I’ve recently been getting back into roleplaying games after a 15 year hiatus. When I last ran RPG campaigns, I was obsessed with producing props: miniatures and terrain to play on, fancy handouts for players, little gems and coins to use in-game, and so on. Now that I’m getting back into it and thinking about what kind of campaign I want to create, I’m also thinking about what props I can make. This is such a great time to be gaming for those of us who like using props and have access to 3D printers, CNC machines, and services like Shapeways. Here are a few of the really cool-looking RPG gaming components that I found on Thingiverse. There are dozens more.
Through Dungeons Deep
If you’ve ever played a dungeon delver on a really tricked-out table with walled dungeon pieces, furniture, barrels, and other realistic terrain, you know how this can add so much richness to your gaming experience. And if you’ve priced some of the commercial dungeon tile sets, you know that they’re not cheap. Here’s a really nice looking Gothic dungeon wall and floor system (also seen in the opener image above) that you can print yourself.
Link: Gothic RPG Tile
Tile After Tile
If you prefer your dungeons a little more 2D, with better line-of-site for players, these dungeon tiles are a great way to go. They also come with files for printing stairs, doorways, treasure chests, and barrels.
Link: Modular Dungeon Tiles: Core Set
Roll Out the Barrel
It doesn’t matter whether you’re gaming in the distant past, some cyberpunk near future, or in the 41st millennium, barrels always seem to be a mainstay obstacle on the tabletop. Barrels add great mood and color to your games and they make great cover for your band of adventurers to hide behind.
Link: Delving Decor: Medieval Barrels
To the Dice Tower!
If you’ve done a lot of RPG and tabletop gaming, you know how crowded the table can become with game components, cards, rulebooks, notepads, drinks, and munchies. Everyone has had the experience of someone’s errant dice throw wiping out some critical area of the board (before plunging off the table and behind the radiator). The solution to this is a dice tower, a box into which you toss your dice and let them tumble down a tube and out of the bottom where you read the results. There are numerous dice tower designs on Thingiverse. I especially like this one.
Link: Castle Dice Tower with Movable Gate.
Swanky Dice Box
Many of us devoted gaming nerds first got into the hobby because of our fascination with the mysterious-looking polyhedral dice used in roleplaying. This box holds 7 of your precious Platonic solids.
Link: Polyhedral Dice Hex Box
Bonus Prop:
I’m on a Boat
Gamers frequently talk about their desire to incorporate more dockside and sea-borne adventures into their games. There’s one drawback. Watercraft. Here are some boats that would make a great foundation for your Laketown, dockside, or sea-going adventures.
Link: OpenForge Rowboats
If you’re an RPG/tabletop gamer and make game components, terrain features, and other game props with a 3D printer, I’d love to hear what you’re up to. Please share in the comments.
ADVERTISEMENT
