Role-playing tabletop gamers are always looking to enhance their gaming experience. 4Bot-Industries offers a wide selection of silicone molds to make three-dimensional gaming more affordable and fun.
As a GeekDad returning to RPG gaming, I was looking at the options that were available to me. There were basic mats made of fold-out paper that came with modules, cardboard tiles that I could use to create my own dungeons, and pre-made tiles constructed of paper, resin, or ceramics. Pre-made options were a bit cost-prohibitive for me. But what I lacked in cash I could make up for with time, so I decided to give making my own tiles a try.
I searched the web and came across 4Bot-Industries. They offer many different types of silicone molds that range from $26 to $3o. My choice was a very basic Dungeon Cavern Floor Mold.
After a quick trip to the local art store for some plaster, I was off and running. I purchased some hydrostone plaster which cures in about a half an hour and costs under $10 for about 2 lbs. This is a very fun project to do with your kids since the plaster is non-toxic and is as simple as combining 1 part water with 1 and 1/4 parts plaster. My son enjoyed the opportunity to get a bit dirty and have some fun. I recommend doing this is some cheap disposable cups so that you are not dumping leftover plaster in your sink.
An extra tip is doing this in a rigid paper plate so that is can be thrown away for easy clean up. I let the plaster set for a half hour and voila, dungeon tiles!
Once the tiles are done and cured it is time to break out the paint. The good thing about terrain is that the painting is far easier than doing miniatures. You can use a cheap can of flat black spray paint for the initial coat. Once that coat is done I dry brush the bricks with gray and then brown acrylic paint. This is another task that your children will enjoy that does not need a high level of skill.
Once the painting is done I make a trip to the local dollar store and buy sheets of foam core to create a nice soft non-skid base. I use spray 3m adhesive to glue the pieces to the board. Finally, it is time to play!
I truly have enjoyed the mold I purchased from 4Bot-Industries and look forward to making my own cities and caverns. I have used the mold several times so far and it has held up beautifully. The quality of the silicone is top-notch. To make one complete set from start to finish takes about an hour. It will take several of these before you will have a decent size room created. To speed up the process you can purchase multiple molds. Since I have used the 4bot Industries Role-Playing Terrain Molds my family looks forward to preparing for game night as much as playing.
This is a great way to go. Once you have the initial molds, cost is very low… like you said, it’s just time.
I do the pouring/scraping on a kitchen trash bag. It provides a larger work area (I usually have a few molds going at once), and I can keep using it as the excess plaster does not stick much to the plastic. I just push it to the side, and dump in the trash periodically.
To speed up the process, in addition to buying more molds, you can possibly make specific molds with all the pieces you want. I don’t know about 4bot, but the molds I use specifically allow you to duplicate for personal use.
https://geekdad.com/2015/11/dungeon-casting-part-2/
Thanks Ryan I want to try making my own molds next. I will use your article as a reference