Are you looking to add some high-flying excitement to your tabletop RPG sessions? Whether your players are soaring in on dragonback or battling from airships, a floating island makes for an epic battleground. In this tutorial, we’ll go over the steps to create the core of your flying island terrain piece. Feel free to customize it with additional scatter terrain and plant life to match your campaign setting!
Before we jump in, a quick reminder that I have a Kickstarter running for my new dark fantasy novel. Please check it out here. Your support means the world to me.
Materials Needed:
- 2-inch XPS foam
- Hot glue gun
- Foam cutting tools (a utility knife and/or a foam cutting pen)
- Fork (for texturing)
- Black Mod Podge mixture (Mod Podge + black paint)
- Acrylic paints (dark gray, light gray, white, brown, green)
- White glue
- Playground sand and dollar store gravel
- DIY flocking (optional)
- Foam board or cardboard
- Cotton balls
Step 1: Building the Core Structure
Start by cutting your 2-inch XPS foam into progressively smaller layers to form a pyramid-like structure. My final island was 8 inches tall, made from four layers. Stack them upside down and apply hot glue to the center of each layer—this prevents glue from interfering with the shaping process later.
Once assembled, flip the structure right-side up. If you’re using this island for a tabletop RPG, consider adding a 1-inch grid to the top surface to assist with miniature movement and measurements.
Step 2: Shaping the Island
To make the island look more natural, trim the edges to a more organic shape and texture. If you have a foam cutting pen, this is the perfect tool for the job, but a knife works just fine as well.
After cutting, you might notice some flat edges. Use a fork to rough up these surfaces, ensuring the island has an organic, rocky appearance.
Step 3: Sealing with Mod Podge
I always seal my foam crafts with a mix of black paint and Mod Podge, a trick I learned from Black Magic Craft. This helps strengthen the foam and create a good base for painting. Let this layer dry completely before moving on.
Step 4: Painting the Island
For a realistic rocky look, follow these dry-brushing steps:
- Base coat: Heavy dry brush of dark gray
- Highlights: Lighter dry brush of gray and white
- Natural elements: If your island has outdoor rock formations, blend in brown and green to simulate dirt and moss.
Step 5: Adding Texture
To enhance realism, apply white glue around crevices and other rough areas. Sprinkle playground sand and gravel over the glue for added texture. If you want the texture to blend more seamlessly, do this step before the black Mod Podge layer. However, I chose to do it afterward to make the details stand out.
Now’s also a great time to apply flocking! If you want to make your own, check out my other video: DIY Flocking Three Ways.
Step 6: Creating the Floating Effect
Since this is a flying island, we need a cloud effect. Cut a foam board or cardboard base and glue it to the bottom of the island. Then, unroll cotton balls and hot glue them around the base to create fluffy clouds.
Final Touches and Customization
Your floating island is now ready for adventure! You can place additional plants, ruins, or other scattered terrain on top to suit your campaign. I prefer to keep my features modular so I can reuse the island in different settings.
I hope you found this tutorial helpful and that it inspires you to create your own flying battlefields! And don’t forget to check out my Kickstarter—your support helps me continue creating awesome content for the community.
Happy crafting!
