Welcome to your third space: a virtual table for dice-slingers, crafters, and storytellers of all kinds. Here, you’ll find deep dives into roleplaying games, collaborative storytelling, and miniature wargaming, along with guides, discussions, and creative inspiration. We’re just getting started, but we’re glad you’re here for it. So thanks for joining us and happy hobbying!

This project is built on shared passion, not expert credentials. We’re not professional painters, published designers, elite GMs, or seasoned rules lawyers. We’re hobbyists who love RPGS, tabletop games, and everything that comes with them: immersive worlds, collaborative stories, rich lore, imaginative characters, and most of all, community.

The name "3rd Space Gaming" comes from sociologist Ray Oldenburg’s “third place” concept, a space beyond work and home where people connect, share ideas, and feel a sense of belonging. That’s the kind of virtual hangout we’re cultivating here.

This site is designed for hobbyists, crafters, and gamers of all levels. Whether you're a veteran wargamer, a forever-GM, a first-time miniature painter, or someone who just loves a good fantasy story, you're welcome here.

3rd Space Gaming will always aim to be:

• Inspirational: Full of ideas, prompts, and creative energy. The goal is to craft a community that shares inspiration, ideas, and favorite moments from their own games.
• Inclusive: Open to all backgrounds, experience levels, and play styles. So spread the word and bring more people to the table.
• Non-authoritative: We’re not here to tell you the "right way" to play or paint. Just to share what we are learning, trying, and loving. Rule of cool reigns supreme.

This site is just getting started, but here’s what’s on the roadmap for the near future:

1. Miniature Painting Tutorials & DIY Projects
   1. From terrain tutorials and painting guides to storage hacks and scratch-building with everyday household items. Expect lots of low-cost, easy effort projects to spark your creativity, enrich your games, and get you up and running faster.
2. RPG Resources for GMs & Players
   1. Curated lists of tools and online aids for both running and playing games
   2. Story prompts and character ideas: everything from skill and class suggestions to campaign seeds and story arcs.
      System highlights and recommendations from classics like Pathfinder and D&D to newer concoctions like Cairn, One Page Rules, indie gems, and other homebrewed favorites
3. Creative Inspiration
   1. Character concepts and origin stories
   2. Tips for better storytelling
   3. Worldbuilding best practices and art assets
   4. Music, art, movies, podcasts, and books that inspire our gaming and storytelling
4. Community Spotlights (Eventually!)
   1. This is a long-term goal, but we hope to share the work of everyone who contributes to the community. We want to highlight your ideas, suggestions, and projects through guest posts, interviews, showcases, and more. 
   2. You can always start sharing what you’re working on by becoming a free member today and getting access to our private Discord server. Otherwise, just let us know what you’re thinking or what you want to see from us, and we’ll make it happen!
5. Live Events and Work Sessions (Eventually!)
   1. We want to hang out with you. Whether we are doing a live paint along, a deep dive discussion on a specific topic, or just hanging out together at a hobby happy hour, hobbying is better together. And even if we can’t always be physically together, we can still cultivate an online community that is constantly exploring, sharing, and collaborating together.

You don’t need to be an expert or a veteran to be part of this space. Everyone is welcome. In fact, we hope it becomes a home and hub for newcomers and OGs alike. This will be your place if you have a curious mind and are eager to learn and share knowledge or experience from your own gaming journey.

You can help shape this space by:

• Commenting and resharing on social media
• Become a free member to get access to our private Discord server
• Sending feedback, ideas, and kind words
• Sharing your own creations, characters, or stories
• Letting us know what you want to see more of
• And most importantly, help spread the word so more people find their way to our shared space

Get connected with us:

• Discord
• Instagram
• Reddit

We understand that we are currently just a level 1 peasant starting out, but we have aspirations for greater things. We won’t be able to get there overnight, and we appreciate your patience as we get going and find our footing. That means that the content rollout might be a little slower at the start than we’d like, but we’re here for the long haul.

We are committed to providing quality content and valuable insights, so we will always prioritize that over pushing out a bunch of slop just to appease the almighty algorithms. As we get some momentum, we are eager to try out different media and formats, ranging from podcasts, videos, to live events. Written pieces will remain the focus for a while, but you can look forward to a range of bite-sized blogs and infographics all the way to long-form articles and even full-on works of fiction. 

Again, we are dedicated to steady production and constant improvement over the long term. We don’t know exactly what this will grow into, but we are excited by the possibilities and are so glad that you’re coming along on this journey with us. We hope 3rd Space Gaming becomes a cozy little corner of the internet where you can geek out, feel inspired, and maybe even try something new.

Here’s to the road ahead and the companions we’ll meet along the way.

Again, welcome to your 3rd Space, and happy hobbying!

“Danger must be present danger. Stakes must be stakes for people we care about. And what might happen to them must be shown from the get-go so we know the consequences of the imminent threat.” — Blake Snyder, Save the Cat!

Every GM wants to run sessions that feel like a great novel or movie. The kind where players sit forward in their chairs, fully engaged, eager to experience what happens next. These are the sessions that stick in our minds and get talked about for weeks. But that level of engagement and excitement doesn't come from combat alone. It comes from urgency.
In tabletop role-playing games, urgency often separates a forgettable session from one that feels alive. It turns a slow crawl into a compelling story. Urgency can be as simple as a ticking clock, a narrowing opportunity, or a tough decision without an obvious answer. These aren't just flavor elements. They shape the entire play experience. When players feel like what they do matters right now, they get more invested. They take bigger risks and accept the consequences.

Urgency isn't just about time limits or danger breathing down the player’s necks. It's about momentum and meaning. It's the feeling that the world is moving and that characters are being pulled into its current. This guide explores both storytelling and mechanical tools that will help you bring that feeling to life at your table.

WHY URGENCY MATTERS

Urgency encourages action. Action is exciting. Urgency also allows the group to problem-solve and come to a consensus. Sometimes this brings about its own form of conflict and allows characters to reveal themselves. This is often one of the biggest opportunities for character growth because choices matter. These choices lead to conflict, drama, and growth. Urgency also helps avoid indecision. When the stakes are clear and the clock is ticking, players stay focused, engaged, and work together (usually) towards a common goal.

Examples of clear stakes:

• The princess is held captive by the hungry dragon
• A raiding party approaches the village 
• The treasure will be lost if the heroes arrive too late

In fiction, urgency often comes from external forces. A villain escapes. A poison spreads. A device counts down to disaster. In TTRPGs, these tools work well, but they must be adapted to give players meaningful choices and consequences. Let’s look at 6 tips and tricks for incorporating these elements of urgency in your next gaming session.

1. USE TIME AS A PRESSURE MECHANISM

One of the simplest ways to build urgency is to make time matter. This doesn't have to mean a countdown timer, although that can work well. It means creating situations where dawdling and indecision have real consequences.

Examples of time pressures:

• A ritual will complete at midnight
• A ship departs at dawn
• A villain grows stronger each day they are not stopped

You can also use visual trackers, like those in Blades in the Dark, to show progress toward failure or danger. Just make sure the time limit is tied to the story. "Six turns until the bridge collapses" has more weight if a trusted NPC is hanging off the edge.

2. MAKE ENVIRONMENTS DYNAMIC

Static environments feel like puzzles to be solved. Dynamic environments feel alive and unpredictable. They create urgency by changing around the players and forcing action.

Ideas to add environmental pressure:

• A dungeon collapses behind the group
• Lava rises slowly through the floor
• A panicked crowd becomes harder to move through
• A magical storm tears apart reality

These situations create physical tension but also push the story forward. Players can't afford to sit still, and the world refuses to wait. This also helps to set a realistic scope and scale for the world. It makes it feel like players are just a small part of a larger world instead of having the world as their playground to be explored at their leisure. 

3. CREATE MORAL AND EMOTIONAL URGENCY

Urgency doesn't always come from danger. It can also come from choices that matter emotionally. Decisions that divide the party or test the characters' values often leave a bigger mark than an old battle wound. These are also the kind of developments that really bring about character growth and development. Losing a beloved NPC might have the characters question their values and morals. It can also bring about unexpected changes in how the party approaches future situations.

Tension-building dilemmas:

• Save the town or pursue the villain
• Trust the beggar who approached you on the street
• Let the enemy escape to rescue a friend
• Use forbidden magic to save lives and accept the cost

These moments work best when both outcomes are viable solutions, but each with their own pros and cons. Just like in life, there isn’t always a clear “best” path forward. Players should feel the weight of whatever decision they make. Let that decision shape future interactions and ripple throughout the world. When they remember past choices, every new decision feels more intense and meaningful.

4. INTRODUCE NPCS AND FACTIONS WITH THEIR OWN TIMELINES

Conflict doesn't have to start with combat. When NPCs and factions have their own goals, agendas, and ticking clocks, the world feels like it moves with or without the players. It can put the players in their rightful place and adds appropriate scale for their power and agency in the broader world.

Tools to create social urgency:

• Rival parties chasing the same objective
• Factions that escalate their plans over time
• NPCs whose loyalties shift based on actions or inaction

This kind of urgency adds depth to the world. Players begin to feel that delays and missteps have social consequences, not just tactical ones. This also allows the GM to dangle more rewards than just loot and experience points in front of the players. Helping a neutral faction repel raiders might just set that faction on the path towards playing a key support role in the final boss battle. Some of the most impactful rewards don’t always show up on the character sheet.

5. MAKE THE STAKES REAL

Urgency only matters when there is something meaningful at risk. If nothing important can be lost, then nothing feels urgent. This is also a reminder to use these tips and tricks sparingly. If you keep introducing likeable NPCs just to have them dangle off a bridge in every battle, the players might see the pattern and grow immune to your schemes. But when you do decide to pull the urgency lever, make it matter and hit the players where it hurts.

What to put on the line:

• Beloved NPCs
• Powerful or symbolic locations
• Long-term reputation or influence
• Prized possessions or powerful gear
• Character freedom or narrative agency

Let consequences shape the story. They don’t have to be fatal. A lost contact, a stolen artifact, or a scarred relationship can all change how players engage going forward. Not only will it mechanically shape the story, but again, it will allow for important character growth and development that will truly make the story a memorable one.

6. SYSTEM AGNOSTIC MECHANICS THAT SUPPORT URGENCY

Even in systems that don’t include urgency by default, you can layer it into the mechanics with simple tools.

• Countdown Tracker: A visible meter that fills or depletes over time. Use to keep combat or event moving.
• Escalating Consequences: The situation worsens each round or session. Great for boss fights or macro-level world events.
• Real-Life Turn Timers: Limit decision time to 30-60 seconds. Builds tension in tough encounters and elevates the realism.
• Rotating Threats: Forces players to split attention and triage. Encourages teamwork and fast decision-making.
• Competing Priorities: Make players show you what they value. Promotes problem-solving and consensus-building

These methods require little or no rules rewriting. They work because they focus on how urgency feels, not just how it functions.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Urgency is not about rushing your players or yelling at them to hurry, hurry, hurry. It's about challenging them to act with intention. It adds energy, emotion, and pressure to the game. Urgency is just one way to create it. The real goal is to create tension that feels real and makes the players show you their values.

Used intentionally and sparingly, urgency can turn a straightforward battle into a turning point. Used consistently, it transforms a campaign into a world where time matters, where choices have weight, and where players understand that their decisions shape the world and impact what happens next.

As always, thanks for reading and be sure to drop some of your favorite tips and tricks for introducing urgency into the comments below.

This character has probably been my all-time favorite to play. Definitely the longest and most consistent ever. She is currently Level 19 as we are nearing the end of an incredible ~5-year campaign. When brainstorming the character at the start, I knew that I wanted to play something a bit more atypical. Big brutes and glass cannons are always fun to play, but I wanted to give a support role a shot this time around. I had never played or had a witch in the party before, so I wanted to explore those uncharted waters. 

I was initially drawn to the Witch class because of all the hexes, debuffs, and crowd control options, but what sealed the deal for me was when I discovered the Patron of Time. Every one of those Patron spells were exactly what I was looking for. Silence and Haste were early on the Patron spell list and saw extensive use in almost every encounter. What really had me hooked, though, was the Patron spell at Level 18: Time Stop. Sure, it took me over four years and 80+ sessions to get there, but the payoff was so sweet when I finally did.

The party was trying to foil an evil vampire summoning ritual. There were swarms of ghouls. Demon lords. The works. At the center of all of this was a book. The vampire lords in the region had been in a tense stalemate, but this book could tip the balance of power in its owner’s favor. We had to capture it. Enter Level 18 Eve with her newly acquired Time Stop. But, that’s a story for a different time.

Eve has undergone quite the transformation as a character, both inside and out. Her Lawful Good alignment has taken an accelerated turn towards Chaotic Good. For, in the face of the infinite fabric of time, what are these silly constraints most mortals bind themselves with. Her appearance is almost indistinguishable from how she started. She traded her youth for the gift of intelligence and now is a weathered old woman who is leading an underground religious movement. She also unexpectedly found her place amongst a coven of hags who have persisted over the ages. But again, these are all stories for later. 

For now, we’re starting back at the beginning. Here’s a little look into how Eve found herself in the party that ascended through adversity to find themselves leading The Final Crusade.

***AI art is merely a placeholder. If you or someone you know would like to contribute original artwork, please get a hold of us.***

PROLOGUE

The hawk circled high above me as I rode. My sturdy mount paid it no attention, but I felt the bird’s eyes on me. Its gaze was a cold and constant presence that followed me from the hermit’s hut. I tried to convince myself that it was merely a coincidence, but I knew that the old lady’s words were true. The hawk proved it.

I pulled my cloak tighter to try and keep out the early winter chill. The hawk screeched as I remembered the old lady’s words. She had told me that I was serving the wrong gods. That my efforts were empty and misguided. I had been sent to bring her back to the flock, a last lifeline for a lost sister, but it was I who was converted. What I was converted into, I was not sure. I simply knew that I was not the same.

My mount’s hooves crunched in the early morning frost. I had ridden through the night since my encounter with the old woman. The cold and fatigue weighed on me, but my worry of what she had done to me hung heavier. I hoped that returning to the monastery would put me back in sorts. It had been my home as long as I remembered and I longed for something familiar. Something to help shake this feeling. I yearned for a bath, but knew this was something I could not simply wash off.

The Chapter was the only family I had ever known, despite not looking like the other members. As the only elf in the region, I was treated with a cold curiosity that I sometimes mistook for genuine interest. With no real friends to distract me, I was able to dedicate myself fully to my studies. There I excelled. Neither The Chapter leaders nor my contemporaries could deny my talents. Even at a young age I found myself in an elevated position in The Chapter. It made me the target of envy and resentment, but dedicating my life to the Ecclesium gave me purpose.

When the message came from the Grand Ecclesiarch I was confused at first. He had written me in his own hand, but the mission hardly seemed to warrant the correspondence. He pulled me away from my projects and sent me to a backwater. All to track down a single lost soul. Others were envious when word spread that I was personally tasked by the Grand Ecclesiarch, but it felt more like a curse than a blessing. Still, I obliged his orders and left the monastery in search of an old woman.

The journey was long, but not terribly taxing. I traveled light and was hardly a burden for my horse. The weather was pleasant then and the last red leaves of fall clung to the trees. Despite not having much of a lead to go on, it did not take me long to find her. Everyone in the area knew who she was, but nobody dared to speak her name. They spat after mentioning her as though they were exorcising poison.

When I found her cabin, it was covered in ravens. They squawked, conversing amongst themselves as I approached. Black feathers fluttered around. Despite the birds, the cabin was well-made and tidy. The feathers never seemed to settle on the ground no matter how long they danced about. I tied my mount to a tree and went to the door. I knocked, but it produced no noise.

“No one’s in there,” her voice cracked beside me.

She was sitting in a sturdy rocking chair on the porch to my right. She clenched a billowing pipe in her teeth as she continued speaking.

“I didn’t much feel like cleaning,” she cocked her head towards her house and took a puff. “Figured I’d just meet you out here.”

“Sorry, I didn’t notice you as I approached.” I retraced my approach and wondered how I missed her. “Who told you I was coming?”

“I couldn’t remember when exactly you were coming back, but I’m glad to see you again.”

“I’m afraid we’ve never met,” I took a step towards her, but seemed no closer. “I don’t even know what to call you.”

“That depends on what you call yourself now.”

“Sister Eva at your service,” I feigned a bow without taking my eyes off her.

“Ah,” she cackled through the smoke. “That’s when it is. I saw your friend around earlier, but didn’t realize you haven’t met yet this time around.”

“My horse is no friend, merely a means of transportation.”

A hawk screeched in the distance and the sound stabbed at my ears.

“He’s mad you don’t remember him,” she said as she came to stand before me.

I took a step back, but was unable to put distance between us. We were eye to eye and her smell overwhelmed my senses. She smelled like an old dusty library. One that was pleasant and familiar. Somewhere I had spent much time. Her smoke stung my eyes as she spoke again.

“Circles within circles and wheels within wheels. Time is not something that starts at one point and ends at another. Time emanates from everything and surges around us. Some people surrender themselves to the flow of time by breathing their last. Others fight against it in a futile attempt to live on forever in stories or memories. Most people ignore time and take its power over us as a foregone conclusion. Even your gods are powerless against time.”

“Your lies have no sway over me,” I searched for my horse, but it was nowhere to be seen.

“You’ll find no falsehood in my words. Everyone is bound to time. But you will learn that time is also bound to you. Just like two people pulling on opposite ends of a rope, when you learn to pull back, you’ll find that you also have power over time. Grow strong enough and you can guide it this way and that. Grow stronger still and you can tame it. Make it do your bidding.”

She reached out her arm and a hawk landed on it as light as a snowflake. It looked at me with piercing yellow eyes. It stretched its wings and let out a shriek that brought me to my knees.

“He is yours and you are his,” she rested her hand on my head and lowered the bird to my shoulder.

It hopped off her hand onto my shoulder. I felt the tips of its talons pierce my skin. The pain radiated through me, but soon faded into a familiar warmth. The hawk nuzzled against me and I didn’t push it away.

“Rise for your mark,” she commanded me with her voice.

I was compelled to my feet and stood before her. I felt the hawk’s heart beating fast. The old lady licked her thumb and brought it to my right cheek. I tried to turn from her, but her other hand held me by a clump of hair. Her thumb pressed against my skin and it sizzled like a brand. I shrieked and the hawk echoed me. Our voices tumbled over each other through the empty forest.

“You will realize your true power,” she said, enveloping me in a hug. “In time, child. All in good time.”

And with that, she was gone.

I stumbled back away from the porch and was surrounded by silence. The ravens were gone and there wasn’t a single feather in sight. This made it all the more jarring when I looked to my right and was still met by the yellow eyes of the hawk. I shooed it from my shoulder, and it lifted high into the night sky. I ran for my horse and sped through the night.

***

I tried to fall back into my old life at the monastery and it was going well for a time. Everyone assumed that I was successful on my mission, so I never bothered correcting them. I was welcomed back with cheers, but over the following weeks found myself sitting alone at meals and during study. Whispered rumors spread about me, and everyone stared at my scar when they thought I would not notice.

My favorite tasks were soon assigned to others and when questioned as to why, the leaders would say my faith was faltering and they did not want me to drag others down with me. I hated the hawk, an ever-present reminder of what had been taken from me.

When the letter was slid under my door, I did not cry. It was the only home I had ever known, but I was no longer sad to leave it behind. They were making me leave. They said I was chosen for The Crusade because of all I had accomplished, but I knew that it was because they no longer wanted me here. They said they awaited my glorious return, but again, I knew they hoped I would find my end.

I packed my things at once. As I bustled about my room, I caught my reflection in the small washbasin. I touched the mark on my cheek, tracing it lightly. It was a dark scar, hooked and wicked like the beak of a hawk.

With that, the hawk burst through my window. It perched on the windowsill and cocked a head at me. Instead of hurling projectiles and insults at it like usual, I gave it a single understanding nod.

“Let’s go friend.”

Terrain is essential to any tabletop wargame and can be successfully incorporated into many different RPGs. Whether you're battling across a dystopian cityscape in Warhammer 40K or exploring barren deserts in Pathfinder, terrain increases the immersion and adds strategic elements to your games. But sometimes filling up your gaming table can feel daunting and expensive. Unfortunately, store-bought terrain can be costly, and crafting your own from scratch can feel intimidating. Don’t fret, because we’ve got you covered. In this guide, we’ll teach you how to have fun and get the most out of your DIY terrain, from basic principles to suggested materials and a dash of inspiration.

Crafting terrain in and of itself can be a fun and rewarding project. So it is important to remember that not everything needs to be rushed. Sometimes the enjoyment is in the process and the journey. Building your own terrain also allows you to incorporate storytelling elements and threads that enrich the world:

• Rival gang’s graffiti tags on shipping containers.
• Battle damage and blood splatter at an outpost.
• Or a campsite gone cold. 

They are all small additions that help build the back story and establish the setting.

That said, not everything needs to be overly complicated or pretentious. Sometimes you just want to get together with friends, roll some dice, and bash some baddies. That’s why it is important to stop and think about what you enjoy in your gaming experience. Hyper-competitive tactical gameplay where millimeters matter? That’s rad. Casual hangout with friends and minimal prep? That’s also rad. So find what’s rad for you and prioritize that.

It’s also ok if you don’t enjoy crafting terrain from scratch. Personally, that is one of my favorite parts of the hobby, but I have some friends who don’t bother with it at all. And that’s ok, because they know what they like and don’t like. If you aren’t into the crafting aspects, then your goal is just to get the table filled up adequately enough to set up your minis and roll some dice. In that case, we still have you covered with some easy ideas of items already around your home.

Let’s get into it!

KEY CONCEPTS AND OBJECTIVES

Before we jump into what to build or how to build it, let’s first start with the basics, like why we need terrain and what we should focus on when setting up a board. 

Apart from the basics of “it looks cool”, terrain is responsible for three main things:

1. Changing up the elevation and height on the board
2. Providing cover and limiting line of sight
3. Adding in points of interest and narrative hooks

Changing up the elevation is important from both a strategic perspective and a narrative one. If the board is flat and featureless, then that hardly creates an immersive experience. It also doesn’t allow ranged characters like archers, snipers, or spell slingers the ability to flex their prowess. So be sure to create little places throughout the board that will allow ranged units to get a bird's eye view. Hills, plateaus, and the like are also great for creating defensive positions where melee units can valiantly defend the high ground until the last.

Now that you have added in some high ground and sniper nests, it is essential to provide some cover for units to cower in the shadows. Limiting line of sight and funneling characters into fire alleys is especially important in modern or sci-fi games where the majority of the characters have some form of ranged attack. Add in some easily defensible positions and some choke points throughout the map for some exciting encounters.

If you are playing a symmetrical battle, be sure to give equal terrain elements on either side. Terrain can give an unfair advantage or give certain armies the upper hand, but that can also be used intentionally for certain game modes. King of the hill, defend the fort, and infiltration are all game types that encourage asymmetrical gameboards and can have some surprising and unexpected game moments. 

Landmark terrain and points of interest are one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to introduce or reinforce narrative elements. 

“Go stand over there and fight the enemy” is much less engaging than “You are the last remaining company on the planet that has been invaded by an alien force. You must reach the communication outpost and secure it for 3 rounds in order to send out an SOS message to the nearest allied fleet.” 

Establishing narrative hooks like this that incorporate terrain pieces not only increases the immersion but also helps craft a compelling backstory for why this particular battle is taking place and raises the stakes for all the players. And it doesn’t take all that much extra effort, just a couple quick sentences to establish why this matters and what winning will mean for each side.

FOUNDATIONAL DESIGN ELEMENTS

If you’re just starting out on your terrain-building journey or looking to augment an existing collection, it’s always important to remember not to let perfection get in the way of good. This is one trap that I personally fell into at the start. Every piece of terrain had to be perfect. I would pour dozens of hours into a single piece that was expertly crafted and chock-full of tiny details. But when it came to game time, I noticed that often the pieces that I slapped together the quickest got the most compliments. That’s why it is good to keep the law of diminishing returns in mind. Meaning: if you spend one hour on something and get a good result, spending ten hours on that same thing won’t necessarily get you a result that is ten times better. And like I said above, crafting terrain is one of my favorite aspects of the hobby, so the act of creating was rewarding for me, but if you are trying to get a board game ready as quickly as possible, don’t dump 10 hours into something when you can effectively get something table ready in an hour or two.

That’s where terrain crafting turns into a delicate balancing act. Sometimes it is better to build ten things that are just ok, rather than building one perfect piece. When working on a single piece, it is easy to get tunnel vision, but keep in mind that the end goal is having a complete board to be viewed as a whole that is usually greater than the sum of its parts. This is because scope and scale work in your favor. The same concept applies to painting miniatures. If you look at a single model in isolation, then the sloppy lines or crossed eyes are obvious, but once you zoom out and put that same model in its place with the rest of the troops on a full board, it looks impressive. Similarly, all of the small imperfections in your terrain start to melt away as soon as the board starts to fill up.

In the same vein, it is usually most time effective to “min/max” with certain pieces. No matter how many hours you put into a shipping container, it will still just be a shipping container. So don’t bash your head against the wall trying to make it a work of art. But if you are making a center piece or a map for the final big bad boss battle of a long campaign, then it might warrant some extra TLC. Understanding where everyone’s focus and attention will be placed will also help you determine the best use of your time. It is also possible to steer people’s attention where you want it. Spent a couple of extra hours painting a computer screen that you’re really proud of? Make sure that it is the narrative focus for the battle to give it the attention it deserves.

PRACTICAL DESIGN CONCEPTS

Now that we talked through some of the more philosophical design elements, let’s address two of the more practical design concepts:

1. Keep it light
2. Make it versatile

I’ve spent countless hours working on terrain pieces that have never once been used. Why? Because I forgot that after I’ve completed the piece on my work desk, I need to be able to transport it easily. That’s why it is key to keep things light and relatively simple. What do I mean by simple? Don’t have a bunch of fragile thingies and widgets sticking off of your terrain because they will inevitably get broken off at some point. If you are lucky enough to have a dedicated gaming space where you don’t need to pack up and move your terrain, then it’s ok, go wild and make the most intricate, ornate building imaginable. But for the rest of us who need to pack our terrain away into a cardboard box for transport and storage between gaming sessions, keep it light and keep it simple.

This brings me to the second point. When I got back into Warhammer and One Page Rules, I wanted to play both Sci-Fi and fantasy games. This meant that I effectively needed to build up two sets of terrain, which felt like a huge undertaking. So instead of building out two completely separate boards, at first I focused on terrain pieces that could fit both genres. Physical terrain features like rocks, hills, and river beds are the easiest to translate between genres. Luckily, these are also some of the terrain pieces that are big and help to fill up a game board quickly. After I had a good assortment of multipurpose pieces, that's when I focused on a couple key genre specific buildings.

Here are seven other ideas of dual-purpose terrain and tips on how to make it work best for both genres:

1.  🧱 Ruins (Generic Stone or Masonry)
   Crumbled walls, archways, shattered statues.
   Fantasy: Ancient castles, old temples.
   Sci-fi: Abandoned colonies, xenoarchaeology dig sites.
   ✅ Bonus: Neutral color schemes (gray, sandstone) work for both settings.
   
   
2. 🌳 Forested Scatter (Trees, Rocks, Stumps)
   Trees, boulders, underbrush.
   Fantasy: Enchanted forests or wildlands.
   Sci-fi: Alien jungle planets or terraformed biomes.
   ✅ Bonus: Add glowing mushrooms or crystals for extra effect.
   
   
3. ⛺ Campsites or Outposts
   Tents, crates, barrels, wagons.
   Fantasy: Merchant caravan or adventurer camp.
   Sci-fi: Nomadic off-worlders, smuggler outpost.
   ✅ Bonus: Swap out different colored LEDs for various fire types: primitive, magical, alien.
   
   
4. 🛢 Crates, Barrels, Containers
   Very versatile and universally useful across genres.
   Fantasy: Food stores, trade goods.
   Sci-fi: Ammo, supplies, mining gear.
   ✅ Pro tip: Stackable scatter terrain = easy LOS blockers.
   
   
5. ⛰️ Caves, Rock Formations, Cliffs
   Natural elements are genre-agnostic.
   Fantasy: Dragon lairs, mountain passes.
   Sci-fi: Mining colonies, alien hideouts.
   ✅ Bonus: Keep them a neutral gray so they work across genres.
   
   
6. 🛕 Altars, Obelisks, Monoliths
   Stone is always in fashion.
   Fantasy: Arcane ritual sites.
   Sci-fi: Alien tech or AI worship.
   ✅ Bonus: Carvings and glyphs look both arcane and futuristic at the same time.
   
   
7. 🌀 Portals, Gates, and Doors
   As the saying goes, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
   Fantasy: Magical gates or dimensional rifts.
   Sci-fi: Warp doors, teleporter rings.
   ✅ Bonus: Simple shape + LED ring = instant dual-use.

What are some other good tabletop terrain staples that work well across multiple genres? Let us know and drop a comment below!

WIDE SPECTRUM OF OPTIONS

Scratch building terrain is my personal favorite, but it isn’t your only option, and there are more choices than ever before for terrain materials. 

3d printing has made it extremely easy to whip up a bunch of terrain. FDM printers are better suited for larger pieces like bridges and modular buildings because they are more durable than most resin prints. Resin printers however do excel at printing out smaller, detailed pieces or scatter terrain. There are a couple of key points to keep in mind if you do choose to go the 3d printing route.

1. Make sure your models are properly hollowed, or else they will end up weighing a ton and using up a lot of printing material. This reinforces the earlier point discussed above about keeping your builds light and transportable.
2. Give yourself enough time to print everything out. Yes, 3d printing can be as easy as pushing a button and walking away, but some larger prints can take the better part of a day. So, unless you have a blazing fast printer with a large plate, getting a full table of terrain printed might be a week or two time commitment.

Medium Density Fiberboard, or MDF, is a great medium for building a wide range of terrain. It is relatively lightweight, inexpensive, and comes in a variety of thicknesses. Thin (2mm thickness) sheets are perfect for walls or can even be used as sturdy bases that won’t warp or bend when slathered in glue. Thicker (1-inch) sheets are a good standardized size that can be stacked on top of each other to create a terraced hill that easily allows models to stand on. The main benefit of MDF is that it can be cut in several different ways, from a laser cutter to a standard jigsaw. This allows for MDF to be cut into some very intricate designs, ranging from ruin walls to full-on modular buildings.

Papercraft terrain and buildings are probably the cheapest, quickest, and easiest way to get ready for game day. Papercrafting has been a thing since the early days and has stuck around because it has many obvious pros. If you have access to a color printer (check out your local library if you don’t have a printer at home, work, or school), you can print out a wide range of buildings that are easy to cut, fold, and glue. Not only are there a wide range of predesigned templates out there, from old school Warhammer magazines to modern digital designs, but it is easy enough to design your own papercraft buildings. Buildings can either be designed in illustrator software, or go fully retro with a ruler and an exacto blade. Papercraft might not be the most detailed or durable terrain out there, but it is easy to create entire towns that will wow with their sheer scope and size.

But what’s absolutely the quickest and easiest way to get a table battle ready? Go raid your pantry. It’s not going to look the prettiest, and you are going to need to lean into the theater of the mind pretty heavily, but boxes of noodles, cans of soup, and other cupboard staples are easy to plop on a table and function perfectly as terrain. Old hardcover books are also easy to stack up to form terraced hills, or stand them up on their ends to act as walls or buildings. Old tablecloths (think green burlap or a sandy beige) are a great way to really tie a table together and give it more of an environmental feel. Drape it over the books or other physical terrain and bam, you now have rolling hills of grass or dusty dunes.

As you can see, there’s a wide range of suitable options for tabletop terrain and really your only limitation is your imagination. If you are really looking to flex your imagination, then head over to the article on our Ten Favorite Household Items for Scratch-Building Terrain where you will find our favorite crafting materials that you probably already have lying around.

Thank you for reading and happy hobbying!

LINK: Ten Favorite Household Items for Scratch-Building Terrain

Challenge accepted? Build something incredible using only what you’ve got lying around.

Building terrain from scratch for RPGs and Tabletop games is personally one of my favorite aspects of the hobby. There is something so satisfying about rescuing a broken toy from the garbage and giving it a second life as a bunker, castle, or even space port. Likewise it is fun turning common, everyday household items into something imaginative and fantastical. Not only is it a great way to reduce, reuse, and recycle, but it also is the perfect way to flex your creativity and challenge yourself to think in different ways.

Scratch building terrain is also awesome for newcomers to the hobby, because it is a very low cost way to fill up your gaming table with terrain. It can also be as quick and easy as you want it to be. Sure, you can spend 100’s of hours crafting an elaborate modular game board complete with multi-level castles, but you can also whip together suitable buildings and terrain in just a couple hours. But that’s really the benefit of building your own stuff from scratch, it can be as time intensive or simple as you want.

There’s also a special feeling of pride or attachment you get from making something from scratch. It’s not just a cookie cutter shipping container, it is a shipping container that I made from an old Cheez-it box and some rescued corrugated cardboard. Every piece of terrain ends up having a story of its own even before it is placed on the game board. It is also easy to incorporate storytelling elements into your terrain that makes it uniquely yours: a custom neon sign on a sci-fi bodega, an old tombstone behind a building, or just a gang tag on a shipping container. These are all small elements that can be added to enrich the story and setting even if they aren’t explicitly discussed in game.

With all that being said, let’s dive into the Top 10 materials for scratch built terrain that you most likely already have around the house.

1. CARDBOARD OF ALL KINDS

This is your bread and butter right here. Cardboard is the perfect terrain crafting material for so many reasons. It holds paint well, cuts easily, and is extremely light and sturdy. Plus it comes in so many different kinds, from thin cereal box cardboard to double-walled corrugated, that it can be used to represent any material from metal sheets to shingles to flagstones. Layer it for depth, score it for textures, or shred it up and use it as ground cover. So many possibilities with something that you already have laying around your house.

Pro Tip: Peel off one side of some corrugated cardboard to reveal the ridges underneath. This works well for scrap metal panels that look primo after some dry brushing.

2. POPSICLE STICKS AND COFFEE STIRRERS

Popsicles sticks, coffee stirrers, and tongue depressors are easily my second most used crafting materials. They are flat, sturdy, light, and uniform. Basically just pre-made lumber in a variety of sizes. Clip the rounded edges off with a flat snips and bam, you’ve got yourself some planks to build anything. Think fences, pallets, bridges, ladders, and docks. Glue on top of a cardboard building and you can use the lumber for roofing, siding, and flooring. The natural wood also takes a wide range of glues. It is also easy to distress, weather, and give battle damage.

Pro Tip: A simple brown wash with some lighter dry brushing and you have some believable wood in minutes.

3. CORK AND CORKBOARD

Natural cork has an organic texture that makes it perfect for rocky terrain, cliff faces, or broken ruins. It is easy to cut and chip away at the edges for jagged detail. Wine corks make great stone columns or old tree stumps, while cork board or coasters can be carved into paving stones or broken tiles. Cork is also the perfect mix of lightweight, sturdy, and easy to glue to a wide range of materials.

Pro Tip: Layering flat cork board on hero bases is a great way to give them a little extra height to make them feel imposing and powerful.

4. TOILET PAPER AND NAPKINS

Yes, you read that right. These soft paper products, when combined with PVA glue, basically become paper mache. This is the perfect way to add texture almost anywhere. It can be made to look like stone, bark, stucco, or even cracking plaster. Layer it on thick to build up impressive rock features. Or go for more of a paper, fabric, or tarp feel by slathering it with just enough glue to hold its shape once dry. Plus different paper products come pre-stamped with different patterns, some are good enough to cut out for ready-made rugs. As an extra bonus, toilet paper and paper towel rolls are another top tier crafting material. Towers, tubes, and tunnels have never been so easy.

Pro Tip: Toilet paper and PVA glue can take awhile to dry, so try and make the layers as thin as possible to achieve the desired effect. When making large rock features, layer up lightweight cardboard as the base or skeleton. Then slather the toilet paper and PVA glue on top.

5. WOODEN DOWELS

These make excellent columns, support beams, tree trunks, or even flagpoles and signposts. They are also sturdy enough to be your major supports on larger buildings like towers or bridges. You can often find them in most craft stores, but there are some good alternatives like kitchen skewers and shish kabobs. Old wooden pencils are also an option and work great for smaller tree trunks. Add some texture with a file or wrap them with paper like in #4 to simulate bark.

Pro Tip: The sharp tip of skewers can also be snipped off for easy spikes to line the tops of walls, fences, and barricades.

6. Q-TIPS AND COTTON SWABS

The humble Q-tip is surprisingly versatile. Snip off the ends and you’ve got small rods for pipes or bars. Keep the cotton end intact and fuzz it up for that classic torch look. Like other top 10 materials they are equally light, sturdy, and uniform. Plus they are made from a wide range of materials like paper, wood, and plastic. Cotton swabs are frequently used for extra effect and can represent smoke, fire, and even explosions depending on how you color it. You can also tuck LED lights into cotton balls for that next level ambiance.

Pro Tip: When painting fire and explosions, remember that the hottest part of the fire burns white then blue then it transitions into the classic yellows, oranges, and reds.

7. TOOTHPICKS

Need tiny spikes, posts, railings, or ladders? Toothpicks are your best friend. Not only are they a great crafting material in their own right, but their sharp ends are ideal for piercing foam, cork, and cardboard. Use them as internal supports for modeling clay or other flimsy materials that need some lightweight bones. The sharp ends make them pre-made for wooden palisades, calvary deterrents, or even at the bottom of a spike pit.

Pro Tip: Add some paper fins to one end and you’re ready to start launching a ballista at the bad guys.

8. PACKAGING MATERIALS

Product packaging is a goldmine of unusual shapes, sturdy forms, and versatile textures. Molded pulp trays, packing foam, twisty ties, and even fillers like bubble wrap or craft paper can all find new life on your game table. Molded pulp trays (you know, the things that electronics and appliances are usually boxed in to help protect them) come in many unique shapes and textures. The bumpier pulp textures look great as primitive buildings or worn down ruins. The smoother forms tend to lean more towards a sci-fi aesthetic.

Here’s a short list of other bits to keep an eye out for when unpacking your next purchase:

• Twisty ties: Usually found in most kids toys, they are smooth, long, and easy to work with. Think cables, cords, or vines.
• Craft paper: Recently this has been replacing bubble wrap and other plastic fillers. It can be used as scrolls, tents, or animal hides. Ball it up and use it to fill small garbage bags in your metro apocalypse.
• Plastic bits: There’s usually some plastic handle, bracket, or corner protector that can be reincarnated as scrap metal, electrical components, or even concrete anti-tank obstacles.

Pro Tip: If you play Warhammer, be sure to put those sprues to good use. The plastic is easy to cut and work with. They come in a ton of unique shapes that can be used for power conduits and other electrical equipment. And the straight outer section can be turned into scaffolding with just a couple quick snips.

9. ZIP TIES

From thick to thin, zip ties come in a wide range of lengths, sizes, and colors. They are usually pre-textured on one side in a way that puts them right at home as metal trim. Flip over to the smooth side and with a little texturing you can get more of a natural wood feel. The plastic is also easy to cut, bend, and mold to your will. A simple black primer as a base and then quick dry brushing and it looks like realistic metal.

Pro Tip: The boxy end that locks the tie in place can be snipped off and glued next to modern or sci-fi buildings to act as a security card or eye scanner.

10. KIDS' TOYS

This one probably deserves its own article some day. There are so many different kids toys, but they all usually have the same things in common: they are plastic, they are filled with tiny bits, and they are constantly breaking. So the next time a squirt gun doesn’t squirt, or a Hotwheels loses a wheel, don’t toss it in the trash before thinking about what you can turn it into. Old electronic toys like remote controlled cars are also packed with small springs, gears, and gizmos that sometimes fit the scale and look like the exact kind of thing a bunch of Ork boyz would hoard.

Pro Tip: Yard sales or second hand stores are the best place to scoop up old toys on the cheap. Keep an extra sharp eye out for magnetic tiles as those tend to be pricey new, but are the perfect base to use in modular terrain.

THE REAL MVP: REGULAR OLD WHITE GLUE

Sure, super glue is strong. And hot glue dries fast. But no other glue is as versatile as boring PVA glue (like Elmer’s). It will work well with most of the materials listed above. It can be watered down or mixed with paint to help create a sealant coat. Sprinkle some sand in there to give texture to walls, floors, or rusty metals. It can also be mixed with grass and flocking to create patches of mold or moss. Not only is it extremely versatile, but it is also extremely inexpensive. If you do need to purchase some, always watch for back to school sales and keep in mind that any brand is pretty much the same.

Pro Tip: The one downside to PVA glue is that it contracts as it dries. This means that if you slather a bunch of glue on one side of cardboard it can warp the board. One way to combat this is by spreading a thin layer on the underside as well. This will help to pull the board back into balance and acts as a sealant and protector as an added bonus.

You Can Scratch Together Terrain with Almost Anything

You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on premade terrain to get your table ready for game day. What you need is the right creative mindset and the eye for potential in the everyday. From cereal boxes to broken squirt guns, the raw materials for your next great terrain build are probably already in your house.

It is also freeing because these are such low cost materials that it’s ok to experiment freely. Trial and error is encouraged. But most of the time it works out if you trust the process. You’ll be amazed how ordinary junk turns into atmospheric terrain with just a little paint, patience, and creativity. If you are looking for some more inspiration on how to get your board ready for battle, the next article will address some general advice on what terrain to build when first starting out.

And as always, be sure to let us know what your favorite household materials and supplies are for scratch building terrain.

Thanks for reading and happy hobbying!