How to Make Fire Spell Effects for D&D

A step-by-step process for making fire/flaming spell effects for your tabletop gaming needs.
These spell effects were made using 3 things - Hot Glue, Parchment Paper, and Paint. They are extremely cheap, all in all these effects cost less than $1.00 each for me.
My players have a badass forge cleric named Amber in our party, who is a flaming beast of a dwarf lady. She rocks hard and suffers no fools. She recently got the 'Wall of Fire' spell, and we have had some epic encounters as a result of this spell, so I decided that we needed some new flashy effects instead of my paper walls.
I also wanted to be able to have effects for a 'Create Bonfire' spell, and the ability to do the 'Wall of Fire' ring version, as it would be the most interesting one to make.
Thanks for watching and helping get to 1885 subscribers! I really appreciate you spending your time on my channel. Have a fantastic day friend!
If you have any ideas for what you would like to see built in the future, let me know in the comments down below! Then subscribe so you don't miss any new videos coming out in the future! Also, if you liked this, gimme that sweet sweet like.
Check out Zubbie's channel where I got the idea for these effects!: / @zubbie
Royalty Free Music:
/ @masterpiecemusic
'Renaissance Period'

[@strangent404a7]

Not as detailed as lighting the table on fire

[@Rybonator]

I really should have just gone that route in the beginning. It would be the best effect my players have ever seen!... and the last

[@davidevailati4981]

This comment right here, chief

[@dindapriska]

Also adds for realism

[@zyme4305]

TPK

[@sharksuperiority9736]

Good point It’s even more realistic because it melts the figures when they get to close

[@DanteYewToob]

This would be cool with all the different types of hot glue my mother has, she had dozens of colors, glitter, glow in the dark, and pastel clear ones... those would make pretty cool spells and effects!

[@Rybonator]

Make it out of glow in the dark, and then flip the black light on for some trippy demonic fires! I love it :)

[@DurdleDers]

I gotta say, even as an artist I thought that I wouldn't be much for creating terrain myself... but after seeing your DYI stuff and how cheap it is to produce, I feel like I might just start giving these a shot and introducing new table elements to my players. Thanks for showing me these nifty tricks!

[@Rybonator]

Absolutely! I am in NO way an artist, and don't consider myself skilled in anyway. So if I can do it, you totally can :)

[@TheFakeStickyBuns]

Very good video. This was EXACTLY what I needed to see! My victims... er, players will be fighting a very firey boss in a few weeks and I needed to make the encounter have more pizazz than me breaking out the red dry erase marker. Right away I can see this method could be easily adapted for Flame Sphere, too.

[@Rybonator]

Oh hell yeah! That is going to make that encounter do much more awesome :)

[@JackBlack-qn7us]

Wow you're really into this DM thing. I've only DMed for online DnD games, using roll20 and while it has cool features what you create is amazing. Don't think i'd have enough patience to make my own figures or effects, mad props to you.

[@Rybonator]

Thank you, I appreciate that :) I have fun making stuff, so I just figured I would combined my two hobbies. Also, love your movies ;)

[@JackBlack-qn7us]

@@Rybonator *Finger Guns*

[@Seymour101]

Well there are a number of websites that offer high-quality doodads and props for your tabletop game if you ever get around to playing that , it's a viable alternative if you don't have time or you're not very crafty . That being said , these are really really well done indeed.

[@ToonGrin]

Nice work. One idea could be to use a richer color to give them more vibrancy.

[@Rybonator]

Absolutely! I made this with what I had on hand, some transparent paints would make this look spectacular! :)

[@luminariel3765]

@@Rybonator mix a few drops of acrylic paint into a gloss-finish glaze. I recommend Americana brand because you can get it at any Michael's or Joann's :) creates a translucent, but vibrant color. Acrylic inks work too!

[@Rybonator]

I'll have to give that a shot :)

[@benbuff5851]

Holy moly dude that’s amazing! It’s so simple yet so detailed! What an amazing idea! Keep up the good work!!!! 👍

[@Rybonator]

Thanks man! I really appreciate that. I am hoping that my players like the surprise ;)

[@PhyreI3ird]

Wow dude, awesome video! I love that you not only shared how to make something awesome, but also did it in the perfect length of time instead of padding it out or anything for views. Definitely rare for a channel to get me to sub on the first video I see from em!

[@Rybonator]

I really appreciate that, it means a lot. Glad to know that people like my style and what I have to offer. I'm practicing and trying to get better each video! Thanks for the sub as well! Hope you like what else I have up. :)

[@POLKADOTWULF]

@@Rybonator Just like painting minis or crafting mate, the more vid's you do the better you will get at it.

[@danielscruton9071]

I was introduced to your channel yesterday night via your dice videos and i watched 11 videos in a row. I also love that you are active to reply to your viewers

[@kathrynsmith3417]

Amazing & clever way to create the fire/flames/fireball/fire wall spell effects for table top gaming D&D, etc.! Thank you for this video showing how to create this effect. Inspiration, I'm working to make each fire/flaming/flames spell effects for gaming, using copper, blue, black, etc., metallic flames effect. Wow, I appreciate the way the spell effect made so it can be placed on game board, game hex mat, etc., & removed when not needed. I'll create ways to carefully store the fire/flame special effects rings, to have them keep shape, protect them inbetween gaming sessions, transporting them.

[@MusesWhim]

I used sharpies to color mine and it worked really well. I think the acrylics do give some extra depth, but I like that the sharpies preserve the transparency. It was really easy to color the flat side and then you don't have to get every crevice on the textured side because the color shows through. I also did some nice effects for a Grease spell AOE by coloring the glue, then remelting and mixing it.

[@irritableava6502]

That's BADASS. Definitely immediately adds to the feel of the encounter.

[@Rybonator]

Oh totally! My players both love and hate when I bring these out. Love it if they cast it, HATE it if I do haha. :)

[@georgemayhew8513]

You are incredible! All your videos are so helpful, I cant wait to make these for my players 😊

[@Rybonator]

Thank you, I appreciate hearing that :) Send pics when you do! I'd love to see.

[@BrokenGirlCosplay]

oh no this is dangerous man i never knew i wanted to make all these things for my DnD games but i feel a deep need now

[@Rybonator]

The need is great, because the reward is great ;) It makes your games just feel that much more alive :)

[@POLKADOTWULF]

Just discovered your Channel because of this video, not my fault there's so much good content out there it sometimes takes time to find the gems, but have subbed off of this alone. And congrats from growing from 1885 to 31K+ subscribers since this video. Looking forward to seeing your other content. Happy adventuring & crafting :)

[@Rybonator]

Thank you :) I really do appreciate hearing that. Good luck in your adventures as well!

[@artificial9340]

Lets not ignore his amazing circle.

[@Rybonator]

It turned out really well I think :)

[@juansebastianlp]

Amazing!!!! I'm definitely doing that! Great job, love your videos.

[@Rybonator]

Thank you :) You totally should! Send pics!

[@VirgilAllenMoore]

That's awesome. Well done Sir!

[@Rybonator]

Thank you :) Glad that you liked it!

[@user-rt9pe8dp1q]

Spectacular!

[@Rybonator]

Thank you :) I appreciate that

[@CraftsAndMinis]

Love this!!

[@Rybonator]

Thank you! Really happy with how they turned out. :)

[@devontoland3156]

Works perfectly everytime!!

[@Rybonator]

60% of the time, it works every time.

[@ImpulsiveArtistrybyCharlesWolf]

Epic!!

[@MattNeisinger]

I used this exact technique over a year ago. I made a standard wall of fire, a radius variation wall of fire, a fireball blast, and a burning hands cone. They work really well. Also have a lightning bolt effect, as well as a few other effects that didn't turn out very good.

[@Rybonator]

It really is fun to have stuff like that :) Makes you get that much more immersed!

[@gompsk_7294]

This is good not just for dnd but for stop motion and some other stuff

[@Rybonator]

Oh true! It would make some great stop motion flames :)

[@ethansleepybear]

Love your tutorials dude.

[@Rybonator]

Thanks platypus, really appreciate that :)

[@oofheckinsus]

Im so happy i found this channel

[@Rybonator]

I'M so happy you found this channel too :)

[@seanmcgcostumes]

I have a draconic bloodline sorcerer whose cantrips I try to keep as themed to his draconic blood as possible. His is a black dragon, so it’s acid, and the next most similar thing is poison. All the other cantrips are fire themed, including Create Bonfire. I’ll definitely be talking to my DM to see if he’d like me to make these for my sorcerer! This is so cool and so incredibly easy to make. This is the first video I’ve ever seen of yours, and I’m already hitting that Subscribe button!

[@Rybonator]

Glad you like my content :) You totally should make these! That would bring the cool factor of your character up to another level!

[@unapersona2121]

Wow!

[@Rybonator]

Thank you : )

[@lorettatucker7693]

This is a super awesome idea!

[@Rybonator]

Thanks! Glad you like it :)

[@lorettatucker7693]

@@Rybonator FYI I made a bunch of these and some pools of magma for my campaign's big finale fighting a fire cult. It was really awesome and added a lot to the session! Thanks for the idea! instagram.com/p/B1QEPLxF-jQ/?igshid=1wbzgy23mnyx

[@Squiggy8440]

This is neat! You could also try gouache and a shiny top coat to make it look like its glistening too! ^^ maybe a few black, white and gray speckles as ash ^^ there’s so much artists can do with this basic guideline! I love it!

[@Rybonator]

That is a great idea :) I couldn't get any transparent paints near me, but any sort of glossy/transparent set would make this really pop out!

[@zikasilver1]

**rubs hands together** perfect for Flaming Sphere

[@serinerte69]

this is really good, now i only have to figure out how to make a halo of spores for my spore druid.

[@Rybonator]

That would be awesome! You can get tiny mushrooms from some stores and make a small little field for your druid! :)

[@chrism508]

Excellent work, I can't wait to try it myself. I'd already picked up a glue gun and some glue sticks to try The Crafting Muse's take on the Spiritual Weapon, but for some reason I've never come across this idea before. I'm gonna go through so many glue sticks, lol.

[@Rybonator]

Oh nice! Yeah her weapons look awesome :) I feel like I have a constant set of glue sticks on my grocery list haha

[@rhindrox8604]

This is the first video I've ever seen with 0 dislikes

[@Rybonator]

Don't jinx it, I was pitching a perfect game! If I come back to a dislike tomorrow I will put the blame on you! haha :)

[@buttersquids]

Rhindrox Fuck someone ruined it

[@nicolelavigne1700]

This is awesome. I’d love to see a tutorial for water and ice spell effects. I’m playing a water genasi.

[@Rybonator]

Thanks! Glad you like it. I have heard a few people ask for water/ice effects. I have a few other things planned but I'll get to water and Ice I promise!

[@drkprcnglit]

this looks fucking tight! MY MAN!

[@Rybonator]

Thanks brother! Really happy with the results.

[@Nadia299]

How awesome is that?! I need this for my pathfinder players!

[@Rybonator]

It's super easy to make :) You should get some created!

[@Nadia299]

@@Rybonator Yes! It seems. Gonna try a water version also :)

[@lauraeleven7417]

A good tip to achieve transparency is to use glass paints. There's a kind of paint that can be used to paint glass or plastic to achieve that stained glass effect that is perfect for projects like this, it uses alcohol as a solvent. Found that out while painting flame props for a cosplay.

[@Rybonator]

That is a great idea! I tried to find transparent paints but couldn't at the time. I might have to give this another shot in the future :)

[@Brrrrdmn]

Cool idea, may combine it with a blinking led candle to add more effect

[@Rybonator]

Yes! I have had a lot of people suggest that, I totally need to do that :)

[@RavenclawSeer]

I made this to make a fireball! I mixed one part paint with one part modge podge to make a wash but to make the hot glue easier to paint. It dried smooth, gradient, and translucent! Great craft!

[@Rybonator]

That's awesome! I'd love to see that sometime :D

[@RavenclawSeer]

@@Rybonator Sure. If I can figure out how. I may post it to my IG or something. It's a spiraling fireball. Half paint half modge lodge makes it easier to paint smooth surfaces, and the paint dries translucent still hiding the wire inside the glue. I could email it or something. Or better yet, check my deviantArt at artboy-2. Have a wonderful day! Thanks for inspiring me.

[@RavenclawSeer]

@@Rybonator Check under instagram at ramblingravenclawseer or under valerianvalentinefae. It should work.

[@richard2mitchell]

What a dork..looks neat

[@Rybonator]

I am what I am, and what I am is a huge friggin nerd

[@NovaNocturneArt]

You could also add some sparks by flicking bright white and yellow around the flames. Or if you really want some shimmer to it, you could turn small sparkle pieces into carefully placed sparks If I were you, I might also test doing a bit of a black wash on the side opposite the yellow, just to make the yellow pop even more.

[@Rybonator]

Those are great ideas! You could really elevate this with some extra steps :)

[@jamiemccoy4151]

Just saw this, I have a Dragonborn light cleric / sorcerer / eldrich knight... All spells are fire, even spiritual weapon is a flaming axe, then breath weapon..... thanks for the inspiration...

[@Rybonator]

Oh yeah you GOTTA do this now haha :) Glad you liked it!

[@Lady.Marmalard]

THIS IS GENIUS. Cannot wait to show my friends!

[@Rybonator]

Thank you :) Send pics when you finish your set up :)

[@Lady.Marmalard]

@@Rybonator will do! But know that I'm actually just now getting into d&d so it might take some time. Your channel helps with my research, plus you're entertaining, so thank you C:

[@sobeard2254]

1885 subscribers my man two years later with 174k subscribers. Atta boy!

[@michaelgreenholz7638]

ad some LED's, great idea, will use them for fire pits in LOTR

[@Rybonator]

Oh nice! That would look great :)

[@SgtSloth-ml6mk]

Dude! That was so cool! I guess I have to stack up on those hot glue sticks and go to work by myself! By the way, what does the castle wall stand on? First looked like selfmade dungeon tiles, but it isn't am i right? (in 08:56 for example)

[@Rybonator]

Thanks man! Go for it, this is a super cheap project, so even if you mess up, it's not like it's a huge deal. So they are actually kitchen backsplash tiles from Home Depot. They happened to have 1 inch grid tiles that looked a lot like dungeon stone. They are decently heavy and don't slide across the table if you accidently bump them, which is what I was going for. They come in 12 inch x 12 inch sections. I got them on sale for like 5 bucks each, but normally they go for like 10. They/Lowes also sells glass ones for like 2-3 bucks each that have the inch grid setup. I have a set of white glass ones for ice tiles as well in case we ever go fight in the snow!

[@marciellusr2419]

You guys seem to have fun I would love to play dnd with you

[@Rybonator]

I try to! haha :) I'd love to play with my viewers somehow!

[@ulkem]

In hindsight, what would be even better looking is if layers are different heights; middle layer the tallest as it's the core.

[@StefanoTheBrazilian]

1885 subscribers, and look at you now with almost 30k

[@Rybonator]

It's been a crazy few week :) I am beyond happy

[@LJW1102]

I was hoping you were going to put little lights behind it. I'm going to make these flames for doll house fire place and put flickering LED's behind it. very helpful video.

[@GamingWolfGod]

They look like fire from an old oil painting,

[@Rybonator]

Hey you're right! I kinda like that thought haha :)

[@bluedeath996]

You could use transparent inks rather than paint to make for more realistic fire.

[@TheLukemcdaniel]

translucent inks would do a good job as well

[@Rybonator]

Absolutely! I didn't have any is the only reason I didn't use them haha. They would make this puppy shine!

[@christophermurray9777]

Very cool. Nice vid

[@Rybonator]

Thanks buddy! I appreciate that.

[@jamie5926]

WHat you absolutely insane is if you could manage to work small led lights in there! It would look amazing

[@Rybonator]

Ohh yeah it totally would! I need to figure that out

[@shascircus]

Me: *exclusively plays DnD online with people I never met and will probably never meet* Me: _yesssssssss handmade spell effectssssssss_

[@Slaave]

New drinking game. Player A drinks when he says fire. player B drinks when he says Glue.

[@Rybonator]

Oh gosh, don't go overboard now haha

[@Jaybiiird]

Would food coloring work better to make it much more transparent? I have no idea if it would soak into the hot glue or if you could mix it into the hot glue while its hot. Just an idea. :)

[@aileenhussey5678]

you could also use nail polish instead of paint to make it nice and shiny!!!

[@Rybonator]

You totally could! :)

[@depressedtheatrekid1709]

Your an awsome dm, making things yourself for your players... I tried to help my dm and I got shot down with everything ;-;

[@sugarghast]

So cool!! However, I also practice witchcraft... So I wasn't sure if this was a spell using candles or if it was D&D related. 😂

[@Rybonator]

Lol well, 2 things. 1 - Please don't light me on fire. 2 - Just d&d :)

[@sugarghast]

@@Rybonator Hahaha my roomie says the same thing about the apartment. I almost left an altar candle lit all night.

[@Rybonator]

Ahh, the Damage over Time fire spell :P haha

[@Farsider234]

Man if you did this in black you could do Evard's Black Tentacles

[@xornxenophon3652]

Very nice, but I guess, drybrushing with a dark brown would further enhance the look!

[@Rybonator]

Oh that would look great :)

[@lightheartedlady]

I need this for my pheonix blood sorceress

[@Rybonator]

Ohh that would be awesome :) Burn your enemies! And your fingertips with hot glue

[@lightheartedlady]

@@Rybonator As a cosplayer ontop of a 5 e player I am proficient in both.

[@Rybonator]

Ahh, a multi-classer I see.

[@Archer833x]

Hey Man me and my friends have just started D&D, I don't really get it much tho do you know any good tips on starting out?

[@Rybonator]

Absolutely man, you should check out something called a module. They are pre-written adventures that take groups through stories. It makes it easy for new players and DMs to get into since most of it is already made for you and you can follow along/improv as much as you want. There is also a starter kit which is prettt cheap that has some useful stuff. Let me know if you have any questions or areas you'd like help in. :)

[@Evmanifestation]

Is there a video of that castle/city wall?

[@Rybonator]

No unfortunately. It was the first piece of terrain I ever built, and I didn't record the process sadly. Maybe I'll recreate it sometime :)

[@kohakuaiko]

Would suncatcher paint work better?

[@Rybonator]

I think suncatcher paint is transparent right? If so, YES! I was looking for transparent paints, but could not find any when doing this. Go for suncatcher! :)

[@vectorchan5647]

What's the intro song?

[@erc3338]

We have fire. We have ice. Electric spell effects?

[@Rybonator]

There are no good continuous electricity spells :(

[@dsandoval9396]

NERD!!! Cool, man.

[@Rybonator]

DANG IT, you caught me... Also thank you :P

[@KuraiTaria09]

Are you doing it on parchment paper or something else?

[@Rybonator]

Parchment paper! This way it comes of extremely easily. No sticky mess.

[@ash-tv3bu]

*guy fieri has joined the chat*

[@Rybonator]

I would love to play DnD with Guy haha. I bet he would bring some killer food. We can play Dungeons and Dragons and Dinners and Drive-ins and Dives!

[@bryanswift6301]

This very similar to what DM Scotty does over on his channel, The DMsCraft.

[@Rybonator]

I love me some DM Scotty! :)

[@bryanswift6301]

Who doesn’t love the Craftfather?

[@warforgedwarden8021]

Could you perhaps clarify what you placed the hot glue on? You briefly mentioned parchment paper, but after trying out this project for myself with parchment paper my hot glue refused to peel away. I really don't want to dislike this video as I think it's very cool, but right now I'm very confused and feel a bit lied to.

[@sainttan]

So ice wall would be blue and white on color.

[@Rybonator]

I made a set of ice walls actually :) You can check out that vid if you'd like, but yeah that would totally work!

[@Willow_and_Sage]

A tooth pick to make sharp points

[@Rybonator]

Ohh great tip! I'll try that next time :)

[@thrashjf83]

I prefer tamiya clears for fire and water effects but that is me.

[@Rybonator]

I would have LOVED those, but all I had local was what you see in the vid at the time.

[@thrashjf83]

@@Rybonator We have a hobby lobby near work and they carry them, I keep the full range for when I need a gloss look for mechs, or if I need something to look wet, or doing elemental minis. By far one of my favorite paints.

[@Rybonator]

Oh dang, I didn't see any at my hobby lobby. I'll have to make another trip and see what I can find.

[@Uatemysoul]

Real fire doesn't actually have a lot of red. Red tends to be where the fire gets cold so if you're painting fire you're better off sticking with orange and yellow and using red as a highlight.

[@Rybonator]

True it doesn't! But I also can't put it in wall form with magic ;) haha. Yeah if you were going for a more realistic style, go for more yellows and orange for sure :) Great tip!

[@AvaFayIliza]

Also, realistic fire has yellow at the tips and for most of the visible flame, maybe a little orange somewhere in the lower middle, and oddly blue at the bottom; depending of course what you are burning. Of course for magical fire, hell, make it whatever colors you want; Make it purple and neon green, if you want. lol

[@ryansizemore5064]

Cheap internet tattoo ink stains stuff like this really well. You can dilute in water too.

[@Rybonator]

Great idea! I'll have to give that a shot some time :)

[@sugarghast]

I thought parchment paper meant wax paper... I'm an idiot who just wasted a lot of glue.

[@Rybonator]

Haha no worries, I messed that up in my round dice tower video myself.

[@POLKADOTWULF]

What crafter has not made a mistake, sometimes those mistakes can even lead to a cool new prop for the game.

[@caffeinatedx]

You could use tin foil, i usually use that because i don't have parchment paper.

[@elaboratelime5617]

Wow your player must have been so surpised

[@Rybonator]

Oh she loves them! Haha :)

[@elaboratelime5617]

@@Rybonator honestly doing this for your players, your just an amazing DM for doing that.... And am totally going to do this as a weekend project as well so thanks for making the video mate

[@Rybonator]

Haha well thank you :) I appreciate hearing that. Send pics if you do give it a shot!

[@SailorIda3]

Why do I do this?! I dont have time nor material or money for this! *goes to look up materials* Btw, how would you make waterspells such as tsunami?

[@Rybonator]

Ohh that's a good idea! I'll have to think on that one for a while. Because it's supposed to be so dang high, wide and thick, I am not sure that there even IS a great way to represent it haha. But you could have a really long marker for the FRONT of the wave :)

[@SailorIda3]

@@Rybonator Maby some reather hard plastic material thats formed in the roughshape you want it to be and then work from there? My local craftsstore have a plastic like material that is shapeable if heated enough. So I can imagine using that as a base and then adding hot glue to it to get the more waterlike look. if nothing else you can make three smaller ones, two to represent the begining and end, and then have a middle one to easier show how its connected.

[@Rybonator]

That would be a great alternative :) I like that idea!

[@Folsomdsf2]

not just hot glue, you need low temp hot glue. High temp hot glue would be too hard.

[@Rybonator]

I honestly didn't know that there were different hot glues lol

[@Folsomdsf2]

​@@Rybonator There is! There is hi temp, low temp, and ultra low temp. There is actually glue you could use in construction that can hold over a thousand pounds of shear force and can achieve similar results to nails on wood. that's not even a joke, you'll rip hunks fo the wood off the board before the glue fails. Lower temps are soft and bendable. Most people use ultra-low without even knowing it because they buy cheap hot glue guns and whatever is at the hobby shop.

[@Rybonator]

Oh that's totally me then with the ultra-low haha. This is a hotglue gun that my wife had from back in school for projects! I need to upgrade it seems :)

[@11_Nights]

can i buy these? i don't got a hot glue gun so i can't make it :(

[@Rybonator]

Hmm I never thought about selling them, maybe I can in the future. I am sure that there are some cool tabletop fire spells like this out there for purchase on etsy right now however :)

[@11_Nights]

Well they aren’t as good as these though, and now when you have seen this really cool ones you can’t get satisfied with any other, soo.. hung me up if you actually thinkning to selling them!

[@Rybonator]

Haha will do :) I appreciate that

[@SCP--sf3fu]

5 minute crafts, take note.

[@Rybonator]

God I have lost an inexcusable amount of time to that channel.

[@dragnet53]

That is too much work. I'd rather just use Fantasy Grounds.

[@Rybonator]

By all means go for it! To each their own

[@vcampos9154]

40 and virgin

[@Rybonator]

No u

[@chrischapman699]

I keep getting unsubscribed from your channel

[@Rybonator]

I knew KZbin was out to get me!

[@chrischapman699]

@@Rybonator "they" are everywhere...👀

[@Rybonator]

Gotta watch out for THEM everywhere you go... online at least.