Create a Stunning 3D Fantasy Planet in Blender – Perfect for DMs & World Builders

Want to make your fantasy world stand out? In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to create a detailed 3D planet using Blender and Gaea, perfect for DMs who world-build for D&D or other tabletop RPGs. Most maps created with tools like Wonderdraft or Inkarnate have a similar look, but this method helps you create something truly unique. In this video, you’ll learn how to: - Transform your 2D fantasy maps into a 3D planet - Get the most out of Gaea 2.0 resolution - How to avoid common pitfalls converting 2D maps to a 3D planet 0:00 Cinematic intro 0:37 Intro 1:40 Map distortion 2:15 Example Map 2:59 Easy square map 4:19 Lucky/Intermediate square map 6:05 Difficult but best quality square map 7:58 Gaea workflow differences 9:52 Combining images in Photoshop/GIMP 12:20 Adding ice caps 17:02 Blender file inputs 18:10 Key settings 22:08 Rotating sun/clouds 24:05 Compositing 25:30 Final Render This approach is great for uploading high-resolution maps to platforms like Roll20 and Foundry VTT, adding an extra level of immersion to your game. I’ve followed a similar workflow to the Blender Guru’s "Realistic Earth" tutorial, which you can check out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YZzHn0iz8U&t=430s Featuring a commissioned map by Josh Foreman, co-author of the Scarred King trilogy, this tutorial demonstrates how investing time early on leads to amazing results. 📖 Explore Josh Foreman’s Scarred King Trilogy: https://www.amazon.com/Scarred-King-Exile-Tales-Talifar/dp/1942926030?ccs_id=7d235c60-de36-4ea1-a93f-049136ce8cdd&dplnkId=63708b9e-3a4a-4c4b-a49e-4b1b42a63cd7 🎥 Check out Josh Foreman’s YouTube Channel: @JoshForeman 📂 Download the Blender file used in this video: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1rqeBnDvuD-oJDo87HsWfH7idBi5jh-t5?usp=sharing Check out my earlier videos for more in-depth Gaea tutorials, and stay tuned for future videos where I’ll cover topics like adding lights for nighttime scenes—perfect for sci-fi settings! 🎵 The beautiful music in this video is 'Rise Above' by Scott Buckley, released under CC-BY 4.0. Find it here: www.scottbuckley.com.au If you found this tutorial helpful, hit that like button, leave a comment, and subscribe for more world-building and map-making tips. #BlenderTutorial #FantasyMap #Gaea2 #WorldBuilding #DnD #Roll20 #FoundryVTT #PlanetRender #DMTools #FantasyArt