A Beginner's Guide to Buying D&D and TTRPG Miniatures

Welcome to the Hobby — It's a Great One

If you've just started playing D&D, Pathfinder, or any other tabletop RPG, you've probably noticed that miniatures can make sessions feel a whole lot more real. Seeing your character physically on the table, moving through a dungeon, squaring up against a boss — it transforms the experience. But shopping for minis for the first time can feel overwhelming. Where do you start?

Right here. This guide covers everything a first-time mini buyer needs to know, written with no jargon and lots of heart — because we genuinely love this hobby and want you to love it too.

Step 1: Know What You're Shopping For

Miniatures for TTRPGs generally fall into a few categories:

  • Player character (PC) minis: A figure representing your character. This is usually the one people get most excited about personalising.
  • Non-player characters (NPCs) and monsters: The creatures and villains your GM throws at you. These are great to have as a DM building an encounter library.
  • Terrain and scatter pieces: Tables, barrels, doors, dungeon tiles — the environmental props that make a scene feel alive. Our Terrain Essentials by Cast n Play collection is a great place to start.

Step 2: Understand Scale

Scale refers to the size of the figure. The most common scale for D&D and Pathfinder is 32mm — it's the modern standard and what most maps and grids are designed around. You'll also see 28mm (slightly smaller, classic wargaming style) and 35mm (larger, great for display pieces).

One thing worth knowing about our catalog: our miniatures are designed by a wide range of independent creator studios, each with their own native sculpting scale. We at Tattles Told 3D rescale every mini to suit your order — so if you want a character at 32mm or 35mm, just let us know and we'll make it happen. Want the full breakdown? Check out our scale guide.

Step 3: Choose Your Material

Most miniatures you'll encounter today are either plastic (injection-moulded), metal, or resin. We specialise in resin 3D-printed miniatures, and here's why that's exciting for buyers:

  • Resin captures incredible detail — fine textures, facial features, and delicate parts that other materials struggle with.
  • Every piece is printed to order, which means no sitting in a warehouse for months.
  • You get access to a vastly wider range of sculpts than traditional retail can offer — including licensed characters from independent studios you won't find anywhere else.

The trade-off? Resin requires a little more care when painting (priming is a must — see our painting guide) and it can be more brittle than plastic if dropped. Handle with love.

Step 4: Made-to-Order vs In-Stock

This is a big one, and it's something that confuses a lot of first-time buyers. Traditional miniatures are manufactured in bulk and sit in stock ready to ship. Made-to-order means your mini is printed specifically for you after you place your order.

At Tattles Told 3D, everything is made to order. That means:

  • You're not getting something that's been sitting on a shelf.
  • You can often request basic customizations.
  • There's a production lead time before your order ships, sometimes up to 8 weeks.

For buyers used to Amazon-speed shipping, this is an adjustment — but the result is a mini made just for you, by a small business that cares about the craft.

Step 5: Find the Right Character or Creature

This is the fun part. Our catalog spans dozens of independent creator studios, covering everything from classic fantasy archetypes to highly specific licensed characters. A few places to start exploring:

 

Welcome to the hobby. We're glad you're here.

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