Anyone who’s played a tabletop RPG knows what it’s like to search through piles of miniatures in search of the one that looks “close enough” to the character you just rolled up. But no matter how much the “generic dwarf warrior #4” figurine shares the same features as Nork the Drunken Master, it will never completely match what you have in your mind when you look at the character sheet.
That being the case, what would you say if I told you there was a way to get a figurine of your character, exactly as you imagine? (Or if not exactly, at least closer than any old miniature.) Hero Forge is setting out to do just that, using an online creation suite and a 3D printing service to let people design and buy models of their characters.
The Hero Forge Kickstarter campaign is still ongoing, but it has already met and surpassed its goal with more than a month remaining. Backers donating upwards of twenty dollars will get to be among the first hundreds to receive printed figurines, and with $35 or more, they can get access to the website before the general public.
The detail on the figurines is quite impressive, thanks to the 3D printing that makes this possible. Players can choose a variety of details about their characters, including not only race, gender, and build, but also armor, equipment, facial expressions, and of course, their pose. 3D modeling skills are not required for users, as it’s all done through Hero Forge’s website.
The miniatures are printed in just white, but that allows for players to paint them as they see fit. They can range in size, with 28 mm, 3 inch, and 6 inch options available, though naturally the prices vary accordingly.
Personally, I’m already saving up money to get some of my characters printed. The only hard decision is figuring out if I’ll start with my Halfling Bard/Swashbuckler, Dragonborn Samurai, or Muh, the Orc Barbarian with a Black Dragon bloodline.
Who am I kidding? Of course it’ll be Muh. And you can get your characters printed too, when Hero Forge launches.
