Hi there,

first I apologize for my english, I am a german native speaker.
I live in Vienna in the green country Austria in the middle of Europe, I am 36 years old and play RPGs since maaaany years. We play now D&D 4 with miniatures.

My group and me tried out many things: beamer (yes, best thing ever, but no one has a beamer and designing maps is a part not every DM likes). battlemaps (thats what we use now), tiles (and cursing when someone destroyed the whole scene because the papertiles are so light), flipchart (not bad at all, but not the feeling as with minatures on the table).

Since the battlemaps serve us well I was looking for 3D Elements. And I found this site with really great products! But it am confused by the many differnet paths you go: some walls are thin as two sheets of paper, some are really thick (chunky dungeons) and some are triangular. So I am absolutely not sure what to choose from since I want the elements to be compatible.

Next thing are your solutions of making the model "shake proof". I can not believe that velcro will not tear apart the models in short time! I tried with standard velcro that comes here in roles for sewing and it is incrdible strong!

So I did read the thing abouit the magnetic masterboard. Carrying around is not an issue with us (all game helps stay in one place) so a heavy masterboard is no problem.
My idea is to use a magnetboard, put foamcore under the models and use some magntic tape () under the foamcore. But for this I need elements with a base.
And I am not sure what do you with elements like crates and chests..i can not secure them with a magnetic tape or paper clip. Whats your idea on this? And how do you secure buildings with more floors?

So what are the right products for me on this site I can use with this method? We play high fantasy and we use standard D&D Miniatures. My next adventure would be in a dungeon and my group would love to get immersed in something like the chunky dungeon!

Thank you very much for your time and ideas

Ok, let me answer what I can of these questions. I don't have every solution for you, but I'll do the best that I can.

Only one of our sets, our very first dungeon, uses "triangular" walls...so I'd suggest you not worry about that. DungeonWorks is still a usable set, but it's not in the same style and approach of all of our later sets.

Chunky Dungeons (a 1.5" style set) and it's 1" conversion, Minichunk, are the two sets that use the thick-style walls, so again, it's more of a one-off set. Just about everything else we have in our collection is of the thin-wall style.

You mention some models are "the thickness of two sheets of paper". WorldWorks models are designed to be printed on something called cardstock...I don't know the local equivalent, but it is a very thick type of paper, similar to what is used for business cards, greeting cards, etc. This provides a fair amount of durability, actually.


You also mentioned a concern that using the Chunky Dungeon method, you're concerned that the velcro would "tear apart' the models. Again, this isn't so much of an issue, because the velcro is only attached to the bottoms of tiles, which are designed to be mounted on foamcore. I've heard some UK customers call this...bristol board I think? Anyways, it's a roughly 7mm thick layer of foam with paper on either side, and it forms the literal base of most of our products. The velcro won't hurt the bottom of a chunk of foamcore, and the walls and such (in the Chunky method) are glued to the top, so as long as you pick it up by the base, it'll be fine.

The magnet method, though, also works great. You can usually glue a small, weak magnet to the inside of a chest, crate, some styles of chair, etc...and it will help hold the props in place.

As for multi-floor buildings, the best example of this started off with CastleWorks Ultimate, and continued into the Maiden of the High Seas, Shellendrak Manor, and more. The design of the building provides a rim to insert the second floor into, with tabs (or the tops of walls) to hold it firmly in place. Each successive floor is also mounted on foamcore, and is a solid separate piece.

As a fantasy player, I strongly recommend that you look over the Pirate and Horror categories as well, as most of the products in those areas are entirely compatible with, and very appropriate for, a 4th edition D&D campaign.

I hope that helps!

Personally, I prefer the CaveWorks method of dungeons (after ChunkyDungeons!) where you clip the sections together with each piece having its own floor. I am not a big fan of the masterboard style as keeping pieces down becomes a hassle. I am thinking of making a modified Chunky style that uses a 2x2 base instead of a 1x? base and using LinX instead of a masterboard. Every wall needs a floor next to it ANYWAY, so may as well have it attached. Hope I didn't confuse you more!

Oh, and it may be card stock or cover stock or even just called card board. As long as its made for printing, you should be just fine.

Does Caveworks and Gothicrealm share the same method? Is there any dungeonsystem that has thin walls and floor tiles in one piece (which is for sure a good solution)?

No I am really confused....


A question about foamcore: is it this you speak of?
http://www.tri-dee.com/images/Foamcore.jpg

Because in Austria/Germany there seems to be a bog confusion what it really is!

I do not have Gothic Realms so I do not know how that works but Cave Works is walls and floors together for halls but uses a masterboard with free walls for large caverns. I have been thinking of making large floor sections with attached walls for making the same thing.

That looks like foamcoare to me. I use the 1/4" or so thickness (its actually closer to 3/16"). I personally use the black foam/black paper version.

Both caveworks and Gothic realms have sections of hall that come as little modules of walls with an attached floor. But they are all halls so the modules are 2x2, 2x4, 2x6. But if you like this style you can kitbash large rooms that way. Better yet you can do it as you cut out the pieces. All you have to do is is leave some scrap paper on the edges of the floor sections as tabs. Then simply put those tabs inside the walls when you fold them over and glue them.


Also any of the dungeon sets can be similarly kitbashed during cut out into full 3D walls, or taken from full 3D and made flat.


I would also like to point out a much cheaper way of holding anything in place. Removable poster gum. Put little bits of it under your tiles and they won't slide even when bumped. But little balls of it on the corner of the flat walls and it will hold them in place very well. Same with props, and it won't matter if the prop has a bottom or not. Best yet I buy it for $1!

Really the only down side to it is its yellow.

Check out my thread, with pictures:
http://www.worldworksgames.com/forum/vi ... highlight=

Hello Morgenstern!

Just a few words from another German speaking guy at the forum:

If you are looking for foamboard, the "German" words for this are Sandwichplatten, Leichtschaumplatten, Leichtstoffplatten or the two brand names Kapa(line) or Gatorfoam. The best known expression seems to be Kapa at least at shops that sell "Künstlereibedarf" (art shops) or architecture euipment (like the brand name "Tempo" is the commonly used expression for paper handkerchiefs nowadays). The standard thickness is 5mm. And it is quite expensive and NOT available from 1 Euro shops.

I prefer the thick wall method of Chunky Dungeons and I am in the process of kitbashing (which means converting) the other dungeon walls to that format.

I will use the magnetic tape method to fasten my tiles to an underground. I got a massive but cheap . I was very lucky at bidding and really happy when I got it and found out that both sides of it are able to hold magnets. I use self adhesive magnet foil/tape like or for the tiles.
I'm thinking about using on top of the tiles (beneath the cardboard) so even minis or props would be quite stable on the gaming board. There are self adhesive magnets available for minis like .

If you have more questions feel free to send me a pm.

Greetings,
Zephalo

Depends on where you're looking for it.
I checked several stores here in Germany until I found one that sold the big sheets at 2,40 Euro per sheet (thickness was 3mm, but it was more like 4-5mm). If you're planning on doing a lot of terrain, consider ordering a whole pack (usually 25 sheets at about 50 Euros), which is quite an investment in the first place, but significantly reduces the cost of the individual sheet.

Foamcore (also known under this name in Germany, but also Schaumpappe, Foamboard or the names Zephalo already mentioned) comes in several colors, but most shops only sell it in white. If you order a whole pack (from the internet), you usually can choose the better-looking dull black or grey versions.

I got mine at Kunstpark in Bochum, Germany. Bochum is just ten minutes from where I live, so I had to pay no additional shipping cost.

Check their online shop's foamboard section:
http://www.kunstpark-online.de/start.ph ... s_5_mm.php

Maybe you'll find something similar in Austria. The prices are quite reasonable.