Scrolls, potions and a map
I managed to get this lot built in 5 minutes.
A simple map made of masking tape folded in half. Closed scrolls masking tape around a piece of cocktail stick as well a# without. Open scroll – masking tape with a piece or receipt stuck to it. Both ends rolled around a cocktail stick. Bottles made from a bead and cocktail sticks. Candle (or whatever it is) beads and a cocktail stick.
Will get them painted soon.
After watching a YouTube video on making books, I decided to have a try.
basically I used 2 types of card; a thicker and a thinner piece.
I cut about a cm wide length of thick card and about a 12 -13mm length of thin card. I also made some bigger and smaller books by simply increasing and reducing the size of the card cut.
I cut two rectangles of the ticker card and then stuck them together. These were, in turn, glued to the end of the thin card strip. I made sure I had a little border of thin card around the edge.
Once this was dry I folded over the extra length of thin card and glued in place. It was simply a case of cutting off the extra length to match the first bit.
I did try experimenting with a book mark by placing a piece of post it note between the two thicker pieces, but I made it a bit wide and it just looked wrong.
I left it all to dry and then painted the pages in bone white (basically cream) and then the covers in various muted colours.
The open book followed a similar principal but in this case the pieces of thicker card were glued side by side with a small gap in between them.
I cut a piece of post it note to the same width as the thicker card.
I added the extra pages by adding glue to the gap and pushing it in with a cocktail stick. in this case I added a second piece (making sure it was slightly longer to allow for the squishing into the gap)
Basically paint as before.
I used a ultra fine sharpie to add writing by doing little scribbles.
The idea came from:
Gareth has some really good simple ideas (mainly for D&D, but to be honest it can be used for anything mini wise)
Vanessa at the Crafting Muse is another fave…. Well worth checking them out. (The video below is my next piece 🙂 )
I made a start on these today.
apologies for the naff photo.
On the whole they are painted in washes apart from the metallics. They still need a bit doing to them but I am happy with them so far.
Later on tonight I will get them highlighted and based up. As they are a wash over plaster (albeit a very hard plaster) I will need to get them varnished to stop them chipping.
My eldest and I had another bash at TMWWBK.
After my Egyptian forces were utterly destroyed last time, it was decided to send in some British troops to capture the town.
They marched along the same road as the Egyptians and again threw out a cavalry screen. The one thing I wasn’t expecting was for the Hadendowah to straddle the road. This must have surprised the cavalry screen as they failed their initial command roll – (something I was beset by for the rest of the game).
I managed to slowly bring on the rest of my forces… The only ones who never failed a command roll were the Naval brigade (who chased off the infantry to their front). The Hadendowah retreated before my advance.
I decided to check out the rough ground to my left flank expecting a massed attack, but there was nothing there.
As I pushed through with my cavalry a host of Green flags appeared in the Wadi. The troops dismounted and opened fire with their carbines A few casualties fell, but with the range and cover from the wadi it wasn’t enough to make a big difference.
The rest of my British foot advanced and poured lead into the unfortunates in the wadi. they lost a base and decided discretion was the better part of valour.
As the Wadi was Clear (or so I thought) I advanced my cavalry, again.
They had a bit of a shock as they crested the rise and found rather a lot of camels awaiting them.
They dismounted and opened fire, sadly the dice gods were against me and although needing 4+ I managed only 4 hits.
On the upside it caused them to take a pin test, which they failed allowing the rest of my chaps to wade in to support the cavalry.
They didn’t stand much chance against the volley firing of the British infantry. the wadi was cleared in a few minutes.
Unfortunately we had to finish there as She had to go out to Drama, we will conclude another time.
The camels were the bane of my life (as was often the case in reality) at one point the naval brigade supplies got ahead of their forces and as for the regulars… theirs failed more activation rolls than they passed. When we finished they were 4 turns behind the troops they needed to supply.
I am not sure how the Nordenfeldt would have fared as it never ever got a shot at anyone as with the Sudanese regulars on the right flank.
Frostgrave is all about treasure.
The weather this morning was rather rubbish
After sorting out the horses, I only went out again to fill up the bird feeders.
So, with the yucky weather, I decided I would have a rootle through my bits an pieces to come up with some treasure tokens that would look better than the mdf disks used in our first game.
I used a pile of my hurst arts bits and pieces on an mdf base.
We have at the back left…
Crystal ball and mysterious machinery switch
A pile of coins
A lump of masonry which will have some form of weapon on it.
A mysterious sack
A gargoyle and pile of coins
Coins leaking out of a damaged barrel
A treasure chest
A stone skull which will have something on or near it. Might be a little bag or a book/scroll
A barrel and a sack
A strange device on a lump of masonry
And a large chest with a couple of barrels (this will be used more as a line of sight blocker than a treasure token – but in reality I may need a special token and this would suit)
each person places 3 tokens so I have enough there for a 3 player game 🙂
Just got to paint them all up.
I had a bash at a post game sequence as in a campaign.
Without a d20 I used an online dice roller.
My 3 ‘dead’ characters weren’t in fact dead. Rolling on the injury table they all came out unscathed.
As I had 4 treasure tokens I rolled on the treasure table.
This gave me a couple of good rolls and a couple of mediocre ones.
To cut a long story short I ended up with 2 grimoires, 2 scrolls and 350 gold coins.(I would have had loads more as one roll gave me a d20 x 25 gold coins. I rolled a 1!😱😱😱)
My grimoires and scrolls were rolled for. The grimoires were on on mind control and the other on reveal death. My 2 scrolls were for combat awareness and Blinding light. Both which were in my selection of spells.
Reveal Death is an offensive spell designed to frighten an opponent into seeing their own demise. All it does is make him or her lose their next activation. Mind control is a little more dangerous in that the wizard controls the mind of an enemy. Basically if they fail their will roll then they join my side until they pass their will test.
I then looked at experience….
It was at this point I realised how difficult it was going to be to improve. 10 points for each successful spell so 50 points there. Each treasure token 50 points. So my total was 250 points. My opponent however got 100 points for his treasure, 150 points for dropping my mage, 50 points for successful spells as well as 40 points for dropping a soldier. So in total 340 experience points.
My experience equals 2 levels. For each level I can learn a new spell, improve a known spell or improve a stat such as fighting or willpower.
I then decided to establish a base. Having looked through the list of options, I decided to set up home in a laboratory. The perk for this location is that I get 20 experience points after each game due to reading the various notes etc found within.
I then decided to spend a little cash to modify my lab. I decided to get myself a kennel to allow me to obtain another war hound. This cost me 200 gold coins. Quite expensive to get an extra dog. It will however allow me another fast model on the table.
.
I managed to get these finished in time for tonight’s game.
PVA is still wet in this photo and as the camera never lies… I can see all the bits I missed on the bases.
They were speedily done but to be honest I am pleased with them. The Wizard and the apprentice are both a bit bigger than the rank and file, but as this game is mainly about these two it seems rather appropriate that they are a bit bigger 🙂
The one thing that niggles me is the warhound. It is %*”!*% huge.
In fact it is nearly bigger than my bear. I got this bear from Warbases for £2.50 the Frostgrave bear is £6.00.
We shall see how my crew do tonight in the ruins of Frostgrave. Spells at the ready….
An in the Word of Ridcully the Brown – Arch-chancellor of the Unseen University…
‘Cometh the hour, cometh the … whatever. General comethness, perhaps.’
Or if all else fails….
‘Let’s get this over quickly, and have lunch.’
I think I saved these…
I have now got everyone onto the mdf bases. This took a lot of extra hole drilling, cutting off of plastic tabs and in the case of the dog lobbing some hot glue onto the base to support it.
Ready for basing gunk which is basically:
PVA
Sawdust
Brown house paint
Mixed together and plopped onto the base.
They are now sitting on the radiator drying off.
Next up is the angst of how to base them. Frostgrave takes place in a city that has just reappeared after spending one thousand years under ice. The question is…. do I add snow to my bases. If I do then basically Frostgrave and Icy areas are all they are good for. We shall have to see.
Dropped a clanger with these:
In my keenness to get these done I picked up the wrong wash for the colours on the tunic. My idea was a dark wash over the darker colours and a light wash over the pale colours… DOH!
Glazing has made some effect on the colour, but I do think it is going to have to come down to a bit of a repaint.
On the upside I do have a pot of Iraqui sand with me which is a darker tone than the Bonewhite.
With a mix of the two and a steady hand I may be able to paint it into the creases and even wet blend to the ridges.
We shall see how I get on… (Note to self – take the paint home with you 🙂 )
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Bogenwald 