The Castle Guide
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THE CASTLE GUIDE Designed by Grant Boucher, Troy Christensen, Arthur Collins and Nigel Findley Additional Design by Timothy B. Brown and William W. Connors Edited by William W. Connors c 1990 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved HTML c 1999 David R. Klassen June 26, 2000 2 2 In the Days of Knights 21 2.1 Knights of Glory . 21 2.2 Nothing is Free . 21 2.3 War horses . 22 2.4 In Search of High Adventure . 22 2.5 Knighthood for Non-Warriors . 22 2.6 The Road to Knighthood . 22 Contents 2.7 Questing for Knighthood . 23 2.8 Any Excuse for a Party . 23 2.9 Demi-Human Celebrations . 24 2.10 The Chivalric Code . 24 2.10.1 Medieval Code of Chivalry . 24 1 The Feudal Setting 7 2.10.2 A Modern Code of Chivalry . 24 1.1 Merging Fact and Fantasy . 7 2.11 Maid to Fit . 25 1.2 Notes on Campaign Politics . 7 2.12 Falling from Grace . 25 1.3 Feudal Society . 7 2.12.1 Loss of Personal Honor . 25 1.4 Social Classes . 8 2.12.2 Loss of Family Honor . 25 1.4.1 Serfs . 8 2.12.3 Loss of Royal Honor . 26 1.4.2 Yeomen . 8 2.13 Rogue Knights . 26 2.14 Heraldry . 26 1.4.3 Tradesmen . 8 2.14.1 Standards . 26 1.4.4 Guildsmen . 8 2.14.2 The King's Standard . 27 1.4.5 Chivalrics . 9 2.14.3 Altering the Armor Further . 27 1.4.6 Nobility . 9 2.15 Demi-Human Knights . 27 1.4.7 Royal Family . 9 2.15.1 Elven Knights . 27 1.4.8 The Imperial Family . 9 2.15.2 Dwarven Knights . 28 1.5 Members of the Court . 9 1.5.1 Lord High Chamberlain . 9 3 The Tournament 29 1.5.2 Lord High Chancellor . 10 3.1 High Holidays . 29 1.5.3 Lord High Justice . 10 3.2 Private Celebrations . 29 1.5.4 Lord High Marshal . 10 3.3 Tests . 29 3.4 Challenges . 29 1.5.5 Lord High Inquisitor . 10 3.5 Local Fairs . 30 1.5.6 Lord High Wizard . 10 3.6 Noble Tournaments . 30 1.5.7 Lord High Chaplin . 10 3.7 Jousting . 30 1.6 A Note About Magic . 10 3.7.1 Quick Jousting Rules . 30 1.7 The Role of The Church . 11 3.8 Archery . 31 1.7.1 Lay Brethren . 11 3.8.1 Quick Archery Rules . 31 1.7.2 Acolytes . 11 3.9 Holy Debates . 31 1.7.3 Postulant . 11 3.10 Wizardry Competitions . 31 1.7.4 Priest . 11 1.7.5 Curate . 11 4 The Evolution of Castles 33 1.7.6 Dean . 12 4.1 The Castle's Role . 33 4.2 Types Of Castles . 33 1.7.7 Primate . 12 4.3 Technological Levels . 33 1.7.8 High Priest . 12 1.7.9 Patriarch . 12 5 Castle Construction 37 1.8 Politics And Churches . 13 5.1 Acquiring Land . 37 1.8.1 The Divine Right of Kings . 13 5.1.1 Royal Charters . 37 1.8.2 Politics Within The Churches . 13 5.1.2 Land Grants . 37 1.8.3 Conflicting Faiths . 13 5.1.3 Conquest of Land . 37 1.8.4 The Church and Magic . 13 5.1.4 Purchasing Land . 37 1.9 Crimes and Punishments . 14 5.1.5 Claiming Land . 37 1.9.1 Violent Crimes . 14 5.1.6 Theft or Claim Jumping . 38 1.9.2 Crimes of Theft . 15 5.1.7 Leasing . 38 5.2 The Construction Site . 38 1.10 Death by Taxes . 16 5.2.1 Climate Type . 38 1.10.1 Everyday Taxes . 16 5.2.2 Temperate (1.25) . 38 1.10.2 Monthly Taxes . 16 5.2.3 Geography . 39 1.10.3 Legal Fees and Duties . 17 5.2.4 Ground Cover . 39 1.11 Populating the Castle . 18 5.2.5 Resource Availability . 40 1.12 Paying for Your Castle or Kingdom . 19 5.3 The Work Force . 40 1.12.1 Bribery is Your Friend . 19 5.3.1 Local Social Structure . 40 1.13 A Day in the Life of a Peasant . 19 5.3.2 Worker Skill . 41 3 4 CONTENTS 5.3.3 Worker Morale . 41 5.8.7 Castle on the Moors . 48 5.4 Determine the Final Production Modifier . 42 5.9 Monthly Events . 48 5.4.1 Castle on the Moors . 42 5.9.1 Castle on the Moors . 50 5.5 Castle Design . 42 5.5.1 Castle Modules . 42 6 Unusual Castles 53 5.5.2 Module Descriptions . 43 6.1 Oriental Designs . 53 6.2 Thieves' Castles . 53 5.6 Laying out the Castle . 45 6.3 Wizards' Keeps . 53 5.6.1 Castle on the Moors . 45 6.4 Priests' Fortresses . 54 5.7 Average Construction Time & Cost . 46 6.5 Paladins' Castles . 54 5.7.1 Works of Art . 46 6.6 Rangers' Forts . 54 5.7.2 Overhead Costs . 46 6.7 Druids' Shrines . 55 5.7.3 Final Calculations . 46 6.8 Dwarven Citadels . 55 5.7.4 Castle on the Moors . 46 6.8.1 Kiva Design . 55 5.8 The Work Force . 46 6.8.2 Pit and Cistern Design . 55 5.8.1 Larger Work Forces . 46 6.9 Elven Sanctuaries . 56 5.8.2 Smaller Work Forces . 47 6.9.1 Green Labyrinth . 56 5.8.3 Heroic Characters . 47 6.9.2 Blue Circle . 56 5.8.4 Magical Items . 47 6.10 Halfling Strongholds . 56 5.8.5 Monsters . 47 6.11 Gnomish Castles . 57 5.8.6 Work Seasons . 48 6.12 Orcish Keeps . 57 Introduction Prepare yourself for a voyage back in time. Here, we expand upon the BATTLESYSTEM rules and As you read this book, you will be drawn back through provide rules for resolving long sieges and the defense of the years to an age when castles dominated the landscape castles. Material in this section addresses the elements of a of Europe. Here, amid these mighty stone halls, you will fantasy world that make defending a castle more than just find knights in shining armor and great battles fought by an exercise in historical simulation. In addition, we look men and women with steel swords and iron nerves. at the various types of castles found in the AD&D game, Welcome to the Age of Chivalry. including those of the dwarves and elves. If you aren't in- terested in fighting out individual battles with miniatures, we have taken care to include a pair of quick resolution What's in this book? systems (cf. Section ??). The first of these can be used to resolve individual sieges, while the second can be employed The Castle Guide is an outgrowth of the AD&D 2nd edi- to determine the victor in an individual battle or all-out tion game rules. In the DUNGEON MASTER Guide and military campaign. Player's Handbook a general rules system was established Lastly, we have included a trio of generic castles (cf. that allows the Dungeon Master to run a variety of fantasy Section ??) for use by the Dungeon Master in setting up role-playing styles. In this book, however, we will focus in his game. If time is tight, any one of these structures can on a specific style of game, one set in a society similar to be easily adapted to serve as an NPC's base of operations that of feudal Europe, and give you the background infor- or as a model of medieval design techniques. mation you need to make it come to life. The first section (cf. Section 1) of this book begins with an overview of medieval society and the feudal system in general. Here, Using The Castle Guide you will come to understand the forces that drive a feudal government and the relationship between the state and its As you can see, there is a great deal of information in this churches. book. Of course, you can use as much or as little of it as you Following this, we go on to detail the ways in which want in your AD&D game. If you are using the Complete player characters can become knights (cf. Section 2), the Fighter's Handbook in your campaign, you will find that stout defenders of the realm. The code of chivalry is ex- much of the information in this book works well with the amined and the standards by which a knight must live his cavalier and swashbuckler kits especially. However, anyone or her life are addressed. In closing the first section, we of- who runs a campaign that has elements of feudal Europe fer a guide to medieval tournaments (cf. Section 3). Here, in it will find something of value to them in this book. characters get the chance to show off their skills and try for For those who want to set their campaign against the the hand of the beautiful princess (or handsome prince). backdrop of a great war, as was done in Tolkien's Lord of Our second section (cf. Section 4) examines the evolu- the Rings trilogy, the quick resolution systems presented in tion of castles in medieval Europe and provides an overview Chapter 8 (cf. Section ??) will allow players to focus on the of their advantages and disadvantages. Following that, we role-playing aspects of the game, while still being able to present a modular system for the design and construction change the course of a battle or turn the tide of an entire of castles (cf.