D&D: Map Folder of Doom...

I initially made this folder for fun, just to see if it would look OK. After that I had to come up with a use for it.

I decided that the maps of large places, islands, continents and cities should live in it.

The contents are still a work in progress. So some are finished but many are on the go.

I produce details for campaigns based on where my players are and where they are likely to go.

I talk to my players and we decide what their next moves might be. As an example, at the end of the "Hessak" part of the campaign I thought about the next steps and gave the players 5 options, based on rumours heard and what the players had suggested themselves. 

They then thought about it and told me which was best for them. So the capital city of Calandara, Sart had to be constructed and some details added so we could play the game.

I really helps having all this stuff in one place so that I always know exactly where they are. 

The final thing I do is to laminate the larger island maps so I can draw on them where the PCs are or are going, with a dry erase marker and I made B/W copies for the PCs to draw on.

And it all gives me a ton of pleasure to do all this. It really impacts the game.

D&D: Character Boxes

These are the two character boxes I have been putting together for my players in our D&D campaign. I made them because their bits and pieces were all stored in one large box and so everything got jostled and mixed together. Every time we went to play was a pain in the bum.

The symbols on this box are taken from the three Aetts of Viking Runes.

Frey's Aett

Hagel's Aett

Tyr's Aett

So now each player has a place to store: dice, inspiration marker, miniature, magic spell cards, magic item cards, spell slot markers and anything else the players might like to stick in it, biscuits, chocolates etc

The basic carcass and most of the build is mounting card, my Dad was chucking a sheet or 2 away and so I had them.

The smaller boxes are cereal card, there is a sheet of thin foam in the dice tray and a piece of 5 mm foam board to create the separator. The interior walls are all made from 5 mm foam board, this was left over from a job and donated to my supplies.  (thanks Aron) 

The symbols here are from a book I love; Tao Magic by Laszlo Legeza and on the whole mean, Long Life and Happiness.

Wicca Storage Box

This is the Christmas present I made for my better half this year. I didn't have a lot of money so decided to make her something personal instead.

Its based on, go on guess.... yep a cat food box. 

I made it it to store some other items I crafted for her.

Details on the exterior. Made from cereal box card, sand and glue.

I made a quite different catch mechanism, if you can call it that, than the last one I made. On this box the wooden piece simply slides up and out.

So what's inside? Well a simple removable tray on which sits the ceremonial knife I carved from a branch. I used my Pyrograph to then burn a Crow design into it.

Beak and eyes leading into feathers and wings.

Under the tray is a space for other items she might like to store and the set of Viking rune stones, made in wood, that I created.

I did not make the felt bag.

Viking runes.

Luckily she really liked it, so Christmas went well.

Saga: Storage Box

For the last week or so I have been making this storage and transport box for my Saga, age of magic models.

There are some bits to finish, mainly the trays I made for the more numerous units aand perhaps some varnish on the inside for protection.

I'm  not entirely sure this is an appropriater colour scheme for the Lords of the Wild, more green I would have thought, but I do have a load of Dark Elves I intend using and this may well be the box for them.

Some WIP pictures for completeness. The latch, most fiddly bit.

It was based on the indispensible Cat Food box, infact it took 2 whole boxes in the end.

Originally as seen here I made the latch all out of card, well it broke as soon as I looked at it, so I went for a more solid manufacture.

The latch itself hasn't changed but the 2 buttons were replaced with a screw put through the card from the inside and the secured with washers, held in place with superglue, then that was worked over with GS to make really strong. Hasn't broken yet, fingers crossed.

Every exposed edge was filled with PVAcrete to strengthen it. 

Looking forward to taking my troops to a game in it.