Yes, I am aware that WotC/WizKids sells plastic models for the segments of a Wall of Fire spell effect. However, those models are expensive, and they are incorrect in their color schemes, at least for 1e and 2e AD&D games, and I play 2e rules…
I did some spell entry reading and calculating… For a 20th level Priest/Wizard, I will need 18 segments of Fire, with each one being 4"-square per segment, for a circular Wall! For rectangular Walls, I will need 20 segments… Also, I need two sets of 20 segments: the Priest's Walls are different colors from the Wizard's Walls, with both being opaque, so I need one set for Priests, and a differently paint scheme for Wizards! I want to differentiate, at a glance, who cast the Wall spell, as this is an important distinction which gets glossed over in 99% of all games, I suspect… Gary Gygax has a mostly overlooked gift for color schemes and coordinations. I discovered this when I began following his 1977 1e AD&D Monster Manual descriptions for the diverse humanoid races. For example, he gave three basic color schemes for Goblins:
Goblins range from yellow through dull orange to brick red in skin color.
You might be wondering…
Why do you need segments for a 20th level caster?!?!? Do you have 20th level PC's in your games?
Actually, I have one, 18th level Wizard PC in my campaign. In my 2e BattleSystem games, I often feature Army Leaders who are 14th-20th level Priests and Wizards -- see more about this below. I do have practical needs for such large numbers of Wall segments for my games.
I am wavering on what to use for a substrate. In the past, when I scratch-built my 24 HD Fire Elemental figure, I used a thin plastic sandwich bag, which became more than stiff enough after I applied the Hot Glue. I used this same technique and substrate to make a large bonfire pit, for use in the Great Hall of the the G1: Steading of the Hill Giant Chieftain model (in-game, in the Great Hall, 1" squares for scale). After looking at the scratch-building concepts for Wall of Iron, Ice, and Force, I realized that not all could be done with the same approach.
Having said that, I will say that both Fire and Ice can be done using the same substrate, as long as the end result is flat. I know that Ice can be formed into a hemisphere, but that is another challenge unto itself. I am concerned, right now, with square Wall segment creation. For the Ice hemisphere application, I just need to find a hemisphere or ball of the correct size to adapt to my needs: either use the hemisphere itself, or apply polyforma clay over it, to form a hollow shape. Heck, I might just make a ring to represent it on the tabletop to allow everyone to see and move their figures within the hemisphere, if necessary.
I will say that I plan to mount each Wall segment on its own MDF rectangular base: I have laser-cut MDF figure bases in 1" x 2" and 1" x 3" sizes. If each segment is mounted on its own base, they will be easy to deploy onto the battlemat. With regards to making them circular, I will be using squares set at angles, to form a diameter which is close to a circle. Making curved segments is just too much, as their arches would vary at every level, and I would need around 12+ complete sets, one set for every two levels beyond the initial casting level…
Bear in mind that I also play 2e BattleSystem mass battles games which will allow me to employ these spell markers in those games as well as my RPG games. I also play 2e BattleSystem Skirmish games which simplifies the RPG combat, making a fast-playing tabletop skirmish game, with a veneer of RPG over the top. I would love to use 2e BS Skirmish as my RPG combat system, but my Players would never go for that. :-(
===================================================================================
I cut up squares of thin cardboard, recycling some food packages, each 4"-square. Most are white, on one side, all had colored print on the reverse sides. I used the pictured roller cutter to accurately cut a few food package boxes into the needed substrates. When stacked, they proved to be accurately cut into equal-sized 4.
I marked each square, on the unprinted sides, with an arrow indicating which was is the top -- each card had some curvature to it, and I wanted them to curve such that they might form a slight circle by their curvature. I covered them, front and back, with Hot Glue, aligned with the scribed arrows, to keep the flames running in the correct direction.
Having coated three prototype substrates with Hot Glue, they were ready to be based. I used 1 (I use these for stands of three figures for mass battles games), drawing a line through their center, ensuring I Hot Glued the wall segments in the center of the bases. I laid a line of molten Hot Glue down the lines, then I placed the wall segments in place, letting the first application harden. Then I applied a thicker layer of Hot Glue to strengthen the bond, reinforcing the 90-degree joint. Here is a shot of two, one white, and one dark brown substrate, ready to be primed. And here they are, primed in white, to make certain the colored side of the card substrate is covered, never to be seen again…
Hoping to apply DM Scotty's natural sponge painting, with wet blending, tomorrow, making one in proper Wizard's colors, and the other in proper Priest's colors of flames. Tune in tomorrow -- Same Craft Channel, Same Craft Time! (Whenever I get around to uploading the images…) Cheers!
PS:
What happened to the sandwich bag substrate?!?!
Oh, yeah… I decided I did not want to cut up an entire box of new sandwich bags for this project. Secondly, I switched substrate materials to make cutting 40, accurate squares (20th level caster, both Priest and Wizards, each needing 20 squares…). The sandwich bags just would not have worked out for a project of this size. Sorry, I realized my error of substrate choice, and then I decided to pay a visit to my Recycling Trash bin. Inside of that, I found sufficient thin, cardboard boxes which will supply me with more than enough substrate materials.
Double-Cheers!
PPS:
My 4"-squares are based on a 25mm Human figure scale/size. Sorry, that may not have been obvious. In this scale/size, one inch = five feet, so a 20-foot square A of E per level of the caster, translates into a 4"-square Wall segment per level of the caster for a rectangular Wall of Fire…
