Building an effective DND castle [Archive] - Wizards Community

Building an effective DND castle [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Shiny_Dragon
04-25-06, 08:05 AM Greetings, not sure if this is the right thread but it seemed the most apt.

Anyway, I have been designing a mages tower recently for an adventure Im running and it got me thinking about castles generally in a DND environment. To my mind the conventional real world design of a castle (curtain wall with towers surrounding a courtyard with a keep in the centre) is not particulary effective. As most DND worlds have plenty of flying creatures, beings that can use transportation magic and 'flying-spell-using' casters that can just ignore these defenses.

But high, imposing castles look cool and fantasy-esque and it would be a shame to just replace them with dungeons and bunker complexes. Plus a castle is also a form of offensive architecture (sp?) allowing the defenders, via arrowslits, murder holes, etc, to do a lot of damage to an attacking force.

So, I was thinking of a generic castle design that could withstand magical/airbourne assault (and that I could use as an encounter for my players!):

Rather than a curtain wall around a square keep I would have a large, high central tower surrounded by circular rings or 'clusters' of smaller towers gradually decreasing in size. Each tower would be round in shape with multiple arrow slits to cover the towers and ground below. The roofs of these towers would be steeply spired (to make them difficult to land on) and heavily reinforced (possibly using metal plates instead of slates for strength). Mechanical traps could also be incorporated into the spires to discourage aerial attackers. The tower walls would obviously be thick and reinforced to withstand blasting spells and siege engine fire. As with a RW castle a moat would be essential to protect the structure from battering rams and climbers.

Inside the castle I would have several concealed barracks with their own interior arrowslits and secret doors. The men in these areas (an elite company) would be tasked with ambushing teleporting intruders. Key areas of the structure could be given lead shielding to prevent divination effects and scrying. Under the central tower a bunker or deep dungeon with a secret entrance would provide shelter for non-combatants during siege. False rooms filled with traps could also be used to defeat teleporting intruders. Internal defensive emplacements would be very important in a DND castle.

Assuming that the defenders have access to magic, wonderous architecture could be used to ward against teleporters or ethereal/astral intruders (I imagine only very important structures would have this kind of expensive protection though, i.e the King's/BBEG'S castle). In the upper towers special chambers that enhance the defenders casting powers could be built (improved range, DC's etc) enabling them to blast besiegers (and hostile mages) with long range spells. Again, only the more important castles would have these kind of augmentations.

I think that as castle built in this style could actually challenge quite a high level party. Or alternatively give the players the chance to act as the elite company defending the interior while their low level comrades man the towers.

Any thoughts/comments?
Seeker95
04-25-06, 09:43 AM Sounds like you have a really good start on the idea. For in-game mechanics on the defenses, you might want to check out Stronghold Builder's Guidebook. It has pricing, magical and mundane defenses (and even offenses!) and lots of other ideas for this very prupose.
CzarGarrett
04-25-06, 09:46 AM I think the type of world you're in also makes a difference.

In a place like Forgotten Realms, you're just as likely to have to fend off Hippogriff riding archers with flaming arrows as infantry with spears at your gates.

But in other places, you might have a single commander on a flying mount and all he's doing is observing.

For what you've come up with, it looks fairly good. I'm sure there's half a dozen people around the boards here who will be able to break these defences in 5 minutes or less, but for the most part, its good.
celtredleg
04-25-06, 10:02 AM listen to seeker. You need to build to defeat what you are likely to face. There are way to many ways in DnD to flatten any defense. It is a matter of stopping those that are most likely to show up.

Of course RW castles had the same problem. None of them could stand indefinate seige. At least your fantasy castle, as long as it has a couple villagfe priest type divine casters, as least you wont totaly starve.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Shiny_Dragon 04-25-06, 08:05 AM	Greetings, not sure if this is the right thread but it seemed the most apt. Anyway, I have been designing a mages tower recently for an adventure Im running and it got me thinking about castles generally in a DND environment. To my mind the conventional real world design of a castle (curtain wall with towers surrounding a courtyard with a keep in the centre) is not particulary effective. As most DND worlds have plenty of flying creatures, beings that can use transportation magic and 'flying-spell-using' casters that can just ignore these defenses. But high, imposing castles look cool and fantasy-esque and it would be a shame to just replace them with dungeons and bunker complexes. Plus a castle is also a form of offensive architecture (sp?) allowing the defenders, via arrowslits, murder holes, etc, to do a lot of damage to an attacking force. So, I was thinking of a generic castle design that could withstand magical/airbourne assault (and that I could use as an encounter for my players!): Rather than a curtain wall around a square keep I would have a large, high central tower surrounded by circular rings or 'clusters' of smaller towers gradually decreasing in size. Each tower would be round in shape with multiple arrow slits to cover the towers and ground below. The roofs of these towers would be steeply spired (to make them difficult to land on) and heavily reinforced (possibly using metal plates instead of slates for strength). Mechanical traps could also be incorporated into the spires to discourage aerial attackers. The tower walls would obviously be thick and reinforced to withstand blasting spells and siege engine fire. As with a RW castle a moat would be essential to protect the structure from battering rams and climbers. Inside the castle I would have several concealed barracks with their own interior arrowslits and secret doors. The men in these areas (an elite company) would be tasked with ambushing teleporting intruders. Key areas of the structure could be given lead shielding to prevent divination effects and scrying. Under the central tower a bunker or deep dungeon with a secret entrance would provide shelter for non-combatants during siege. False rooms filled with traps could also be used to defeat teleporting intruders. Internal defensive emplacements would be very important in a DND castle. Assuming that the defenders have access to magic, wonderous architecture could be used to ward against teleporters or ethereal/astral intruders (I imagine only very important structures would have this kind of expensive protection though, i.e the King's/BBEG'S castle). In the upper towers special chambers that enhance the defenders casting powers could be built (improved range, DC's etc) enabling them to blast besiegers (and hostile mages) with long range spells. Again, only the more important castles would have these kind of augmentations. I think that as castle built in this style could actually challenge quite a high level party. Or alternatively give the players the chance to act as the elite company defending the interior while their low level comrades man the towers. Any thoughts/comments?
Seeker95 04-25-06, 09:43 AM	Sounds like you have a really good start on the idea. For in-game mechanics on the defenses, you might want to check out Stronghold Builder's Guidebook. It has pricing, magical and mundane defenses (and even offenses!) and lots of other ideas for this very prupose.
CzarGarrett 04-25-06, 09:46 AM	I think the type of world you're in also makes a difference. In a place like Forgotten Realms, you're just as likely to have to fend off Hippogriff riding archers with flaming arrows as infantry with spears at your gates. But in other places, you might have a single commander on a flying mount and all he's doing is observing. For what you've come up with, it looks fairly good. I'm sure there's half a dozen people around the boards here who will be able to break these defences in 5 minutes or less, but for the most part, its good.
celtredleg 04-25-06, 10:02 AM	listen to seeker. You need to build to defeat what you are likely to face. There are way to many ways in DnD to flatten any defense. It is a matter of stopping those that are most likely to show up. Of course RW castles had the same problem. None of them could stand indefinate seige. At least your fantasy castle, as long as it has a couple villagfe priest type divine casters, as least you wont totaly starve.