Making a Massive Playable VIKING TREE FORT for Dungeons & Dragons

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#BlackMagicCraft #Episode248 #vikings
Huge thanks to @LootStudios for sponsoring this build. Go check out Journey to Valhalla now: bit.ly/37m0GJd
This has got to be one of my coolest builds yet! It's a beast made almost entirely of wood. This viking village tree fort would work great for all sorts of things from Dungeons & Dragons to Star Wars.....either TTRPG's or Skirmish games.
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[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Huge thanks to *LOOT Studios* for sponsoring this build. Go check out Journey to Valhalla now: bit.ly/37m0GJd

[@craft-o-matic2377]

Damn... This is awesome! More please! Hot tip on the construction paper technique. Makes me think of Swiss Family Robinson, shipwrecks, and nautical things. Thank you Jeremy! Positively inspirational! Lisa

[@The_Keto_Klingon]

@@craft-o-matic2377 Definitely gave me a pirate vibe.

[@Allan_Lugia]

Couldn´t you make a roller/presser you could run the "stiks" though that gives a wooden texture. like a hand version of what they use to destroying big metal parts. since i explain it badly ill try to describe how it would look like (2 drums?/rollers with patterns of wood, like the roller for cobblestone textures and stuff, but just for wood, then add a handle to one of them, which you can rotate, so that the "rollers" spin. Please the stiks in-between and let the machine do the texture work, if you make it 5 cm wide you have a big area for differens texture). if this still confuses you i can always draw it for you. but it could help you alot since you make planks so much.

[@Allan_Lugia]

it removes the link, but something lookalike is a Machine roller with handle on google.

[@photogfrank2146]

Hey Jeremy, how goes the airbrushing? Did you ever see the tips I left you on one of your other videos? I've been an airbrush artist for almost 35 years and have learned a lot of tricks! I've learned some things you don't find in the books that were taught to me by "oldtimers"! LOL! Let me know if the ones I shared with you were helpful! I love your channel and your methods of teaching. I think you are a gifted and natural-born teacher! Some of the others leave out important steps and/or don't even bother telling us how and what they are doing. Your style is perfect! Thanks!

[@lextheap1638]

Tree community...a communiTREE, if you will.

[@ThiccolasCage01]

Underrated comment

[@tabletoptrilobite9816]

Star Wars Legion players could easily make Kashykk or Endor terrain with this

[@l1zrdking]

Kashykk popped into my head, though that would have to be wayyyy more vibrant colored. Makes me want to fired up Fallen Order tbh.

[@marcoantoniosalazarmatamor9496]

There was an episode of the Dungeons and Dragons cartoon that had a bunch of copycat Ewoks as monsters of the week. This could be used for their home.

[@Bluecho4]

This piece would look great on the same game board as your swamp pieces. Maybe make some smaller pieces with leather huts. Maybe with one nestled right next to a pond/small bog.

[@GoobertownHobbies]

dang that construction paper leather looks pretty sweet! BTW sea tribe is waayyyy better than forest tribe. Bunch of nerds in forest tribe. Sea tribe is pure Chad.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

glare.gif

[@AzraelThanatos]

A LONG time ago, I had done an entire tree village for Star Wars using a variant of the WotC minis rules. That was a pain in the rear to build, used pvc pipe for the main tree trunks and a lot of putty that I probably shouldn't have been using due to what it was made out of. Various craft sticks for the platforms that I hadn't bothered to add texture to in a normal way, gave them dunks into a redwood stain and drybrushed when dry. I had a full 3'x3' board for it. I'd also done another 3'x3' board that was semi-similar in design, but was more of the high mountain peaks that you see in a lot of martial arts movies where they rise above the clouds for a monastery and/or shrine. I basically did a lot of foam chunks to make up the majority of the mountains bulk with wooden dowels in the center of them, then used expanding foam to cover that and make it into a larger thing while filling gaps before I started the board itself. I found some asian rough wilderness/farmland (I can't remember if it was chinese, japanese, korean, or other) aerial photography to cut and stitch together as a distant "ground" with open spaces for the mountains that I drilled into the base to insert the dowels into the wood I used for the base after I'd painted them. Then I used some cotton batting that I teased out to a rather thin layer and adhesives to make it look like a cloud layer at the base level with the lowest levels of the mountains as playable with paths, bridges, and other things for going up and between them...was far less useful than I wished it would be. Both boards were, eventually, donated to some game stores for some store credit because I didn't have space for them.

[@allenseilkopf1425]

Before this video I had kind of lost any motivation to work on any terrain or make anything but after watching this I immediately went outside and found some sticks because this inspired me so much that I just could not wait to start making something again so thank you Jeremy for inspiring me and getting me through my dry patch

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Yea buddy 👏

[@borna1231]

This is such a fantastic build, thank you Jeremy! Seeing the thumbnail, I was like: "do I really need to watch this? Seems pretty straightforward and begginer level, I might just skip this one". Boy am I glad I´ve clicked on this video! So many useful tips, especially the way you built the ladders and the animal hide dwelling!

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

That’s the problem with thumbnails 🙂

[@borna1231]

@@BlackMagicCraftOfficial Just to be clear, this is in NO WAY a criticism of you, I´m sorry if it came across that way in the previous post. Making a thumbnail is like playing Twitter on hard mode.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Oh no, didn’t think that at all! Just saying this is why thumbnails are so hard, especially “honest” ones. And why so many are forced to use “clickbait”.

[@Bespelled22]

There is an Aarakocra tree city in one of our campaigns this would be perfect for.

[@glorfendell2967]

This may be my favorite of your builds. Well done. Love the construction paper leather and real tree

[@markfergerson2145]

The paper trick is seriously cool. I'm thinking parchment paper (used for baking) could make good scale rawhide...

[@TomJones0065]

Awesome BUILD, I use old stump branches for my fairy houses, Which is Pretty much the same thing your doing here, Its SO FUN, Build it as it comes to you, BE THE LITTLE PERSON and how would you build your tree house! Always wanted my own YOU TUBE channel, but for me.. I just can't afford the stuff to do it, " cameras" Soft ware" that kinda stuff.. But one day MAYBE if I win the LOTO I could do it! THANKS FOR THIS ONE MAN ITS EPIC!! BE SAFE!! I DID SAVE IT TO MY FAVS!! !

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

I started this channel with a mobile phone 😉

[@TomJones0065]

@@BlackMagicCraftOfficial No Shit! OMG!!! I must see if mine is worthy! THANKS DUDE!

[@SnoddiesHobbies]

Came for the D&D terrain tutorial stayed for the tips on level driftwood coffee tables.

[@larryofastora9467]

Companies like Loot studios are for sure the future of the hobby. This project was so cool It's insane

[@wendywilkins2815]

Such an artist with vivid imagination. I’ve made leather by soaking a brown paper bag, scrunching into a ball, ironing dry and flat with my household iron.

[@blackbarnz]

Forest Vikings = Robin Hood & the Merry Men.. Serendipitous timing my next project is tree forts. Couldn't have timed this video better for me. I gotta recommend Central American popsicle sticks. They're used for chocolate dipped bananas. They're thicker, with squared ends & rough cut so the texture is already there. They're basically precut miniature 2×4 planks. Also they're usually less expensive than common popsicle sticks. I can't be the only one aware of these. Anbody else use em?..Looks good. Inspiring stuff, thanks for posting. .

[@The_Keto_Klingon]

Dude this may be one of my favorite builds you've. It is certainly my favorite recent builds that I have seen

[@justanothercaptain6566]

That was one of your better projects for sure. It might have topped the Egyptian set you made. So cool! Thanks for sharing! Cheers 🍻😊👍

[@terrainaholic]

I saw a picture of a tent village in thin bamboo style trees and gave it a shot. Yours turned out WAAAAAAY BETTER!!! Love the look and especially the ropes!!!!!

[@fenrirwalker7083]

I can see splitting a wider log into four, and doing different tree sections. This is cool man, thanks!

[@RDGoodner]

You made me so happy by mentioning the balance of looks and playability. On the Tabletop Crafters Guild, I see lots of really awesome-looking things that I know would be a pain to actually try to use in a game.

[@evantone4757]

Tip for people with shaky hands, you can use an elastic on your wrist wrapped around your three other fingers to help stabilize without resting on spikes, or in conjunction with resting to help even more. Hope this helps someone out there

[@nicholasneujahr9252]

In my art classes in college we used wet papers and glues to make 3D models. Brown thick construction paper, but also thinner transparent paper too. Had a good balance between what looked like thick skin and thin membranes. Love your videos!

[@GoblinsCorner]

We need more Vikings in tree houses. What a cool build...I could see several pieces where they modularly connect with some quick ladders or something.

[@lukagarma674]

I'm about to start turning an upturned shrub stump and attendant roots into a treetop village piece of terrain and this was a FANTASTIC resource!

[@delorescasper2564]

I really like the direction you have gone and been able to watch you grow in your craft. I look forward to the future.

[@moonmint8047]

I'd love to see you create some detail bits. The stuff you clutter a board with. Maybe you can re-try that bear rug idea and create a tanning rack? A bandit tent would be awesome aswell. Like a BIG 'OL TENT like a circus tent but.. made by Barbarians/Bandits. Skulls on Spikes, Chains and the entire thing made of cloth and Leather.

[@scubaguymi]

Another option for the ground to give the illusion of height would be to make the base look like the canopy of lower trees or branches. Using clump foliage or polyfiber and flocking, you can make a foliage covered base.

[@Mara999]

One of the best parts of drilling and sawing actual wood is that the sawdust is useful too. It would make great flocking. :)

[@onkelgroen]

I've used various paper types soaked in watered down glue for both miniatures and terrain, will definitely have to try that brown construction paper! Looks really good.

[@hakbash7588]

The leather skinned tent is over the top in coolness, I love it.

[@TriMarkC]

In actual play, when you build one of these big set pieces that are supposed to represent a whole community extending further… how has anyone done that? I’m imagining this being either one of the outer most pieces the chars would see & interact with. And then have to switch to perhaps a battlemat with additional ones drawn in. Or say a battlemat w the whole village depicted as a map, and then basically re-use this set piece as a stand-in as they traverse the village - above or below. Other thoughts?

[@terrencemiltner1005]

That double sided tape tip for ladder and platform builds is a great idea

[@earlkriewall7251]

Can I just say, "Wow!"? I'm going to have to try that construction paper leather for some tents. Thank you for sharing!

[@wonderwend1]

Fantastic build! It's the sort of build that you could complete but then go ahead and add other piece. Not only for the gaming world but for fairies and other fantasy projects. Love it

[@leotroll726]

We went as vikings for Halloween one year and my daughter wanted to be a shaman with a magic tome. So I glued some bits to the cover to make it gross and then did the same leather technique with brown paper bags, which is basically construction paper as well 😆 Add a bit of red wash into the edges and it added so much life to it! She still has her necronomicon on her shelf to this day 😀 Great build my dude! So many incredible ideas well executed together and I love the muted tones to allow the piece to be amazing but still let the stars of the show still pop amongst the backdrop!! Just a great piece 👌

[@jesseadams7407]

Oh my god please you should build a whole village in the trees based on that I love the idea and I’m definitely going to make one for my Chult campaign this was such a inspiration!!!!! I would love to see you take on more of these I hope other people agree that we would love to see more of this! Lol

[@russhughes9150]

Absolutely incredible Jeremy! As always. Another idea for the base, maybe you could make it look like the top of a forest canopy and the tree fort is rising up above the canopy? You're an amazing artist!

[@W.edgewargames]

Dude, I always learn something from one of your videos

[@pabexian]

this looks amazing, i gonna try to make this to, as i love working with wood to make decorative pieces to enhance the ambiance of my dnd games. and recently found an interest in making terrains thanx to watching ur vids. (p.s. sorry for the long comment i'm just really hyped right now). love the videos and cant wait for the next one

[@brettabraham]

This was an incredible and inspirational build. Unique premise and method, and on top of it, the double sided tape, rope, AND leathers technique made this one of your best videos!

[@mikekmit6045]

Right before I watched this, I got the Valhalla emails. Didn't even know this was a tie-in. How fortuitous !!!

[@TheDapperLad]

That rope rigging is impressive, man. Very nice work! I absolutely love the portion coming off the side that stretches down to the upper deck.

[@Justin-bk2kh]

Love when you are super passionate about a build it shows in the end result

[@MRaadesign]

Another great build! I hope you can find the time to continue a few more tree builds like this. Would love to see them.

[@godemperorphatty7185]

You could avoid the spiky protrusions, by making the base look like tree canopy, creating an illusion of being much higher in the boughs, I think that might look interesting. Using Cotton to make clouds like the platforms were WAY high up could be another cool option.

[@WillMontgomery85]

Well, time to start making leather things with construction paper. This was such a sweet build!

[@ChimeraWargaming]

It's a huge massive beautiful structure. Thanks for sharing your work.

[@tacotots_132]

I know this video is alittle old but I had a idea for the bear rug! Maby trying cutting a bear rig shape out of cardboard, glue it down, and use the same construction paper trick over the card board to add thickness!!

[@adamjohnson4821]

Love this. Really hope you make more of them. A armory and a great hall would be amazing

[@millenniumf1138]

Oh god, I NEED to do this for my D&D game!! At least 3-4 "buildings" with some smaller outposts would be perfect for a battle scene, or even better, a "home base" for my players!

[@jennylawson1980]

Absolutely awesome 😎 a very unique idea. I can’t wait to see how these builds progress over time.

[@novaadastra1]

Linking another piece with a rope bridge would be a cool way to link them together! Great piece for a game!

[@Artmesa]

The ink step was a great idea for terrain. I really like the subtlety it added. Well done!

[@TerrainStop]

Had no idea what D&D or even terrain building/crafting was until I subscribed to you. It's been a few years now and you've been a constant inspiration all the way, man. This hobby is the best thing I've come across so thank you. This build turned out amazing!

[@krulcazey]

Very awsome build! Gave me many great ideas for my next DnD campaign in a norse setting.

[@techadeptcrafts]

Definitely get the Ewoks out! You can run them as kobolds, gnomes or goblins. Or, maybe as homebrew combo between Halflings and Tabaxi. Great build.

[@41HecMav]

There's a bunch of good terrain crafting channels, but I just wanna say BMC consistently gives me the best ideas and techniques, thank you! When you air brush with inks are there any other special precautions one should take, light air brush thinner or anything?

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

I use the ink right out of the bottle!

[@yagsipcc287]

I am very excited for this, I have been glued to it since they hinted at it 😁 Monday I will be jumping on going all on on everything.

[@52Miniatures]

Love the paper trick! I’ve been using brown coffee filters, but they just shrink so darn much. Thanks for the tips, the video and the enthusiasm.

[@euansmith3699]

It is great to see someone getting so happy with their work. 😍😍😍

[@jillfriedmann7641]

Love it so much. I’ve been thinking about leather. Can’t wait to try!

[@rebelwarlock]

The literal opposite end of the spectrum from industrial ruins looks awesome too

[@caspianeubanks3834]

I love the viking builds that horn at the top brought it all together!

[@darkmaterials3853]

That's an amazing piece. I've also been wanting to build a treehouse Village. If you ever make some more trees, you should make rope swing Bridges connecting them.

[@barryjack3025]

Wow… most excellent. This is very much a style I would want to use if I had a forest campaign to play. The scale is great. Go crazy man!

[@MrStatistx]

Some wires used like ropes with some fabric or also leather across and maybe some wooden poles would also fit nicely with that style. kinda like covers for open areas.

[@FreezingToad]

Every time I watch one of your videos I come away with inspiration and ideas if my own that I want to sit down and make. Love your videos my guy!

[@riverdelavidawilliams9624]

So freakin cool! Would have loved to have watched you going through the process of figuring this out and talking to the camera as you go like you’ve started doing in a couple videos lately. Such imaginative problem solving here!

[@thecraftsmansguide1357]

Hey this looks sick! I love using actual woodin builds, I find the way it carves/looks and takes paint to be super satisfying. I should make a set of these to go with my viking runestones. My next campaign will feature Vikings that raid vessels and towns on longboat airships and their homeland are floating tree islands!

[@katmom49]

Love the aesthetic of this whole thing. Only drawback to this video? No kitty!

[@demetrinight5924]

I could also see this as and elf village. Plus the added bonus of working for an Ewok village or Wookiee village in Star Wars.

[@Liveforfilms]

Fantastic. I may have a go at this

[@keokiw2353]

This is a cool idea for a goblin town. Been wanting some type of goblin camp, this is defiantly going to be used for inspiration

[@easterlingsminiatures]

Omg I love your builds... I wish I had the tools and room to do this.

[@TabletopLenny]

Cool project! The leather tent looks great, great technique! Cheers

[@cheneymoss6402]

That is a great build Jeremy. The Star Wars Legion miniatures game is coming out with a lot of Wookiees and Kashyyyk themed minis in the next couple months for the Clone Wars factions. So, some people could be looking to this video for ideas on putting together a bunch of Wookiee platforms for a game!

[@irtehdar2446]

You have to build more of these. And a bunch of connector bridges. This would work really great for a 3d skirmish table for fantasy instead of the ruined gothic medieval cities we usually fight on.

[@lordofthestinkingrivermast8914]

Well done! I love this tree fort!

[@centerededgedesignusa7957]

Nice shirt, nice project! Thanks for all of your hard work!

[@theredravenworkshop3037]

This is so dope!! Great work!!

[@JS-sq7wy]

That is SICK man. Exactly what i was looking for for my Gaming Table. Thank you for the Idea.😁

[@tomroberts9132]

Really cool idea! Came out very awesome!

[@kevinkee7212]

Great build. I'd love to see a series like torment, but done with this world

[@doffazukistorm]

I'm very impressed, how it looks like in the end. every time !! I would like to see some kind of hall of honor or hall of terrains of all the weird and really nice stuff of terrain you allready have build. Also are you painting minis ? or have you a second youtube channel for painting them ? I'm waiting and I will watching it. And I give a thumbs up for all the ideas of ewoks like, pieces of art or terrain !! Thank you for making such nice videos !!

[@rodagoose]

Great idea! I love this one!

[@josray2557]

Man... That is just pure awesomesauce. Once you started stringing it up with that crazy rope latticework it came to life. That is definitely a hall of famer.

[@BenGeldenhuys]

I made my second ever build (bugbear/goblin campsite) a few months ago using that brown paper method and it really is rigid as heck and looks amazing! I might make more someday.

[@LovesToCamp35]

Man, I always love watching your videos. Everything you make is so unique and inspiring, it makes me want to sit down and build something! And that double sided tape trick? Oh my god, I can’t believe I’ve never thought of that, that’s brilliant. Never making ladders the hard way again!

[@tyconbom]

Really liked the runes! Feel like the shakiness really worked out to favour in making it feel tribal and rough :3

[@hendrikg6003]

Ultra nice project!

[@chrxunleashed7654]

You should make a video of you playing with your army. I've been interested in seeing it.

[@deregos]

Dude! maybe instead of doing the forest ground with the base, you could make it like the platforms were even higher... maybe making more branches as the base. By the way, looks awesome. Love your chanel!!!

[@pokkitsize]

Yüb nüb! (that was an attempt at a Viking Ewok) This is so awesome! I, too, love Ewoks and their super awesome tree villages. Journey to Valhalla looks really cool, too!

[@branchcore]

For branches everywhere, we know what you did & we'll be waiting to see you trip again in the forest.

[@quassisbelltower9408]

Omg that thin cardboard paper is so awesome looking for the leather hide. Now I’ll have to start on my Viking long house soon before it’s to late. I’m now in the middle of turning my shed into my work shop. Which is taking way to long with all this heat. Awesome job and I would put that in your 10 ten list of favorite builds.

[@maximillionchaoswolf]

this is just the sort of piece I have been trying to plan for my next game I realized the session before what was going on wasn't really doing it for my players so i think some verticality and sneaking across platforms and rope bridges will spice it up, kinda of a Shadow of Mordor war camp made like this could do the trick hopefully.

[@willjacobs7779]

It looks great, there's something about tree houses. The construction paper hide came out really well, I wonder if for something like the bear skin rug you could use the paper as a hide base and apply a little static grass to the top for the fur.

[@sw33n3yto00]

Awesome build!! Good to see you having fun, again. Pumped about the Loot giants and kraken, but worried they won't fit my photon

[@TableCraftOfficial]

Yeah definitely going to do the brown paper technique!

[@VetsDream]

Damn so inspiring. Love the look and can not wait to experiment with the brown construction paper. Love LOOT Studios and can not wait for this release.