10 Coolest Unofficial D&D Miniatures

Because of its wargaming roots, has always involved miniatures in some way. While some people prefer so-called theater of the mind exploration and combat, others prefer to use miniatures so that they have a tactile way to interact with the game world. There are a lot of officially licensed miniatures out there, from pre-painted sets representing the newest adventure books to unpainted kits players have to assemble themselves.

Like everything else regarding, the community has made some fantastic designs of their own. The number of unofficial miniatures available is staggering. Whether they're bespoke, handmade creations from a talented sculptor or designed online by the players themselves and 3D printed at home, the quality of some third-party miniatures rivals anything officially licensed.

Skinny Minis is a different kind of miniatures company. Instead of providing plastic or resin models for players to paint, they offer high-quality two-dimensional models that feature hand-drawn art on the front and back of an acrylic standee. Every month, members can vote on what set the artists will draw and design next. Many of the sets are based on official 5e adventures, like and , while others are original or themed sets of dragons, angels, demons, undead, and more. Skinny Minis are a much more affordable option for many people, where a set of these costs as much as some individual 3D models.

Thingiverse user Schlossbaur has created some creepy and detailed miniatures. Their library of 3D-printable files is huge, but they're not available to purchase physical ones. They are all entirely free to download and print, though. Sometimes it's hard to find unofficial miniatures because the names are trademarked, so it's a good idea to search for terms like «mind slayer» or «eye tyrant» if searching for mind flayers or beholders doesn't bring up results. Many of Schlossbaur's are named well enough to easily be found. The necromancer mind flayer is particularly grotesque.

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