|
Howdy!
Jun 15, 2015 16:58:34 GMT
DMC likes this
Post by Tesla Ranger on Jun 15, 2015 16:58:34 GMT
I've been listening to the podcast for a week or two now and figured it was about time to swing around to the boards. I've been playing D&D with more or less the same group of friends for about 2.5 years now and just started DMing again after about a year and a half. We're playing a 5e game in an original setting I've been calling "Incarnum" (no relation to the 3.5 book) and I've started posting our adventures to my blog. I also run a small leatherworking shop on Etsy so most of the blog is devoted to that. I figured since most of my time that isn't spent stitching, carving, or preparing to stitch and/or carve is spent with D&D I may as well toss it on the blog too. I also curate a number of Pinterest boards where I collect and organize (usually by species and gender) pictures I think could be handy for PCs or NPCs. It's been a pretty handy resource for me made all the shinier by the fact that anyone can access it. I've just this moment registered so I'm looking forward to perusing the boards for as long as my coffee holds out this morning. In the meantime, if anyone needs a dice bag or some dandy initiative markers I can probably help you out.
|
|
Samuel Wise
Demigod
Ready to Help...
Posts: 989
Favorite D&D Class: Warlock
Favorite D&D Race: Mousefolk
|
Howdy!
Jun 15, 2015 17:11:15 GMT
Post by Samuel Wise on Jun 15, 2015 17:11:15 GMT
leatherworking shop
In the meantime, if anyone needs a dice bag or some dandy initiative markers I can probably help you out. Welcome to the Block Party! I will confess, I am a sucker for leather. Slap the word leather on anything and I instantly will spend a little more of my money. I am already tempted to buy some of the bags on your site. And there is nothing like having leather materials at the game table. Your input on anything (especially some of the DMnastics) would be greatly relieved (I love seeing all the diverse ideas here).
|
|
|
Howdy!
Jun 15, 2015 17:18:46 GMT
Post by Tesla Ranger on Jun 15, 2015 17:18:46 GMT
Thanks! ^_^
Leather's a pretty great material but I suspect I'm biased. Regardless we've wound up using loads of it at the game mat, usually as markers. I made these leather tabs long ago that are numbered 1-8 and we pass those around as a way to track initiative. And there's little 1" squares of suede or latigo we slip under the minis to track statuses and effects. It's a handy way to remember who's hidden and who isn't. We use a fair bit of LEGO, cardstock, and other random bits too so it isn't all leather all the time but I'm a sucker for props and markers and have a ready supply of scraps so it works pretty well.
|
|
|
Howdy!
Jun 15, 2015 17:50:36 GMT
Post by friartook on Jun 15, 2015 17:50:36 GMT
Welcome to the Forums Tesla Ranger! Using Lego...*facepalm*. So obvious I can't believe I didn't think of it! I've got about 50,000,000 Lego bricks languishing in my house (my own collection from when I was a kid and all the new ones we've bought for our kids) and two sons to tap as assistants in making dungeons. Who needs to buy dungeon tiles or sculpted dungeon parts when you have all the rebuild-able goodness right there! Also, I wish you had posted a week or two ago. I just ordered a new leather belt strap from Amazon. Would have much preferred to support your site
|
|
|
Howdy!
Jun 15, 2015 19:12:25 GMT
Post by Tesla Ranger on Jun 15, 2015 19:12:25 GMT
Also, I wish you had posted a week or two ago. I just ordered a new leather belt strap from Amazon. Would have much preferred to support your site I appreciate the sentiment. ^_^ I expected to make a lot more belts when I opened the shop and there's been a few but mostly it's been guitar straps and (especially lately) regular old shoulder straps. In the meantime I've been trying to beef up my RPG offerings. I've had Dice Bags forever but I've been working on a prototype for a map case for the past week or two. Just in case there's any DMs who need to take their printouts through the jungle somewhere... >_> I'd also like to build a DM Carry Case at some point, with space for dice, markers and at least 6 minis. As for the LEGO, we've found that's most useful when you're dealing with multiple levels all the same time. For instance, if there's a guard up in a watch tower it makes things a lot easier to build a little watch tower and stick a mini in it. There's been once or twice (long ago) where we used the LEGO to make up a little war game with armies that our characters were leading into battle. The biggest challenge for us is that we usually play in the lounge of another apartment building so we have to hand carry everything to the table. We inherited buckets of LEGO and lots of times it'd be great to be able to use them on the fly. The scale's even about right. We've used a few minifigs as minis from time to time.
|
|
|
Howdy!
Jun 15, 2015 20:05:09 GMT
Post by DM Mitch on Jun 15, 2015 20:05:09 GMT
Welcome to the forums TR! Good to have you! I may just need to see about a dice bag from you at some point....
|
|
Lekai
Commoner
Posts: 20
Favorite D&D Class: Rogue
Favorite D&D Race: Human
|
Howdy!
Jun 15, 2015 20:18:01 GMT
Post by Lekai on Jun 15, 2015 20:18:01 GMT
Welcome to the forums~
|
|
Skedrix
Squire
Posts: 40
Favorite D&D Class: Runepriest
Favorite D&D Race: Warforged
|
Howdy!
Jun 15, 2015 22:42:48 GMT
Post by Skedrix on Jun 15, 2015 22:42:48 GMT
And a fine howdy to you, too! Regarding Lego, there's actually a lot of ways to use them at the table. I've seen some people use them as customizable miniatures (there's actually quite a good selection in the more modern Lego sets, especially among the newer Lego Castle theme), I've seen some people build entire areas to adventure in, like a less realistic Dwarven Forge set, and I've even used them in conjunction with the official D&D tile sets. I haven't built any full-scale watchtowers as you have done, but I'll join you in saying that adding the 3D element can certainly make for more interesting encounters, both visually and tactically! A 3x3 in Lego is actually pretty close to one square on the official tiles, and two bricks plus two plates is roughly the height of one tile. I used this to my advantage to create a multi-level arena with places to stand above and below each other, where the players could use their regular minis on the regular tiles. The other D&D group that was gaming at our friend's house that night kept coming in one at a time to look at our battle. It was a fun night.
|
|
|
Howdy!
Jun 15, 2015 22:55:55 GMT
Post by Tesla Ranger on Jun 15, 2015 22:55:55 GMT
I hadn't taken the time to sort out the conversions so that's pretty handy. I have a bandit camp (with watch tower) that'll probably come up in our next session that I'm planning to make out of some LEGO.
About a year or so ago, my wife (who was DMing at the time) built a 4 or 5 level tower complete with pitfall traps and a removable wall. Our characters had to get to the top of the tower (very much a "storm the castle" scenario) and it was loads better than drawing the same few floors on the mat. Also we got to dunk a LEGO cauldron of "boiling oil" on all the guards we'd locked outside. As you said, a very good night. ^_^
Random sidebar: I tend to dole out a lot of Initiative when I DM so I've been using those little glass beads you can pick up at any dollar store. If a player gets initiative they get a bead and when they want to use it they hand it back. A fair bit more convenient than making marks on paper.
|
|
Skedrix
Squire
Posts: 40
Favorite D&D Class: Runepriest
Favorite D&D Race: Warforged
|
Howdy!
Jun 15, 2015 23:53:09 GMT
Post by Skedrix on Jun 15, 2015 23:53:09 GMT
I hadn't taken the time to sort out the conversions so that's pretty handy. I have a bandit camp (with watch tower) that'll probably come up in our next session that I'm planning to make out of some LEGO. Well, the measurements aren't exactly precise, but they worked well for what I was intending. Something else to keep in mind is that if you're planning to use Lego in conjunction with actual D&D minis, make sure you've got enough headroom for the minis to walk under. A lot of the minis are of different heights, and unlike real creatures, you can't exactly make them bend to fit (unless you're willing to do some damage to the mini).
|
|
|
Post by joatmoniac on Jun 16, 2015 4:11:50 GMT
I will confess, I am a sucker for leather. Slap the word leather on anything and I instantly will spend a little more of my money. Now that I have quoted that we can move on, haha. Firstly, welcome to the Block Party! Secondly. You mentioned a blog, but I don't see a link to it? I could be crazy/blind though so my apologies if you did. Thirdly, I have no doubt that you will get some more work at your etsy shop from the DMB, I know I won't be able to resist buying something, haha. Fourthly, now I must search for my old Legos and add then into my Jenga dungeon wall regimen, haha. I also love the idea of a physical representation of Inspiration, especially if a player gives it to another player.
|
|
|
Howdy!
Jun 16, 2015 15:04:57 GMT
Post by Tesla Ranger on Jun 16, 2015 15:04:57 GMT
In order: 1) QFT? 2) I tossed a link in my signature but if that isn't showing up it's at www.fosterleathercraft.com and the Pinterest boards I manage can all be found at www.pinterest.com/fosterleather/3) Always nice to hear. ^_^ I might ask to pick ya'll's collective brains too when it's time to build some prototypes. I think I know what I like in my DM Gear but more opinions'll probably yield a better result. 4) Woot! Side note: If you're using Jenga, wouldn't you be obligated to provide (at some nonspecific point) a catapult or other engine of destruction so the characters can knock down that wall?
|
|
Samuel Wise
Demigod
Ready to Help...
Posts: 989
Favorite D&D Class: Warlock
Favorite D&D Race: Mousefolk
|
Howdy!
Jun 16, 2015 15:18:37 GMT
Post by Samuel Wise on Jun 16, 2015 15:18:37 GMT
The site is also under your profile when you click on your name (that was how I stumbled upon it).
|
|
|
Howdy!
Jun 16, 2015 15:37:46 GMT
Post by Tesla Ranger on Jun 16, 2015 15:37:46 GMT
I registered the domain hoping it'd be easy to guess and/or obvious, but (barring spam-ery) plastering it all over the internet doesn't hurt either. =p
|
|
|
Howdy!
Jun 16, 2015 17:17:39 GMT
Post by DMC on Jun 16, 2015 17:17:39 GMT
Greetings and welcome! Looking forward to yet more contributions.
|
|