Hard to believe it was three years ago in March, that the little ol’ Pile took to the web. Well, 157 posts later, we’re thrilled to still have all our hit points. But most importantly, Ben believes…

Ben believes in the soul. He believes role playing is on the game group and not the game edition. He believes in lots of combat. He believes in minis that aren’t made of cardboard. He believes in the sanctimony of GenCon. He believes in never having enough dice. He believes in more closet space to store his stuff. He believes in the return of the Hobbit. And he believes in contributing to this great D&D community.

Ben and the rest of the Pile gang extends its heartfelt thanks to all the readers. And we promise to continue to believe in the game we love.

The latest cavernous creation from Dwarven Forge is sure to send chills down your RPG arm with its amazing Ice Cavern set. The cold passage ways mix seamlessly with their traditional sets while giving the DM a slew of flexibility on the terrain board. Grab a winter coat and follow Ben for an inside look.

Environment diversity is a critical component of your RPG Pile. You can’t do a dungeon crawl week after week after week. The game group will grow bored and eventually break apart. The way to combat this evil dynamic is to mix up the landscapes. You can choose from traditional cavern, fieldstone dungeon, Egyptian/Dark Sun, forest, and now ice cavern.

There are few certainties in this RPG world but one you can bet the farm on is the unbeatable quality and detail of a Dwarven Forge set. Yes, you’re moving to a different price point (but nothing outrageous – besides, that’s what holidays and birthdays are for). Think of it like putting a Bentley in your garage instead of a Kia.

Ultimately, a combination of different terrain by different companies is the way to go. Dwarven Forge mixes seamlessly with other terrain like WotC’s Cavern of Icewind Dale’s Dungeon Tiles. Ben keep at least one box of each DF set at the ready. The unique items alone makes this philosophy worth its weight in gold pieces.

While you certainly could build an entire chilled layout, Ben’s first inclination is to have the dungeon or cavern taper off to an iced area. Maybe an icy beast has taken refuge here and is slowly adapting the cavern to its liking. Or, maybe an evil wizard, tracking the party’s movements through his crystal ball, has suddenly cast an area spell in their area in hopes of trapping the party into a sub freezing environment. The Neverwinter Campaign Setting is also stuffed with great wintry ideas.

Let’s look at the modularity factor. There are plenty of pieces including the stalagmites, ice floors and frozen puddles. These could be dropped in as area effects in any setting.

The hallways feature plenty of curves for stealthing and several straight/cornered walls. Ben’s pick of the set is the frozen overhang piece. There are also several solid ice sections which could make outstanding secret doors or tantalizing skill challenges for escape.

Our mini choices are especially appetizing for this arctic atmosphere.

• Large Ice Elemental, Unhallowed #29
• Frost Giant Jarl, Night Below #52
• Voracious Ice Devil, Against the Giants #2
• Ice Devil, Blood War #35
• Whitespawn Hordeling, War of the Dragon Queen #59
• Frost Titan, Legendary Evils #20
• Frost Giant, Dangerous Delves #16
• Ice Troll, Aberrations #53
• Frost Giant, Giants of Legend #48
• Frost Dwarf, War Drums #48
• Ice Mephit, D & D Night Below #34
• Ice Archon, D & D Dungeon of Dread #29

Ben actually nabbed three of these ice sets so he could get the two bonus pieces (a common promo on new releases). There’s a dragon mini and a slick, large stalagmite.

Neither rain nor slight nor snow will keep your foe’s from walking the cold…thanks to the terrain masterminds at Dwarven Forge.

Questions to Ponder: What’s the last cold campaign or module you ran that would suit this chilled environment well? Care to share the mod’s name?

Add a Set (or two) to Your Pile | Browse Dwarven Forge

What a glorious digital age us gamers live in these days! We can play actual D&D games in real-time with friends all over the country, build our D&D characters online (be gone errata supplements) in minutes, and download RPG eBooks in a seconds. But most of all – we have YouTube. An ever-growing video library filled with terrain inspiration and game enhancing ideas.

So what makes a good RPG video these days? Well, certainly to each his own but here’s a taste of the recipe Ben tries to follow:

• Video Editor: Pick out a good software program (iMovie works great)
• Steady: Run stabilization thru your video editor and use a mini tripod
• Close-ups: Zoom in tight on the objects and avoid lengthy wide shots
• Lights: Shoot in a bright room and avoid shadows/glare
• Sound: Smatter in audio effects and music for fun
• Angles: Place the camera above focal point or to the left of the item
• Outline: Jot down chronological talking points before recording
• Length: Use 10 minutes as standard length (20-plus try as a podcast on iTunes)
• Chapters: Create title cards to break the content down into digestible sub groups
• Focus: Stay on topic and leave out rambling commentary
• Respond: Reply (in a professional manner) to viewer video comments
• Closing: Create an end card noting where else you can be found

And every video should get better, right? Ben’s earlier flicks are pretty rough but were necessary in the channel’s evolution. Believe it or not, it’s enjoyable to learn new video skills. Also, make topics unique whenever you can. Regurgitating existing community content often gets lower interest. Mostly, Ben likes to shoot how-to topics (to give back to the community) and built-out game boards (to be different).

So let’s talk video content. What can you create or subscribe to?

• Terrainaholic: A terrain legend and class-act in the community
• Wizards of the Coast: The Penny Arcade D&D games are classics
• TerranScapes: Great how-to terrain guy
• Woodland Scenics: Some fun tutorials on rocks and water effects
• Obsidian Painting: Cool paint tips
• BlueWarGaming: Love their mini basing tricks

Of course, Ben is just scratching your screen’s surface. There’s an immense amount of helpful game content at your fingertips. Try common industry search terms (Dungeons and Dragons, tabletop terrain, miniatures, or mini painting) and see what comes up. Oh and maybe while you’re at, you might consider giving little ol’ Ben’s RPG Pile channel a try.

Editor’s Note: Three cheers to Enygma for this week’s letter suggestion.

Questions to Ponder: Did you ever make a RPG YouTube video? How about your own D&D channel? What inspired you to do so? Want to share some of your favorite gamer clips? How do you use YouTube to help your weekly game?

Ben Top Tube Picks: Make a Miniature P1 and P2 | Character Deaths

Great Mordenkainen’s ghost – the letter “x” is no easy RPG word! Let’s put a playful spin on this week’s entry and go with “extra” but lose the “e” so we can stay classy. This way we can answer the question, “What xtra stuff does Ben have on the Pile that he can share with y’all?”

Let’s start off with this Star Wars miniatures set that Ben nabbed at Gen Con a few half moons back. A tiny booth had a bag of minis and claimed the troublemakers were perfect for any D&D game. The vendor wasn’t kiddin’ – this mish mash group was divine. Plus, WotC’s latest online builder makes monster creation a snap (but the lack of a jpg export feature is still sorely missed).

As many of you know, this whole letter spiel was inspired by the A to Z manuscript but were you aware that Goodman Games has a plethora of books in this genre?!

• The Random Esoteric Creature Generator: tons of trait ideas
• PC Pearls: wide variety of character/NPC inspirations
• GM Gems: lots of reference materials for the inquisitive DM

Better yet, you can grab them for your iPad over at DriveThruRPG for around 4 bucks apiece or you can certainly go the classic paper route on Amazon.

Just as a wine connoisseur occasionally splurges on a particular vintage so shall an RPG officiando spend a few more shekels on an exquisite piece of terrain. Ben reached out to his favorite Thomarillion painter, Yansolo Minis, for this immaculate Living Mirror piece. Sometimes a guy just wants to treat himself, ya know? And yes, Ben is the fairest of them all:)

Let’s close out the week with some artistic glee. Since comic brick and mortar stores are going the way of the compact disc, it’s time you get familiar with the IDW Comic Book Reader iPad app. You can instantly download titles for your viewing pleasure. It’s cheaper (shipping costs more than the digital $1.99 comic itself), easier to obtain (no drive and park) and eliminates bulky storage (now sits on your device).

Consider trying these killer RPG comic book series:

• Dragon Age: Looks very promising
• Dungeons and Dragons: Ben’s absolute fav
• Dark Sun: The setting is the bomb
• Legend of Drizzt: Just cause we love Mr. Salvatore

See?! Just look at all that Xtra D&D stuff just lying around your lair. Don’t forget to dig deep from time and time and utilize everything in your arsenal.

Questions to Ponder: What is resting on your shelf that hasn’t gotten any love in a long time? How come? Have you tried any of those comics? What do you like/not like about them? Ever used a Star Wars mini in a D&D game…which one?

Truth be told certain monstrosities in one’s D&D game often come down to a single descriptive term…vile. And it’s fair to say many a gamer could point to some clear commonalities. Read along as Ben pulls a few examples off the Pile to illustrate the point.

Body Stacks: Heaps of decomposing bodies are always a clear giveaway. But piling them on a moving war wagon is the cherry on top. The boney flatbed is an added creepy bonus.

Possible Quest: You must intercept this killing caravan and bring evidence back to the local magistrate so justice can be served.

Multiple Craniums: Lots of heads on a single monster torso means numerous attacks against your clearly innocent party. Take this toothy sea monster for instance. Image this sucker emerging to the river and not asking for permission to come aboard?

Possible Quest: Remove the mystic sea creature from a vital town river in exchange for a gold reward.

Slimy Tentacles: Sticky limbs trying to rein you in are the epitome of vile. Even better, have those tentacles always spring from your terrain so that the group never sees the real face of its enemy.

Possible Quest: Mineral-rich caves are suddenly off limits as several mining crews have disappeared from their posts. Find the source of the threat and eliminate the danger.

Hold on now. How did these miniatures come to be, you ask?

Ben often trolls the weekly blog circuit for new DIY projects. He found a comprehensive article from TheSheDM that outlined all the steps to making your very own tentacle miniature.

When attempting to re-create someone else’s amazing work, Ben tries to put his own artistic spin on the piece. In this case, Ben used Gale Force Nine wood bases and utilized a fiery brimstone flock mixture to match the tentacles’ boiling lava pit home. For monster stats, he gave these suckers a reach of 2 and a potential grab attack.

Disease-carrying Vermin: A couple Giant Rat packs from Reaper’s Legendary Encounters series is a lock for this letter. The tiny claws, jagged teeth and deplorable pink tails – ugh x 3. Certainly any things that crawls and bites qualifies but there’s just something about those rats coming from the tiniest of places.

Possible Quest: Something has polluted the town’s water supply. Your party must hope into the sewers and flush out the problem.

So yes this term maybe too subjective to the average gamer but these particular traits seem true. The only question remaining is what ya gonna do when the next vile thing comes to a deep dark place near you?

Questions to Ponder: What’s the most vile thing you’ve encountered? What in particular made it so nasty? What type of terrain suits this fugly stuff best?

Make your own tentacle minis

Let’s take this letter marathon to another level with a deep, dark look at the underworld. Stay close to Ben and see what happens when you go down under…into the earth that is (ya dirty birdie).

Caverns pieces are your core component of the underworld. Thankfully, you have two industry behemoths to choose from in Dwarven Forge and Hirst Arts. And better yet, the pieces intermingle better than wood Elves and tall trees. But Ben – please, tell us more.

Dwarven Forge has built a dynasty off its unmatchable quality and detail. And it’s never more apparent than in their cavern series. Ben’s already done a nice review here but this stellar series is worth another mention. As the scenario calls for it, Ben gleefully chooses from a slew of interchangeable pieces from all five sets. The Chasm Set is particularly hallowing with its array platforms and stalactites.

Of course, you can always swap ready-out-box-dollars for a me-time-hobbiest-investment. Hirst Arts give you immense artistic freedom and personal pride with its own set of cavern molds. If you’re planning on making a large environment, you can even craft your own custom unique molds to speed up the factory production line. You can even pick between a traditional cavern and rock formation.

Even more helpful, the Hirst Arts forum community will inundate you with countless inspirations. This sacred ground is a weekly bookmark stop for Ben as he trolls for new ideas and innovations.

Of course, the proof is in the (ogre) pudding:

• Enter at your own risk and always innovate (by jbmallus)
• Explore the unexplored (by dukedreal)
• Meet in the middle (by caveman)
• Avoid the flames and look around those corners (by starmaster)
• Swab the deck with Pirate Isle Platforms (by Dungeon Brawl Gaming)
• Notice the transition from stone to cavern (by Ghalgor1)

Quick tip: don’t feel like you always have to wall the entire cavern game board. Intermixing walls here and there can sometimes give you more playable combat space.

Ben has many underworld inhabitant favs such as hyenas and bats but you’ve got a host of miniature monster options.

While going underground certainly isn’t meant to be a playground, the right terrain can be a difference maker here. Ben encourages hobbyists everywhere to dig deep and put forth a cavern encounter to remember.

Questions to Ponder: Do you have a favorite cavern-setting D&D module? What was your roughest underground encounter? What’s the first word that comes to mind when you hear the word “cavern”. Got a favorite cave dweller monster?

Read the entire Transition thread | Read the entire Lava Cavern thread

Ah yes…statues – mythologies’ imperfect storyteller. Is it any wonder why RPGers are so quick to form bond with these hard, cold wonders? Join Ben as he grabs a chisel and carves out their rightful place in his Pile.

Most sculpture situations will require you to go into Frankenstein-mode: a snip here, a dash of glue there. Just be sure to utilize some Hirst Arts terrain blocks for the statue base and sprinkle in some well-placed flock for a chipped stone effect. You’ll be quite pleased with the results. Dreamblade minis like the Pearlthorn Gargoyle or Saint of Roses are also awesome choices.

WotC has a couple grab-and-go options with the daunting Stone Golem (Giants of Legend, #4) and the Animated Statue (Desert of Desolation, #2). These are worth keeping in your DM tackle box.

Sometimes, a hobbyist just needs a creative nudge. And that’s where the Hirst Arts picture message board comes into play. Guys like Caveman have posted legendary work for all to see. He’s utilized yard sales and old discarded minis to produce some jaw dropping statues. Ben visits this picture treasure trove on a weekly basis.

Gen Con is another motivation mosh pit. With iPhone in hand, Ben is always snapping pics for future reference. That’s where he got turned onto that old weathered look. So much so that he found a pro painter to paint up a variety of cheap pieces he nabbed from an exhibit hall vendor.

For one-off’s, Ben secured a few Grim Reaper-style statues from Pegasus Hobbies to keep at arm’s length. Mage Knight even had a few in their old accessory packs. And of course, your local gaming store’s bit box always has some discarded figs for you to go all Geppetto on when the time is right.

Maybe a gamer’s affinity for statues stems from the original Clash of the Titans movie and Hera’s talking head. After all, there’s no arguing with the Gods.

Questions to Ponder: How do you interact with and utilize statues in your ongoing D&D games? Ever use them as a rally point on a map, a salute to a fallen hero, a surprise attack or a speaking encounter?

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This week’s alphabet entry just so happens to fit perfectly with the rest of his ongoing RPG series. But which definition of puzzle is Ben picking?

No, it’s not puzzle in the traditional sense of perplexing challenges that rake one’s D&D brain. Rather, Ben has gone literal this week with actual, physical puzzles. Here’s how.

Ben’s game group is currently adventuring through part two of three of the Keep on Shadowfell module series (which is amazing). After a bit of a thud going from H1 to H2, Ben wanted something much more memorable as the group transitions out of Thunderspire Labyrinth and into Pyramid of Shadows (H3). A great module transition is a true mark of a good DM.

Thus, he created the Barz Brothers Hoard Quest. A dying Norhand Woodsheart tells the tale of a secret treasure stash of three Half-orc brothers. They hid their stolen riches and hired a mage to create a magical map depicting the resting location. The map was torn into pieces and magical constructs were made from them. Paldemar learned of this legend and was magically summoning all the consturcts to Thunderspire. A killed construtct turns back into a map piece. Recover all the map pieces scattered across Nentir Vale to reveal the location of the Pyramid & its treasure.

With an engaging plot in hand, Ben wanted something more tangible and visual on the game table to supplement his new storyline transition. With a cute little daughter addicted to puzzles, the RPG accessory idea was right there for the taking! Ben would create a puzzle map which would only magically reveal the Pyramid of Shadows’ location after all the collected pieces were fully assembled.

The Nentir Vale campaign map from the DMG (pg. 206) made the most sense. Ben is quite fond of the setting and it’s a major area player in this particular module series. Plus, a high res version of the map was readily available on Google Images.

Next Ben popped that map image into Photoshop and made it his own . He added his local Game Store, Gamers’ Inn, as a waypoint on the map for weary travelers to grab a quick pint. A little flair also seemed in order and the Pile logo in the bottom right corner did the trick. Finally, he needed to pick a final puzzle piece that essentially “marked the spot.”

With the final piece of the puzzle in place, Ben called upon Jigsaw2order produce his masterpiece. Options, cost, quality, simplicity to order and customer service were all extremely pleasant. Ben created a 30-piece puzzle with perfect dimensions (8.25in x 11.75in) for a mere $15.95. How can you go wrong?

Ben plans on passing out replica puzzles to each of his gamemates as Xmas gifts at the conclusion of their Thunderspire Labyrinth module in December.

And if all that fun and creativity isn’t enough…Ben and his daughter had a nice little bonding moment when they put this new D&D puzzle together. That’s when you know the idea was pure gold.

Questions to Ponder: What else would make a great D&D puzzle? Would you make one for your game group? What other quest ideas could be used to incorporate puzzle pieces into your campaign?

This week “N” stands for Non Player Characters. That’s right – it’s time to finally step up and recognize the little guys! Your NPCs really do have names, ya know. They have feelings. But yeah, they can die too. Let’s see how Ben invites them into his game.

The printed page is always a great place to start your NPC search. A couple of books come to mind including the amazing the Citybook All-system Catalyst Series. While their format is kinda dungeon-delve-style, all their books are filled with amazing NPC options (like Dr. Gopp and his Traveling Emporium of Medical Wonders). Ben also came really, really close to nabbing the “Masks: 1,000 Memorable NPCs for Any Roleplaying Game” book but about a 1/3 of the book was non-D&D related (and concern arose about his Gen Con suitcase weight).

A couple of helpful writer’s block web resources include the WotC NPC Name Generator and of course, Ben’s personal fav – the Instant NPC Names list from the Immortal Chris Perkins.

The digital age brings us FantasyMuse by Rasmus Rasmussen – a kick ass iPhone app that randomly generates NPCs at the flick of a finger. The app randomly generates content for fantasy writers and gamers. It’s certainly worth a download thanks to its character outlines, quick factions and quest seeds. And as a Pile reader, you can win a free copy of FantasyMuse. Just send Ben a tweet using the hashtag #MusingPile before his next blog posting. He’ll randomly pull one lucky winner.

Ben’s group can’t remember jack so they use colorful cards to make NPCs and their impact on the game more productive. Thankfully, Google Images gives you plenty of photo firepower to find the right face (remember – everything is better with a visual). Ben uses the back of the card to note key facts and traits. You can download our PSD template here. GameMastery Face Cards also give you a slick out-of-the-box option. And if nostalgia’s your game, don’t forget to try the ol’ AD&D trading cards (often found on ebay) for an NPC face.

And finally, every NPC needs an eye popping miniature. So with that read, enjoy Ben’s lineup of usual NPC suspects.

Writer’s Note: A special Twitter acknowledgement and writer’s block thanks to David for this week’s letter suggestion.

Questions to Ponder: Do you have a memorable NPC? If so, what was it about that character in particular that stroke a chord? How do you name your NPCs? How large a role do NPCs play in your D&D game?

Win the FatasyMuse App (remember to use the hashtag #MusingPile)

Ben’s back from vacation so let’s get to it: Land ho! That’s right, RPGers – there’s an earthy foam mass dead ahead in this week’s D&D A to Z installment. What can one do with this relatively inexpensive resource to make one’s game table come alive?

Sadly, Ben and foam don’t get along in the grand scheme of all things terrain. He’s lousy with a hot knife (which usually requires a steady hand). More importantly, he hasn’t learned the proper way to paint the final pieces. Why? No idea but that’s a huge mental roadblock.

Thusly, Ben snags most of his foam from the fine crew over at Arena Gear. For a very reasonable price (typically $5 to $40), their creations are top notch. These guys are a must-see at any convention. Best of all, their products are easily transportable back home.

Plus, you can’t beat Arena Gear’s variety either (which jumped a creative notch this year):

• High level rock formations
• Base level land masses
• Earthy landmarks
• Unique pieces like mountain-side doors
• Magnetized pieces for a variety of uses

Certainly, you can build your own foam library. Material is easy to get either from your local craft store or if you’re a in the right climate, any pink foam insulation will do. Combo that up with DVD and kit from Hot Wire Foam Factory and you’re off to the hobbyist races. Terrainscapes did a great review of all their products here.

In terms of specific applications, Ben’s utilized foam for the Thunderspire’s Slave Pits and the classic Tiefling Ambush Interlude. And as you well know, Ben likes to photograph minis on this stuff for his little ol’ weekly blog.

The ease at which a DM can create depth on his game board is especially appealing. And remember a cardinal terrain rule – everything (and we mean everything) is always better with levels. So grab a chunk of foam and raise your game to new heights.

Questions to Ponder: Was the closing article line too corny? What have you made with foam? Do you use it to base your Hirst Arts floor tiles? Got any favorite foam paint scheme? What brand of paint works best with foam?

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