The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, and The Medium

I originally wrote a longer post than I intended on a question someone asked in the DnDLego subreddit. To make it more digestible, I’ll rewrite and expand on the key points here. While I love using Lego for TTRPGs, it’s important to discuss both the positives and negatives to provide a balanced perspective. So, let’s dive in.

The Good

Lego is incredibly customizable. When a hero acquires a new weapon in a traditional TTRPG, their miniature can’t physically equip it—but with Lego, they can! This makes loot and rewards more engaging, as the game master can provide tangible props like helmets, weapons, colored torsos, or even capes (a favorite in my group). The ability to customize miniatures in real-time adds a unique layer of excitement and immersion to gameplay.

Lego terrain is another standout feature. It’s highly modular, durable, and easy to customize. For storage and transport, I use stackable tool kits from a hardware store, which is especially helpful since I don’t run games at home. With my current system—MITs 3.0—I can quickly change a scene’s layout. Transitioning from a forest to a dungeon might take a 15-minute break, but the flexibility is worth it.

Finally, Lego has a fun and lighthearted vibe. I don’t run grimdark or gritty campaigns, so the cartoonish aesthetic and colorful palette of Lego fits my style perfectly, helping set the tone for my games.

The Bad

Lego is expensive—very expensive. While it offers unparalleled modularity, the cost can be cost prohibitive. If you’re a purist who insists on using only official Lego parts, it’s even tougher. For instance, minifigures like orcs or goblins from the Lord of the Rings sets or older collectible minifigures (CMFs) are now rare and pricey, making it challenging to collect unique NPCs and monsters.

Another downside is the learning curve. Building with Lego for TTRPGs requires some design sense and a basic understanding of how Lego pieces fit together besides stacking on top of one another. This isn’t something you pick up overnight and can be intimidating for those unfamiliar with Lego’s building system. Plus, there aren’t many resources or instructions available for niche needs like "how to build a wizard’s bedroom" or "how to design terrain pieces," which can discourage newcomers.

The Ugly

Here’s the hard truth: if you want to stretch your budget, consider using third-party bricks for terrain and monsters. While I love Lego, building terrain exclusively with official parts is not cost-effective. For example, my MITs 3.0 terrain setup costs about $400 for a single 48x48 board with five layers if purchased directly from Lego’s Pick-a-Brick store. This is insane for terrain. Through Bricklink, the cost is slightly lower. But using third-party bricks from sources like AliExpress reduces the price to around $180.

Third-party bricks often cost about 50% less than official Lego, making them a viable option for building the backbone of your terrain. However, I recommend sticking to official Lego for minifigures and intricate builds, as third-party bricks have notable downsides. For instance, third-party Technic-style pieces can be brittle, and their fit isn’t always perfect. Minifigure hands and accessories might not align properly with Lego parts, and some weapons or grips can feel loose or wobbly. These issues are minor but worth considering.

US-based alternatives like BrickWarriors and Adventure Bricks offer high-quality third-party parts. One of my players recently built a custom Fey sorcerer with a hedgehog familiar using parts from Adventure Bricks and was thrilled with the result. As long as your goal isn’t to compete in Lego-building competitions or display at conventions, third-party pieces can work beautifully to enhance your storytelling.

The Medium

Using Lego for TTRPGs is just one medium, similar to miniatures or foam-crafted terrain. While Lego offers unique benefits, it will never be as cost-effective or versatile as foam crafting. For example, $100 spent on foam, paint, and washes will go significantly further than $100 spent on Lego. That’s the reality. Just go check out Black Magic Craft's YouTube channel or the Dungeon Craft channel.

I’ve considered supplementing my Lego builds with thick terrain foam blocks to create features like cliff faces or mountainsides—elements that would be prohibitively expensive to replicate in Lego. However, so far, I haven’t found it necessary. This leads to a larger question: how much is too much when it comes to props? At what point are you building a diorama instead of a functional tool to represent the scene and its key elements?

At its core, all you really need for terrain is a basic board, a few doors, columns, rocks, trees, and props like bookshelves, beds, or tables. Walls aren’t even essential—many examples of great terrain setups forego them entirely. For that matter, you don’t even need 3D terrain at all if you prefer to run your games purely in the theater of the mind style.

Ultimately, the reason you started using Lego, foam, paper, or any other medium was likely to bring your story to life. How you do that, and to what extent, is entirely up to you. There’s no right or wrong way here—just what enhances your storytelling experience and works for your group.

For me, Lego’s customizability and charm outweigh its downsides. It might not be the best fit for everyone, but for the games I run, it’s perfect.