Hello, Crafters! Welcome in.

Hello to all my friends and neighbors on ATS. I play pen and paper role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons, Biosyndrome, and really anything that looks like it would be fun. I know that quite a few of you do, too.
Instead of playing on a paper map or grid paper, I like to build my own game boards. It takes a hell of a lot of work but it's rewarding. If you're interested in doing it yourself, or already do, this thread is for you. I'll try to keep it updated with whatever videos I find. If you have any ideas, tips and tricks that you use, or have any questions that others might be able to answer, come on in and post.

Below are some videos to get you started or that might give you some ideas.

DM Scotty makes some awesome terrain. Besides crafting, he also gives tips to budding Dungeon Masters or GMs His videos actually got me hooked on making my own. In this video he uses the plastic grass they use to separate sushi to make plants. He has a lot of other videos. If this is something you like, check the others out as well.


The DMG info is another channel that I like. He makes some really cool stuff. In this video he makes a four-way wooden bridge.


Battleboards. UK is something that I just found. He has a lot of interesting videos for building terrain for different types of games.


Terrain Tutor is another one that I just found. He has a lot of stuff. In this video he shows how to make building ruins using foam board. I've actually been looking for something like this.


There you have it. Those are just a few that I've found. Like I said before, if you have ideas, need ideas or advice, or want to give them, come on in. They can be tips on building, materials, painting, whatever. They don't necessarily have to be videos, either.

a reply to: Skid Mark

Dream Park RPG

Great system, can be used for just about anything.

I have only had the chance to play D&D a few times but oh my gawd it was fun. The banter when playing in character is entertaining enough. I spent 26 years of my life judging and book by its cover and never tried it, I spent all those years missing out on truly rewarding experience.

Wish I lived by you skid, I would be so down for a campaign.

Just started playing warhammer 40k with an autistic lad and I have been wondering how to make stuff cheers.
Oh and yeah D&D and all that I loved it..going to attempt to get a cyberpunk 2020 game going with a few pals.

D&D was always a little too mechanics heavy for me. It got in the way of the story too much. I loved 7th Sea, Legend of the Five Rings and Supers gaming.

a reply to: infolurker

That sounds cool. What is it?

a reply to: bananashooter

I was the same way. That is until I saw it being played on youtube. It looked like fun. I talked to my friends and we got together and played, once we got the books. It was more fun playing it than watching it played.

That would be cool to get a game going. My friend Greywolf 13a, another buddy, and I play. My buddy's girlfriend is wanting to join. I'm trying to get another friend in Oklahoma set up with a camera so he can join on Skype.

a reply to: boymonkey74

Well, now you know where you can get ideas on making stuff. It's something that guy you play with can get into,too, if he's into that sort of thing.
I've never played Warhammer but I've seen it played. It looks like fun.

a reply to: Skid Mark

www.amazon.com...=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1EK1FQ1PT80N86CD7DYZ

Dream Park: The Roleplaying Game

Gaming in the world of Larry Niven & Steven Barnes, by R. Talsorian Games.
-Wayne

"Imagine a futuristic amusment park, dedicated to producing the most realistic, live-action roleplaying experiences ever! Now imagine your character as one of a group of of elite Gamers, competing against the toughest Gamemasters on earth, in challenging adventures that combine the best of all genres and time periods!

Now imagine a roleplaying game that allows you to do all of that, with the maximum in flexibility and action. That's Dream Park. With its unique setting, Dream Park allows you to mix, match, combine or change all types of roleplaying genres and characters with every Game Session. Now superheroes and armored knights can battle aliens from the far future, without cumbersome limitations or extra rulebooks! Dream Park's unique character creation system also allows you to re-design your character to meet each new challenge by changing skills, weapons, armor -- even powers and spells -- from Game to Game!

a reply to: ketsuko

Which version did you play, or are all versions that are like that?

I never heard of those games. They sound interesting. Do you have links for them?

a reply to: Skid Mark

I just have to get the guy to understand we don't need every figure he owns on the table at once lol.
7 hour game only five turns lol.

a reply to: infolurker

I like some of Larry Niven's work. That sounds really cool. Thanks!

a reply to: boymonkey74

Holy wow! I can't imagine a 7 hour game in just 5 turns. He must have a huge collection.
Maybe make a game of getting his best pieces out? Or does his mind not work that way?

originally posted by: Skid Mark
a reply to: ketsuko

Which version did you play, or are all versions that are like that?

I never heard of those games. They sound interesting. Do you have links for them?

They are old AEG products and pretty much out of print. We play a home-brew mostly 1st Ed with some 2nd Ed thrown in. Actually, our names appear in the play testing credits for all the 3rd Ed L5R (to our eternal shame) products. We were brought on as one of two 1st Ed "grognard" groups and then they proceeded to more or less ignore all our critiques which leads to courtiers preferring to be "heavily engaged" in mass battle.

www.amazon.com...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439507455&sr=8-1&keywords=legends+of+the+five+rings+2nd+ed ition

L5R is a pseudo-Japanese feudal RPG fueled by the CCG of the same name. The 1st ED system is brutal and hella fun to play.

7th Sea is a very similar dice system (d10 fueled) and lends itself very well to high-octane cinematic, swashbuckling style. It is set in a pseudo-European universe and rewards players for taking off the wall daring-do actions. I took a level 1 character and was jumping on table tops in a bar room brawl, swinging from the chandelier, jumping from the seat of a runaway coach to do that Western thing you see with the guy who hangs between the runaway horses on the hitch, and I also cut off another character's hair with my fencer because I couldn't target the bad guy and he had her in his dastardly clutches (the cut hair freed her). Oh, I also climbed the rigging with a knife in my teeth.

Man, it's so fun to just cut loose and go crazy. Something most systems don't let you do. This one encourages it ... although I did die eventually.

www.amazon.com...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439507740&sr=8-1&keywords=7th+sea+rpg

a reply to: ketsuko

Those sound like fun! Playtesting sounds like fun, too.

a reply to: Skid Mark

If I was to make a game board the first place I would go is the hardware store. I would get a 2' by 8' sheet of 2" foam insulation with the highest R factor. The higher the R factor the the easier the foam is to shape. Then get a can of low expanding spray foam.Cut the foam insulation in half and use the spry foam to glue the pieces together. Then use the spray foam to create the terrain by creating hills. Let it dry then sand or file what you would like.
You could use sand and what ever you find for texture just base it with glue.
A cheap way is to look for the foam packing that comes with products like electronics. They make good buildings and caves it painted correctly.

Good luck

a reply to: d8track

That's what I'm talking about. That's a great idea. I'll have to try it. Thanks!

originally posted by: boymonkey74
Just started playing warhammer 40k with an autistic lad and I have been wondering how to make stuff

cheers.
Oh and yeah D&D and all that I loved it..going to attempt to get a cyberpunk 2020 game going with a few pals.

If you wan't a good special day out then you should check out warhammer world in nottingham, I have not been but my brother used to be into it as a kid and went as an adult and said it was a brilliant day out, they even have a dwarf inn

Warhammer World.

What type of game board do you want to make?

a reply to: d8track

Right now I'm making boards for a mod for Biosyndrome called Millersburg that I bought. It includes a farm house, grocery store, and police station, along with a few other buildings that you can scavenge and fight through.

Really, though, I didn't intend this thread to be for me but for other people on this site that may want to take pen and paper games to the next level. I know there are a lot of people on here that play them. I'm sure there are some that build their own terrain and if they do, they can come here and share with others.