🫶 thanks so much for your kind words. You can’t imagine how much this encourages me. I’ve just finished a tutorial how to design and build the tiles. Because a lot of people asked for more details. I really hope that is helpful as well. Anything in particular you would like to see next?

Thanks so much! What TTRPG System are you using at the moment? I could imagine that a lot of stuff for D&D is very much compatible with other systems, as they will have maps as well, right?

@@critbrick There's no real official system I'm using right now, aside from a digital P2E campaign I'm a player for. If anything, I've prepared my own ruleset for a DND-esque setting based on the anime 'World Trigger', and I've thought of trying it out digitally but there's a lack of verticality that Lego would thankfully allow for! It's either digitally and a grid-based map, or Legos and it becomes a tabletop. I've probably found which of the two I'll be going for, though I'll need my creative mojo cranking and some sets of my own first. :p

That's a good idea. In most of my map-setups I'm using a lot of different colors, so I'm not certain how big the advantange from that would be. But if your on a tight budget that can work. Also I think that you could just go with grey or tan as a color and just use that regardless of the exact ground your playing on. I think that grey works well for most setups and tan would even work in nature-settings.

Not yet. But I will definitely make them. Do you have a preference for Plattform like rebrickable or would you just prefer pdf?

That be great if you share @@critbrick I am on rebrickable

I’m on vacation right now but will look into this next week. 💪

@@critbrick take ur time , i hope u having a good vacation :)

Thank you!!

Uh that sounds nice. 6x6 would be huge 😅 multiple reasons I went with 4x4: price and piece availability is better with increments of 2 in Lego, so 4x4 is cheaper then 3x3. 4x4 fits well with minifig sizes in the same regard as 1inch does with regular minis for D&D. And 4x4 is bigger then 3x3 which I like because I want my maps to impress my players 😇 I have not thought about going bigger though and you are the first person I encountered that thinks about this. I love how big maps would get. If you have the space that’s great. Would you want to use minifigures though? They could feel tiny in comparison.

Of cause not 😅 I’m happy if you found the video useful. I know what you mean with the area of effect stuff. Another comment suggested to do an aoe template that you can use to visualize effects or ranges like fireball, darkness, etc. would that help in your case?

@@critbrick Can't quite seem to find it. I've experimented with different patterns that still allow minifigs and other misc to be spread out a fair amount and gets around the corner issue when it comes to area of effects/in range thing. It's simply a hexagon ish pattern. Imagine 2x2 jumper plates in multiple rows, spaced with 2 studs (so practically the same as your grid) except each collum is shifted over by 1 instead of 2, and the jumpers are also shifted to alternate to the spaces between the previous collums

@@critbrick I have to say it is less ideal for modular design, but it helps both break the grid and helps visualize range in all directions

I’ve not tested the brick alternatives. Do they have something like pick a brick or bricklink where you can get single bricks you need? If so and if they are cheaper I don’t see why you couldn’t use them. Most parts I got through bricklink where in the lower cents so I can’t imagine the difference is huge though. I will definitely have a look at them. Thanks for the suggestion! 3x3 is closer to an inch but harder to get parts for. That’s why I went with 4x4. 🙃 And also bigger maps are more impressive to put on the table 😅

@@critbrick Yeah. Some bricks Are cheaper, some Are more expensive. I find the PaB Walls in the Stores Are the cheapest, but they have only a small selection. (It you wanna try just some bricks to get a feeling: try a bluebrixx store: Theo have Walls too and the Price is per 100g) Yeah! That Are my thoughts on the gridsize: With 3x3 you can use the „normal“ dnd grid and Need less Parts, but 4x4 is easier to build with (especial for modular builds like yours!)

100g pricing sounds very intersting for special pieces in rare colors honestly. I'm not certain if I have a store nearby though. Bricklink is just soooo comfortable! 😅

Thanks so much! Yes I will definitely do breakdowns on everything. The stairs were my first successful implementation of studs not on top. 🤓

👍 yes if you only go for scatter building 3x3 makes sense. If you use minifigures though they could feel pretty big on 3x3 but it still works well. If you want to build maps as well 4x4 is just cheaper and more versatile because of piece availability. There are round 3x3 plates if you want to go fancy then you would have a perfect base. But definitely not necessary. Are you using just the minifigures, or are you building other stuff out of legos as well?

@@critbrick just minifigures and props on a dry erase grid, so the 3x3 works for us. I will agree the minis get cramped once you put a few down in adjacent squares, but not terribly so

In that setup 3x3 makes a lot of sense! I've just recorded a video to clarifiy a little the advantages of 3x3 vs. 4x4. Thanks for bringing that up!

That’s great to hear. Accessibility is definitely a benefit of 3d. Regarding price: Have you looked at getting parts through bricklink? Getting everything through sets can definitely be pricey. But for stuff like tiles where you need multiple of the same parts bricklink offers decent prices.

It is 😅 I found Lego to be cheaper. But might depend on whether you get precolored ones. And someone suggested foam and DIY. that’s an alternative as well. I just love the process of building too Lego too much 🥹 Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment!!

​@@critbrick After leaving my comment 2 days ago I couldn't shake thinking about your design aesthetic. It really is both practical and beautiful. I really am impressed and intrigued. Subbing because I genuinely can't wait to see more.

Wow i need to look those up! Thanks for the suggestion! The reason you mentioned is exactly why I went with 4x4. Just way more and cheaper pieces 🫠

Good idea! That would fix the main issue for sure. Have you had a look at the price by piece for these? The Lego lions knight Castle has some interesting connections as well. With bricks with bars and grab handles.

@@critbrick I did a little test with brick studs as connectors and it was sufficient. There is no connection that would allow moving a whole scene at once, and I couldn't figure out a way to make it thinner even by one plate so this seems the cheapest. Especially with buying like a 1kg back of couple of key pieces from webrick.

Have you looked at the connector pieces I'm using in the video? I got them used and they where super cheap. But I think it also depends on if you're going with 3x3 or 4x4. For 3x3 you would need a single stud brick as the connection probably. I just ordered a bunch of Modified 1 x 2 with Pin (2458) and first tests give a very sturdy build.

Glad this helped. Do you have follow up questions you’d like to see answered?

Thanks so much for leaving a comment! Do you use Lego in your D&D sessions?

That is true. My comparison was towards other purchasable alternatives, either 3D printed, Dwarvenforge, etc. I think comparing something that you can buy with building something by yourself the later would most likely always be cheaper. But you can also combine any of these of cause. Building tiles yourself with foam and using Lego-built scatter for example.

Yes. The grey shades are dark bluish grey (or dark stone grey as Lego calls them on pick a brick) and light bluish grey. The greens are bright green and green. The wood ones are dark reddish brown and dark tan. And the sand ones tan and dark tan. The blues I need to look up.

I think the blue is “blue” and “medium blue” according to my bricklink recipes.

Thanks so much for leaving a comment! You can always start small, by adding Lego-built scatter to an existing map setup you have. Many in the comments pointed out that 3x3 gets very close to 1 inch. Regarding the connections, I’m testing out 2x1 with fixed pin on the side. They are a little harder to put together but super stable. As you said Lego uses a combination of pin and axle which makes it easier to put together but my fear was that it would decrease modularity if you need to make sure that every connecting side has at least one pit so it doesn’t slip out.

Interesting! Would you use them with 2x1s with round hole or with an axle hole? Love the idea because the really move in and out quite easily! Thanks for the suggestion!!

@@critbrick They would connect through an 2x1 brick with an axle hole, so that there's is less of a chance of shifting or coming apart. The 2x1 brick with technic pin hole is to anchor the flat ended axle pin in place.

That is very very interesting. I just ordered and recieved a few hundret Modified 1 x 2 with Pin (2458) Bricks to try those out 😅. I think they might give me a sturdy setup that I can carry easily. So I don't know if I will move my whole setup but I'll try out the axles definetly! Great suggestion!!

Thank so much for the encouragement!! What would you like to see next? Are you going with a modular approach as well or are you prebuilding every map? 🤓

@@critbrick ​ @critbrick I mills plated 32x32 baseplates with checkered 4x4 plates. I have dbg & lbg for caverns, green & brt green for wooded and plan to make black & dbg for infernal planes. Can also use tans for paths & such. I'm working on creating scatter pieces, buildings, ships & creatures as well.

Very cool. I love magnets because they always feel magic. But I could never glue with Lego 😅 my nostalgia-heart would just break. I don’t know if magnets would be stronger than brick connectors though. A big issue I have been encountering is that I move maps a lot. I build them, then I pack them in a car to bring to the session, unpack somewhere out of eyesight for the players and when the moment is right put them on the table. The preparation is fine I’m very careful there. But while in the session I tend to break the maps apart by accident. I’m now looking for stronger connections that increase portability once a map is assembled. Have you tested how strong the magnets are?

I was trying to put my finger on it, Heroica was dope

A lot of the jumper pieces (95%) are from heroica sets I got on classifieds. So you are absolutely right 😅

🫶 thanks so much. Do you have a Lego collection already that you can use as a starting point?

@@critbrick Starting with Minifigs, medieval blacksmith & the D&D set. I need to raid the collection back at my parents. (Don’t have it in me to dismantle the LOTR sets that my brother bought with me)…Going on Bricklink today!

That is an AWESOME place to start!! (A bit jealous about those sets 😅) And I totaly get why you would not want to decontruct LOTR. My Lions Knight Castle is untouchable 🫣

I definitely need to look more into this! Thanks for the suggestion! I’ve already ordered a bunch of 2x1 with fixed connector that will increase stability a lot and would be ideal in that regard to make carrying a map easier. But I need to test if that is still easy to put together. I will also look at the pieces you suggested and then post an update. Thanks again!

Thanks so much for the feedback. I switched editing software between the first videos and this one and didn’t nail the settings it seems. Did you have the same feeling with the other videos? Also regarding your journey: what are you building first? 🤓

@@critbrick First two were perfect volumes. I am currently building a singel zone moment jail on a 32x32 plate for a trial run fight to see how it fairs. After watching this video though im already considering a small town build using your modular system. Thank you for making these videos :D

So cool to hear that you tried this out so early! I can totally see that with bricks from the 80s/90s this would have been hard. And also getting the right pieces without Bricklink or Pick a Brick would have needed a very big collection to pull off even if the right pieces would have existed. I’m exited to hear what you come up with first. Glad if anything I post is of help. Thanks so much for commenting! What would you like to see in a future video? Anything in particular?

@@critbrick I liked that staircase build you made. I would like to so more of that and any other side builds you have.

Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment 🫶

The problem is that practically nothing human scale is built on hexagons. Houses are generally rectangular, Furniture is generally rectangular, vehicles are generally rectangular. Hex maps make movement better and everything else worse.

I love that hex shapes are so organic looking. But they would probably be very hard to build with Lego 😅

Not OP but I've looked into that. 3x3 is very close to 1 inch which would make interoperability with existing minis and stuff better. But the scale of minifigs fits better with 4x4. Also tiles wise 3x? tiles are rarer / more expensive and the whole design becomes more complicated.

You nailed my point of view here. The decision for me was purely practical. 3x3 is more expensive to build. Also I wanted my maps to be big so my players are more impressed 😅🫣

Thanks so much for the kind words. What would you like to see next?

@@critbrick explaing how to make a map feel abundant with things to do so a session can last for multiple hours,and more custom figs and small mocs in dnd style

That’s great feedback! I’ll try to follow that for the next one. Have you tried out Lego in D&D sessions yet?

I've used lego minifigs in D&D sessions with hand drawn paper maps, but I've never done a full lego setup. Very tempted to replicate your modular terrain.

I 100% agree with this comment. I was about to leave the exact feedback.

Thanks for stopping by!! I’m very curious about your perspective on this. I never had a big 3D collection so my experience in that regard is limited. But I can imagine that finding stuff that has the same look and feel can be a challenge. Have you thought about mixing Lego with your existing D&D setup?

@@critbrick If I were to do Legos, I'd do them separate to my 3D collection. They're a different scale if although minimal in difference, and you begin to lose the immersion of it; when trying to fit minifigs through doors or inside buildings. I love the dynamic poses you can get with plastic/resin models. If you want to portray drama or anguish or ferocity, they're very at that. However the poses are also static. Not just models, but buildings too. It annoys me how I have this beautiful tavern structure that I painted and printed up, but whenever my players enter any tavern it's always the same mockup. Having access to Legos would greatly expand my creative freedom to design the scene how it should be. I could go as grand or as basic as I wanted. It's like you said, because of its simplistic nature it doesn't lose the essence of that imagination that we all live with DnD or similar games.

Awesome idea! Would you do this as a separate tile or as a modular clip-on overlay?

The problem with this is that it drives up the number of distinct tile designs. Instead of stone, grass and water tiles you now need stone, grass, water, stone to water, stone to grass and grass to water tiles.

You can make one square transition? So it will be modulair

Thank you for the feedback. I had feared building stuff would be too boring. But I will try it out! 🤓 Would it help to have instructions for these? And if so in what format (pdf, maybe a website like rebrickable, etc.) would you prefer?

@@critbrick building boring? That's literally what lego is :) Instructions and/or a parts list would be nice. But i don't mind what format it is in, what is the easiest for you? But yeah, those stairs are great. Just more on verticality in general would be nice

@@critbrick i would love to see a how to on your trees and the bridge :D

I’d love to make one. Is there a software you know of to make these or a Plattform I can make this on to share a link that would make it easy for you?

@@critbrickbrinklink studio I believe allows you to create a custom design with a piece list and even instructions.

Hi there 👋 thanks so much for leaving a comment!

Absolutely! And thanks for the encouragement! What scenarios would you like to see?

​@@critbrick Whatever works for you - I'd just love to see your environments in action!