Ravenloft - Castle of Strahd von Zarovich

[milojaggerson]

Feb 6, 2015 17:05:26 GMT ivenbach said:

That is a lot of work for a first attempt. Hoping to see this all come together and played. How much hot glue have you gone though so far?

Great question. Well, I think 24 10" sticks, and over 30 of the smaller sticks for the large glue gun, and about 30 5" sticks for the little glue gun. I need to order 25 lbs of bulk hot glue, but I either forget to or am too desirous to complete the castle to take the time 8).

[michka]

Here's an insane idea. If you build a support structure for the castle, where the levels could slide out like drawers, you would be able to show off the whole thing stacked up, yet could pull out the level being played when it was needed. The support structure could look something like a shelf, with an open front so access was easy. Of course access would probably be the only thing easy about this plan.

[milojaggerson]

I was thinking of something made from luan to do that, but I would also like the players to "discover" the rooms as they explore. I don't want them running amok through the halls toward the biggest or flashiest room. Dividing up the rooms seems like the best way to keep the players worried about "whats next".

[milojaggerson]

2nd Basement – The intrepid band of stalwart adventures descend the narrow staircase into the lower bowels of Castle Zarovich.




2nd Basement – “Many good warriors have failed in their attempt to reach this forsaken place. Yet we will succeed because we have the might and the will they lacked to banish the Baron.”

fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/t31.0-8/10981072_10203749012067571_7434721170084573839_o.jpg

2nd Basement – “Sally forth to victory, men! These are but paltry minions behind whom the Baron hides!”

2nd Basement – “ALARM! To arms!”

2nd Basement – “ALARM! To arms!”


2nd Basement – A couple of orcs and a skaven aren’t typical residents of Ravenloft…


2nd Basement – A skaven skulks in the shadows.


2nd Basement – I’ll finally have to paint my HeroQuest miniatures…


2nd Basement – The balcony overlooking Strahd’s “amusement room” is going to look particularly stunning (I hope) after the torture room is painted to look as if it is flooded.
2nd Basement – The balcony overlooking Strahd’s “amusement room” is going to look particularly stunning (I hope) after the torture room is painted to look as if it is flooded.


2nd Basement – Doorway to the crypts beneath the castle.


2nd Basement – Shot overlooking the corridor passing to the crypts, looking towards the flooded prison cells.  Note the ramp down, a slide-way trap.


2nd Basement – Flooded prison cells.


2nd Basement – Smaller crypt with a surprise for an unsuspecting adventurer.


2nd Basement – View from Sergey’s vault. Sergey is the decent (and decidedly deceased, compared to the Baron) brother of Strahd. Strahd’s tomb lays on the opposite side of the enormous crypt.


2nd Basement – Crypt-crawling goodness.


2nd Basement – One of the many denizens of the catacombs under Castle Zarovich awaiting the acquaintance of Strahd’s eager guests.


2nd Basement – Baron Strahd von Zarovich awaits an audience with the adventurers. He will have to wait until the castle is painted.


2nd Basement – A sarcophagus for feel, but this room actually needs two. One more thing to craft before I6 can be played.


2nd Basement – East view. Had to make some concessions with the height of the stairwells for playability sake, but the elevation of the overall level looks just about right.


2nd Basement – North view. The entire level is perched about stacks of 1” square pillars to provide the proper lift. Most of the pillar stacks are seven layers of cardboard. Overall, the effect is ascetically pleasing.


2nd Basement – West view. When played at a standard table, only half the level (at most) at a time will be laid out. This level is huge!


2nd Basement – South view. The room count of this level isn’t particularly large, but there was a lot of wall work, especially in the crypts. Doors and gates need to be crafted yet, too, but that will happen between the construction of the last floor and the paint work (If I can wait to start painting that long).

[Meph]

That is pretty epic! Exalt for you. Do your players know anything about this yet?

[milojaggerson]

Feb 9, 2015 15:22:36 GMT Meph said:

That is pretty epic! Exalt for you. Do your players know anything about this yet?

Well, kind of...  I don't currently have a group for which I DM, and only recently started playing again after a 10 year self-imposed hiatus.  What that translates to is that I have sufficient time to work on the project.  I really want to run through this with an old friend and our children, to introduce the kids to RPGing.

My daughter and her friends think that its very cool.  She said to one of her friends, "You've got to see my dad's new hobby.  It like a 2nd grade art project, only much cooler!"  Kinda mixed emotions for me on that count, but the enthusiasm with which she said it could only be taken as the sincerest form of praise.  She really likes it and wants to play in Strahd's world.  She is about the same age as I was when I started playing.

And if it never gets played - well, that would be a shame - but I am really enjoying putting it all together.

[Meph]

Feb 9, 2015 15:37:39 GMT milojaggerson said:

Feb 9, 2015 15:22:36 GMT Meph said:

That is pretty epic! Exalt for you. Do your players know anything about this yet?

Well, kind of...  I don't currently have a group for which I DM, and only recently started playing again after a 10 year self-imposed hiatus.  What that translates to is that I have sufficient time to work on the project.  I really want to run through this with an old friend and our children, to introduce the kids to RPGing.

My daughter and her friends think that its very cool.  She said to one of her friends, "You've got to see my dad's new hobby.  It like a 2nd grade art project, only much cooler!"  Kinda mixed emotions for me on that count, but the enthusiasm with which she said it could only be taken as the sincerest form of praise.  She really likes it and wants to play in Strahd's world.  She is about the same age as I was when I started playing.

And if it never gets played - well, that would be a shame - but I am really enjoying putting it all together.

That's all that really matters is that you're enjoying it.  My daughter is the same way.  Today is a snow day and the first thing she asked me is "Daddy, what are we making today".  If nothing else, run your kids through it and have a great time.  I took a 20 year break and have now been back playing since July and DMing since November.  It will come back and if you play through that the seed will be planted.  =)

[SpielMeisterKev!]

Howdy,

  It just keeps getting better...I should buy stock in a hot glue factory...

Kev!

[DnDPaladin]

depends if she is in first grade, then clearly the comment was a praise for sure. because to her it meant you are one step ahead of her. but if she is higher then that yeah i could see why you'd be mixed.

to me, this is gonna be an epic adventure of epic proportions.
i do not doubt that your players whoever they be will simply love the adventure.

[renel]

that has to be the coolest #$@? castle in the land!!!

[milojaggerson]

It has taken me three full levels of construction to figure out how to properly use the the glue guns. It is a process of continuing improvement, to be sure. Last week it occurred to me that "artists must suffer for their art" to rise above mediocrity, and tiring of the glue build up on the floor next to the walls, I decided to remove the glue by fingertip. Man that hurts! (LOL). I've seen silicon fingertip protectors on sale on-line (Mod Podge Finger Caps, particularly). I'm going to have to invest in a set, because 350 degree Fahrenheit plastic is pretty hot stuff to be wiping a person's pokers across.

I've also improved my technique for sealing the bottom of descending staircases (pictures to be posted soon). I'm sure others have had this idea, and probably even posted it: What I've found is that after applying the glue to the bottom ridge on the underside of a descending staircase, I'll take a piece of scrap cereal box across the ridge to level and smooth glue out. It does a wonderful job, but it has to be done while the glue is still in its liquid (and hot!) state. Mind your fingers around the hot glue, as substance can be quite runny in its heated form. I'm going to have some useful calluses, though. Fortunately, hot glue tends to cool rapidly when it is spread in this manner. It also makes for a nice "rubberized" base for the tile.

[DnDPaladin]

thats why DMG says its better to wait a few seconds before removing the glue with your fingers.
there is also a limit to pain and burn. i never really burned myself up. not by removing glue that is. i did burn myself up a few times by me picking the gun wrongly. or me shooting glue on my holding hand. but removing glue with finger is working great, you just need to wait a bit before doing it. if anything it strenghten the bond when it comes to craftsticks set together.

of course if they sell those finger protectors... then go ahead. that also should work well. 8)

[michka]

I hate to say this, but you should maybe try painting a small portion of this epic project before you complete construction. It would be a real shame if you got all of this work done and found out that painting will ruin it. I'm not saying it will. I just know that painting on top of hot glue can be tricky. Maybe make a couple simple stair pieces or a quick out building to test the waters. I only say this out of love for the project, and experience. There's a 2.5D building tile downstairs that mocks me with it's curly-ness. 

[milojaggerson]

Feb 14, 2015 4:09:00 GMT michka said:

I hate to say this, but you should maybe try painting a small portion of this epic project before you complete construction. It would be a real shame if you got all of this work done and found out that painting will ruin it. I'm not saying it will. I just know that painting on top of hot glue can be tricky. Maybe make a couple simple stair pieces or a quick out building to test the waters. I only say this out of love for the project, and experience. There's a 2.5D building tile downstairs that mocks me with it's curly-ness. 

Thanks, Michka.  I believe your advice to test paint is sage and sound.  I am contemplating the acquisition of an airbrush and pneumatic pump to do base coating with black paint, as apposed to base coating with a spray can.  Does anyone have any thoughts AND experience relative to using an airbrush for the base coat on cardboard constructions?  I'm thinking that air brushing is a drier proposition compared to a spry paint can; I suspect that air brushing is not as "wet" as painting from a spray can, particularly since the flow from an airbrush appears to be much more controllable than the spray emerging from a can.  No doubt, either technique can result in dampening/destroying the underlying cardboard if left to linger too long over a particular spot.  There isn't any science in my reasoning, it is purely subjective, personal observation.  

I have little experience with spay cans, and zero experience with air brushes. In terms of a long term investment into the craft, it seems that an air brush kit would be a much more economical investment over spray cans.  Anyone have any thoughts on this matter, also?

I've also thought about something AJ's is doing on the Glue Stick: using card-stock printed tiles to cover the cardboard.  As an alternative to painting the work, the technique would certainly have a (perceived) higher quality to painting.  However, every piece would have to be custom fits to every square inch of the build.  I'm also considering constructing templates to lay on top of the dungeon, then air brushing paint down to create the stonework patterns.  So many choices...  A carpenter once told me, "There is no wrong way to get the job done.  There are easier and better ways to do things, however."

I may very well make a few test pieces to test out various painting techniques and their results, Michka.  Thanks again for the thoughts!  

BTW - This may be a bit extreme to deal with the curling issues of painted cardboard, but have you (or anyone else) tried moistening the bottom a warped tile with an atomizer filled with water, then drying it in a low-heated oven (say 200 degrees Fahrenheit)? for a few minutes?  I'm musing here, not suggesting, and am not to be held liable for any damages.  The heat of the oven should be kept low enough that the hot glue does not lose its bond, while being high enough that the moister is swiftly evaporated from the cardboard.  This may, potentially, cause a worse deformation in the cardboard.  I would test it... 

[michka]

I haven't used an airbrush yet either. I'd like to get one someday, but at the moment I'm too cheap. I'd love to see what kind of results you get with an airbrush. I do wonder is water based paint will stick to hot glue though. I'm pretty sure someone here has worked with the material. Come to think about it, I've had no problems using craft paint over hot glue, but I usually use a dull coat to seal everything when I'm done painting.

I like the idea of moistening the bottom of a tile. I do tend to paint both sides of a tile, just so both sides have a similar volume of paint. I might give this a try the next time I use cardboard. Unfortunately I mostly use foam core, and I'm sure even 200 degrees will mess up the foam.

[earlteagrey]

FANTASTIC Milo! Did you use the 1 square=10ft scale, or make it a little larger? I'm doing something similar for B2, and for the keep I found that to fit all the NPCs listed I'd need more space. So 1"=1.5" to fit modern 1" based minis and 2.5d walls.

[DnDPaladin]

i'd say the template idea is an awesome way of doing it and i'd go definitely on that road if i get the air brush.
i too thought of air brushing my way into tiles.

so yeah i'd like to get the same answers as you do.
painting the stuff is not hard per say. its just time consuming.
and by time consuming i mean 15 minutes per tiles. thats just for the pattern of stones.
at least thats how long it takes me. so one single tile can take me about 20-25 minutes to make and paint.
and thats not counting the time it takes to wait for the base coat to set in. overall, i think think air brushing is a lot faster then painting it with brushes.

thats all the advice i can give you with painting.
my work hasn't been all that stellar. so just watch others videos like DMG and scotty on how to paint your tiles.
if you ever take the painting routes.

[milojaggerson]

earlteagrey, I believe that you've surmised the scale appropriately. I6 grids for the castle are 1 sq=10'. It brakes down to 1"=5'; each square in my construction is a 10'x10' area corresponding to the module's layout.

michka, I was thinking last night about the warping issue viz foam boards. I have zero experience with foam (at present. That will change...), but I wouldn't expect foam to warp. Foam in an oven - I can't see anything good coming of that

DnDPaladin, Time... never enough. It is the one commodity that everyone has the same amount (only this moment). I'm getting impatient to be through this initial build! But, build first, paint second. I'm nearly finished with the rooms of the 4th level. One big level left, then the remaining five start to get quite a bit smaller. I should finish construction in a few weeks, then on to painting. An air brush is not long off in the future for me. It's just a matter of time.

[sgtslag]

Heating foam core in an oven is not hazardous, until the temperature is high enough to melt/burn the foam -- above 300 F. I routinely bake my Dip'ed figures, to speed their drying, and the Minwax Polyshades urethane-stain is solvent-based!  I used to heat them in my oven, at 175 F, for 30 minutes.  I propped the oven door open, with an open window nearby, to help vent the fumes, in the Summer; in the Winter months, I would turn the exhaust fan, above the stove, on high, to vent the fumes.  Today, however, I bake my Dip'ed figures in a crockpot/slow cooker, on low (~170 F), for 30 minutes, out in the garage, where the fumes are not an issue.  The key thing with baking, is that I Hot Glue my figures to their bases, prior to curing The Dip!  The Multi-Temp Hot Glue Sticks do not melt, and my figures are ready to be matte clear coated in 40 minutes (10 minutes of cooling time, after I remove them from the pot).

Experimentation is king:  take a painted test piece of foam core, and bake it in your oven, at 175 F, or whatever your lowest temperature setting is on your oven, for 30 minutes.  Keep an eye on it, checking it every five minutes, to be safe.  Make certain your oven temperature is below 250 F, which will give you at least a 50 degree safety margin.  Nearly all plastics melt at, or above, 300 F.  If your oven is below 200 F, then you have at least 100 F before you have to worry about the plastic liquifying; it will, however, get softer, as you approach its melting point.  I routinely baked painted, Dip'ed plastic Army Men figures, at 175 F for 30 minutes, around 300 figures and vehicles, without drooping, no sagging, and no melting.  Cheers!

[voodoo]

this is awesome! period! Cannot wait to see the final product! Exalt!