D&D terrain - how to make one?

Fantasy terrain (such as towns, forests, and undergrounds) isn’t only for wargames. The scenery is indeed highly vital in such games, and we aren’t talking only about the visual aspects (although playing Warhammer Fantasy Battle on a flat space would be rather unsatisfying). After all, the terrain has a significant impact on the gameplay as well. But does it mean it cannot find its usefulness in other games? Let’s discuss it by taking a closer look at role-playing games (RPG). And what’s a better example of such than the one which is believed to be the precursor for all, the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D, DnD) itself?

What is D&D terrain and why do you need it in your game?

For those unfamiliar with the subject: Dungeons & Dragons is one of the most recognizable role-playing games of all-time. It’s set in the fantasy genre and - throughout the many years of its existence - transformed into a massive franchise on its own, including movies, video games, and novels.

As a role-playing game, D&D is focused on storytelling and imagination. The majority of such games don’t necessarily need things like terrain or even miniatures. Usually, a piece of paper, a pencil, and a pack of friends (including someone to be a storyteller, called “the dungeon master”) is all you need to play RPG. But suppose you’re interested in improving your experience and reaching higher levels of immersion during a game. In that case, there is nothing in the way of introducing some figures and terrain into your gameplay. It might be significantly helpful during such things as combat when sometimes you might have a hard time remembering and visualizing everything that happens “inside” the game.

How to make basic D&D terrain for your games?

There are several ways of collecting some terrain for your D&D games. First and foremost, you can always afford some pre-designed pieces of scenery or even sets of these pieces. It might be a single tree or a pile of rocks, but it can also be a whole building or a fantasy town. Although the advantages of such a solution are rather obvious - even if those kits require some assembly and painting, the majority of work is already done for you - there might be better ways. Why?

Fantasy adventures can take place in various environments, such as dark forest…

The answer to the question above is relatively straightforward - when playing RPG, you cut loose your imagination and play the scenarios created by yourself or one of your friends. Purchased ready-to-play pieces of terrain don’t necessarily need to match your vision, so you need to either find some that will do it or completely change the concept and come up with a new one, having in mind the pieces of scenery you already possess.

In the case of RPG games, the better way may be a modeling process - building your own pieces of scenery from the very beginning can guarantee that the terrain will suit your gameplay ideas. How to achieve that? Well, that’s relatively uncomplicated. If you have an idea of what kind of terrain you would like to build, you need to gather appropriate resources. For the things that may help you in the creation of almost every type of scenery, check our modeling and basing category. Besides the accessories like static grass or clump foliage - which are more for decorating than building - you’ll also find there plasticard, which is an excellent material to work on, when making some ruins, houses, etc.

The different types of D&D terrain you can create

It’s good to mention something that may reveal itself as valuable advice. Remember that you don’t necessarily need to make a 3D terrain for your D&D game, even if you’re 100% sure you want to play with the addition of such things. Consider also a more economical and less-troubling solution: flat, 2D terrains.

Sounds strange? Maybe. If you aren’t a fan of this concept, that’s ok. But if - after all - terrain pieces during your D&D game are primarily to help you imagine some things and situations and - for example - remember your character’s position during combat, then the 2D terrains start to sound reasonable. Unless you intend to build a whole maquette and sink into the game’s world entirely. It’s better to stay with 3D if that’s the case.

Nonetheless, remember that going with flat pieces of terrain (or, more precisely, “markers” in place of scenery) opens you to new possibilities of affording such. For example, look at our gaming accessories, like tokens, markers, templates, and even battle rulers. You can find some of them helpful as terrain markers or even tokens to track the possession of a significant artifact among the player’s characters, etc.

Tips for making better D&D terrain pieces

The one major tip for making better D&D terrain pieces is not to give up easily. It’s completely normal that when you start your quest of making some scenery for your role-playing game, you won’t be a master of it. Looking for references on the Internet can be both inspiring and demotivating. If you focus too much on the beauty of one’s creations, you might find your finished pieces of terrain unsatisfying. That’s not the way!

…or frozen north

Remember that modeling is like most games we play - role-playing or tabletop. Making the terrain is easy to learn but hard to master. It means that in the beginning, you’ll create some basic scenery like lonely rocks or tiny ruins effortlessly. Then, moving on to the next step (more complicated constructions), you might find something too difficult to do or require too much work and effort. Remember that practice is the best way to achieve mastery in such cases. Don’t hesitate to ask other hobby enthusiasts on forums, etc., about their techniques or what materials they used. In time, you’ll make various pieces of terrain with ease.

Ideas for using D&D terrain in your games

The usage of your D&D terrain is up to you - you decide which scenery and in which quantity you wish to use. It might be vital to remember consistency - once you play with 3D terrain, you shouldn’t mix it or swap it on 2D terrain. It may confuse your co-players and generate unnecessary miscommunication (primarily, the terrain was brought to clarify some things).

The one final tip is that your scenery shouldn’t bother you. After all, even in a role-playing game, you need to roll dice from time to time (maybe even some that you can find among our battle dice) - in such cases, it’s good when the terrain doesn’t cover all of the free space you have.