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Making my fortress of evil

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
aise
Mar 10, 2008 20:03:25 Well my DM just started a evil FR campaign and I'm playing the wizard, oddly enough not from Thay. Anyway we started at level 6 and I told him that my goal was to first creat a fortress of evil. He told me to plan out the castle now and figure out the price for it, as I (both me and my character) will be designing it myself. Anyway I was looking through the PHB and DMG and couldn't find anything on the price of stone, gold, silver, velvet and other materals by sqare feet or area. I guess i could convert its mass to its volume but i don't know the mass of stone, gold, silver or any of the other things. Thus far I have Stone, marble, gold, silver, mahogny, velvet and silk. Any ideas?
#2
RPJesus
Mar 10, 2008 20:41:53 First off, it has to be a flying castle. All the villains have flying castles (or floating I suppose would be a more accurate description).
Secondly, lava. Nevermind the needless risk it imposes, you have to have lava in your evil castle. :D
#3
aise
Mar 10, 2008 20:57:25 Well thus far I have this:
Evil death traps
pit traps, lots of pit traps
secret passages
floating
portal to second castle on another plane, cus every evil wizard needs a summer house
an army of unseen sevents.
#4
slimgauge
Mar 10, 2008 21:11:43 Three words. Stronghold Builder's Guide. It's technically 3.0, but most stuff works just fine in 3.5
#5
RPJesus
Mar 10, 2008 21:18:32 You also have to have giant portraits of yourself all over the place, and unlocked chests full of relatively useful equipment and items.
And puzzles. Everyone loves puzzles. (If you wanted to be a real *******, you could find a way to implement the wallmasters from zelda.)
#6
pudge_is_cute
Mar 11, 2008 6:25:29 Do not forget the banquet and dance floor on every room, every evil dude's need one.

Do not forget to hire a ninja or two, those are needed in case.

Your "secret" room must be spacious and grand, that it can house a thousand soldiers and etc. Do not forget the thousand portals and escape route's though.

If all else fails, you need some kind of self-destruct button, just make it foolproof just in case.

Do not also forget to laugh when so called heroes....

1. Entered your castle.
2. See you for the 1st time(don't forget to introduce yourself with evil laughter).
3. One of their members died.
4. The final battle.
5. Making your escape.

...not that kind of "hehehe" laugh, make it "MWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!11!!one!" laugh. Also insert the words "fool", "foolish", "imbecile" & "do you think you can defeat with that?" after laughing.
#7
entropy_judge
Mar 11, 2008 7:45:55 Are you trying to design a serious castle that a lvl 6 wizard would want, or a 'fun' "Fortress of Evil" (TM)?
the price of stone, gold, silver, velvet and other materals by sqare feet or area

That should be in the Stronghold Builder's Guide suggested earlier.

In any event - most of the 'functional' parts of your castle should be a hard stone (granite, probably - marble if you want it to look really nice). Doors should be the standard Oak, maybe Ironwood (or equivalent) if you want something sturdy, and iron-bound regardless.

Lavish areas (Throne room, Ballroom, Trophy Room, etc) should be marble (non-striated), with onyx or obsidian inlays.
Evil death traps
pit traps, lots of pit traps
secret passages
floating
portal to second castle on another plane, cus every evil wizard needs a summer house
an army of unseen sevents.

In order:
Death traps must be magical in nature, unless you're willing to bury your fortress (underground or extradimensional) - otherwise you won't have the room.
Ditto for pits.
Secret Passages are bad. 1) Adventurers will find and use them. 2) Stupid guests will use them (if you have no guests, disregard). 3) If no one uses them, there's no point to the extra cost.
Floating is overrated. Get one that planeshifts.
I don't think you should have a second castle on a different plane. Instead, make your castle trans-dimensional.
#8
RPJesus
Mar 11, 2008 10:20:04 Floating is a requisite feature of evil fortresses. Of course, there's no reason it can't also planeshift.
#9
clem-da-squig
Mar 11, 2008 12:10:14
Floating is a requisite feature of evil fortresses. Of course, there's no reason it can't also planeshift.

Evil Castle(Architecture)

Prerequisite:Floating

Benefits:Your Castle is Evil.

Normal:Your Castle is Neutral
#10
gadren_stoneblood
Mar 11, 2008 16:34:54 Here's mine for my lich sorcerer:
Starts in an abandoned sentry tower in the wilderness, stone staircase leading down.
As soon as the PCs step through the door at the bottom, they are warped across planes to a cavern system (natural stone caves), and eventually, they end up in the dungeons of a magnificent stone tower (though they don't know where they are, and to be honest, I don't either. The only way out is back to the first door or teleport). Grand entry hall, huge library, random circular room (perfect for duels), etc.
#11
dawnbringer
Mar 11, 2008 18:19:34 There is no way you can get a floating or a plane shifting stronghold at level 6. It just costs too much. Besides, if i were evil, I wouldn't be looking at whether it can float or not. I would do function first, and after, if i have enough, add things to it (floating, or in the case of stronghold builders guide, flying, doesn't have to come into it all).

Get the stronghold builders guide, you need it. You just need to wait until your higher level to build any kind of decent stronghold.
#12
aise
Mar 11, 2008 19:10:45 I'm not getting it now, i'll probally get it at about 12th or 13th level and upgrade it from then on.
#13
old_school_overlord
Mar 11, 2008 19:38:49 I gonna go against the herd here and say no floating.

You want a small, helpless village of people utterly at your mercy.

There just isn't the same quality of terror in floating past them for half an hour every couple of weeks, compared to living next door.
#14
RPJesus
Mar 11, 2008 19:52:08 But floating, lava, and key based progress are the cornerstones on the pyramid of evil.
More importantly, it doesn't float by them every couple of months, it hovers directly above them all the time, blotting out the sky. See how rebelious the peasants are without a sun.
#15
gametaku
Mar 11, 2008 22:56:52 No, they need the sun to grow your food. You might be evil for blotting out the sun, but you would also be hungry. Anyways, it's more fun to make them watch their back for your return.
#16
RPJesus
Mar 11, 2008 23:52:54 Nah, you extort nearby villages for food, lest you build a second castle to blot out the sun in their village as well.
Although I am intrigued by a villain who floats by like once a week and just randomly throws exploding pumpkins down from the sky while babbling like a lunatic.
#17
pudge_is_cute
Mar 12, 2008 0:01:21
Nah, you extort nearby villages for food, lest you build a second castle to blot out the sun in their village as well.
Although I am intrigued by a villain who floats by like once a week and just randomly throws exploding pumpkins down from the sky while babbling like a lunatic.

Bolded text is one of the coolest thing a villain can do.

"Mwahahaha, the flying dessert walrus will prevail!! Watch at how I throw exploding pumpkins below to ensure your diabolical cottages their doom!!! MWAHAHAHAHA!!1!"

Anyway seriously, consider adding some kind of survailance in corridors and in your secret passages. Do not forget to add true seeing to the corridors, though I doubt heroes will still use their invisibility inside secret passages but it is better to be safe.
#18
dorve
Mar 12, 2008 3:28:58 BIG FRICKEN ROCKS!

Seriously, the more rocks the better, because the "hero's" will think their a puzzle.

Put holes in them and hide matching rocks through out.

Or just get kobold minions, either way, the "hero's" will die.

hint! put a death spell that activates when the stone's are replaced.
#19
fighter_mcwarrior
Mar 16, 2008 20:05:43 If you truly want to be evil, check out some of the traps in the Tomb of Horrors. That should take care of any pesky band of heroes.
#20
agahi_renem
Mar 17, 2008 19:08:32 There is a feat in the stronghold builders guidebook that will help with the cost. Landlord, I think. It will pay a huge chunk of the cost, enough to make your tower (evil wizards should have a tower), cool, and practicle.
#21
maekrix_waere
Mar 17, 2008 19:20:56 Put something in the fortress that functions like this. I don't care how you do it, or where you get it, but that is the most diabolical invention in the history of the world. If you need proof, read the second paragraph at the bottom of the comic.

Not only would it kill ~1 person in each group of pesky adventurers (even more if you make it a square pit with a Wall of Force on the other side, but it's a great way to get rid of the in-laws. Finally, it would be extremely funny to just stand there, have the warrior charge you, then fall down to their doom (eventually).

(Yes, it connects to both video games and 300, but I hope you can look past those to see exactly how perfect such a contraption would be.)

Finally, I have to agree with previous posters. Maniacal laughter and random, malevolent, babbling monologues are absolutely essential to any evil fortress owner (extra points if you can make it random, malevolent, and babbling about something cute or nice, like kittens or pies), as well as the obligatory self-destruct button. However, remember to get evil fortress insurance. That is an absolute MUST!
#22
darknight303
Mar 18, 2008 20:10:14 I have one suggesting for ya; moat of lava on your floating castle..... but not just lava, it has to be floating EVIL lava. Fire dmg AND evil dmg. Coolest thing ever and nobody ever thinks of it
#23
maekrix_waere
Mar 19, 2008 22:15:09 Another recommendation: Read this, as it has an enitre section devoted to evil fortresses. Albeit, they are evil UNDEAD fortresses, but that just makes everything so much better. ;)
#24
whiteraven810
Mar 20, 2008 0:44:05
Evil Castle(Architecture)

Prerequisite:Floating

Benefits:Your Castle is Evil.

Normal:Your Castle is Neutral

Zing!

I'd go the opposite route from having a flying castle, and instead build mine in the heart of an active volcano. Or under the protection of a city.

If you play Shackled City, you could have both.
#25
shaso_fish
Mar 20, 2008 5:55:52 You'll need kittens.

Hoards and hoards of kittens.

When your foes ask why you have so many cats, you can simply look at them, laugh for 10 minutes, and go (in your best Sean Connery impression) "I have a thing for cats. Kill them, my minions!" Note: the cats don't necessarily have to do anything either. In fact, its better that they don't because you then appear to be the local cat person who happens to be picking on the local village than actually 'evil.'

My 2 (market value 3) cents worth.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 aise Mar 10, 2008 20:03:25	Well my DM just started a evil FR campaign and I'm playing the wizard, oddly enough not from Thay. Anyway we started at level 6 and I told him that my goal was to first creat a fortress of evil. He told me to plan out the castle now and figure out the price for it, as I (both me and my character) will be designing it myself. Anyway I was looking through the PHB and DMG and couldn't find anything on the price of stone, gold, silver, velvet and other materals by sqare feet or area. I guess i could convert its mass to its volume but i don't know the mass of stone, gold, silver or any of the other things. Thus far I have Stone, marble, gold, silver, mahogny, velvet and silk. Any ideas?
#2 RPJesus Mar 10, 2008 20:41:53	First off, it has to be a flying castle. All the villains have flying castles (or floating I suppose would be a more accurate description). Secondly, lava. Nevermind the needless risk it imposes, you have to have lava in your evil castle. :D
#3 aise Mar 10, 2008 20:57:25	Well thus far I have this: Evil death traps pit traps, lots of pit traps secret passages floating portal to second castle on another plane, cus every evil wizard needs a summer house an army of unseen sevents.
#4 slimgauge Mar 10, 2008 21:11:43	Three words. Stronghold Builder's Guide. It's technically 3.0, but most stuff works just fine in 3.5
#5 RPJesus Mar 10, 2008 21:18:32	You also have to have giant portraits of yourself all over the place, and unlocked chests full of relatively useful equipment and items. And puzzles. Everyone loves puzzles. (If you wanted to be a real *******, you could find a way to implement the wallmasters from zelda.)
#6 pudge_is_cute Mar 11, 2008 6:25:29	Do not forget the banquet and dance floor on every room, every evil dude's need one. Do not forget to hire a ninja or two, those are needed in case. Your "secret" room must be spacious and grand, that it can house a thousand soldiers and etc. Do not forget the thousand portals and escape route's though. If all else fails, you need some kind of self-destruct button, just make it foolproof just in case. Do not also forget to laugh when so called heroes.... 1. Entered your castle. 2. See you for the 1st time(don't forget to introduce yourself with evil laughter). 3. One of their members died. 4. The final battle. 5. Making your escape. ...not that kind of "hehehe" laugh, make it "MWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!11!!one!" laugh. Also insert the words "fool", "foolish", "imbecile" & "do you think you can defeat with that?" after laughing.
#7 entropy_judge Mar 11, 2008 7:45:55	Are you trying to design a serious castle that a lvl 6 wizard would want, or a 'fun' "Fortress of Evil" (TM)? the price of stone, gold, silver, velvet and other materals by sqare feet or area That should be in the Stronghold Builder's Guide suggested earlier. In any event - most of the 'functional' parts of your castle should be a hard stone (granite, probably - marble if you want it to look really nice). Doors should be the standard Oak, maybe Ironwood (or equivalent) if you want something sturdy, and iron-bound regardless. Lavish areas (Throne room, Ballroom, Trophy Room, etc) should be marble (non-striated), with onyx or obsidian inlays. Evil death traps pit traps, lots of pit traps secret passages floating portal to second castle on another plane, cus every evil wizard needs a summer house an army of unseen sevents. In order: Death traps must be magical in nature, unless you're willing to bury your fortress (underground or extradimensional) - otherwise you won't have the room. Ditto for pits. Secret Passages are bad. 1) Adventurers will find and use them. 2) Stupid guests will use them (if you have no guests, disregard). 3) If no one uses them, there's no point to the extra cost. Floating is overrated. Get one that planeshifts. I don't think you should have a second castle on a different plane. Instead, make your castle trans-dimensional.
#8 RPJesus Mar 11, 2008 10:20:04	Floating is a requisite feature of evil fortresses. Of course, there's no reason it can't also planeshift.
#9 clem-da-squig Mar 11, 2008 12:10:14	Floating is a requisite feature of evil fortresses. Of course, there's no reason it can't also planeshift. Evil Castle(Architecture) Prerequisite:Floating Benefits:Your Castle is Evil. Normal:Your Castle is Neutral
#10 gadren_stoneblood Mar 11, 2008 16:34:54	Here's mine for my lich sorcerer: Starts in an abandoned sentry tower in the wilderness, stone staircase leading down. As soon as the PCs step through the door at the bottom, they are warped across planes to a cavern system (natural stone caves), and eventually, they end up in the dungeons of a magnificent stone tower (though they don't know where they are, and to be honest, I don't either. The only way out is back to the first door or teleport). Grand entry hall, huge library, random circular room (perfect for duels), etc.
#11 dawnbringer Mar 11, 2008 18:19:34	There is no way you can get a floating or a plane shifting stronghold at level 6. It just costs too much. Besides, if i were evil, I wouldn't be looking at whether it can float or not. I would do function first, and after, if i have enough, add things to it (floating, or in the case of stronghold builders guide, flying, doesn't have to come into it all). Get the stronghold builders guide, you need it. You just need to wait until your higher level to build any kind of decent stronghold.
#12 aise Mar 11, 2008 19:10:45	I'm not getting it now, i'll probally get it at about 12th or 13th level and upgrade it from then on.
#13 old_school_overlord Mar 11, 2008 19:38:49	I gonna go against the herd here and say no floating. You want a small, helpless village of people utterly at your mercy. There just isn't the same quality of terror in floating past them for half an hour every couple of weeks, compared to living next door.
#14 RPJesus Mar 11, 2008 19:52:08	But floating, lava, and key based progress are the cornerstones on the pyramid of evil. More importantly, it doesn't float by them every couple of months, it hovers directly above them all the time, blotting out the sky. See how rebelious the peasants are without a sun.
#15 gametaku Mar 11, 2008 22:56:52	No, they need the sun to grow your food. You might be evil for blotting out the sun, but you would also be hungry. Anyways, it's more fun to make them watch their back for your return.
#16 RPJesus Mar 11, 2008 23:52:54	Nah, you extort nearby villages for food, lest you build a second castle to blot out the sun in their village as well. Although I am intrigued by a villain who floats by like once a week and just randomly throws exploding pumpkins down from the sky while babbling like a lunatic.
#17 pudge_is_cute Mar 12, 2008 0:01:21	Nah, you extort nearby villages for food, lest you build a second castle to blot out the sun in their village as well. Although I am intrigued by a villain who floats by like once a week and just randomly throws exploding pumpkins down from the sky while babbling like a lunatic. Bolded text is one of the coolest thing a villain can do. "Mwahahaha, the flying dessert walrus will prevail!! Watch at how I throw exploding pumpkins below to ensure your diabolical cottages their doom!!! MWAHAHAHAHA!!1!" Anyway seriously, consider adding some kind of survailance in corridors and in your secret passages. Do not forget to add true seeing to the corridors, though I doubt heroes will still use their invisibility inside secret passages but it is better to be safe.
#18 dorve Mar 12, 2008 3:28:58	BIG FRICKEN ROCKS! Seriously, the more rocks the better, because the "hero's" will think their a puzzle. Put holes in them and hide matching rocks through out. Or just get kobold minions, either way, the "hero's" will die. hint! put a death spell that activates when the stone's are replaced.
#19 fighter_mcwarrior Mar 16, 2008 20:05:43	If you truly want to be evil, check out some of the traps in the Tomb of Horrors. That should take care of any pesky band of heroes.
#20 agahi_renem Mar 17, 2008 19:08:32	There is a feat in the stronghold builders guidebook that will help with the cost. Landlord, I think. It will pay a huge chunk of the cost, enough to make your tower (evil wizards should have a tower), cool, and practicle.
#21 maekrix_waere Mar 17, 2008 19:20:56	Put something in the fortress that functions like this. I don't care how you do it, or where you get it, but that is the most diabolical invention in the history of the world. If you need proof, read the second paragraph at the bottom of the comic. Not only would it kill ~1 person in each group of pesky adventurers (even more if you make it a square pit with a Wall of Force on the other side, but it's a great way to get rid of the in-laws. Finally, it would be extremely funny to just stand there, have the warrior charge you, then fall down to their doom (eventually). (Yes, it connects to both video games and 300, but I hope you can look past those to see exactly how perfect such a contraption would be.) Finally, I have to agree with previous posters. Maniacal laughter and random, malevolent, babbling monologues are absolutely essential to any evil fortress owner (extra points if you can make it random, malevolent, and babbling about something cute or nice, like kittens or pies), as well as the obligatory self-destruct button. However, remember to get evil fortress insurance. That is an absolute MUST!
#22 darknight303 Mar 18, 2008 20:10:14	I have one suggesting for ya; moat of lava on your floating castle..... but not just lava, it has to be floating EVIL lava. Fire dmg AND evil dmg. Coolest thing ever and nobody ever thinks of it
#23 maekrix_waere Mar 19, 2008 22:15:09	Another recommendation: Read this, as it has an enitre section devoted to evil fortresses. Albeit, they are evil UNDEAD fortresses, but that just makes everything so much better. ;)
#24 whiteraven810 Mar 20, 2008 0:44:05	Evil Castle(Architecture) Prerequisite:Floating Benefits:Your Castle is Evil. Normal:Your Castle is Neutral Zing! I'd go the opposite route from having a flying castle, and instead build mine in the heart of an active volcano. Or under the protection of a city. If you play Shackled City, you could have both.
#25 shaso_fish Mar 20, 2008 5:55:52	You'll need kittens. Hoards and hoards of kittens. When your foes ask why you have so many cats, you can simply look at them, laugh for 10 minutes, and go (in your best Sean Connery impression) "I have a thing for cats. Kill them, my minions!" Note: the cats don't necessarily have to do anything either. In fact, its better that they don't because you then appear to be the local cat person who happens to be picking on the local village than actually 'evil.' My 2 (market value 3) cents worth.