Arrr! Making Warhammer Ships for D&D

[Christian Walker]

I am a slave to the painted pewter and plastic of Reaper and Games Workshop. These days I tend to get more mileage out of White Dwarf than I do Dragon. Odd.

In my D&D campiagn I needed a new way for my undead hordes to wreak havoc. Inspired by GW's "March Boat Month" I'm building me a fleet. Below is one of my first efforts. Man, buidling terrain is hard as heck!

I'm going to try some high seas adventures, amphibious landings, and other ways to increase the carnage factor.

I need to know: Any of you folks building ships and boats? If so, I wants to see them, m'kay?

 

[sleezesteve]

That's pretty sweet.

 

[Christian Walker]

That's pretty sweet.

Say, thanks brother. Dude, your avatar and .sig have changed since my last visit. I kind of liked it.

Anyhoo, I'm working on some new ships and other terrain. I figure it's a hell of a lot cheaper to build and paint my own stuff than to buy it on EBay!

 

[Piratecat]

Say, thanks brother. Dude, your avatar and .sig have changed since my last visit. I kind of liked it.

I'm afraid that wasn't entirely voluntary.

Great ship.

 

[adwyn]

For my new prates meet Sinbad and the ninja's game I've just finished a sloop last night and have an oared felluca, a galley, and two xebec's on the table. These are my first tries, and I've been trying to balance appearance with compatability with 3.5's square based movement.

I was inpsired when one of our DM's made foam core templates based on the plans in the Arms and Equipment guide. I found it too two dimensional and decided to build some with more character. Also, by breaking the decks up into multiple heights, adding features sutch as hatch's, deck debris, and rigging players are encouraged to think with more than their swords.

 

[Christian Walker]

I was inpsired when one of our DM's made foam core templates based on the plans in the Arms and Equipment guide. I found it too two dimensional and decided to build some with more character.

Hyea,

I was having some trouble with foam core as well. It kept melting when I applied spray primer. I ended up going with either an all balsa wood build, or I used foam core sheathed in cardboard. Someone suggested that the foam core will not get funky if you base coat it by hand first. Hmmm......

 

[Rel]

Hyea,

I was having some trouble with foam core as well. It kept melting when I applied spray primer. I ended up going with either an all balsa wood build, or I used foam core sheathed in cardboard. Someone suggested that the foam core will not get funky if you base coat it by hand first. Hmmm......

I recently made some styrofoam ship hulls to use in my Sky Galleons of Mars game that I ran at NC Game Day III. I painted them with water based paints that I stole from my 2 year old daughter. They won't melt your styrofoam.

 

[adwyn]

It helps if you seal any exposed foam with white/Elmers/PVA glue before spray painting.

Also check out http://zeitcom.com/majgen/index.html for some good instructions on building ships that do not expose the foam core's foam. Using these instructions I built three boats in just over an hour.

Also, I print off a deck picture and then glue it over the foamcore after I'm done painting. Many things found on deck are best represented 2 dimensionally.

 

[Storminator]

I bought this sucker for Xmas


http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00008QJ1Z.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

for a $50, and it's just about the right size.

One thing to think of if you're making your own: minis need to fit in the rigging. Make the yardarms flat, so minis can stand on them.

PS

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

I bought this sucker for Xmas


http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00008QJ1Z.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

for a $50, and it's just about the right size.

One thing to think of if you're making your own: minis need to fit in the rigging. Make the yardarms flat, so minis can stand on them.

PS

I saw that ship in the store the other day, and almost bought it. I have no plans for a nautical adventure anytime soon, but it would be cool to have in the game room. But I gave into reason, and decided that I didn't really need it.