Big Castle

[Jacktannery]

Castle.

I have decided to make a castle-style encounter map(s). I've always wanted a good castle backdrop for an RPG but existing examples were never exactly what I wanted. For this castle, I want to include the following:

1 drawbridge; 1 secret back entrance; at least 2 towers; a wall that you can walk on top of; a keep; narrow outdoor walkways; an outdoor courtyard; a throneroom; a dungeon.

I plan on firstly making a rough overall map then creating detailed views of individual locations (each one will be 2000 pixels by 2000 pixels representing 100 feet squared/30m2, then pasting them all together into one big overall map in the end. In addition, I want to make sure that the terrain on which the castle stands can be swapped out - ie so the castle can be placed in a springtime meadow; a wintery hill, or a seaside cliff.

In addition, I would ideally like to re-use some of the pieces I've already made; notably a gate house and drawbridge, and a couple of towers.

This project might be too ambitious for me, but I may as well try and start it.

Step 1 will be to come up with an overall castle plan. I want it to have a few key locations rather than a myriad of small rooms; however I also want something that looks more like the Disneyland castle (fantasy!) than a boringly realistic symmetrical square castle/keep.

If anyone has any ideas I'd be very grateful for any advice.

All maps and objects made by me in this thread can be used by anyone for non-commercial use only.

[Jacktannery]

Here are some concept images shamelessly stolen from the interweb (did a google images search for fantastic castle). I have no idea how I am going to translate these into a good floorplan. At all.

Concept.jpg

[jtougas]

This sounds like a great project. With your skills I'm sure it will be amazing. I've been wanting to do something similar for my Castle Shendenflar so I'll be watching this eagerly for inspiration.

[Jacktannery]

Well I don't know - I haven't tried something like this before - it could easily go horribly wrong. Anyway - a little bit at a time. I have some ideas for a basic ground plan which incorporates all the best bits of fantasy castles.

[Jacktannery]

Right - here is the ground plan:

From the front it is based on the disneyland sleeping beauty castle. But from the back it is based on Castle Fairfax in Fable 2 (which I never heard of before but which I gather is some sort of computer game). Our castle has almost everything I was looking for, except for a high terrace overlooking everything (like the landing strip in the Lord of the Rings movie in Minas Tirith). On the plus side, its a compact plan. I calculate I can cover most of it with 14 100'x100' square encounter maps and then paste them all together in the end to make the overview map, adding in the missing bits.

Concept2.jpg

[jtougas]

That looks like a good plan. Are the round objects towers? there seems to be a lot of them for a (relatively) small castle. In any case it looks like a sound foundation to start with.

[Jacktannery]

Yes they are tower and yes there are LOADS of them because the images of castles I liked all have thousands of towers. I am designing it so it looks like the disneyland castle from the front - all towers and flags. I realise its not realistic but it is how I imagine fantasy castles.

[jtougas]

Yes they are tower and yes there are LOADS of them because the images of castles I liked all have thousands of towers. I am designing it so it looks like the disneyland castle from the front - all towers and flags. I realise its not realistic but it is how I imagine fantasy castles.

I never worry about realistic. If it looks like it's got a story or two in it then I build it. I think this is going to be great

[Bogie]

Looks like a great project.

[Jacktannery]

Thanks. I've started work on the exterior colour scheme - going very muted.

colours.jpg