Denedor's Tower (D&D home brew)

[SJS]

I'll post this as a WIP in case anyone catches something I've missed, but it may very well be finished. This map goes with a few other threads of mine:

1. A regional map of my campaign setting (hex)
2. An abandoned stronghold (area 4 on regional map)
3. Underground caverns (area 5 on regional map)

And this current one, "Denedor's Tower", is area 6 on that regional map:



Comments on any or all appreciated. Many thanks to tuts, feedback, and inspirations on this forum for allowing me to get this far.

[Chick]

It may be clear in your adventure setting, but just looking at the map, I wonder why the walls are so different on levels 4 and 5.

[madcowchef]

Looks like there is a way into every room, you're ahead of 80% of the old supplements!

[Larb]

I assume the top part of the tower is octagonal a bit like the Tower of Hercules in Spain.

I like it but I think rooms 18, 19, 23, 28, 29, and 31 would be very gloomy though.

[SJS]

It may be clear in your adventure setting, but just looking at the map, I wonder why the walls are so different on levels 4 and 5.

Level 4 is smaller than level 3. The thicker "wall" you're seeing is a representation of the roof of level 3. That may be clearer if you look at the full size version.

Similarly, level 5 is smaller than level 4. So two roof areas are represented on the level 5 map - level 4's roof (on which statues are perched) and, far below and therefore shaded darker, level 3's.

[SJS]

Looks like there is a way into every room, you're ahead of 80% of the old supplements!

Ha! And mine will cost you nothing to use.

[SJS]

I assume the top part of the tower is octagonal a bit like the Tower of Hercules in Spain.

I like it but I think rooms 18, 19, 23, 28, 29, and 31 would be very gloomy though.

I will have to find a picture of that tower.

As to the gloomy rooms, that's what torches on the wall are for. That solves the light problem, and creates the lung cancer problem...

[Falconius]

This is mostly a pointless aside, but I'll go for it anyway: I know torches are the popular thing to use in any century preceding the 1800's, but the fact is people used lamps and candles or whatever light was available from the fireplace. Torches are impractical in almost every sense, but especially from the danger of large open flames and copious amounts of smoke they would have created. That is why the invention of kerosene was such an important invention as it was the first step in lighting up the night for most of the worlds people. If you feel like nerding out a bit and learning a bit more, you can watch these videos: Torches: outdoor use - YouTube

[SJS]

This is mostly a pointless aside, but I'll go for it anyway: I know torches are the popular thing to use in any century preceding the 1800's, but the fact is people used lamps and candles or whatever light was available from the fireplace. Torches are impractical in almost every sense, but especially from the danger of large open flames and copious amounts of smoke they would have created. That is why the invention of kerosene was such an important invention as it was the first step in lighting up the night for most of the worlds people. If you feel like nerding out a bit and learning a bit more, you can watch these videos: Torches: outdoor use - YouTube

Not pointless. I was just joking, but you're right, that's more a TV trope than anything.

I am curious about something else though - when did windows come into regular use? I toured Monticello last year (Jefferson's home he built in the late 18th century), and the guides pointed out that his design was really unusual in incorporating so many windows. Now I think that windows have been around for some time for public buildings - I'm thinking even of stained glass in gothic churches - but I'd also imagine the process was less efficient long ago. When would palaces, castles, etc. have started using glass regularly?

[Falconius]

Glass not so much. There are two practical problems regarding windows, air flow and structural stability. In the old stone buildings I see over here it's usually one window opening for a wall section, wall sections in this case are the width that is needed to make a reliable arched interior (like 4 meters wide on the outside, I'd guess). I have no idea what the covered them with in the past, but in this country the weather allows one to get away with just shutters in worst case scenario. The limiting factor with stone of course is ensuring that your windows don't collapse your wall so that's the reason for one window per wall section.

With wood it is of course very different as structurally it is much easier to build windows into the wall, but insulation is more a factor. As far as I'm aware in colder climes they simply didn't use windows. The Northwest Indian long houses didn't have them, same with Scandinavian buildings. For more moderate areas though like central Europe etc they employed windows commonly (as can be seen in half timbered medieval buildings), but they were likely covered by rawhide sheets, with shutters that remained closed in the winter. Rich folks might have a few multi piece glass windows. The far east used paper for this purpose. Glass for windows probably started being more widespread probably around the Renaissance's I'd think, but I don't actually know. As for glass' first instances of use as windows, it was by the Romans apparently.