An Alexa-Controlled Smoke Generator Is Perfect for D&D Campaigns
Dungeons & Dragons is, of course, all about using your imagination during gameplay. You picture the world your character traverses, and…
Dungeons & Dragons is, of course, all about using your imagination during gameplay. You picture the world your character traverses, and role play as that character as you do. But that doesn’t mean visual aids aren’t useful. Some are practical, like blocks that show the layout of the dungeon you’re crawling. Others are just for fun, like the Blogger Brothers’ Wizard’s Fire Alexa-controlled smoke generator.
Wizard’s Fire is a great little special effects setup that spews vapor from a dragon-adorned chalice. It can be controlled by voice command through Amazon’s Alexa service, and is perfect for setting the mood at a tabletop gaming session or Harry Potter-themed dinner party. The “smoke” is propylene glycol, like what is in e-cigarette liquid, that is vaporized by a hot nichrome wire. That’s considered safe by itself, but lasers are used to light up the smoke, so additional safety considerations have been implemented.
The entire device is controlled by an ESP8266 and programmed through the Arduino IDE. A separate power supply is required for the nichrome wire, because it draws quite a bit of current. A single Lidar sensor module is used to automatically turn off the lasers if anyone gets within a couple of feet, so nobody gets blinded. To activate it, just command, “Alexa, Wizard’s Fire!” and she’ll respond with, “Behold, the fire of the ancients.” and turn on the smoke generator — dazzling your guests with the power of your magics.