Ever woken up in the middle of the night from a dream and written down what struck you as a great idea, and then re-read it the next day? Today on the pad I keep by the bedside I found this:
Dungeon maps etched in brass that you have to put paper on top of and use a crayon to do a brass rubbing.
I don't think lulu does etch-on-demand, does it?
No, but Kickstarter on the other hand... :)
ReplyDeleteI'm picturing an abandoned Machine-Temple for Rogue Trader. The abstract mural plating is in fact a star map to a cache of either daemons or Archeotech. Either way, fun will be had! Thanks for the idea.
ReplyDeleteGod, that would be a great (if expensive) idea. Perhaps not so awful with 3D printing. The players would have a sheet of paper laid on top of the template and they would just reveal the dungeon by rubbing. Couldn't really handle secret doors though.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea. Not what I was thinking of in the dream, but just goes to show. You know, that reminds me I wanted to write a post about 3D printing.
DeleteI am all manner of brilliant whilst unconscious. If only the man-apes would heed my beckoning wisdom...
ReplyDeleteYou could get a similar effect with cardstock glued to cardstock, which only needs scissors or an x-acto knife if you're feeling daring.
ReplyDeleteWould the rubbing be there to map the dungeon as you progress through it, giving a "fog of war" effect, or is it something like a manual version of the red filter "coded" message effect?
I think it was the latter, but thanks to Roger's comment I think the "fog of war" version would be even better.
DeleteBuy a sheet of brass or copper (you used to be able to get this stuff at hobby shops, you can probably source it online) and a bottle of ferric chloride (sold as circuit board etchant). Coat the brass with permanent marker, then use something pointy to scratch through the marker. Submerge the brass in the ferric chloride for a few hours, then remove it, rinse it off and remove the marker coating with acetone. The ferric chloride will have etched the brass with your dungeon layout.
ReplyDeleteYou sound like you've done that before? Why does permanent marker prevent the corrosive quality of the ferric chloride?
DeleteNot for maps, but artsy stuff. the corrosive quality is very weak, the permanent marker is resistant enough to stop it. It's also easy to remove. Traditional etching used a coating of wax and sulphuric acid, but this has many more health and safety risks.
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