The Hourglass of Good Luck, a single-tool multicolor Dice Tower

You like dice? Take a look at my Dungeons and Dragons Collection

NEWS: Glass v2 improves the dice roll. If you printed the glass in PETG and the columns in PLA as I did, you can even change the glass without destroying anything.

I also included two new files, a shorter glass and shorter columns. This version is Mk4 compatible, but not tested yet. I couldn't see how it could fail however.

Preface

It may not look like it on a first glance, but this dice tower is printable on a single tool printer. You won't need any support material, nor will you need to change the color yourself. All of this is made possible by the magic power of pausing the print and assembling the hourglass step by step as well as using a tiny bit of glue. Make sure to read the instructions before you start printing; otherwise, you might be ambushed and lose a turn. We all don't want you to make some death saving throws ;-)

Act I

First, we print all the parts we will need for our final battle. We start with the glass. I used orange PETG, because at the time, I didn't have any transparent PETG at hand. Print it in vase mode, and if you have a 0.8mm Nozzle, use it. I'm sure there are way better settings than in my .3mf, especially if you want to have it transparent. I just opted for speed.

Next, we print what I called the sand. Due to physics, it wasn't possible to shape it perfectly like sand would look like in a real hourglass, but it was the closest I got without using magic, and unfortunately, I was fresh out of spell slots. We need two of pieces, which I printed on the XL in PLA with 0.25mm layers. I used the Structural settings, but it doesn't really matter that much.

The third print consists of the two dice trays. Both of them fit on the print bed of the Mk4, but if you prefer to have them in two different colors, print them one by one. I used PLA Galaxy black and the 0.8mm Nozzle, but only because I wanted them quick. The only really important thing you need to consider when choosing the filament and print settings is that you need to use the same material (not color) as you will use for the last and final print, and you need to be able to glue the sand parts to the tray.

Act II

Now we take a short rest and prepare for the final print. You can already glue one piece of sand onto one tray, like shown in the pictures. But do only one, not both!

We can finish our short rest if you have the following items in your Inventory:

1. One glass, deburred and to your liking
2. One pile of sand, glued to a tray
3. One tray without sand
4. One seperate pile of sand
5. Glue at the ready

Act III

The last part, the columns, must be prepared to be printed in a particular way. For best results, use the same material (not color) as you used for the trays. We need to have three pauses during the print. These pauses must be at 27.7mm, 190.1mm, and 237.5mm (Mk4 version: Z=27.7, 165.1 and 207.5mm). Depending on the layer height you choose, there might be a slight deviation, but make sure the pauses are before the overhanging bits of the columns. If you feel ready, start the print…

… and: Roll Initiative!

As we all know from countless battles, the end boss always makes the first move. Fear not and wait until he makes a mistake. At Z=27.7mm (Mk4: 27.7mm), your turn has come. Take the empty tray and put it on the columns as shown in the pictures. Before you resume the print and end your turn, however, make sure you didn't fumble!

The printer will make short work of your efforts; however, and soon enough, the tray will be embedded in the structure. This works best if you have used the same material for the trays as for the columns.

While the print goes on, prepare your next move. You certainly don't want to be surprised when it's your turn. So grab the glue, the one piece of sand, and the glass and wait. At Z=190.1 (Mk4: 165.1mm), it's time to strike again.

As your first action, glue the sand into the bottom tray as shown. Make sure it bonds well, but be careful, you can't use too much force to press the pieces together.

Then, use your Action Surge and carefully position the glass on the small ledges of the columns. Make sure you succeeded in your sleight of hand check and everything is aligned properly. The glass should not sit higher than the columns are; otherwise, you risk a crash. If your parts have slightly deformed, which is possible, you can turn the glass until you find the best fit. If you are happy with the position, double-check again and then resume the print.

The upper edge of the glass will be secured by the printer as shown in the following picture.

There isn't much left to do, so wait until the print has reached its last pause at Z=237.5mm (Mk4: 207.5mm). When it's your turn again, grab the tray with the sand already glued in and put it in place.

After you resume the print for a third and final time, the second tray will be secured in its place and you can finally breathe a sigh of relief. You made it!

Conclusion

As you can see, you don't need a fancy toolchanger or MMU to make stunning multicolor prints. All it took was time, patience, and good preparation. I chose to print the last part on my Prusa XL because it's way easier to take unobstructed pictures. None of the parts needed a second toolhead.

All that's left for you to do now is to remove the assembly from the print bed, grab your favorite d20, and roll some crits.

Happy printing and happy roleplaying; may your enemies fall in droves!