multiple molds so you can get an assembly line going. Also, there are people who will happily sell you casts made from hirst arts. Search online or check their message board.
CastTiltowait 08-26-07, 02:56 AM	I'd like to second or third the recommendation of the worldworks cardstock terrain. They have a number of sets that are perfect for D&D, and they are incredibly inexpensive. I'd been thinking about the hirst arts stuff, a friend of mine has some of their stuff, but I stumbled across WorldWorks' CastleWorks Ultimate set. For $15, you get a whole bunch of .pdf files that you print out, do some cutting, do some gluing, and you have yourself a castle in a fraction of the time and expense that a hirst set would take, especially if you add in the painting time. This pic shows a bunch of the various pieces you can make unlimited copies of http://www.worldworksgames.com/store/products/cwu/cwus4.jpg This isn't the best pic, but it shows someone's built castle http://wwgallery.pcinfoman.com/albums/userpics/10040/normal_full_setup.jpg This shows how the model does both interior and exterior. They also have sets of "props" like crates, bookshelves, beds, etc. that really make things look real http://wwgallery.pcinfoman.com/albums/userpics/10040/normal_action10.jpg For standard dungeons, you can use "mini chunky dungeons." http://www.worldworksgames.com/store/products/minic/minics3.jpg They have sets for creating dungeons, caves, there's even a "HellWorks" set being worked on right now. I'm cheap and lazy, but I've found these things are amazingly good quality art, and are easy to do. It takes some time to make the pieces, but once you've got them built, you can easily mix and match the pieces as you need. Because they're paper, they're also lighter to carry than the resin or plaster terrain. I use a post-it type glue stick on things I think might get accidentally knocked, and it stays put.
yellowdingo 08-26-07, 11:28 AM	Cardstock is certainly the cheapest way to go...Considering you will probably use it once, Solid and expensive is not the way to go. Otherwise Paddlepop sticks for the walls of the dungeon, laid down on a grid, on a Ply sheet, and built up with clay fill and plaster of paris objects that you can create molds for yourself...time to develop those sculpting abilities. Plasticine also works well if you want to make mass production molds for plaster of paris objects. Soon we will have you knocking out garden Gnomes (um...Collossal Claygolems).
CastTiltowait 08-26-07, 01:51 PM	Cardstock is certainly the cheapest way to go...Considering you will probably use it once, Solid and expensive is not the way to go. Actually, that's one of the things I like about the Worldworks stuff is that I can use it more than once. They've some generic 6"x6" buildings that I've printed off and made about 5 or 6 copies of. I've used those as shops, part of an inn, a portion of a barricade, and part of a ruined townhall. I put in a couple hours give or take a bit, and I've got myself a building or two that should last me several years worth of gaming unless someone sits on it.:D Even if they do, I spend a bit of ink from my printer and another hour or two, and it's back. The plaster of paris, etc. things, someone sits on it, and that's a major pain in terms of buying more plaster, casting the mold, and then painting the thing (not to mention the literal pain in the *** someone just got:P ) If you've got the talent, time and $$, however, I've seen some really nice sculpted things, so to each his own.
pres_man 08-26-07, 02:47 PM	If you want to make some cardstock buildings here are a few that you can download for free. http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fpm/archive http://www.wizkidsgames.com/mageknight/article.asp?frame=gameresources&cid=37135
CastTiltowait 08-26-07, 03:58 PM	Those are decent, but go to http://www.worldworksgames.com/cat_images/goththealtar.zip or http://www.worldworksgames.com/BoneBridge.zip to download some free samples that shows the level of detail of some of the worldworks stuff. Free is the best price but for the $10-15 WorldWorks price, you get great details, a broad variety of pieces, and the models are just very well thought out and sturdier than the free stuff I've found. I've built a couple of the free things from the WotC site. I wound up having to do extra trimming and reinforcements that I didn't for the worldworks stuff.