Crafting more sewer tiles for the dungeon.

Now that I have a method for making sewer tiles with which I am happy, I decided to make some more which should be less basic.

First I sketched out the tiles that I wanted; I decided on six different tiles.

Just like for the previous batch, the base of the tiles was made from a 4-inch square of 5 mm foam core. The paving stones were also made from 5 mm foam core, which I had first soaked in warm water for a short while so I could then peel off the paper covering the foam. Using an HB pencil, I then drew the individual paving stones and then lines to represent cracks. Here I pressed hard enough to make indents which would show up well when it takes an ink wash. I glued the paving stones onto the base using PVA (white wood) glue. I then rolled up a piece of kitchen foil into a ball and rolled it over all the paving stones to give the stones a more rough appearance which will show up well when dry-brushed.

For the Grate Tile I used a metal piece from Black Tree Design's "AA119 - Floor Tiles". I painted the inside of the grate before gluing it in place.

For the Straight Tile with Planks I used a piece of 3 mm foam core on which I will place the planks later.

For the Straight Tile with Grate I placed two thin strips of 3 mm foam core between which I used two strips from coffee stirrers onto which I will place the grate later.

Painted as follows:

1. Overall: Matt Mod Podge mixed with black hobby paint (80% / 20%).
2. Stonework: Dark Grey
3. Stonework: Heavy Dry Brush of Medium (Rain) Grey
4. Stonework: Mix of Liquitex Brown ink and Black ink in equal quantities with a drop of washing up liquid and a drop of water added.
5. Stonework: Matt varnish
6. Stonework: Dry Brush of Light Grey (use Stone Beige on a couple of paving stones for contrast)
7. Rock: Paint Red Brown and Dry Brush with Light Grey
8. Sewage: Raw Sienna (you may need a couple of coats to cover thoroughly)
9. Sewage: Mix Raw Sienna and Lime (Leaf) Green (66% / 33%) and paint a line down the edges of the sewage nearest the paving stones.
10. Sewage: Using the same paint mix, take a small piece of sponge and use it to dab paint randomly onto the middle of the sewage flow.  
11. Sewage: Create a liquid effect using Liquitex Gloss Heavy Gel. Apply quite thickly and work with a Sculpting Tool to give a running water effect. 

Finishing touches:

Paint the grate on the Gate Tile in gunmetal and wash with red-brown ink to give rust effect.

Glue on small planks made from coffee stirrers to the Straight Tile with Planks and paint using brown inks.

Glue on metal grate to the Straight Tile with Grate and paint using gunmetal and wash with red-brown ink to give rust effect.

Glue some flock onto the Straight Tile with Rock.

Job done!

Crafting another door for the dungeon.

I was so happy with my first attempt at a double door that I decided to try another one for my Dungeon Crawl Project, this time slightly more elaborate.

I have dungeon tiles made using Hirst Art's moulds from DMB Games, but the range only includes single doors, so I have been making double doors out of foam core board.

First I drew the double door that I wanted onto some squared paper, next to the single door from DMB and my previous double door.

I created a template using card from a cereal packet, and then cut out 3 pieces of foam core: one from 5 mm and two from 3 mm. I soaked the pieces in warm water for a short while so I could then peel off the paper covering the foam. In the two 3 mm pieces I even cut out the centre hole and the W shape at the top. The two 3 mm pieces are identical as the door will be double-sided.

Using an HB pencil, I then drew on the stonework and the door's wooden planks. Here I pressed hard enough to make indents which would show up well when it takes an ink wash.

I then rolled up a piece of kitchen foil into a ball and rolled it over all the brickwork to give the stones a more rough appearance which will show up well when dry-brushed.

I glued together the 3 pieces of foam using PVA (white wood) glue with the 5mm piece sandwiched in the middle.

I made door furniture by cutting out small pieces of card from a cereal packet. The door handles were made from small squares of 3mm foam core and match sticks. I used the same door furniture on both sides.

These were then glues in place.

Painted as follows:

1. Overall: Matt Mod Podge mixed with black hobby paint (80%/20%).
2. Stonework: Mechanicus Standard Grey
3. Stonework: Heavy Dry Brush of Stormvermin Fur
4. Stonework: Dry Brush of Dawnstone
5. Woodwork: Steel Legion Drab
6. Metalwork: Ironbreaker
7. Overall: Mix of Liquitex Brown ink and Black ink in equal quantities with a drop of washing up liquid and a drop of water added.
8. Overall: Matt varnish
9. Stonework: Dry Brush of Administratum Grey

Compared to the single doors made from Hirst Art's moulds...

Job done!

Crafting sewer tiles for the dungeon.

I decided that I needed some sewer tiles for my Dungeon Crawl Project. I have dungeon tiles from DMB Games which are made using Hirst Art's moulds and I wanted these to be compatible. This is my first attempt to try out different methods until I find out what works.

First I sketched out the tiles that I wanted; these were fairy basic. I decided on seven generic tiles. The idea is that they should be able to be placed together in different combinations. If they work out well, they will be the first batch and I will add some more tiles later.

The base of the tiles was made from a 4-inch square of 5 mm foam core.

The paving stones were also made from 5 mm foam core, which I had first soaked in warm water for a short while so I could then peel off the paper covering the foam.

Using an HB pencil, I then drew the individual paving stones and then lines to represent cracks. Here I pressed hard enough to make indents which would show up well when it takes an ink wash.

I then rolled up a piece of kitchen foil into a ball and rolled it over all the paving stones to give the stones a more rough appearance which will show up well when dry-brushed.

I glued the paving stones onto the base using PVA (white wood) glue.

Painted as follows:

1. Overall: Matt Mod Podge mixed with black hobby paint (80% / 20%).
2. Stonework: Dark Grey
3. Stonework: Heavy Dry Brush of Medium (Rain) Grey
4. Stonework: Mix of Liquitex Brown ink and Black ink in equal quantities with a drop of washing up liquid and a drop of water added.
5. Stonework: Matt varnish
6. Stonework: Dry Brush of Light Grey
7. Sewage: Raw Sienna (you may need a couple of coats to cover thoroughly)
8. Sewage: Mix Raw Sienna and Lime (Leaf) Green (66% / 33%) and paint a line down the edges of the sewage nearest the paving stones.
9. Sewage: Using the same paint mix, take a small piece of sponge and use it to dab paint randomly onto the middle of the sewage flow.  
10. Sewage: Create a liquid effect using Liquitex Gloss Heavy Gel. Apply quite thickly and work with a Sculpting Tool to give a running water effect. 

Job done!

A Fantasy Adventure – Act 14.

This is a fantasy dungeon crawl using dungeon tiles from DMB Games and the Swords and Wizardry “Old School D&D” rules.

The party consists of 6 fifth-level adventurers: GIMLIT SON OF GROIN (dwarf fighter), ST.JOHN WILDBLADDER III (human paladin), BELWINA (human female ranger), KRANOVAL (half-elf magic-user), THE BISHOP OF BATHENWELLS (human cleric) and FRITO BUGGER (hobbit thief).

Additionally there is Frito’s dog FIDO, KOBBE the Kobold who had attached himself to Kranoval and MISDORA BONRYNSDÖTTIR OAKENSHIELD the dwarven bard who had attached herself to Gimlit in the hope .of writing some epic songs or sagas.

The party went back to the The Temple of Solanus in the hope of being able to buy some healing potions. They met with Father Beamus Cain who was willing to sell them 3 potions, at what he said were not unreasonable prices. However there was still a problem, despite the fact that the party had cleared out the Temple of Jamboor, there were still beggars and peasants going missing from the city streets and now even Charlie Kilkarin the son of one of the city's merchant houses had disappeared after a drunken orgy. Father Beamus told the party that what's more a guard on patrol in the Noble District who knew Charlie well was certain he heard his voice crying for help from within the Pulanti Estate several days before he was reported missing.

The party promised to investigate the Pulanti Estate and asked Father Beamus to arrange a meeting with the guard. The guard, Nolan Banks, met the party and after receiving a rather large pouch of gold and he told them what he had heard. He also provided the party with a poor quality sketch map of the estate and the schedule with with the city watch patrolled outside the estate. The party decided to explore the estate the next night when there should be a little moonlight.

The party moved carefully through the city in the late of night, timing their arrival at the estate so that the city watch had just passed. The estate was surrounded by a 10 ft high wall into which a set of tall iron gates were set. A weed-choked gravel walkway lined with dying trees could be seen through the gate leading to the front doors of the manor. Frito quickly determined that the gates were locked, but declared that the walls were easily scaled. The party decided not to pull the bell cord by the gate, but to instead go down the side of the estate and there climb the wall.

The party easily scaled the wall an entered the grounds to the rear of the manor. The grounds surrounding the house were filled with high, over-grown grass, swaying wildflowers, and rats could be seen scurrying in darkness. As the party went round the to back of the house they noticed bats flying overhead. Here they found a pair of double doors, inside of which were heavy curtains.

They forced open the doors and went in, they were in a room containing two overturned wicker seats, a smashed coffee table, and two overturned wooden chairs. The floor was smeared with old dried blood. In the far wall was a door leading into the rest of the house.

Ignoring the dried blood, the party continued into the house, turning right in the hallway and entering another room. This was a bedroom of a young lady. Like the first room it was 12 ft high, dusty, covered in cobwebs and with large windows covered by heavy curtains. This bedroom contained a large bed complete with pillows and blankets, all a bit mouldy. There were tables and chairs. On the far wall hung a large mirror and a life-size portrait of a young girl wearing old-fashioned clothing.

Gimlit sent in his jade bulldog to investigate the room. When the dog looked into the mirror, an undead creature jumped out and attacked.

The bulldog fled back to the party, and Gimlit charged forward and chopped the foul undead being into mincemeat with his magic battleaxe.

The party searched the room and found little of interest, the chest was empty except for a small compartment containing 3 bracelets worth 60 gp. In fact the room felt rather abandoned.

Kranoval's intelligence now led him to believe that this was the house of a vampire. Perhaps unwisely, the party decided to continue without first stocking up on garlic, holy water and stakes.

The Bishop of Bathenwells cast a detect evil spell. This told him that the whole estate had a generally evil feel to it, but that by far the biggest evil was coming from the basement below. Sensing the evil, the cleric quickly led the party along corridors through the house to the stairs leading down into the basement. With the Bishop and the bulldog in the lead, the party descended.

The stairs led into a small room containing a wooden table and three chairs. On the table are a decanter and three crystal tasting glasses. The decanter is full of a thick red liquid. Except for copious rat droppings, the room is otherwise empty.

The party explored, to the left was a wine cellar party filled with bottles of red wine, and to the right another cellar this time with white wine.

In the white wine cellar, the Bishop still leading the party noticed humanoid footprints heading to a secret door in the far wall. Frito opened the door. Gimlit and Belwina led the way down a narrow 5 ft wide passage.

The passage led to a large chamber where the party was greeted by a grisly sight. In the centre of the chamber was a pool filled entirely with human blood. Suspended over the pool by a series of wires was a human body, still dripping the last of its blood into the pool. The chamber contained 6 giant rats.

Having sensed the approach of the party, the first wave of rats attacked.

Gimlits battleaxe chopped up the first rats, and the party advanced into the room. Here they were met by the remainder of the rats and two young female vampires who appeared from secret doors in the left hand wall. This was beginning to turn into a desperate fight...

Frito blew a loud blast on his silver horn of Valhalla and six viking beserker fighters appeared to aid the party.

One of the female vampires summoned four wolves to aid her while the other female vampire summoned four giant bats.

Kranoval had been badly hurt by a vampire, so he retired a few paces out of the fight, while the desperate battle continued.

The party was beginning to win the desperate fight, when from a secret door in the far fall entered an old male vampire preceded by 4 giant bats. He was the father to the girls.

Gimlit and Belwina, helped by some beserkers, had "killed" one female vampire but she was replaced in the fight by her father. Frito and Wildbladder fought the remaining daughter while the Bishop, Fido and Misdora tried to deal with the giant bats. Kobbe moved to safety behind Kranoval.

Wildbladder and Frito "killed" the second female vampire.

Kranoval summoned four kobold fighters to aid the party.

The fight continued, Gimlit and Belwina finished of the vampire with help from Kranoval. The rest of the party mopped up the remaining wolves and giant bats. Kobbe, Fido and Misdora were seriously hurt and moved to safety behind other party members.

The fight was finished but every member of the party had been seriously knocked about.

They checked out the chamber and determined that the hanging body was already dead. They then went though the secret doors from which the female vampires had appeared, and found small rooms containing coffins, to which the vampres had returned when they were "killed".

The party quickly constructed three stakes, by breaking up a chair and Gimlit's skill with his battleaxe was used to sharpen them. They were drenched in holy water, blessed by the Bishop and shoved through the hearts of the vampires.

The party then went through the secret door in the far wall, from which the male vampire had appeared. As expected they found a room with his coffin and the same procedure with a stake was repeated.

The party picked up what treasure they could find in these rooms, in such a hurry that they just threw whatever they found into a couple of sacks without checking it. They then retreated from the estate, too seriously damaged to risk another serious encounter. They returned to the Temple of Solanus, through the darkened city streets. Father Beamus welcomed them back and allowed them into the temple to rest.