Lamaclown's Terrain: Citadel of Torture (Dreamblade) 2/3/11

[Lamaclown]

Well, I decided I would give a try at custom terrain.
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ADDED 02/03/11

This isn't terrain I made but I am using each piece as interactive terrain so I will post them here.

I got several of the "structure" pieces from the Dreamblade game...

Soulwash Temple ........................... Tower of Unquenched Flame

Gateway to Psychosis .................. Pearlthorn Castle


Tower of Faces ............................. Citadel of Torture

I will be designing powers for each piece. The first one I have finished is the Citadel of Torture which has a Treasure Glyph to go with it...


If you have any thoughts on the Citadel of Torture or ideas for the other pieces be sure to let me know.

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ADDED 03/23/10

Rocks & Trees
I wanted some more mountain terrain with thick forest areas so I made these. They are pretty simple to make so I will probably make some more.

I got a deal on the trees- 21 of them for $2 after Christmas. I still have to de-flock the trees with the snow on them.

The cave can be used in scenarios. As is, the figure in the cave receives 1 additional defense die against non-adjacent attacks.

I made the trees removable so I can use just the bare rocks if I want.















The full size pics can be seen here.
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ADDED 02/01/10

Marro Defense Perimeter
This was my entry for the Speed Custom Terrain Contest. I made it from beginning to end in about 8 hours. The only materials used in its construction were hot glue and three plastic Easter eggs.

As I stated previously, I like interactive terrain so there is a rules sheet for using the defense perimeter.

An overview...



The AE attempt to free one of their fellow soldiers who has been ensnared by the corrosive living barrier.




I left the AE soldier as a separate piece so the fence can be used with or without him.


The PDF of the rules of use which is available here.

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Added 12/22

Modular Cave System
I started on these this past summer. With the upcoming release of the DnD MS I had a little more motivation to get them done. When I am done I will have six units. They will each be different but will all fit with one another.


I experimented with a quick way to texturize the foam by using a light coat of spray paint directly on the foam. I am not completely satisfied with the result (but not totally disappointed either). The top is painted black because figures cannot be placed there.
You can see the cut-out foam in the background. These will be textured and painted as well. They will fit in the individual units so that even each unit will have numerous different layouts.


By using a single space tile I can connect the units together in an almost endless combination. With six units I can connect them any which way I want, play a game, and in a matter of minutes rearrange the units and the pieces in each unit to have a totally different map. These will be great when playing a campaign.

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Added 12/17

Mt. Storm
This is a project that has been sitting partially finished on a shelf for months. I finally got some time to drybrush it last night. I still have three more things to do for it before it is completed
1) Put the hexes on it
2) Build some ladders for it
3) Put some greenery on it

Seeing as I have worked on it on and off since June, I am not sure when I will be able to finish it so I figured I would go ahead and post it as is.



I got this at a yard sale for 50 cents. It also came with a bunch of cave men and dinosaurs. I repainted the cavemen as well for custom units. You can see them here. It was just a one sided deal so I...

...used foam to build a back side to it. I then covered it with spackle and then coated that with a mixture of water and glue to give it some "toughness".




Then I painted it.

It fits pretty well on hexes, not perfect but well enough that it will work fine for a game. It is 37 levels high total. The main upper level is 25 levels high. Like I said before, I will be adding a system of ladders for non-fliers.

I made it specifically for a major campaign I am developing for my group. It has special rules and such for figures on the mountain and the cave actually leads to a cave system (which is another project in development). It can, of course, be used in normal games as well.

Not a bad piece of terrain for only $0.50.

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ADDED 12/16
I like interactive terrain so to that end I created these...

EDITED: I edited the defense bonus offered by the Blood Fronds to prevent a figure from getting the bonus when being attacked by a Blood Frond.

The rationale behind the bonus:
-- Bonus from non-adjacent attack per TJ terrain rules
-- Bonus from adjacent attack: If you knew that if you got too close to a plant it might trap you and eat you, would you keep a safe distance even if you were attacking someone adjacent to the plant? This desire for self-preservation was the thought behind the adjacent attack bonus.

Bood Fronds




They are nothing spectacular to see or make but i hope they bring some added spice to the game.
If you like the concept you can download the PDF of the rules for using them here.
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I am going to attempt to offer a tutorial on how I made the treasure pile. This is my first attempt at a TUT so bear with me if you get to the end and are left scratching your head going or . My apologies in advance for some of the fuzzy photos.

Spoiler Alert!

Materials needed for this project are...
Treasure Pile:
7 hex tile (you can use an official one or make your own; I made my own since I don't have any extra)
Aluminum foil
Spray primer (optional)
White glue (Elmer's)
Gold glitter

Treasure chest:
3/8 inch square dowel
3/8 inch round dowel
2 thin strips about 2 inches long cut from cereal box
Black paint
Brown paint
White glue (Elmer's)
Gold glitter

Tools needed:
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Small hack saw (for treasure chest)
Dremel or other carving tool (for treasure chest)


Take the aluminum foil and crumple it into a shape that roughly resembles a mound. Do 3 or 4 of these of varying sizes. remember, though, that all of them need to fit on your tile.


Once all of the mounds are made, arrange them on your tile to get the best fit.


(Optional) Glue does not adhere well to aluminum foil. You may want to prime yours before going any further to help the process later.


Use hot glue to glue your individual piles together. if you primed your piles make sure the primer is completely dry before proceeding to this step. Once your piles are glued to one another, draw a bead of hot glue along the edges of the piles where they meet on top. This seals them and also makes it look like one big pile once the project is finished.


After you have the piles glued and sealed together use the hot glue to attach the whole thing to your tile. Don't fret if you see a gap along the bottom edge of the pile.


First go around the whole thing firmly pressing the aluminum foil down against the tile. Then, holding the the tile on edge, run your hot glue along the edge all the way around the pile where it meets the tile. This effectively fills the gap while also sealing the pile to the tile.


At this point you are ready to apply the glitter for the gold.


To get the rounded shape of the "gold" take each piece of glitter with a pair of tweezers and carefully snip off each corner to get a semi-rounded appearance.


Or you could do like I did and go to Michaels and buy glitter that is already rounded. It is your choice which method you prefer.
They have several colors. I used the red for rubies, the green for emeralds, the blue for sapphires, and the translucent for diamonds


Drizzle white glue on the surface of your pile and spread it all over. Make sure you get a semi-thick coating over the entire surface. I found it easiest to use my finger for this.


While the glue is fresh, lavishly pour on the glitter. I mean dump it out, don't just sprinkle it on. Do this on a sheet of paper so you can save the excess glitter. Once the glue is dry shake off the excess glitter and pour it back into your container.
Voila- treasure pile.
You can add any "treasure-y" details that you want. For this tutorial I will add a sword and a treasure chest.


I had a Dreamblade fig called a Bladestrider that had legs that made excellent sword blades. Once the surgical amputation was performed I used a clipped off nail for the handle and hilt of the sword.


A little hot glue and a little paint and I had an ancient and valuable sword for my treasure collection.


For the treasure chest cut 5/8 inch pieces from the round and square dowels. Then, using a small hacksaw, cut the round piece in half for the lid of the chest. Be very careful not to cut yourself!


Using a Dremel, or whatever carving tool you are using, carve planks into the sides of the chest and the top of the lid. Again, be extremely careful! In fact, this is a picture of how NOT to do it. Hold the piece being carved with a pair of pliers. Coat both the chest and the lid with black paint. Once it is dry, dry brush brown onto both pieces.


For the "iron" bands paint the strips from the cereal box black. Spread some glue on them then, beginning from the back of the chest stretch the strip up and over the front. Make sure you have the lid on the chest before doing this. Do not glue the lid onto the chest. Once the glue has dried cut the strip at the red lines. Cutting the top lines will enable you to open the chest. Cut only on the front or your lid will not be attached to your chest.


Fill the chest with white glue and liberally fill it with glitter. Once the glue is dry, shake off the excess and return it to its container. You now have a chest full of gold. You can either hot glue the chest to your treasure pile or leave it separate. I chose to leave mine separate so that I can use it by itself if the need arises.



There are all kinds of little details you can add. Golden urns, priceless books, magical armor, etc. Use your imagination and you may be surprised at the "treasure" of a piece you may be able to create.

I hope that this tutorial was at least a little helpful.
the whole project is actually very simple and can even be completed in one night. Good luck!

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I was able to get a little time last night to pretty much finish up on my second project. There are still a couple of little details I would like to add but they are not crucial to the piece.
This is a treasure pile I made for a scenario I created. I know it is a lot of pics but I thought each was necessary. I left the treasure chest separate so it could be used as a an individual object if wanted.






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This first attempt was really just an experiment and a learning process for me but I decided to go ahead and post it anyhow.

It is made out of blue insulation foam carved with a utility knife (I discovered you shouldn't use dollar store utility knives- they bend and warp while you are cutting). I have since purchased a hot wire knife for any future projects using the foam. The bricks were carved with my Dremel.

My dry brush technique needs work, I know. I will assume that I will get better at it with experience.

[Xzaldar]

WHOA

[Jandarforever]

That thing is SWEET. You did an excellent job on carving the bricks (something I can appreciate with my last two customs), not to mention the beautiful paint job. Very good work! If this is only your first attempt at customs, them I can't wait to see what else you can do. For the two conical things on the wall, did you use corks from bottles or something?

[Mossman]

Love it!

[Gidian]

Hi Lavaclown,

that is a really good start at custom terrain. Very good job - not just because it is your first one.
Just one tipp: I would continue the stone structure on the top of the wall as well to give it a more realistic look. Would make it even nicer I think.

Greetings from Germany

Gidian

[gorthan313]

Originally Posted by Gidian

Hi Lavaclown,

that is a really good start at custom terrain. Very good job - not just because it is your first one.
Just one tipp: I would continue the stone structure on the top of the wall as well to give it a more realistic look. Would make it even nicer I think.

Greetings from Germany

Gidian

Take it from a true master of custom terrain, Lamaclown!

[Lamaclown]

Originally Posted by gorthan313

Take it from a true master of custom terrain, Lamaclown!

Gidian's terrain objects have been inspiring me since I first joined the site. Any tips he gives I consider truth, not simply opinion.

To all, thank you very much for the encouragement on my first project!

I am working on a scenario specific object for a scenario I created. I will post some pics as soon as I get it done.

[Yodaking]

I like it. A nice thick wall you can walk on.

[The Walrus King]

Good idea. I like it! I've been thinking about trying foam and after seeing this i guess i'll give it a shot

[Zaukrie]

Great work. As always, a reminder that burning foam is a neuro toxin, and you should only use a hot wire cutter in a well ventilated room or outside.

[The Walrus King]

Originally Posted by Zaukrie

Great work. As always, a reminder that burning foam is a neuro toxin, and you should only use a hot wire cutter in a well ventilated room or outside.

... Neuro-toxin? Wow never thought it would be that bad!

[Onacara]

Very Nice work LC...I am going to have to steal this idea from you.