Yes, the mockup is a bit beat up.
It just killed a dragon with its BARE DAMN HANDS.
The Campaign Chest was supposed to look like one of the core rulebooks from the D&D series.
Essentially, it was a box shaped like a book, that opened like a book, that could hold a few character sheets, some dice, maybe even a miniature or two.
Naturally, I jumped at the chance to design something like this, since I am after all a huge geek and am in possession of a level 7 Halfling Bererker. (Seriously, you ever been gutted by a two-and-a-half foot tall barbarian? I don't recommend it.)
The first thing to do, naturally, was to procure a box of proportionate size to one of the D&D rulebooks. That was easier said than done, as my budget was
A.) nonexistent,
B.) see A.
Luckily, fate smiled on me! I received a box of PERFECT dimensions just a few days later!
...Unfortunately, said box contained complimentary tickets to "Sean Hannity's Freedom Concert '09" in it. (Seriously, when I opened the box, Rush Limbaugh jumped out of it and the Blue Angels did a flyover of my apartment.)
Now, I was expected to attend the concert, so against my better judgement I went.
...My mother once told me if you can't find anything nice to say, don't say anything at all, so that's all I have to say about Mr. Hannity and his concert.
Anywho, THE BOX! I had the box! I immediately began stripping it down to its core, even going so far as to sand the thing to get it nice and smooth, the perfect canvas for my insane machinations.
I spent a lot of time hunting down the perfect graphics to go on it, and eventually came up with a great book-like feel for it that really echoed the D&D brand. (By the way, whenever the word "Brand" "Branding" or any other hundreds of permutations on that word appear in this blog, you have to take a shot. It's in the bylaws.)
The only thing left to do was to get some balsa foam (truly wondrous stuff) to carve out custom interior packaging to hold the dice and the miniatures. I spent several hours painstakingly shaving minute flecks of foam off of the board to get the perfect cast for the dice and figures, and finally had to switch out my blade for a newer one.
...And then I went to the hospital, because my brand-new blade slipped on the foam, cut the entire sheet in half, and sliced the tip of my finger nearly to the bone!
Yeah, so that didn't go off so well. I lost about four hours of work on that stupid foam (stupid balsa foam. Who came up with such a stupid, stupid idea?) and ended up having to go to print without the insert.
I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS. YOU COST ME $7.95 IN BALSA FOAM.
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