[Lantore]

I'm currently in an ongoing campaign and we have progressed to a point where I am able to build a stronghold/castle. I have about 525,000 gold to spend on it, so does anyone have any pre-made plans or any ideas? I've used the strongholds resource, and already put one of my own together, but I'd like to see others. I'm unsatisfied with mine, and think my money could be better spent!

Any suggestions or plans would be helpful!

[Dthclaw]

Check Sword and Fist or Stronghold Builder's Guide.

Otherwise, use creative homebrew plans, or check actual historic castle designs. Without further context of where said castle is going to go, the setting itself, etc. there's not much to go on.

[WoeTheSinner]

You might want to check out Wizards there are some good free maps that you can build from. Specificaly where I directed you there is a map series of a mansion that couild be easily fortified.

More context would be handy though. We love to build things here.

-Woe

[urzaplns]

If I remember correctly there was a topic about stronghold building it inviolved an average price per square (unit of measurement in the campaign). I cant seem to find it at the moment, but I will remain vigilant.


[Edit]: here is the link Stronghold Construction

[Raven Bloodmoon]

Just remember, that the first thing you need to do is find the perfect location to build your castle. Being in an easily defended place with great strategic importance is usually helpful. Hills or clifs are good, especially if they overlook important channels or passages inland from the sea. You will need somethign large enough to hold the supporting population in times of seige as well as room for all the food and supplies. You will also need to be near a source of raw materials for building your fortress. And don't forget the labor force!

My favorites:

Slaves
Undead
Minions

[Lantore]

Well it is a bit of an odd scenario. I am a Noble by birth, and have now inherited my family lands. (my family turned undead, due to a blood curse which I fought off, and I had to kill them) Now we never really talked about my lands before all the crazyness started, but now an army of Devils is about to invade from the south. I am a level 12 Fighter (I am twinked out a little bit). So my DM gave the option to design my stronghold, one that had already been built. So no labor or anything like that comes into play, it's already built. He says through the generations they've spent about 525k on it. Now the bad part is that it is on a flat plain, but surrounded by forrests. No cliffs or any natural defences.

What I had proposed was a pentagonal shaped fortress with hewn stone walls (20ft high, 12ft thick at the base) for the Exterior walls, and for a stand alone wall surrounding the keep. I then used Masonry walls for the interior. I believe the keep was about 25 ss big. Which I believe is a good moderate size. Oh and I have a moat around the outside of the stand alone wall.

Only odd thing is that I have a large (4ss) chapel to Pelor as my top (3rd) Floor. It has a big stained glass dome, as to allow the light of Pelor to shine on all in the chapel. I'm worried this would get destroyed immediately in a siege. But it makes sense for it to be there.

Well any thoughts would be great!

[Lantore]

I would almost describe it like a Zigguraut with guard towers... and a large pelorian temple on top.

[Dthclaw]

All right, context! Let's get to work, eh?

Quote

Now the bad part is that it is on a flat plain, but surrounded by forrests. No cliffs or any natural defences.

On the contrary, in a fantasy setting that's plenty of natural defenses. Consider having your stone walls disguised as small cliff-faces, and guard towers of shaped and molded trees (not too dissimilar from Elf tree-forts). One, you have all the benefits of normal castlry. Two, you have some camoflauge from long-distance visual scouting (surprisingly useful in a forest setting). Three, it obscures a view of the "internal" parts of the castle. Four, it seems nifty.

That's assuming that the "its surrounded by forests" means the forests are butting against the walls of the castle.

Quote

Oh and I have a moat around the outside of the stand alone wall.

Make it a disguised, instantly collapsable moat (dozens of feet deep, maybe some spikes at the bottom). Just to be mean

Quote

Only odd thing is that I have a large (4ss) chapel to Pelor as my top (3rd) Floor. It has a big stained glass dome, as to allow the light of Pelor to shine on all in the chapel. I'm worried this would get destroyed immediately in a siege. But it makes sense for it to be there.

Magical reinforcement does wonders for brittle materials. As do walls of force for keeping the big bad projectiles out.

[Jimp]

You could also employ guards or maybe some local rangers to scout the forests around your stronghold. Some geurilla warfare tactics training for the forest guards might also provide handy.

[Raven Bloodmoon]

You will want a star-shaped design to allow multiple angles of crossfire from each tower. This will allow two towers to attack any single target at any single time. Look up the Castillio de San Marcos in St. Augustine to see a good example of what I mean. And if you have forests, that make sit harder to find your location, though you will have trouble seeing enemies approaching. They will also have ample lumber to construct seige engines. Prepare accordingly.

[Edit]

Oh, and beware forest fires. Smoke inhilation is a [POODLE].

[CoffeeAddict19]

Actually I would clear the land around the castle. Makes it more difficult for others to sneak up on you, elimenates concealment for them, and keeps them from smoking you out by burning the forest.

[Shadowkami]

a useful defensive tactic is an inner and outer wall, meaning that approaching enemies are open to fire from both walls, and you have room inside the fortress for farmland and houses, meaning you can last a seige, and protect your subjects indefinitely. You should also plan for most normal attack plans: siege towers: your walls should slope slightly inward, so seige towers will not be able to reach the walls, unless unusually long, even after the moat is filled. Ladders: a small outcrop about 1/2 way down the wall will prevent ladders being as effective. Fire: once the interior of your fortress is burining, you are in trouble, but if you organised fire fighting teams beforehand, and had accessible wells, fires should be able to be kept under control. Battering rams: Covering a battering ram in Alchemists fire would be interesting, or using acid if the carriers are fire-immune. Catapults: hiring Large creatures with the snatch arrows feat would mean that some of the incoming missiles could be caught and used to fire back at a later date. I am not sure if this would work, however. Sappers: if the enemy employs creatures with a burrow speed, you are mostly stuck, the only thing i can think of is underground walls of force, but that still leaves the neccesity of bringing in water, so what about decanters of endless water for supplying the castle. remember: corners are the weakest part of a castle, so make sure you defend them especially well.
I hope some of this helps you

[dark knight of death]

I just made a fortress and it dosnt have to be made completely accurately. Mine was done in about 20 mins but has worked really well so far in my "LUNA STAFF CAMPAIGN" (people trying to summon this that and the other for their unstoppable demon horde) ^^ soooooo.....corny......
By the way what type of campaign/adventure is it?

[Raven Bloodmoon]

We aren't talking about making an accurate stronghold. We are talking about making a stronghold that will resist being obliterated by the first army to lay seige to it. There is a reason towers starting beign built without corners (round). There is a reason the Castilio de San Marcos in St. Augustine is star-shaped (crossfire is a [POODLE]). There is a reason you usually see these things built high on hills rather than down in dales and valleys. Sloped walls let people on top of the walls pour boiling oil down the walls on people trying to scale them. Parapets with murder holes let you throw stuff down on your enemies without fear of retribution. These things were employed in strongholds for a reason. To withstand a seige.

[Lantore]

Hey guys! Thanks for all the great Ideas! What I ended up doing was using bits and pieces of everyones ideas. It is a two walled keep. The exterior walls almost look like a tic-tac-toe formation. This gives stability to the corners while giving plenty of coverage via bow along the main wall lines. It is sloped hewn stone, 20 feet high. And is also surrounded by a moat. The walls at the base are two 8 foot hewn stone sections with another 8 feet of earth inbetween them (just for cost purposes and stability purposes). So ya... this thing is massive! The interior is a lot cheaper, being just a reinforced masonry keep. It is a good size keep though, one which (along with housing inside the primary walls) can hold 200 or so troops very comfortabley.

I have left the forests in tact, I do own a logging company though, so I can take care of that whenever I want to.

Gamewise, the devils have not yet invaded. They sent some Vile Sendings (mainly a mind altering fog that covered the entire continent), but the Half-fiend (the other half is of a god) who was doing the vile sendings was finally destroyed. Not by my party though, but by a Blackguard of Hextor. Long story there. There was much time travel involved in finding an artifact and all kinds of crap in the far realm, that the Blackguard beat us to. So all of our adventure was for naught, but we convinced him to kill the Half-fiend for us. Unfortunately he plans on going after Pelor next (Pelor is our main deity we are following, heck we even have a drink with him every so often when he comes and slums in the real world.) Oh and the Blackguard is formally a paladin of Pelor, who fell from grace when he bitchslapped Pelor. Another long story. Our adventures are quite interesting....