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Dungeons & Dragonsreveals two of its tropes in the title.
The castles of history are almost as magnificent on a slightly smaller scale.
Uncover tips, tricks, and creative ideas to add suspense and excitement to your DM toolkit.
Via: Dungeon Masters Guild
Sure, players and DMs can rely on their shared vision of a generic fantasy fortification.
Let’s check out some memorable castle features for your next D&D campaign.
Tips For Creating Memorable Castles
Castles don’t just spring up overnight.
Dungeons & Dragons Curse Of Strahd Illustration By Jedd Chevrier
Cinematic fun beats slavish historical accuracy.
What’s The Purpose?
Defense is a castle’s primary function, but it’s not the only one.
Dungeons & Dragons Curse Of Strahd Illustration By Jedd Chevrier
A thick stone fortress atop a sheer cliff serves a different role than a decorative urban noble’s castle.
Port-side castles should have a distinctive feel.
Seabirds, salty air, secret cave docks - all of these features hammer home the unique feel.
High Ground
Just like Anakin Skywalker, castles favour high ground.
A castle should occupy the most naturally defensive position in a landscape.
In D&D, towers make great locations for libraries, laboratories, and wizard’s workshops.
Via Wizards Of The Coast
The castle’s gatehouse should be heavily guarded and in a defensible position.
As long as it makes sense in your game world, go nuts.
Real castles often featured religious motifs on the walls in tapestry and paint.
In D&D, you could decide which gods the castle owner favours and decorate accordingly.
Functional Rooms
Each room in your castle should serve a function.
It doesn’t have to be grand or epic.
What background noises are there?
A castle could feature stables, kitchens, courtyards, chapels, and forges.
Magical teleportation opens up wild new possibilities for castle locations.
A castle’s location should always reflect its function - even in a high fantasy setting.
Crossroads
Historical castles were often placed near the intersection of busy trade routes.
(Which were also the roads armies would march on.
River Crossing
Building a castle at a strategic river crossing allowed its lord to control trade and traffic.
This kind of castle can even feature a shipyard depending on how far it is from the sea.
Here’s how it works.
