Tag Archives: Dungeons and Dragons

Roll me a saving throw...

I was drawn to this LEGO build by the use of Chris Maddison’s colours but was then awed by the construction employed here. Chris has captured the natural movement of the worm and its dynamism perfectly as it explodes from the floor surprising our intrepid travellers. The dominant colours of sand blue and purple make the scene pop with the sand blue adding the suggestion of the cave floor without distracting whilst the positioning of the minifigs captures the energy of the encounter incredibly well.

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Beware the servants of the Goblin King

Busts have become ever-popular, and with them have come a wealth of fun ideas. Builders trying their hand at sculpting a character’s features with bricks are forced to try new things and innovate. This Goblin bust by builder Jnj_bricks was such a foray that was definitely successful. Texturing really helped this character come through, from the spikey, short hair to the boats used in his jacket. The knobbly, green skin translates well as a Goblin, as do the bright orange eyes which hold a mischievous light. The gold earrings and jutting jaw with sharp teeth add that extra bit of character emblematic of this trickster species in lore, old and new.

The Goblin

Quite a few techniques were used to achieve all the interesting angles and textures of this build. Though Jnj_bricks says this is a very different style for him, it’s clear it wasn’t too far out of his range.

Ice Penguin Mechs are go!

LEGO builder Chris Perron has delivered precisely what the world needs now. That being four Ice Planet mechs piloted by penguins that take inspiration by Dungeons and Dragons roles. Do I need to repeat that? Four Ice Planet mechs. Piloted by penguins. Inspired by D&D. What part of that don’t you understand? Our first offering totally rocks out on an icy guitar.

Ice Penguin Mechs - Support

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A dead bird’s eye view

Every time I see builds like this my mind goes wild with ideas for Dungeons and Dragons-themed sets. Though the LEGO Group may never make that dream come true for me, at least I can cherish the ideas of builders like Hugo Rouschop. This Orc Watchtower is perched precariously around a giant bird skull upon a nicely sculpted, spire-like rock structure. We all know scaffolding and bones are essential components to orc architecture, as well as chains and hanging cages with, of course, more bones. Add a net and some ladders and you have a place any orc would be proud to work in.

Orc watchtower

This angle makes the giant bird skull much more obvious. The bony beak rises above the roof while the eyes lay just below the platform. That roof technique is achieved with a net wedged between tiles and plates above and slide shoes below. Attachment points on the support beams keep the roof in place while the rest of the structure naturally curves.

Orc watchtower

Hugo certainly has a knack for orc builds. He has a good eye for fantasy and his builds are imaginative and playful. Now that I’ve got orcs on the brain, I’m going to go catch up on Critical Role for the rest of the night. Thanks for that, Hugo. Really.

Untold secrets of parts and pieces lay held between these aging pages...

The word greeble is well-known to any tenured builder. A technique used to add texture and detail to a model, greebling employs parts in interesting and fun ways. Depending on its purpose, adding greeble to a model can help randomize a texture, similar to The LEGO Movie logo, or to add specific detail like the engine pylons and power supplies in the iconic Y-wing. This month, some builders revived a theme from 6 years ago, “Greeble de Mayo.” A challenge for builders to greeble an 8x8x8 area during the month of May has resulted in quite a few great builds. Dan Ko finished the month with this alluring and mystic tome, magical pen, and ink well.

The Book of Greebles

The fountain pen and ink well are both concise models. The pink jewel and harpoon hand give detail to the pen while the inkwell, a round tile inside of a golden dish, is a subtle but crucial partner. A great additional set to the main model!

The Book of Greebles itself is quite detailed. A dragon-headed sword hilt adorns the spine while pearl gold clips and hinges are used to detail the brown binding. Roller skates provide focal points on the top and bottom at the tips of brown, curvy cattle horns. These details frame a magenta dome, accented by matching corner studs on the cover of the book. Textured bricks provide the illusion of pages but the bit of fabric sticking out is the clincher. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure what set that particular cloth comes with or which minifigure it completes. All I know is it makes me think of vellum or some old type of paper, torn and worn, scribbled on by some ancient builder wanting to share their greebly secrets. Ultimately, that level of immersion is what really matters and I have to applaud Dan Ko on his work.

I imagine this model will be enjoyed by fans of Hearthstone, Magic the Gathering, or Dungeons & Dragons. It would make a great prop or token for in-game play, especially with role-playing, so Dungeon Masters with a love for building, keep this in mind! Your players will love them too!

This Loxodon wins by a nose

In the event that you haven’t nerded out enough lately, Eero Okkonen has you covered. He has recently built a LEGO version of Jörn, a Loxodon ranger from northern Nordovik. This is a character he’s playing in a quarantined Dungeons & Dragons campaign called Heroes of Auronia. Eero scores extra nerd street cred as this bipedal beast was inspired by the Woolly Loxodon from Magic: The Gathering. I like the use of the baskets as feet as well as the dragon wings in dark green. Check out our archives to see more of this builder’s stuff. As for playing D&D while in quarantine, I feel your pain, Eero. Most of my own gaming has become a solitary endeavor due to the pandemic. And let me tell you what a soul-crushing embarrassment it is when someone walks in on your one-handed solo campaign.

Jörn

Behold THIS, Mickey and Minnie!

LEGO set designer and artist Wes Talbott saw the large macaroni pieces in the new 43179 Mickey and Minnie Buildable Characters set and knew immediately that he must build a beholder from Dungeons and Dragons instead. I approve of every last facet of that preceding sentence. It has an engaging start, takes us on a riotous journey through the middle, then concludes with a most satisfying end. Some best-selling novels don’t even go that well. What can I say? When it comes to geek memorabilia or the big corporate mouse, I will side with boardgame monsters every time. I think you’ll agree that this beholder is a sight to behold.

The classic side-eye

We have all known that person at some point. The one who says something and all you can do is silently give them that judging gaze. Sometimes they’re even a friend. And you love them, but man are they weird. This build by Gregory Coquelz, inspired by the writings of author China Miéville, perfectly captures that moment. Maybe it’s the slurping in the middle of a very serious Dungeons and Dragons quest. Whatever thought bubbles you give the scene, the characters and their outfits tell a great story.

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You can see more of Gregory’s work by visiting our archives.