Oh so many adventures start in the glimmering candle light of a forgotten town’s rundown Inn. As the launching point of your campaign, you need this room done right. Thankfully Dwarven Forge provides the perfect backdrop for such a setting with its Tavern Accessories set.

The beautifully hand painted set comes with all the bar fixins including two round tables, a full bar, kegs and even a couple of beds. These detailed pieces also work great in your modular dungeon rooms.

While the tavern set is the right scale for 25mm miniatures, the bowls, platters and plates are not for the thick thumbed. Still, it’s a small price to pay for an otherwise perfect product.

Visit Website | See It | Get It

What’s not to love about a D&D 4E action point? It’s an opportunity to take a tactical second swing or deliver the decisive blow. When that crucial time comes a callin’, Ben likes to declare it with glee by throwing in an Action Point Counter from Dark-Platypus Studios.

These pewter coins are one inch in diameter and a great way to visually represent the earning and spending of Action Points during your adventure. Let’s face it, there’s a lot to track in 4E so these tokens are a welcome game accessory for any DM.

A heavier coin would be nice for a more thunderous throw-in but there’s no arguing the price ($12.99 for a pack of 10). Pick up a bag for your next game session.

Visit Website | See It | Get It

There’s just something cool about throwing down a handful of coins on the game table when the party unlocks a treasure chest, picks up a pint at the inn, or loots a fallen a foe. Brought to you by King of the Castle Games Company, these nifty coins come in four greedy denominations: gold, silver, copper and platinum. The weight ratio is decent and there’s plenty of variety including 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 1,000 individual coin values.

I first encountered these Australians at GenCon 2006 when they debuted their starter set. Since then, they’ve added more handy coin varieties (which makes it much easier to divvy up your new-found money).

I’m not sure how useful the platinum pieces really are and the difference between copper and gold should be more pronounced. Still, that’s being rather nitpicky. I’m a big fan and recommend you pick up a pack or two (or three, or four…).

Visit Website | See It | Get It

Sadly, RPG fans have little to choose from in terms of quality audio entertainment. So when one finds a tiny gem among a garbage-sized pile of copper coins, youthful exuberance reigns supreme.

The crown jewel of which I speak is the D&D Podcast with Penny Arcade and PVP. Originally recorded in May of 2008, this podcast is the perfect introduction into the relatively new 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons. Penny Arcade even sprinkles in some kick-ass comics for added flavor.

The adventuring party is dubbed “Acquisitions Incorporated” and played by a group of guys anybody would kill to drop some dice with on any given game day. My personal favorite character is Jim Darkmagic (of the New Hampshire Darkmagics) but Binwin Bronzebottom is a close second.

My only knock is that the podcasts themselves are often just too darn short (sometimes as little as 30 minutes) and branded merchandise (shirts, mugs, etc) are still nowhere to be found.

Happily, the cast and crew are back with their second series and this time it includes former Star Treker, Wil Wheaton.

Visit Website | See It | Get It

Considered one of my all-time find of finds, Hirst Arts lets you cast your own dungeon pieces by using an assortment silicone rubber molds. Simply make a mixture, pop ‘em out, glue ‘em down, slap on a few layers of paint, and whammo…you got a modular mass of D&D goodness with endless possibilities.

They’re incredibly handy for laying down your own dungeon in real time. The pieces add a whole new visual element to the game and let you go 3-D on your party’s ass. I’ll review a bunch of the individual molds in the weeks to come but thought this first entry would best be served as an overall introduction.

It can be a somewhat time-consuming process, and they’ll chip rather easily but one can’t argue with the results. However, if an amazingly unhandy, non-artist, bumbling-of-a-man like me can do it, anyone can. And of course, one can never put a price on the satisfaction of building your own dungeon from a silly bag of plaster.

Visit Website | See It | Get It