Ben takes you on a magical terrain expedition with his own interpretation of Thunderspire Labyrinth’s Hall of Enforced Introspection.

Sure, Encounter W6 had a great foundation but Ben was looking for some ways to go 3-D on its ass. Let’s see how he tackled the room to make it his own.

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Dwarven Forge releases a slew of game-ready accessories in its latest Wicked Additions 3 medieval dungeon set. It’s a cornucopia of terrain accent happiness in what Ben considers to be the most diverse group of the bunch yet.

Yes, yes – we all love good walls and floors but remember, a crafty DM needs to put something in the middle of those bricked confines. Ben bird dogs accessories the most as these are the peskiest to build from scratch. Sometimes, you just gotta have quick-and-easy choices.

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A castle and its nearly impenetrable walls bring forth so many iconic fantasy images and magical movie memories. Those sky touching towers, readied archers, bubbling pots of oil, and an impassable portcullis all have RPG meaning to us. Thankfully, the crew over at Miniature Building Authority have the RPG terrain to do your own table right.

There are 11 different castle wall pieces to choose from including the Town Wall, Destroyed Wall, D-Tower, Sally Port, Inner Curved Wall, Outer Curve Wall, Beloved Gate House, 45 Degree Tower, Corner Tower, Tower Hoarding and Stairs. They’re all made for 25 mm scale and can drop into your multiple D&D settings in a pinch.

You can easily get by with a small starter set: 2 Town Walls and the Dwarven Forge Portcullis. Then slowly add a tower option. Then start to sprinkle in some classics like the Gate House and the Crumbled Wall.

Ben also loves terrain that invites lots of different miniatures to play. The WotC series has a myriad of fine choices (to help build variety in your different uses of this terrain).

Plus, it’s easy to inter mix these wall pieces with your existing terrain collection.. While doing Thunderspire Labyrinth’s Horned Hold, Ben had an absolute blast dressing up the MBA castle walls with Dwarven Forge and Hirst Arts pieces.

One of Ben’s first stops at Gencon is the MBA booth. The sheer volume of choices is pure shock and awe. That annual experience conveys the same reaction as the little boys outside the toy store window in a Christmas Story.

Many of the castle pieces are reasonably priced ($29.95 to $69.95) and it’s easy to add to your collection as you go.

Now whose turn is it anyway to storm the gates?

Questions to Ponder: Do you do a lot of village, high-walled assaults? Got a favorite castle-style RPG mod where this terrain would be useful? Got a preferred castle guard mini?

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Dwarven Forge unleashes its Ruins set to great delight as Ben decides to do some exploring and see what the newest classic dungeon terrain set has to offer.

Let’s start off by applauding the theme – we seemed overdue for a classic dungeon expansion from the talented crew over at the Forge. As you know, reusability is always key when deciding on what terrain to buy (or create) and the Ruins are universal in their setting. That valuable layout flexibility means they can be used by DM’s in countless scenarios. The window sills even let you transform the Ruins from a damaged indoor dungeon room to a battered outdoor building (think 80s reversible jacket).

Ben was once again awe-struck in the set’s detail. Everybody knows personal touches ultimately define one’s RPG landscape. In the case of the Ruins set, we’ve got scattered leaves, finite floor cracks, and tiny rocks strewn throughout the individual pieces. The joyous kicker is the added depth brought out by the layered dirt and stone. You even have pull away stones for those pesky traps or treasure-filled hiding places.

The Ruins also has some slick solo bits including a ladder, thin stone pieces, and stand-alone wall barriers. Ben just drools over these babies as they can be used with any other DF set with ease. You do own at least one set of each Dwarven Forge theme, don’t you? (wink, wink)

Hirst Arts creators should be pleased as well as the set provides the usual pallets of inspiration and makes it easy to integrate into Bruce’s Fieldstone series. Ben tends to favor Dwarven Forge over Hirst when taking his game on the road because of the added durability of the pieces (and their mysteriously light-weight).

There are even smaller, thinner floor pieces that give you lots of 3-D opportunities – a technique Ben and the gang have used in the past with Wizard’s dungeon tiles’ series. Try and get creative here.

At $89, the Ruins set is reasonably priced and you can certainly get by with two sets. Ben nabbed three because he had to snag that bonus, killer Dragon’s nest.

There’s no denying the pride of ownership when building your own terrain but there’s always a right time, perfect place and strong case for buying the best – and that my friends, is Dwarven Forge.

Questions to Ponder: How many Dwarven Forge sets do you own? What is your favorite set? Would you use the Ruins in an indoor or outdoor setting first? What D&D modules might require a Ruins layout?

Get It | Tavern Accessories Review | Cavernous Clout Review

Does a DM ever really have enough beds for his room set-ups? They have many uses ya know including a typical barracks’ setting, a comfy room at the local Inn or an item of stature in the Captain’s quarters.

With so many possibilities, we manned up and took a daring stab at creating our own cot mold. Of course our home brew beds will never measure up to Dwarven Forge (our favs). Still, we feel our option is a respectable item in the perennial do-it-yourself bargain bin.

The paint job was a bit of a head scratcher – particularly the blanket. Ben tried several colors but the green had a nice army-issue-kinda feel to it (for the average minion).

The bed surplus has already come in handy several times. Most notably during our Friday Night Strike game when we played the Bloodtower on the Moorland delve from the Open Grave book.

Keep looking for ways to take chances in your own Dungeons and Dragons projects. Don’t let the usual creative hesitations and doubt hold you back. You will be surprised at the results.

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Who doesn’t love a good dark and damp cave setting? Trouble lurks around every unchecked corner. The smell of death fills the air. Unfortunately, a dry erase marker doesn’t exactly portray that same fear and mystery. Never fear, DMs…Dwarven Forge shall show you the way.

Ben covets every square of his Dwarven Forge Cavernous Set Series. These terrain passage pieces are unmatched in the industry. You will absolutely be astounded by their meticulous painting and subtle details. And the supplemental pieces are just as good. In one instance, Ben had our Dwarf, Crag McBeard, mine for whetstones.

Yes, yes – they’re pricey. Ben gets it. Look, if you want to drive in style, a man’s gotta open the wallet a little. This particular pile is all about budget management and slowly amassing your sets through holidays and birthdays.

Thankfully, Dwarven Forge sets also blend in nicely with Hirst Arts molds. And that connection opens the door to all sorts of creative configurations. D&D miniatures, particularly the four legged kind, work great for surprise encounters.

So pick a set (or two) for the upcoming holidays and get some of these babies in your hand. You won’t be disappointed.

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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.

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