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Cave and Castle Construction
Have you ever noticed that on Onin all these caves and castles exist and are in pretty good shape? Who built these things? Why are there never any being repaired? Why doesn't anyone build more? How exactly do you build a cave? Well this column will take you into the world of WOV Cave and Castle Contractors so you can get in touch with the correct organization to get your project off the ground!
Just kidding. But really, how do you build an appropriate castle or cave for players to explore? There are two basic lines of thought to this: practical and fun. Most times these things seem to be at odds, but I hope to help you discover the balance that comes from these two view points comfortably coinciding with each other.
Practical-minded people make the argument that a castle won't exist without a bathroom. There should be logic behind where rooms are and why they even exist. In other words, would they really just have one giant room called 'The Barracks' in a castle? Probably not, they would probably have several smaller buildings around the castle. Keeping an eye on the practical will lead you to making castles with bathrooms on each floor (providing sewer escape routes possibly) and large kitchen and pantry areas. These areas can be boring areas to explore as an adventurer, but none the less are really there and needed.
Fun-minded people say 'Screw the bathrooms! My monsters don't pee!' They design large intricate fantasy type castles or caves. They have huge hallways that could never exist in a cave without it collapsing. They may have a monster squeezed into a chamber so that it could never get out. (Which begs the question, how did it get in?) 'Fun' caves like these can lead to a loss in the sense of realism. You begin to say 'Why am I fighting a creature that couldn't even get in this room?' Suspending disbelief will help, but there is a better way.
To build the perfect castle or cave, there should be a balance. Moderation in all things, as they say. (Ask me who is they sometime.) I think that you definitely want some of the fun and fantastic rooms. That's what makes it fun, hence the name fun, and WOV is about fun. But you also need the balance of being a believable fantasy. You know what I mean. Are there ALWAYS monsters sleeping in this room? Wouldn't they leave sometime to eat or take a dump? Where are prisoners held? By creating a balance between the two ideas you are giving the players the best of both worlds.
Also be aware of the surrounding areas of both caves and castles. Castles may have a surrounding village, town or farm land to support it. A cave may have swampy farms around it to support the monsters. There may even be a castle with a cave near by for storage purposes. Does the castle have gates? Does the cave have regular intervals with lights? Are there markings on trees around the caves to point knowing people in the right direction? Some things to think about.
Finally, think about the castle or cave's physical structure. How did those pesky Hobgoblins build such an intricate tunnel system underground? Are there support beams in place? Tell the players. Have players come across the monsters trying to build a new liar. (Hobgoblins in hardhats! Danger! Construction Zone!) Or have the players try to rebuild a castle that has been torn down in a previous battle. Causing damage to a structure is another way that you can help players believe in the actual physical structure of a cave or castle.
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TM