Building CRAGMAW CASTLE for Lost Mine of Phandelver Adventure (Ep. 21) D&D Crafting 

Well done! I have seen all of your videos and you deserve ALOT more followers!

Good artist borrow, great artist steal. Yoinks!!

Great advice throughout the entire video, Garmin. One thing I could add is when you start to feel overwhelmed with your project, take a step away and do something non-gaming (eat/drink/stretch/etc.) for about an hour to refocus the energy. Keep up the great work!!👍

Motivation to do this stuff is always tough. I don't know if having a RU-vid channel makes it easier because it kinda gives you a schedule or harder because you feel like you can't take a break when you need it. Glad you built something you can be proud of, though. Me, I dunno if I'd be so tempted to cut and lay bricks like you do. I mean, if I need them, sure. But if I don't? Ancient weathered castle = lots of bricks. New, recently well-maintained castle = white-washed smooth walls and colorful fabrics indoors. I know which one I'd make more of in your place!

I make all project modular, so I'm only working on it a piece at a time and when you look up its all done. This also help with revealing to the players ( they only see it in pieces and not in whole). Modular components can be reused in other games as different places (assuming I mix things up so they don't loo the same every time). Lastly, modular components can be stored easier. I don't have a giant room to store stuff so I have to be clever about it.

This week, Garman answers the age old question: "How do you eat an elephant?" "One bite at a time." Story Craft Society fans. One bite at a time. 😉

Another great episode!

What do you do with your builds like this when you are done? Alot of the individual pieces can be reused again... but how do you go about storing or reuising cragmaw castle?

"Start the damn thing!" The best advice i've ever heard!

Are you really will make final cave? It will be 220x165cm!!!! Its like 2 my beds!

Just curious as a wannabe player/dm, I’ve never played before but LOVE the idea of dungeons and dragons and have watched at least 100 hours worth. How would you recommend getting started on miniature sets and the method to make the habit a little less expensive?

Completely understand the "start project jitters". But like you said "start the damn thing" Another issue I come across is my own negativity. My head tells me "no one is gonna like it, it looks rediculous". Then I remember my friends are awesome and really appreciate what I bring to the table. Thank you for your videos and your simplistic way on what you do!

This is a great motivator, and a great reminder that everyone hits roadblocks or points in projects - big or small - that make them slam on the brakes. And the best thing you can do to overcome that is run through the wall and start taking bites out of the thing. This really resonated with me, I've been working on a to-scale (roughly 4 feet x 6 feet) recreation of Claugyliamatar's lair from Sleeping Dragons Wake, which was supposed to be for a big celebratory in-person game with my group over thanksgiving weekend. I had been working on it for most of September and all of October, but with Covid, all of our thanksgiving plans were canceled and thus so was the game, so my motivation slowed to a crawl. This video has made me want to finish it, even though I'm not sure when I'll get to use it, if ever - just to have the finished project under my belt and to stand back and see it completed, to see that time and money and material actually put to use and not wasted.

ahh the first cut, it's like the first step on stage to play music or even the first step into a martial arts tournament ( I have experience in all three) but you've said it your self just do it. Someone much wiser than I once said every Journey begins with the first step. currently restoring a castle for a friend that was damaged by someone dropping a weight bag on it, and because of this each problem I fix causes another but I'm enjoying the challenge but I've had to slow this project right down as it's taking a lot of thinking time. if I do this it will throw that out so I need to adjust for that. One major problem was solved last night I was watching a movie and the problem of the Drawbridge was solved by a castle actually in the movie. I also agree everything you build always looks like just random bits of garbage stuck together until that base coat goes on and pulls it all together ( it's my favourite step)

I appreciate your niche of modelling creating these specific set pieces (no one else has this content). You do good work, this has helped me a bunch!

"Good artists borrow. Great artists steal.' Great advice for terrain building and storytelling. If your players aren't familiar with certain movies, shows, comics, or novels, they're a great place to just lift plots from. If they've not played a certain adventure, yoink parts of it and use it for yourself. As a corollary to this for players: "If you see something, no you didn't." Don't say anything about it if you saw the DM make a lift from elsewhere. If you know the plot, no you don't. The DM liked a thing, and he's wanting to share it with you, so play it straight and say nothing. After the campaign is done, then you could mention it, if you remember. But not immediately after, and definitely not during.

Very interesting and different than your other videos. Cool, dude.

NOOOOOO!!!! Blue marker!!!! Blue is so hard to cover. I still have dungeon tiles that have been ModPodged, painted, washed, and drybrushed, where i can still see the blue pen I used to draw the lines.

lots of great advice in this video "like start the damn thing" this video had some excellent tips as well as advice that everyone could use or hear great video like always

Another good piece of advice. Walk away if you’re feeling burnt out. I have to remind myself all the time to just get up, go do something else for a a half hour/hour or so, and then I can come back to something with fresh eyes.

Awesome dude, I've been waiting for this one! And I have been there too, crafters slump lol you did it though well done!

I suck at Finishing big Projects.

Hey Garman! I'm really enjoying your videos for this dnd adventure. I've never played, but I'm helping my adult son DM his first ever game and to create cool terrain and features. Because I'm new to creating this stuff, can you give me some dimensions of the foam used in the different components? It can be hard to tell in video. Assuming you started with 1 inch xps. What sizes are bricks/stones please? I have watched other videos in Lost Mine of Phandelver series. They're wonderful on technique. Thanks SO much for these wonderful projects.

Newest subscriber here Garman, this video is great! Really good tips! I totally know what you are talking about! I've been an airbrush artist for years and have plenty of unfinished and forgotten projects haunting and accusing me! Another tip is something I learned from painting. 'Don't let your technique get so complicated that it's no longer any fun.' I switched to crafting a few months ago and love it! I can't get enough of channels like yours! Keep up the awesome work and remember, 'The only critic you have to overcome is yourself.'

Thats so awesome. Great video!

Can't wait to see wave echo cave. Hope you have a big table 😉 fantastic series! I will be making something similar to this for my run of lost mines for a future group. Great resource to take inspiration from, keep up the great work!

One brick at the time.

Simple common sense tips, but ones which I needed to hear. Thank you for putting yourself out there and sharing that I'm not the only one who has trouble getting a project started.

Awesome advice Garmin! I'm excited to see how you continue with each room in this castle!

Some more credits you can add...where are you getting the music you are playing during the montages?

Looks great! And I feel your trepidation!!

i would pay for these templates