One of my favorite responses when a player asks something like "What does this do?" or "Where does that lead?" is this: "That's a great question." And then I say nothing more on the matter. Drives my players crazy!
@@nicksteffen738 Facts! People complain about $5 CDN at Dollarama, but I dare you to fill 4+ Christmas stockings from any other store for around $20-$30 a piece lmao
That's what I've used to great effect. You can use a sharpie to draw the outlines and then use Crayola crayons (has to be Crayola, cheap brands won't work) to color in the different areas. It works out REALLY well.
I use board games for my battle maps. Kids always lose pieces of board games. So, I took the boards themselves (they also sell board games super cheap at second stores). I painted the board (since they are thick they don't bend with the wet paint). I have a space on (the teenagers I DM for are having an Astral campaign), outdoor one, and blank white one. Once painted I use a ruler to paint the lines (you can use marker easily). When that fully dried I used the widest packing tape I could find and do a layer of that. Now I use dry erase marker (it easily comes off thanks to the tape). Once we are done I fold the board and put it away. It is sturdy so no worries of it getting to the point of rolling up an edges and thin enough to be able to place anywhere easily (I have a corner of my house for D&D since I DM for a group of adults and teenagers).
I made those props for Blackwater D&D! It was awesome to see those in use at their table. That was actually promoting our Quest Chests, which are out-of-the-box D&D adventure modules with a ton of physical props, including invisible ink letters, wax-sealed letters, and way more. I love your stuff here! It’s great to see more people encouraging more immersive gameplay around the table!
Built your digital gm screen for my pathfinder campaign and the players love it; having the immediate area with their character art and npcs on the screen immerses them so much more. Now I’m obligated to make that magic lantern, just because it’s so dang cool
I started watching people play D&D about a year a go, I've never actually played because I've not got the people to do it with but my 9 year old asked me the other day if I could run a game for her and her friends so watching your videos is helping me get ready to try and do that in the new year which I'm really excited about. (Also you're absolutely correct school photos are bloody overpriced😅)
I would be very hesitant to make that lantern considering how🔥🔥 flammable🔥🔥 Isopropal is. It can also dissolves certial plastics and evaporates very quickly. I would recomend using mineral spirits instead and sealing the "jar" with a glass or acrylic disk and hot glue to isolate it from the light.
@burgburg6093 Check out the link. It's a submersible light designed to be put underwater to light up a pool. If you can stick it entirely in a pool, I think you'll be safe with just a part of it touching water.
I have a binder for my character, I customize my pages and they all go in clear binder sheets or spells, items, and all class abilities are on MTG size cards and fit into a 9 card sheet. So first two pages open together are a character sheet and a sheet that has info like HP, damage taken, Spell slots, used spell spots, and things that get refreshed on a short or long rest like wild shape etc. then I use small post it tabs. Say I have 3 1st level spell slots I write on 3 tabs a 1, then when I use a spell I grab that tab and move it into the spells used box on my sheet. It keeps everything tidy, easy to see what I have used and easy to reset things after a short or long rest.
I got it from Michaels, but it just wasn't on their website so I didn't link it. But I just brought the light to the store and then tested it on a bunch of different ones to see what would fit, they had a whole section of glass stuff. Hope you find one!
Just found your channel and my goodness the quality of both the crafts and your video production is criminally underrated. Gonna go binge the rest of your videos now after I shared this with my dnd discord server 😂
Just found your channel, and wow I love it. The quality of the videos is high, it's well edited, you are funny and dynamic, there's no filler or beating around the bush, and you don't shove the "like and subscribe" down our throat. I subscribed and I like your videos, you entirely deserve the love. The only thing I could think of to improve, if possible, would be chapters in your video (the little bars in the video control that tells us which section is about what) but other than that, bravo!
Used laminated grid paper all the time back in the day. As for the invisible ink stuff - we used that for a few puzzles in the escape room where I worked (also some "potion" bottles with water and a few with tonic water - which glows under blacklight). I do like the counter and lantern ideas. Might just end up making those. And THANK YOU for having a "cheap and easy" craft video that doesn't require having a whole workshop to make things!
If someone uses a tool you don't have, just work around it. DIY always needs tools of some sort. For the bandsaw situation the other guy mentioned there are very cheap handsaws capable of the same cuts. Is it more work/time? Yea, but that's all expensive tools are, time savers. The VAST majority of DIY on UA-cam can be done with hand tools.
my first dm did a breath of the wild campaign and had a similar idea with the map! on one side she copied the botw map, and on the other was a grid for battle, and she had it laminated so we could mark important places and things as well as so she could draw puzzles and dungeons. we all loved that thing. it unfortunately got lost in her house post-campaign but we still think fondly of it. :>
This is so fun, i love all your videos! They're always entertaining and educational, and i love your craft-focused ones too! Excited to see the dice progress, best of luck! It's a consuming hobby 😅
I used self adhesive book cover plastic on blank paper grids - whiteboard markers work great on it. For TTRPGS that don't hinge on distance rules, I have also taped rolls of normal book cover plastic to the table itself, and we have just drawn all over that. It was fun.
I'll never forget that Kevin Macleod, aside from being a musical genius with some of the most famous songs on the internet, also has a tool for making graph paper. Amazing.
I’m absolutely loving your channel! I’ve been a player for a few years now but recently I started DM’ing and the more and more I embrace my new role in my group I find that I love doing all the arts and crafts that come with it. These are very much on my bucket list now! I’m actually commenting though because I was hoping you might do a short video on how you use your improved initiative tracker. I know you’ve mentioned it in previous videos but I was hoping for something a little more in depth. Maybe you could go over it’s features and then do a short mock combat with it and explain how you use it? And maybe throw in a skit or two with it?? (Your skits are perfect! Short enough to not lose attention and long enough to include funny quips and jokes) Either way, keep doin what you’re doin! Fantastic content!
Former Staples Print Center employee here - don’t expect every location to do image printing on blueprint paper. The thin paper’s not meant for that much ink saturation, and risks soaking through & damaging the machine Many times they will let you know this either when you place the order, or as soon as it gets into their queue
Great video - so many cool lil trinkets. I'm all about my trinkets these days. And for your sponsor, I learnt basic leather stitching from Skillshare on UA-cam.
I actually made my spell cards myself. That way I can take notes on my spells in a way that I find everything I need to know fast and I can flavor the design to my PC.
Considering the spell slot tracker, I got a cheap 3d printed holder from Etsy with a grid that I can drop a d6 into to count each spell level's slot. That lantern is nothing short of amazing, though!
for my laminated battlemap i got two a1 sheets of card and drew the grid on myself, and covered them in contact paper. there is a seam with the contact but it's good enough
I made a DIY initiative tracker. Wooden clothespins painted green (for players), blue (for random allies) and red (for enemies). I put a piece of tape on each handle part of the pin, so I can write on them with whiteboard markers. Those pins can either be clipped to the DM screen (mine is too thick for that method tho) or an upright wooden dowel or a ruler. My DM screen is also self made. Four identical picture frames, with only the glass glued to the frames and a bunch of magnets to hold the papers in place. Two frames on either side with a matching dice tower between them.
I did something similar to the light with store bought electric candles. The youngest player in the group, the daughter of two other players, freaked out when the flames went green.... In a bad way. Last time I run a mile horror scenario for under 16s. :D
@@jasonadams4321 DC is short of Difficulty Class. A DC is assigned to a task with a risk of failure, 5 for simple tasks, 10 - 12 for moderate tasks, 15 for hard, 20 for nearly impossible. The player then rolls a d20 to meet or beat the DC value, typically the player gets add an appropriate ability score modifier.
Love it, I did something like those "Loke Big Book of Battle Mats" but more modular and portable. I might do a tutorial on how to make it soon. It is really cheap and useful if you are not always playing in the same place
For modern or SF RPGs, you can simulate PCs and NPCs talking on a walkie-talkie. Add a piece of cellophane wrapper from a cheese slice, crush it in your fingers while the character is talking to simulate static sound. If the other person is getting out of range, crush louder...
My DM made that lamp and not sealing it completely is a nightmare lol. You knock it over, shake it too hard, etc. Liquid manages to spill out. Perhaps creator error, but I think in general, seal it up. You don't need to change the liquid lol.
Your grid mounted on a board (to make it like a white board or cork board) with an articulating arm with a clamping table mount. So you can swing it over to mark on it and then spin it around to show the players. Magnetic paint on the board under the laminated grid paper and magnets in the miniature bases.
Other one is a bunch of NFC tags which can put in between two pieces of paper and can download a app which programs the NFC tag and write on it whatever you need that way they hold an item and can have a physical item which they can look at from the DM
was rewatching this video because i was planning on making the lantern, but i cant seem to find the same jer you used, does anyone know where i could find it?
I got it from Michael's! It's not on their site though. It's recommend just bringing the light to the store and trying different ones to see which one fits
im making a one shot for a freinds birthday and i was wondering how i could make the enviroment better. thank you so much! also do you have anything that i can do to use as lighting in the room instead of normal light?
My players used rope trick as an ambush strategy, they knew enemies would send scouting parties to hunt them so they hid inside the rope trick and since they can see outside they popped out as soon as the enemies came and boom 4 players plus three NPCs suddenly hit the enemies for a surprise round in the middle of the tunnel XD My soldiers never got a turn in. They got controlled and hit hard and by round 2, they're all dead
The fact that you can just say "you don't know" as a valid response to a question as a DM is too much power for some people lmao
One of my favorite responses when a player asks something like "What does this do?" or "Where does that lead?" is this: "That's a great question." And then I say nothing more on the matter. Drives my players crazy!
I say don't worry about it. And I've gotten Nick named the don't worry about it dm.
It's become my online handle
Most wrapping paper has a 1"x1" grid on the back of it, too, works great for big maps, and can normally be bought for under $2
RIP dollar tree $1 pricing lol (tho 1.25 ain't bad!)
@@nicksteffen738 Facts! People complain about $5 CDN at Dollarama, but I dare you to fill 4+ Christmas stockings from any other store for around $20-$30 a piece lmao
I took 2 big pieces of wrapping paper to a print shop to get laminated. Now I have 2 big battle maps that erase cleanly every time, and cost $14 total
That's what I've used to great effect. You can use a sharpie to draw the outlines and then use Crayola crayons (has to be Crayola, cheap brands won't work) to color in the different areas. It works out REALLY well.
Your going to change my life
I use board games for my battle maps. Kids always lose pieces of board games. So, I took the boards themselves (they also sell board games super cheap at second stores). I painted the board (since they are thick they don't bend with the wet paint). I have a space on (the teenagers I DM for are having an Astral campaign), outdoor one, and blank white one. Once painted I use a ruler to paint the lines (you can use marker easily). When that fully dried I used the widest packing tape I could find and do a layer of that. Now I use dry erase marker (it easily comes off thanks to the tape). Once we are done I fold the board and put it away. It is sturdy so no worries of it getting to the point of rolling up an edges and thin enough to be able to place anywhere easily (I have a corner of my house for D&D since I DM for a group of adults and teenagers).
That's a great idea!
That mustache is exquisite.
For a hot second I thought at the start there would be a music drop. "prop it like its hot, prop it like its hot" 😄
Missed opportunity 😆
SnooooooooooooooooooOoOoOOOOUUUUUP
@@LukasaskeI hate you... But only because I was hoping I might be the one to get to say it 😂❤
@@TheDylls I hope you can forgive me
when the pimps in the crib ma...
I made those props for Blackwater D&D! It was awesome to see those in use at their table. That was actually promoting our Quest Chests, which are out-of-the-box D&D adventure modules with a ton of physical props, including invisible ink letters, wax-sealed letters, and way more.
I love your stuff here! It’s great to see more people encouraging more immersive gameplay around the table!
Built your digital gm screen for my pathfinder campaign and the players love it; having the immediate area with their character art and npcs on the screen immerses them so much more.
Now I’m obligated to make that magic lantern, just because it’s so dang cool
I'm so glad you and your players love it!!
Where in the vid is that
I started watching people play D&D about a year a go, I've never actually played because I've not got the people to do it with but my 9 year old asked me the other day if I could run a game for her and her friends so watching your videos is helping me get ready to try and do that in the new year which I'm really excited about.
(Also you're absolutely correct school photos are bloody overpriced😅)
how did it went?
We need updates on this game.
I would be very hesitant to make that lantern considering how🔥🔥 flammable🔥🔥 Isopropal is. It can also dissolves certial plastics and evaporates very quickly. I would recomend using mineral spirits instead and sealing the "jar" with a glass or acrylic disk and hot glue to isolate it from the light.
Very good suggestions.
Mineral spirits vapor can be quite toxic
By that logic, maps using paper and the table they play at should probably be on different material, as well.
@@ranefyre The map and paper does very rarely dissolve other materials that would surface electric circuits which could ignite them.
The spontaneous combustion adds more flavor to the item.
One o f the most practical short videos ever!! These are some fantastic ideas!! My head is already spinning with ideas!! Thank you, Kelly!!
Very proud that you have made it enough to be getting sponsors! Doing good man!
That lantern is amazing - definitely going on my bucket list of props for my players!
electricity and liquids, not a good idea...
@burgburg6093 Check out the link. It's a submersible light designed to be put underwater to light up a pool. If you can stick it entirely in a pool, I think you'll be safe with just a part of it touching water.
i wouldnt use isopropyl though, its flammable and could cause issue with the light. @@DJWidget
@@bakedstreetyt Not with this concentration
I have a binder for my character, I customize my pages and they all go in clear binder sheets or spells, items, and all class abilities are on MTG size cards and fit into a 9 card sheet. So first two pages open together are a character sheet and a sheet that has info like HP, damage taken, Spell slots, used spell spots, and things that get refreshed on a short or long rest like wild shape etc. then I use small post it tabs. Say I have 3 1st level spell slots I write on 3 tabs a 1, then when I use a spell I grab that tab and move it into the spells used box on my sheet. It keeps everything tidy, easy to see what I have used and easy to reset things after a short or long rest.
Great idea!
Could you show us?? I’m trying to organize my dnd folder lol
Love the accordion card sleeve idea! I'll have to try it for my table
Fun ideas. I've seen the black light pens before, but the lantern is a killer idea. Thanks, keep up the good work.
Im making that lantern this weekend. Already ordered the light, twine and glycerin. Now i gotta find the jar for it. Its such an awesome idea.
I got it from Michaels, but it just wasn't on their website so I didn't link it. But I just brought the light to the store and then tested it on a bunch of different ones to see what would fit, they had a whole section of glass stuff. Hope you find one!
Just found your channel and my goodness the quality of both the crafts and your video production is criminally underrated. Gonna go binge the rest of your videos now after I shared this with my dnd discord server 😂
Just found your channel, and wow I love it. The quality of the videos is high, it's well edited, you are funny and dynamic, there's no filler or beating around the bush, and you don't shove the "like and subscribe" down our throat.
I subscribed and I like your videos, you entirely deserve the love. The only thing I could think of to improve, if possible, would be chapters in your video (the little bars in the video control that tells us which section is about what) but other than that, bravo!
I need to build that lantern! Also the battle map trick is genius and really cheaper than the ones on Amazon
Used laminated grid paper all the time back in the day. As for the invisible ink stuff - we used that for a few puzzles in the escape room where I worked (also some "potion" bottles with water and a few with tonic water - which glows under blacklight). I do like the counter and lantern ideas. Might just end up making those. And THANK YOU for having a "cheap and easy" craft video that doesn't require having a whole workshop to make things!
Right? "So now we just take this over to the band saw..."
If someone uses a tool you don't have, just work around it. DIY always needs tools of some sort. For the bandsaw situation the other guy mentioned there are very cheap handsaws capable of the same cuts. Is it more work/time? Yea, but that's all expensive tools are, time savers. The VAST majority of DIY on UA-cam can be done with hand tools.
my first dm did a breath of the wild campaign and had a similar idea with the map! on one side she copied the botw map, and on the other was a grid for battle, and she had it laminated so we could mark important places and things as well as so she could draw puzzles and dungeons. we all loved that thing. it unfortunately got lost in her house post-campaign but we still think fondly of it. :>
This lamp is the coolest prop I've seen and so simple! I don't know what I'll use this idea for, but you better know I'll find a use!
This is so fun, i love all your videos! They're always entertaining and educational, and i love your craft-focused ones too! Excited to see the dice progress, best of luck! It's a consuming hobby 😅
I used self adhesive book cover plastic on blank paper grids - whiteboard markers work great on it. For TTRPGS that don't hinge on distance rules, I have also taped rolls of normal book cover plastic to the table itself, and we have just drawn all over that. It was fun.
ok this was dope. i'm literally just getting into DnD and this was such an interesting and thought provoking video. keep at it man.
Dude the DIY accordion wallet for your spell cards is phenomenal, thank you so much!
My man, what a glorious mustache! Had to give props, now I'll watch the video!
These are some dope ideas! Makes me wish all my players lived close enough to do sessions in person
So glad I found your channel! Thanks!
I'll never forget that Kevin Macleod, aside from being a musical genius with some of the most famous songs on the internet, also has a tool for making graph paper. Amazing.
I’m absolutely loving your channel! I’ve been a player for a few years now but recently I started DM’ing and the more and more I embrace my new role in my group I find that I love doing all the arts and crafts that come with it. These are very much on my bucket list now!
I’m actually commenting though because I was hoping you might do a short video on how you use your improved initiative tracker. I know you’ve mentioned it in previous videos but I was hoping for something a little more in depth. Maybe you could go over it’s features and then do a short mock combat with it and explain how you use it? And maybe throw in a skit or two with it?? (Your skits are perfect! Short enough to not lose attention and long enough to include funny quips and jokes)
Either way, keep doin what you’re doin! Fantastic content!
Former Staples Print Center employee here - don’t expect every location to do image printing on blueprint paper. The thin paper’s not meant for that much ink saturation, and risks soaking through & damaging the machine
Many times they will let you know this either when you place the order, or as soon as it gets into their queue
“Prop it like it’s hot” had me dying 😂
I’ve done the hidden message in the map trick! My players went nuts. So simple, yet endlessly effective.
Love your videos. You should look into Frixion pens: the pen degrades in heat, so you can reveal secret messages by layering it with regular ink.
Woah, very cool!!
I've used them for battle map, on a printed grid. Erased with a clothes iron
I have never seen a more magnificent moustache!
Damn what a bloody brilliant video! Esspecially love the website you shared for printing laminated grids :O incredible!
Great video - so many cool lil trinkets. I'm all about my trinkets these days. And for your sponsor, I learnt basic leather stitching from Skillshare on UA-cam.
I actually made my spell cards myself. That way I can take notes on my spells in a way that I find everything I need to know fast and I can flavor the design to my PC.
I love the spell slot prop! Very cool
I'm not sure how to do the Staples blueprint thing, but that option sounds great. Does anybody know of a more in-depth tutorial on just that part?
I can barely focus on the cool props thanks to that incredible mustache
Considering the spell slot tracker, I got a cheap 3d printed holder from Etsy with a grid that I can drop a d6 into to count each spell level's slot.
That lantern is nothing short of amazing, though!
Great stuff! Loving your channel! Subbed
no sir, i appreciate you! instant subscribe -- this was great!
for my laminated battlemap i got two a1 sheets of card and drew the grid on myself, and covered them in contact paper. there is a seam with the contact but it's good enough
card sleeves connected is AWESOME. thanks i will be doing that. 1 st level together cantrips together, ect.
I really dig the dad wallet spell slots and the lantern!
I made a DIY initiative tracker. Wooden clothespins painted green (for players), blue (for random allies) and red (for enemies). I put a piece of tape on each handle part of the pin, so I can write on them with whiteboard markers. Those pins can either be clipped to the DM screen (mine is too thick for that method tho) or an upright wooden dowel or a ruler.
My DM screen is also self made. Four identical picture frames, with only the glass glued to the frames and a bunch of magnets to hold the papers in place. Two frames on either side with a matching dice tower between them.
That's a great idea for a diy DM screen!!
I'm so glad I found this channel.
I did something similar to the light with store bought electric candles. The youngest player in the group, the daughter of two other players, freaked out when the flames went green.... In a bad way.
Last time I run a mile horror scenario for under 16s. :D
Thank you for that accordion idea. I have new players, as that is gonna help them immensely!
Your mustache is so nice looking it almost looks fake. Keep up the good work, and thanks for all these ideas!
Loved the maps, the invisible ink, and the lantern. One note, you could eliminate spell slots and make casting a DC.
What is DC short for? I'm all for making magic simpler!
@@jasonadams4321 DC is short of Difficulty Class. A DC is assigned to a task with a risk of failure, 5 for simple tasks, 10 - 12 for moderate tasks, 15 for hard, 20 for nearly impossible. The player then rolls a d20 to meet or beat the DC value, typically the player gets add an appropriate ability score modifier.
@@mrgunn2726 oh! A target number 😃 Rock on, yeah
Love it, I did something like those "Loke Big Book of Battle Mats" but more modular and portable. I might do a tutorial on how to make it soon. It is really cheap and useful if you are not always playing in the same place
That lantern thing is dope
For modern or SF RPGs, you can simulate PCs and NPCs talking on a walkie-talkie. Add a piece of cellophane wrapper from a cheese slice, crush it in your fingers while the character is talking to simulate static sound. If the other person is getting out of range, crush louder...
That lantern looks *AMAZING*!
My DM made that lamp and not sealing it completely is a nightmare lol. You knock it over, shake it too hard, etc. Liquid manages to spill out. Perhaps creator error, but I think in general, seal it up. You don't need to change the liquid lol.
Cool ideas! Thank you for sharing!
Your grid mounted on a board (to make it like a white board or cork board) with an articulating arm with a clamping table mount. So you can swing it over to mark on it and then spin it around to show the players. Magnetic paint on the board under the laminated grid paper and magnets in the miniature bases.
Great tips. Of course I linked over to the old map paper video from here and that was cool too.
Your moustache is absolute fire
ok that lamp is wild, i need one!
I like the big grid map and will get one of my own soon. 😊
That Lantern is Absolutely Briliant.
Other one is a bunch of NFC tags which can put in between two pieces of paper and can download a app which programs the NFC tag and write on it whatever you need that way they hold an item and can have a physical item which they can look at from the DM
Great video. That light is a fun idea!
love that potion light
Definitely going to make that lantern to tell the players when they're being scryed
I subscribed for the moustache and DnD. But mostly for the moustache.
It’s always a good day when he uploads.
Clicked for the killer mustache, stayed for the awesome D&D crafts.
Dude! These were amazing
i love the prop videos!! very inspiring
was rewatching this video because i was planning on making the lantern, but i cant seem to find the same jer you used, does anyone know where i could find it?
I got it from Michael's! It's not on their site though. It's recommend just bringing the light to the store and trying different ones to see which one fits
@@powerwordspill ah thank you!
The lantern is fire man
Just as an aside, some gift wrap has 1x1 grids, so you can get those on sale after Christmas for cheap and just laminate that for a battle grid.
These are awesome and this is my favourite series
Hey! Walmart sometimes sells 1x1 grid laminated poster boards for pennies on the dollar. :) i got a bunch a few years ago for 25c a piece.
The inquisitor lightsaber is extremely usefull and has some really solid stats in FFG Star Wars TTRPG.
I WANT THIS LANTERN!!!!!
i dont even play dnd that much nowadays but its just so fucking cool!!!!
Please make a video of your compact setup! Another banger of a video!
Great video, incredible mustache
Amazing work!
im making a one shot for a freinds birthday and i was wondering how i could make the enviroment better. thank you so much! also do you have anything that i can do to use as lighting in the room instead of normal light?
Anyone know how he got the liquid in the potion lamp to swirl?
you should make more dnd diy prop vids
I loved your ideas!
My players used rope trick as an ambush strategy, they knew enemies would send scouting parties to hunt them so they hid inside the rope trick and since they can see outside they popped out as soon as the enemies came and boom 4 players plus three NPCs suddenly hit the enemies for a surprise round in the middle of the tunnel XD
My soldiers never got a turn in. They got controlled and hit hard and by round 2, they're all dead
Leatherman - wonderous item - counts as all the tools.
Seriously though, I love mine. Screw climbing back down the ladder.
Third prop: you just reinvented the abacus.
OUTSTANDING !!
I appreciate you too! ❤
I legit used staples when i worked there for printing all my DND Maps ahaha. Cannot recommend it enough
Great video. Thank you, and now subscribed.
Would you mind sharing the titles of the books on your desk in the video?
😮 just sent this to our DM
Solid SW:TOR reference.
For the spell cards, I use Zatch Bell spell books