We’re seeing a lot of Dungeons & Dragons-themed builds lately thanks to the LEGO Ideas D&D contest, and I’m a fan of this miniland-scale build by Miscellanabuilds, which depicts a party of adventurers. A good variety of races and classes are represented from the human wizard to the orc barbarian and halfling bard. The D&D logo is what really makes the whole build shine though. And don’t miss that tiny mimic!
Confession time: while I’ve always secretly wanted to, I’ve never played a game of Dungeons and Dragons (or other games of its ilk). Seeing all the great D&D builds popping up lately is doing nothing to scratch that itch. There have been some incredibly creative entries as well, such as this one by Ralf Langer. I love the inclusion of the pencil and notepad – crucial for remembering just what it is your character is up to. While they’re great in their own right, it’s hard not to focus on the amazing playing field curving up next to them. Ralf has somehow managed to make forced perspective work in an arc – te further up the cylinder you go, the more the landscape disappears into the distance. It’s a quite remarkable bit of workmanship.
As the LEGO Dungeons & Dragons builds continue to spill forth, builder Plastic Pauper has a great take on one of the game’s first monsters: the vampire lord. I have to commend the character construction here. With sharp lines for the count’s suit contrasted by the more flowing contours of his face and cloth cloak, this dark noble feels alive wielding his menacing rapier (that’s 1d8 piercing damage, folks!). And I adore all the gold filigree and tan ascot adorning his chest. Such a well-crafted villain is further complemented by the dynamite background in this vignette. The ornate stone walls surrounding the figure feature a ring of keys, a pair of candlesticks, and quite the imposing gargoyle. But my favorite detail has got to be the spiky ends of a portcullis in the doorway to the vamp’s rear. What an excellent homage to the fantasy role playing game!
Ready to encounter some more great D&D builds? Check them out in our archives!
It seems that we’ve seen a veritable dragon’s hoard of Dungeons and Dragons-themed builds lately, thanks in large part to the challenge on LEGO Ideas celebrating the 50th anniversary of the game. And I guess it’s time I toss one of my own onto the pile: this ferocious chest mimic. It’s mouth is brimming with treasure, including a necklace, ring, gold ingot, and lots of coins (2×2 round tile) and gems (1×2 transparent brick). These goodies are on display thanks to a false bottom built into the mimic’s mouth, upon which it’s tongue rests. If I had to pick a specific design piece that I was most proud of here, I would say it’s the use of exposed studs along the lid to emulate rivets in the dark gray metal. When faced with the challenge of using brackets to form the arch of the lid, I decided to lean into it and use the design byproduct to my advantage.
It’s funny to think that this build started out as a generic treasure chest construction, complete with lighting to highlight the gems inside. And while those lights haven’t made it to this final version, the original frame remains largely intact. However, from this initial version through the handful of shows where the chest mimic has been on display, the model has broken on me three times. That’s not just into pieces, but countless fractured LEGO plates! I guess that’s the cost of working with so much reddish brown and not being overly careful when packing. The first major break was when prepping for the picture below. I dropped the chest’s lid on the concrete of my back patio and was forced to delay the photo shoot until the next night while I made repairs.
This digital creation by Dale Harris pits a trio of unfortunate adventurers against some skeleton warriors and a massive dracolich. (For those of you not familiar with Dungeons & Dragons – and I count myself among you – all you need to know is that a dracolich is sort of an undead dragon thing. Although Dale’s work makes that pretty clear.) The massive skeletal dragon is obviously the immediate eye catcher in this build, but I’m particularly drawn to the work on the curved stone staircase on which our heroes find themselves trapped. Hopefully the die rolls their way.
While LEGO just announced the Dungeons & Dragons crossover/contest, these two hobbies have long been intertwined through builds to aid many DM’s dungeon designs, as well as a one-shot during a LEGO convention. And I’m delighted to spice up my next Session Zero with Dan Ko’s blocky character creation process seen here. This octad of adventurers covers genre staples like a half-orc barbarian, but also strays into the more exotic with an aarakocra monk. And while my level nine warforged wizard isn’t represented, my favorite has got to be the dragonborn paladin with its excellently sculpted light gray armor. I love the pauldrons made of escalator steps and the giant gear adorning its chest. Its face is a masterful concoction of green pieces providing that perfect lizard-y look.
Which party member is your favorite? Is it the tiefling sorcerer with hot dog horns? The human fighter with a leafy orange beard? Or is it the purple-robed gnome wizard and his owl familiar?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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!
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.
