March 2019 Hacker of the Month, Tom Tullis of Fats Dragon Video games, designs, 3D prints, and paints improbable dungeon designs for D&D and science fiction.
Posted on February 20, 2019
by
Chris Morgan
Our March 2019 Hacker of the Month, Tom Tullis, has been creating decals and portray templates for fashions of historic warplanes, dungeons, and monsters for over 25 years. Because the proprietor of Fats Dragon Video games, he 3D fashions surroundings tiles and miniatures for roleplaying video games revolving round science fiction and fantasy, most notably for Dungeons and Dragons.
Tom received his begin in aviation publishing again round 1990, first working for the navy historical past writer, Squadron Sign. He labored as a contract aviation illustrator for a dozen or so publication corporations and likewise supplied profile artwork for the USA Nationwide Aviation Corridor of Fame for a decade. Doing wonderful work like this ultimately spilled over into the pastime/mannequin equipment business, the place he was creating decals for kits. Sadly, when historic publication gross sales started to say no, he began searching for one other artistic avenue to make right into a enterprise to interchange aviation publications. He quickly made a transfer into pastime and gaming modeling and commenced making paper terrain for Dungeons & Dragons, which required intensive illustration work. That ultimately morphed into creating 3D printable terrain, which brings us to the place Fats Dragon Video games is at the moment.
A few of Tom’s Papercraft Metropolis Designs
Throughout his time within the mannequin equipment business, he witnessed the rise of 3D printing firsthand round 25 years in the past. Initially fashions have been created utilizing injection molding, resin casting, and vacuum forming after which assembled utilizing gluing and different becoming a member of strategies. Tom was liable for creating the decals and colour schemes for the historic plane to make them look as lifelike as potential, all the way down to the tiniest particulars.
After ten years of engaged on mannequin aviation paintings and design, Tom moved into creating paper terrain for roleplaying adventures for gamers who delved into Dungeons & Dragons. Most of Tom’s work in paper terrain continues to be accessible on the Fats Dragon Video games web site. He has created such improbable scenes as Fortress Winterhawk, Dragonshire, Ravenfell, in addition to a big toolkit of primary metropolis and chateau constructing blocks to create no matter somebody can dream up. Better of all, the pre-colored pages are delivered proper to the customer by way of e mail and printed proper at house.
In fact, with the rise of 3D printers and the business data Tom possessed from his a few years within the aviation modeling world, he knew there was a marketplace for 3D printed terrain as nicely. Once more working with modular constructing blocks, Tom has designed a number of templates that can be utilized to create nearly any dungeon, fortress, or metropolis configuration. So long as you’ve got sufficient endurance, time, paint, and filament, the sky is the restrict. With the essential dungeon kits and the a number of expansions accessible from Fats Draong Video games like caverns, torch partitions (with room for working LEDs!), the Mountain King dwarven growth, dungeon delve and tons of things and creatures there isn’t a finish to the scope of enjoyable somebody can create.
Moreover protecting a roof over his head as a enterprise, what does Tom get out of 3D printing? “3D printing has allowed me to create a bodily illustration of the D&D world I at all times envisioned rising up enjoying the sport. There has at all times been lots of fantastic terrain and miniature choices accessible to avid gamers, however for me, 3D printing has given me an avenue to create nearly something my creativeness can envision with out compromising, and create a bodily model for gamers to be completely immersed in.”
Personally, my first enterprise into Tom’s world was with essentially the most glorious GM Display of Doom; a usable sport grasp display that may be 3D printed in any configuration desired that has been designed to appear like fortress partitions and battlements. The cabinets, tilting storage, cube towers, and pencil holder configurations are extraordinarily helpful for any roleplaying sport the place the GM wants a bit secrecy whereas they’re pummeling hapless adventurers with random encounters in a dungeon crawl.
Yet another factor that’s superior in regards to the designs? I used to be in a position to spend time with my daughter whereas she helped me paint the facade on the numerous items – she painted the gargoyle head!
As of the publishing of this text, Tom is in the midst of one other spherical of a Kickstarter marketing campaign for Dragonlock Miniatures – a tremendous array of improbable miniatures like dragons, beholders, warriors, orcs and extra.
To see all of Tom’s creations, go to http://www.fatdragongames.com/fdgfiles/ – it’s also possible to discover all of the details about Tom’s Kickstarter marketing campaign there!
You too can be a part of the very vibrant and energetic Dragonlock & Dragonbite 3D Printer Gaming Terrain Fb web page at https://www.fb.com/teams/528423924186756/
